How to Make Hybrid Cannabis

The marijuana legalization in some parts of the globe eliminates some barriers for breeders to continuously experiment with cannabis genetics to produce new strains. Today, the majority of cannabis products come from hybrid marijuana strains. 

Cannabis cultivation development has led to the creation of unique hybrid cannabis plants. Even home growers aside from professional breeders are now gaining interest to attempt creating their cannabis hybrids. Even if you are a newbie, making hybrid marijuana is attainable provided that you have the right knowledge and willing to put in extra effort growing your cannabis strain. Let’s take a look at some important guidelines on how to create your hybrid cannabis.

Different Marijuana Strains and Their Attributes

The features of hybrid cannabis are dependent on the genetics of its parent plant. This means that hybrid comes from combining different strains of cannabis plants. If you want to make your hybrid cannabis it is first important to know the different cannabis strains apart from knowing the process of how to make one. Each cannabis strains possess distinct characteristics from one another. We have listed down below the most known cannabis strains together with their different features.

Sativa

• Originated from equatorial countries including Mexico, India, and Thailand.
• The appearance of the leaves is typically longer and narrower.
• Plants from this strain grow taller and faster.
• Provides uplifting, energetic and cerebral effects.
• Therapeutic benefits include boosting the immune system as well as stimulate creativity, increased energy, treats depression and other mood disorders.

Indica

• Originated from Central Asian countries particularly Afghanistan and Nepal.
• The appearance of the leaves is broader.
• Indica plants grow shorter and bushier.
• Contains higher THC levels.
• Therapeutic benefits include easing the body, treating insomnia as well as migraines, headaches, anxiety, and reducing painful inflammation. 

Ruderalis

• Originated from some parts of Asia and Russia with cold northern climates.
• Commonly grows wild and shorter with fewer leaves.
• More resistant to harsh weather conditions and pests.
• Typically contains low THC and high in CBD levels.

Hybrid

• Crossbreed from top Sativa and Indica and some Ruderalis strains.
• The appearance depends on their parent plants. 
• Plants grown from hybrid strains have a unique ratio of both THC and CBD.
• Classified as Indica-dominant, Sativa-dominant or Balanced.

More about Hybrid Cannabis

Growing hybrid cannabis plants also require you to know how to distinguish hybrids from other cannabis strains. Identifying hybrid cannabis is a tricky task since plants grown from hybrid strains share the same characteristics of their parent plants from Sativa and Indica. This is why knowing the different types and characteristics of strains are important. 

Additionally, plants from hybrid strains are the result of the intentional breeding of two or more species to produce a superior offspring. Cross-pollination is the process responsible for creating varieties of hybrid cannabis. These plants are produced to have a more desirable recreational high, different growth habit and tolerate harsher weather conditions. Growers and consumers have gained more freedom customizing how they utilize cannabis plants.  

The Process of Breeding Hybrid Cannabis

Plants like cannabis can naturally cross-pollinate in nature, meaning cannabis that is grown today descends from one or the other. In the case of hybrids, it involves crossbreeding both the primary cannabis strains. Cannabis plants can also be multiplied sexually or asexually. The sexual reproductive method is the process of combining different parents. On the other hand, vegetative methods also include cloning and even division of roots. Asexual reproduction involves the process of allowing the same plant to be produced repetitively.

Making hybrid cannabis involves almost the same process as to how you would breed any other plants. The only difference is that in hybrid creation, breeders require a careful breeding selection and provide a well-maintained environment for the plant. Experimentation is necessary until they develop a perfect strain with desirable traits. 

The process of making hybrid cannabis involves the following steps:

1. The breeder grows a plant from either Indica or Sativa strain and waits for the male plant produce pollens.
2. The pollen from male plants is then applied to female plants during the flowering stage.
3. The breeder must wait again for the female plants to start producing the seeds which occur a few weeks after pollination.
4. Next, the seeds are then collected from the female plant.
5. The breeder plants the hybrid seeds and lets them germinate until they have reached maturity.

The first hybrids seeds that are grown from their male and female parents are evaluated. The breeder will undergo the process of choosing grown plants with desirable traits and they will be bred again. After successfully producing these traits, breeders will cube the new strain. Cubing is a method used to create a unique seedline or strain with the goal to replicate the phenotype of the original female that has an outstanding specimen. Once the characteristics are reinforced it is usually repeated across three or more generations to stabilize the desirable traits of the hybrid plant.

In addition to breeding hybrids, this method can also involve seedless production. Cloned plants are from strains with certain characteristics. Hybrid cannabis plants grown using this process can only be propagated by cloning. Cloning happens through most propagation methods like layering, or on a mammoth scale involving microscopic tissue culture of plants. The breeder makes genetically identical clones of cannabis plant before they distribute them. A clone is the only way to ensure that the exact genetic makeup of this plant is perpetuated. 

Conclusion

Hybrid cannabis is the result of an innovative process used by breeders to customize specific kinds of characteristics that are found in Sativa, and Indica as well as Ruderalis strains. The process of making hybrid cannabis plants is far more complex than the given steps above but it is not impossible to achieve. It is a great first step for breeders especially for beginners to understand the science behind hybridization. 

Creating hybrids from cannabis plants is all about experimentation. Breeders or growers are not the only one experimenting with hybrid cannabis seeds but some consumers are also trying out different hybrid products to find the right strain for their needs.