Jackalope
Well-Known Member
As the world changes to a more grower friendly place. More info, strains, and products come out daily it seems. Strains are getting better for sure. Designed now for all kinds of different things. Feminized and Auto strains now taking the lead in seed sales. The practices have changed for breeding but the pollen and the pistil factor stay the same.
Another factor that stays the same is pheno's. When seeds companies first started out. They bred strains to the point that if you were to buy a 10 pack of seeds. You would be able to find a representation of what they wanted the strain to be. "That one perfect pheno" This was to be saved for a mother plant and you go from there. Some strains you would get more then one of these plants. Other strains had different great pheno's to choose from. Once selfed and feminized strains came out. One factor never changed. They plant still has a say in the matter. A cloned and selfed plant will be at best 50% of what you wanted. The others might still be great or even better in a few case's. Thing is nature itself is involved and nature likes variety.
(So that gets us to " Reasonable Expectations"). What can you expect out of a pack of seeds.
With regular strains a 60/40 female/male ratio is average. Most probably better but plenty can be worse. It all depends of the breeders and their practices. Out of those females that are left. Only one or two will be that perfect plant they bred the strain for. Stable strains will have more. Most strains out today are F-1 hybrids not stable strains. Thing is some of those "Right" females can be exceptional. The grower still has to do the work to persevere that special plant.
With feminized strains you take the male factor out. That is all you take out. The plant still has the say on quality and other factors. Like I mentioned earlier a selfed plant will only be around 50% just like mom. The others could have any number of different qualities. Again some of these different plants may be even better. Usually they are a watered down version of the best pheno's. Feminized hybrids bring more factors to those percentages.
With pack size in mind look at it this way. Out of that 5 pack of feminized seeds will have only 2 or 3 of what the strain is meant to be. If you grow only 1 or 2 seeds you may or may not get what the strain is supposed to be. That 10 pack of regulars will have on average 6 females. Again of those 6 females only a percentage will be what the strain is meant to be. If you start only a few of those 10 seeds. Your percentages of finding that one perfect mother plant go down even more.
Breeders only do a part of the work. It is up to the grower how best to get his moneys worth. To do that. You have to have the right expectations from the start.
Another factor that stays the same is pheno's. When seeds companies first started out. They bred strains to the point that if you were to buy a 10 pack of seeds. You would be able to find a representation of what they wanted the strain to be. "That one perfect pheno" This was to be saved for a mother plant and you go from there. Some strains you would get more then one of these plants. Other strains had different great pheno's to choose from. Once selfed and feminized strains came out. One factor never changed. They plant still has a say in the matter. A cloned and selfed plant will be at best 50% of what you wanted. The others might still be great or even better in a few case's. Thing is nature itself is involved and nature likes variety.
(So that gets us to " Reasonable Expectations"). What can you expect out of a pack of seeds.
With regular strains a 60/40 female/male ratio is average. Most probably better but plenty can be worse. It all depends of the breeders and their practices. Out of those females that are left. Only one or two will be that perfect plant they bred the strain for. Stable strains will have more. Most strains out today are F-1 hybrids not stable strains. Thing is some of those "Right" females can be exceptional. The grower still has to do the work to persevere that special plant.
With feminized strains you take the male factor out. That is all you take out. The plant still has the say on quality and other factors. Like I mentioned earlier a selfed plant will only be around 50% just like mom. The others could have any number of different qualities. Again some of these different plants may be even better. Usually they are a watered down version of the best pheno's. Feminized hybrids bring more factors to those percentages.
With pack size in mind look at it this way. Out of that 5 pack of feminized seeds will have only 2 or 3 of what the strain is meant to be. If you grow only 1 or 2 seeds you may or may not get what the strain is supposed to be. That 10 pack of regulars will have on average 6 females. Again of those 6 females only a percentage will be what the strain is meant to be. If you start only a few of those 10 seeds. Your percentages of finding that one perfect mother plant go down even more.
Breeders only do a part of the work. It is up to the grower how best to get his moneys worth. To do that. You have to have the right expectations from the start.
