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reversing the sex of super lemon haze


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Hello to everyone at the strain hunter community. I have decided that it is time to start sharing some of my pictures and information about my latest project. I am working with two phenotypes of the super lemon haze right now, one of them is probably the more common pheno and it leans to the lemon skunk side of the family, it has a very sweet, fruity, lemony smell and yields really well. The other pheno I have is a little different and I think it might be less common than the "lemon skunk" pheno, I call it the "haze" pheno, she grows taller than the lemon skunk pheno and I think yields a little bit less, but the resin production and the potency are a little greater than the lemon skunk pheno. The haze pheno smells more like a haze plant and the leaves are narrower and the structure of the plant is more open or lankier than the lemon skunk phenotype. The structurer of the buds is also quite a bit different between the two of them. Both of them are keepers. At the moment I have 2 of the lemon skunk phenotype plants and 2 of the haze phenotype plants in the flower room, flowering began on January 9, 2011. I took 15 cuttings from these plants, about 7 from the haze pheno and 8 from the lemon skunk pheno. The cuttings are going to be used in the breeding experiment that I have planned. I am going to post some pictures of them all now...

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This project is just getting started so it will be a few weeks before I start thinking about which cutting I want to reverse, but I think it will be the haze pheno that gets the "sex change" operation. I have never attempted to do this with any strain but I have made regular seeds before (a few times actually) and I was successful so we'll see what happens. I have confidence that it will work I just wonder what effects inbreeding might have on the next generation. I am thinking it would be wise to breed the haze pheno to the lemon skunk pheno and not back to itself, right? This should be fun no matter what. I am going to use the colloidal silver method but I also have some gibberellic acid (ga3) to experiment with.

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The only rooting hormone or gel that works for me is Dutch Masters Replicator. I have 100% success with it. After I take a cutting I give the leaves a little trimming and then cut the stem at an angle and scrape it a little with a razorblade. Then I dip it in the replicator for about one or two minutes (while I take another cutting) and then I stick it in a rockwool cube. Once I finish I take about a teaspoon of the replicator and add it to a shallow dish with about 4-5 tablespoons of pure water and mix. Then I take this diluted replicator solution and I use a syringe (without the needle) and suck it into the syringe. I take each cube/cutting and hold it over the dish of replicator solution while I inject each cube 4-5 times with the solution. The cubes are saturated with rooting hormones when I'm finished (I think). Then they go into my home made clone dome which is a ten gallon glass aquarium with a 1/4 inch piece of glass over the top of it, I use PVC foam tape between the glass top and the aquarium to form an airtight seal. The weight of the glass is enough to keep it closed tight. Inside the tank I put about 1 inch of perlite and about half an inch of pure water, this creates the humidity the cuttings need. Then they go under a CFL or fluorescent light (18/6) until they have roots.002.JPG

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Hey there ,,,,

I shall be watching this thread with interest ,,

It's been a while for me !

I played with the gibberellins in the past ,,

So yea I'm looking forword to this ,,,

The best of luck my friend ,,,,

Syn,,,,,,,,,,,,

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Guest superbluehaze

A very good post my friend.

Your plants do look though as though they need a good flush and a perhaps a little less water.

i have not grown Super lemon haze, but Fuzzy has and he told me it does have 2 phenos.

super lemon haze is a hydrid, so if you cross it with itself, then the genes will segregate, and in the f2 you will have a very wide diversity amongst the off spring.a few of these will be excellent, but more than likely most will not come close to the parent.it will not matter if you are prepared to grow out a large number of plants so that you can make your selections from them.You may be better, using the pollen to fertilize another strain;this way you will have greater genetic diversity, and you can then back cross to the Super lemon haze to fix the traits you find desirable in the plant.I will also be watching your posts, as it is a great experiment.good luck with it.happy growing,john

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Yes, thanks you guys and you have very keen eyes superbluehaze, these plants have been through quite a bit of stress, they were stressed because I had to transplant them from soil that was depleted of nutrients, and also I was a bit worried that I watered/fertilized them a little too much last week, I am going to wait until the pots are very dry before I flush them with pure water. Their growth right now is vigorous, thanks again these are exactly the kind of things I like to hear, now I know I'm in the right place!

