xtsho
Well-Known Member
Every first run of a strain I haven't grown before I have seed production in mind. I've been doing it for years. Now I have vials of seeds of strains I bought a 5 pack of. Plus dozens of crosses as good or better than some of the stuff people are paying $20 a seed for.Seed prices are set by supply/demand like everything else. You can grow decent bud with cheap seeds; higher prices do not always represent higher quality. You have no idea how long the seeds has been sitting in a shelf. They lose vigor and become harder to germinate after awhile. The seed banks that tend to sell fresher beans also tend to charge a bit more for their shit; go figure. Here’s a few tips for selecting what to get:
Avoid any seeds on a “hot” or “most popular” list. Find strains you like or have tried before from a reputable breeder and consider ordering regular seeds. Breeders with a well known reputation like Bodhi or TGA can charge more for their gear; that is how capitalism works. So what you do is buy a 10 pack; pop them all off and select a male for pollination. Yes it kills the yield for a single run but then you got free beans for years.
It's kind of risky with just a 5 pack and a ten pack is better if you want to guarantee both males and female. So far I've been lucky with the 5 packs I've had for some strains and have gotten both. Sometimes 4 female or 4 males but all you need is one of each. I basically grow landraces or IBL's regulars. I make my own crosses and like starting from scratch or stabilized genetics. Landraces can be all over the map but IBL's typically provide something you have an good idea about. ACE has some good stuff and has been the starting point for some of the things I'm playing around with.
As for actual landraces. I've grown some stuff from The Real Seed Company and the Mazar I Sharif was all over the map. I had one plant that smelled like mint. I'm not joking. It smelled like spearmint. Strongly. Fortunately I pollinated it with this odd looking male and got a bunch of seeds. Plants were all over the map which is what I was hoping for and expected with seeds from plants growing in as wild conditions as is possible today.
Genetics are being lost all over the world as areas that have traditionally grown what was local are now planting imported hybrids to increase yield and THC content. In the process genetics are being diluted and in some cases are going extinct. I'm trying to keep as many as I can before it's all just some hybrid orgy with none of the under appreciated original genetics even being remembered.
It won't be long before anything without the word cookies or pineapple in the name means crappy weed. Give me an authentic 1970's 80"s Thai, Acapulco Gold, Columbian Red, Jamaican, Hawaiian and I'll be happy.