What is an F1 hybrid?
An F1 hybrid is the first generation of plants born from crossing two different parents. In cannabis, the term is used mainly for a cross between two stable lines, which gives very uniform, vigorous plants. "F1" stands for "filial 1", meaning the first generation of offspring.
Imagine two lines that a breeder has stabilized over years, each one so pure that its plants are almost identical to each other. If you cross one with the other, all the seeds get practically the same combination of genes: half from each line. That's why F1 plants turn out very similar to each other.
On top of that, they usually grow more vigorously than their parents. This is known as hybrid vigor, and farming has made use of it for a long time: a good part of the corn and tomatoes grown today are F1 hybrids.
Advantages
- Uniformity: plants with similar height and timing, easy to manage together.
- Vigor: they grow strongly and tend to be sturdy plants.
What happens if you cross two F1 plants?
You get the F2 generation. There, the genes mix again and the uniformity is lost: very different plants appear, some resembling one grandparent and others the other. That's why, in farming, F1 seeds are usually bought new for each crop instead of being saved from the previous harvest.
What "F1" means on a product page
Not all F1s are made the same way. The more stable the two parent plants are, the more alike the F1 plants turn out. So if it matters to you that all your plants grow the same, look at what the seed bank says on the product page about the strain's origin.
Related terms
Before you grow, check the laws in your country: growing cannabis is not allowed everywhere.