respect

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My original idea was to breed a male California Orange plant from HEMCY to a female Super Silver Haze plant from Greenhouse and create the Super Orange Haze. Then work on crossing the Super Orange Haze to the Super Lemon Haze. I don't want to come off sounding like a professional breeder, that is not my intention, my project is small scale and my selection is going to be from only three Cali. Orange plants, hopefully one will come out male! In the event that I dont get any males from the Cali. Orange I also have two seedlings of the New City Citral from Sannie's Seeds. I think that I should get at least one male out of five regular seeds. I only have one Super Silver Haze seedling going, but I don't think I really need more than one for this project. In trying to answer my own questoins I have found how important it is to have unrelated genes in the pool. Thanks again to superbluehaze and anyone else with advice or commments for this project is very welcome to contribute.

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Now I shall be watching your "Blue Jill" even closer !

Barneys Blue Cheese is somthing special , true pain reliever !

It's my favourite cheese strain to date ,,

The heavy blueberry pheno I would love to cross with the GHS Trainwreck !

So I'm more than interested to see how those girls grow ;)

StayStoked Syn ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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This is the only way I know to create feminized seeds. Not sure how Collodial Silver works for feminizing seeds but am interested if it works? I found this, not sure where but it is from "Marijuana Botany" by Robert Connell Clarke.

How To Reverse Sex Using Silver Thiosulfate Solution
The following is a safe, inexpensive, and successful method for reversing the sex of female cannabis plants. Individual plant responses may vary based upon strain, but I can verify that this process is fully effective in stimulating profuse staminate flower production.

This process can be used to:

A: create new feminized seeds from solitary prize mothers that you currently have

B: create interesting feminized-seed hybrids from different prize strains that you currently have

C: create feminized seeds for optimum outdoor use

D: accelerate the "interview" phase of cultivation, in searching for interesting new clone-mothers

E: reduce total plant numbers- great for medical users with severe plant number restrictions

F: increase variety, by helping to create stable feminized seedlines to be used as an alternative to clones

At the bottom of this post are some specific details about the chemicals used, their safety, their cost, and where to get them.

It is important to educate yourself about cannabis breeding theory and technique prior to using a method like this one. Here is a link to Robert Clarke's "Marijuana Botany", which is a very good reference.

"Marijuana Botany" by Robert Connell Clarke

(unfortunately missing the appendices)

It is also important to use basic safety precautions when mixing and handling these chemicals, so read the safety data links provided. The risk is similar to mixing and handling chemical fertilizers, and similar handling procedures are sufficient.

Remember: nothing will ever replace good genetics, and some of your bounty should always go back towards the professional cannabis breeders out there... the ones who have worked for many generations to come up with their true-breeding F1 masterpieces. Support professional breeders by buying their seeds. Also, order from Heaven's Stairway. Not that they need a plug from me, but they are very professional and provide very fast service worldwide.

Preparation of STS:

First, a stock solution is made. It consists of two parts (A and B) that are initially mixed separately, then blended together. Part A is ALWAYS mixed into part B while stirring rapidly. Use distilled water; tap water may cause precipitates to form.

Wear gloves while mixing and using these chemicals, and mix and use in a properly ventilated area. A mask will prevent the breathing of any dust, which is caustic. STS is colorless and odorless, and poses minimal health risks if used as described here. (See material safety data sheet links below). Note that silver nitrate and STS can cause brown stains upon drying, so spray over newspaper and avoid spilling.

Part A: .5 gram silver nitrate stirred into 500ml distilled water

Part B: 2.5 grams sodium thiosulfate (anhydrous) stirred into 500ml distilled water

The silver nitrate dissolves within 15 seconds. The sodium thiosulfate takes 30-45 seconds to dissolve.

The silver nitrate solution (A) is then mixed into the sodium thiosulfate solution (B) while stirring rapidly. The resulting blend is stock silver thiosulfate solution (STS).

This stock solution is then diluted at a ratio of 1:9 to make a working solution. For example, 100ml of stock STS is added to 900ml of distilled water. This is then sprayed on select female plants.

Both the stock STS and the working solution should be refrigerated after use, as well as the powdered chemicals, to avoid activity loss. Excess working solution can be safely poured down the drain after use (with ample running water) with negligible environmental impact. It's pretty cheap.

