Total Newbie

Hi All, this is my first post probably not my last!

I'm a long time smoker but I've never grown. I live in Maine and in only 4 more days, it will be legal here for recreational! Each person over 21 will be allowed to have up to 6 mature plants, 12 immature plants, and unlimited seedlings, and will be allowed to possess all the harvestings of their own plants! We are still 6 to 9 months away from having retail shop licensing, retail grower licensing, and social club licensing, but in the meantime it will be legal to possess and grow yourself. The tax here will be only 10%, which seems reasonable compared to other states.

I'm in the mood for a new hobby, and so even though I have absolutely zero experience growing anything, I think, why not start growing herb, or at least trying it out. I have plenty of money for grow supplies, space, and enough free time on my hands that I think I can do it. I'm also pretty smart, and not afraid to ask for help.

I always thought it would be cool to have a unique strain... So before I go crazy buying a ton of stuff or even trying to grow for the purpose of harvesting bud maybe I would focus on trying to make my own seeds. I assume that to do this, I will need to buy some seeds of 2 strains which I want to try cross breeding, start some seedlings, sex the plants, then mix the males of one strain with the females of the other strain and vice versa until they grow some new seeds... but... that's all assumption, and here's where you guys come in! If you don't mind helping out with some advice, that is..

Am I basically right about what it takes to get "my own strain"? If alls I want to do is make some seeds right now, can I do that without totally pimping out my grow room yet with nice lights, etc? Or will optimal grow lights and conditions produce better seeds, or is a seed a just seed?

Looking forward to a new adventure, and a lot less paranoia!

Unfortunately actual breeding takes alot more then you described. Ill try to lay it out as basically as possible.
1. Yes you need a full setup to get to where you will get seeds.
2. You need to run a massive amount of seeds of each strain. Take clones. Grow out each phenotype from each strain. When youfind your keeper pheno of each sex. Then you pollinate your best female with best male. The seeds that come from that are f1 hybrids. Then you can run a bunch of those seeds and do same thing to start stabilizing your strain. It takes a few years to make a stable strain.

Would suggest watching vaderog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqu_M0ARO7Sanbf_hte0Olw on youtube lots of science stuff on breeding and setting up a breeding chamber also think he goes into it on the growtube roundtable. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzzCZoXYp5JH7QKhWadOQcA

Growtube roundtable is tonight well every Friday at 7pm PST it's great for us noobs as they let you ask questions at the end and give good info.

Ultimately your kinda trying to fly before you walk but if you do some research sure you can pull it off. Good luck and people here can be very helpful!

FYI you breed get seeds you also get different phenotype types meaning different genetics in each seed. Then you need to find the ones you like and cross breed them so on and so on until you stabilize the genetics for the phenotype you want. (really simple explanation) Not really 1 + 1 = 2 more like 1 + 1 = 20 and you only want 1 lol Way over my head make sure to get normal not fem seeds when ordering so you have a higher chance of male plants.

Start simple and add what you want as you learn and grow. Read research as much as possible on mj and what it needs ...dont over do it...start small and once you complete one grow with a couple plants then you can up scale as you gain experience. ..good luck!

I'd try a house plant first. Really, plants are like people. Don't give them water or food they die. Breeding is for mad wizards who live in under water caves.

Welcome to RIU @MaineMJ .
Some very good advice here and I agree, first you need a few grows under your belt before you will be able to successfully create a strain. Just tossing male & female plants will get you seeds but at that point you're just guessing what the outcome will be.

Baby steps.
And again, welcome.

Considering you need fully mature flowering plants to produce seeds, you most definitely need a complete set up for happy plants.

I'd concentrate on growing a plant or 3 first before trying to go all mad scientist.

I'm only 2 weeks in though so what do I know?

OP, if you want to 'make your own strain' is one thing. But if you jus want to make your own seeds, that's another, more doable thing.

What kind of setup are you gonna run ?

Creature1969 said:

Considering you need fully mature flowering plants to produce seeds, you most definitely need a complete set up for happy plants.

I'd concentrate on growing a plant or 3 first before trying to go all mad scientist.

I'm only 2 weeks in though so what do I know?

Click to expand...

At least you got a cool avatar lol

And good luck op.

Wow... I'm really impressed with all the feedback here in such a short time! I can't possibly reply to all, but that's a wealth of information and you all made it very clear that trying to go with making a strain to start out with is like jumping head first into the deep end

I have no idea yet what kind of setup I'm going end up with... it'll definitely be "hobbyist/enthusiast grade"...

MaineMJ said:

Wow... I'm really impressed with all the feedback here in such a short time! I can't possibly reply to all, but that's a wealth of information and you all made it very clear that trying to go with making a strain to start out with is like jumping head first into the deep end

I have no idea yet what kind of setup I'm going end up with... it'll definitely be "hobbyist/enthusiast grade"...

Click to expand...

All the more reason for you to get a couple of "practice" grows in to dial in your setup.
And remember ventilation - like many others I didn't think it would be all that important until it became important.

I prefer Sativas and I heard they are harder to grow indoors, but I'm up for a challenge (and prepared for the disappointment too if it doesn't work).

Unfortunately, I don't have a room that I can dedicate to growing in. I think it would be hard to keep any room sterile enough, and since I'm not trying to grow a lot I'm thinking about trying to grow in something like a 3' cube sealable cabinet.

I forgot to mention that I'm also a computer programmer and I used to build mini flight computers that would go on rockets (in a previous hobby life). I'm thinking about trying to build some software for a smart-lid for the cabinet with computer/timer controlled LEDs, CO2, Water and Nutes, ventilation, along with sensors for air and soil temperature and humidity.

@MaineMJ Sativa is just as easy as Indica only difference that I know of grow wise is Sativa can have a longer flowering time & tends to stretch more in flower. But ultimately anything you get your hands on is going to be a hybred just different amounts of Sativa/Indica. Think the true Sativa or Indica strains in America were breed out long ago

You want to grow Sativas in a 3' cube?? It sounds like you're a cautious person who likes to plan things out. Don't throw away all your pre-planning by trying to stuff it all into a tiny box.

@MaineMJ some things that may interest you in a nerd way..... Arduino 0.o check it out if your wanting to try and build a controller for your garden can do lights ph nutrients fans dehumidifier all that if you have the skill... I don't fyi just passing along something that you may like. Truthfully maybe able to buy a system for someone else cheaper but whats the fun in that!

Arduino - https://www.arduino.cc/ can build the system yourself from off the shelf parts if you want to get really handy it's open source
Some people that made a system for ideas
http://www.instructables.com/id/Hyduino-Automated-Hydroponics-with-an-Arduino/
http://makezine.com/projects/make-18/garduino-geek-gardening/
https://learn.adafruit.com/wireless-gardening-arduino-cc3000-wifi-modules/introduction
https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=130344.0

Get your Geek on lol! good luck if you do something please post so i can go that's awesome wish i cold do that lol

Everyone is correct..grow afew plants and have accouple grows under your belt before trying to breed.. you wont have any idea what your even looking for lol.
.you oould think your doing something right because you have thousands of seeds after..but if the seeds are unstable crap youd be unknowingly growing crap and blaming yourself..when its really the seeds you made.