Producing seed for your own use.

June 19, 2010

Here is a summery, but if you are interested in producing some seed for yourself then read some books on plant breeding. Wanting to produce some for oneself is the next step once one has learnt how to grow the plant.

The classic in this area is Marijuana Botany by Robert Connel Clarke.

In breeding there are two main techniques.

Inbreeding

This is where say two pure strains(for example, a sativa and an indica) are crossed to form a F1 hybrid.

In this case, as the two plants come from different geographical races and separate gene pools, so that all the dominate genes line up, and the off spring all display hybrid vigor, and a certain uniformaty. ( Many breeders stop here as they only want to have a f1 generation as all the plants will display hydrid vigor.)

The f1 generation. however, is only the first step using this technique if you want a wish to breed a true breeding strain (such as say shunk 1) and in the next step selected f1 generation are crossed to form an f2;

in a F2 the genes all segregate, and the plants display a wide variation in all characteristics, with tgreat variability in the offspring.

Some plants however will be outstanding, and show the desired traits the breeder wants the plant to carry to the next generation..

These outstanding plants are again crossed to form the f3, and so on until the plant is true breeding for all the desired traits. In order to have plants that are vigorous and outstanding one must have many plants to choose them. An example of a true breeding stain is Bubblegum, which breeds true for tastre, potency, etc..

Out Crossing

With out crossing, the breeder does not need to grow out consecutive generations, as two stable stains are chosen and crossed,

In this case the breeder picks strains that come from as different as possible gene pools;

that way all the dominate genes will a line, and produce plants that display hybrid vigor.

An example of an out crosses strain is Northern lights by Haze, or say another example would be haze crossed with blueberry, or power plant crossed with northern lights, to give a couple of out crosses.

Another example Super Lemon Haze and Blueberry, or bubblegum, using a blueberry or bubblegum male.

If you want to produce some seed, then out cross, then you have a very good chance the off spring will be something worthwhile, and special; this, however, depends totally on your choice of the parents, and your skill in selection from only a few plants;

The main thing to remeber with out crossing is that with each generation, different genes are combined, so that with the Super Lemon haze by Blueberry, could then be out crossed to say bubblegum or northern lights, or back crossed to Super Lemon Haze, one grown from a different batch of Green house seeds, to widen the gene pool. This retains vigor and genetic health.

To produce a strain like Super lemon Haze takes enormous skill, a lot of work, and a little good luck.

Many generations have to be grown out, with just the right plants selected from each generation - each one has to carry the genes for various traits to the next generation.

It takes imagination, an excellent knowledge of the plant and what is possible with it, along with real skill and both imaginative and practical intelligence.

Happy growing,

john