Each liter of stock STS will make ten 1-liter batches of working solution of STS. With the minimum amount of base chemicals ordered from Photographer's Formulary (see link below), this means that each 1-liter bottle of working solution STS costs less than 9 cents, and can treat 15-20 mid-sized plants. That's 200 1-liter batches of STS for $18. Note that the distilled water costs far more than the chemicals.

Application:

The STS working solution is sprayed on select female plants until runoff. Do the spraying over newspaper in a separate area from the flower room. You probably won't smell anything, but ventilate anyway. You now have what I call a "F>M plant"; a female plant that will produce male flowers.

After the F>M plant dries move it into 12/12 immediately. This is usually done three to four weeks prior to the date that the target (to be pollinated) plants will be ready to pollinate. Response times may vary slightly depending upon the strain. More specific times can be determined by trial with your own individual strains. In my trials it took 26 days for the first pollen. 30-35 days seems optimum for planning purposes.

So, assuming that a target plant needs 3-4 weeks to produce fully mature seeds, a strain that takes 8 weeks to mature should be moved into flower at about the same time as the female>male plant. A target plant that finishes flowering in 6 weeks needs to be moved into flower later (10 days or so) so that it doesn't finish before the seeds can fully mature.

A seeded individual branch can be left to mature on a plant for a bit longer, while harvesting the other seedless buds if they finish first. Just leave enough leaves on for the plant for it to stay healthy.

Effects:

Within days I noticed a yellowing of the leaves on the F>M plants. This effect persisted for two weeks or so; after this they became green again, except for a few of the larger fans. The plants otherwise seemed healthy. No burning was observed. Growth stopped dead for the first ten days, and then resumed slowly. No stretch was ever seen. After two weeks the F>M plants were obviously forming male flower clusters. Not just a few clusters of balls, but complete male flower tops. One plant still formed some pistillate flowers, but overall it was predominantly male.

It is strange indeed to see an old girlfriend that you know like the back of your hand go through a sex change. I'll admit that things were awkward between us at first.

When the F>M plants look like they may soon open and release pollen, ( 3-1/2 to 4 weeks) move them from the main flower room into another unventilated room or closet with lighting on a 12/12 timer. Don't worry too much about watts per square foot; it will only be temporary.

When the pollen flies, move your target plants into the closet and pollinate.

A more controlled approach is to isolate the F>M plants in a third remote closet (no light is necessary in this one, as they are releasing pollen now and are nearly finished anyway). In this remote other closet the pollen is very carefully collected in a plastic produce bag or newspaper sleeve and then brought back to the lighted closet, where the target plants are now located. If this is done, be careful to not mix pollen types by letting the F>Ms dust each other. Avoid movement, or use yet another closet.

Take special care to not let pollen gather on the outside of this bag- a static charge is sometimes present. Drop small open clusters of blooms inside and then close the bag at the mouth and shake. Important: next, step outside and slowly release the excess air from the bag, collapsing it completely, so that pollen doesn't get released accidently. Point downwind; don't let it get on your hands or clothes.

This collapsed pollinated bag is now very carefully slipped over only one branch and is then tied off tightly at the mouth around the branch stem with a twist tie or tape, sealing the pollen inside. Let the bag inflate slightly with air again before sealing it off, so the branch can breathe. This technique keeps the entire plant from seeding. Agitate the bag a bit after tying it off to distribute the pollen. Don't forget to label the branch so you know which seeds are which. Other branches on this same plant can be hit with different pollen sources.

If no lighted closet is available, the plant can be moved back into the main room, but- be very careful pollen is sneaky. After 4-5 days, the bag is gently removed and the plant completes it's flowering cycle.

Yet another method has worked well for me. I position the target plants in a non-ventilated lighted closet, and then I collect pollen on a piece of mirror or glass. This is then carefully applied to the pistils of one pre-labeled branch by using a very fine watercolor paintbrush. Care is taken to not agitate the branch or the pollen. No sneezing. The plant needs to be in place first; moving it after pollination can shake pollen free and blow this technique.

Regardless of technique, at completion you will have feminized seeds. Let them dry for 2-4 weeks.

About the chemicals:

Silver nitrate is a white crystalline light-sensitive chemical that is commonly used in photography. It is also used in babies' eyes at birth to prevent blindness. It can cause mild skin irritation, and it stains brown. Avoid breathing. I didn't notice any smell or fumes, but ventilation is recommended. Be sure to wash the spray bottle well before you use it elsewhere; better yet: devote a bottle to STS use. A half gram is a surprisingly small amount; it would fit inside a gel capsule.

