How Many Seeds Can a Cannabis Plant Make?

Cannabis Plants Are Prolific, and Can Create 1000’s of Seeds

Jerry here. Most folks who buy our bulk seeds are looking for a heavy harvest of sticky, seedless “sinsemilla” buds. But every now and then, I get a question from someone looking to become self-sufficient. They want to know: “If I let one of those huge cannabis plants I’ve grown from your seed get pollinated, how many seeds am I actually going to get?”

The answer usually shocks people. A single, well-grown female cannabis plant isn’t just a flower producer—it is a seed-making machine. Nature is all about proliferation, and cannabis is no exception.

From One to Thousands: The Ghost’s Guide to Seed Yields…

In my fifty years of cannabis growing experience, I’ve seen plants that were accidentally hit by a stray male in a neighbor’s yard, and I’ve seen deliberate breeding projects. If you have a massive outdoor plant in your garden….the numbers of seeds it can produce can be staggering.

The Ghost’s Seed Breakdown:

• The Small Plant: Even a small, 3-foot “stealth” plant can easily produce 1,000 to 3,000 seeds if fully pollinated.
• The 15-Foot Giant: If you have a massive, outdoor sativa-dominant monster, you aren’t looking at thousands—you’re looking at tens of thousands. It’s not uncommon for a large, healthy plant to produce 50,000 to 100,000 seeds. I have gotten a quart jar full on many occasions.
• The “Accidental” Pollination: If only one branch gets hit by stray pollen (many breeders do this, some create several F1 crosses at once), you might still walk away with 200 to 500 seeds just from that single site.
• Seed Weight: To give you an idea of the volume, there are roughly 60 to 90 seeds per gram (depending on the strain). A fully seeded giant can produce pounds of pure seed.

Op-Sec Tip: If you are purposely growing for seeds, remember that a seeded plant stays green and heavy longer than a sinsemilla plant. They also tend to have a slightly different scent profile. Be a good steward and make sure your male plants aren’t pollinating the entire county—pollen can travel for miles on a stiff breeze, and your neighbors might not be as happy about “free seeds” as you are.

Pro Tip: When I am growing a plant for seed I feed a full spectrum fertilizer throughout the plants life. No bloom formula, as I want the maturing seeds to get everything they need to create the best seed. Generally my seeded plants remain green from top to bottom throughout their lives.

Whether you’re looking for one “unicorn” seed or a lifetime supply, understanding the sheer power of this plant’s reproduction abilities is part of being a master grower.