Here are links to some safety data. A Google search will bring up more information if needed.

Silver Nitrate info:

ICSC:NENG1116 International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO) | CDC/NIOSH

http://www.lions.odu.edu/~redwards/...%20solution.pdf

For a realistic hazard level comparison, here is a link for the safety and handling data for Ammonium Nitrate, or common fertilizer:

Sodium thiosulfate is also a white crystalline chemical commonly used in photography; it is used in photographic fixers. Same general cautions apply, minus the staining. This formula uses the anhydrous type. Non-hazardous.

Sodium Thiosulfate info:

http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/SO/s...hiosulfate.html

http://www.med-chem.com/MSDS/Sodium_Thiosulf.htm

------------------

Where to get the chemicals:

Photographic chemicals, photo chemistry, photo processing equipment, photo chemicals

silver nitrate: 10 grams: $10

http://www.photoformulary.com/Deskt...yID=27&langID=0

sodium thiosulfate (anhydrous): 100 grams: $3.95

http://www.photoformulary.com/Deskt...yID=28&langID=0

Postage runs around $4. Fast service. Can be shipped to Canada.

Have fun experimenting with this technique. Use it responsibly. There are a few good threads here at CW that go into the pros and cons of transsexual agents and feminized seeds. Read them. And most importantly, use STS with quality F1 strains developed by professional breeders for the most consistent results.

A huge thanks to Fet from Spice Brothers Seeds for his help and advice in using this technique. I simply brought together available information from previous posts and tried my own recipe. I'm thrilled to share the results. Future tests will be done to adjust the formula so the molar ratios of the chemicals are correct, as specified by Gobgoober (thanks, Gob) but the formula posted here is completely effective.

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Yeah I know about the STS method (that would be my first choice) it is just not that easy to get and it is also on the DEA's list of chemicals, when someone orders those chemicals from a chemical supplier a red flag goes up so I am going to try the Colloidal Silver method and the GA3 methods and if that doesnt work then I'll be content to work with regular pollen and seeds.

Unfortunately the links attached don't work, but thanks for the info bro, much appreciated. I have found the chems to make STS at other online suppliers but I worry aboout ordering them - it seems risky and expensive.

The colloidal silver is supposed to be the latest thing, check out Rollitup.com, a few growers over there have posted their results, it seems to work really well.

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My sister does photography and develops her own film. I asked her (on the sly as she doesn't smoke) about those chemicals and she says it is no problem to get these small amounts of silver nitrate and sodium thiosulfate at photo stores in the US. I have not tried to get any but think I will give it a try soon. Thanks for the info I go to roll it up on occasion and I will look at what is going on.

Thanks A.O.

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Thats good to hear, I'll have to keep an eye out. When you go to Rollitup, look for posts by Grumpy Old Dreamer (G.O.D.) or just search for "making feminized seeds using colloidal silver", many people are skeptical at first, so was I , but the proof is there. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but the chemistry/science behind it seems sound. I think that the silver immobilizes the boron in the plant, the boron is essential to the production of female flowers so the plant is "tricked" into thinking it is male. I think thats how it works, but I'm not sure.

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  • 2 weeks later...

hi , is the colloidal silver you have there from a health food shop ? does it say what ppm it is on the bottle ?

i have used shop bought colloidal siver and it doesnt work as its not strong enoght . because for people to take it oraly it has to be under 15ppm .

too make you fem plant turn hermie with fem polen it needs to be around 30 to 40 ppm .

if over 60ppm it will turn the plant male .

is alot easyer to make your own cs all you need if a bottle of distiled water , some 999.9 silver and a phone charger and some clips and wire . brew the silver for around 18 hours and the cs will be around 30 to 40 ppm . ill be making some cs in around 3 weeks ill post up some photos ...

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Hi ukcheesehead,

the CS i found on amazon.com and it is rated at 50 ppm, it is water and silver nothing else. I am going to dilute with an equal amount of distilled water to make it close to 25 ppm. According to what I saw and read at rollitup.com it should work if its in that range. I think some strains are tougher to get to reverse, check out rollitup.com there is a lot of info there on how to do this. It will be my first time making a plant reverse sex if it works. peace

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