seed strain selection, how do you do it?

[Red Fang]

Did not know where to put this, and no this is not a thread on what to select from progeny during a breeding project. Although that would be a righteous topic indeed!

This is about what makes you pick what you do at seedbay or wherever. As for me, I don't really select, I am more like a bull in a china closet that stands still for a while agonizing over what to smash (or in my case snatch) first, and then just running rampant and grabbing something. But with limited funds, that is not a good idea these days. I look at a particular company's offerings and it all sounds good, same for many companies... how do you decide?

 

[Red Fang]

With me, I read the effects and they are all different but all something I would like to experience, same with most of the smells. I want a potent great producer. Most anything will appeal to me, I want something that most people will find very appealing preferably with no ceiling. Suggestions?

 

[Conformist]

I look at the Indica/Sativa ratio.

If it's under 60% Indica, i don't want any of it and move on.
However, if it is over 60% Indica then, i go ahead and look up what it's effects are on leafly.

If i like the effects then, i go read reviews on a marijuana strain database starting with the word Seed to find out it's yield, phenotypes and overall rating.

 

[grod31]

In my case its fairly simple,all that's necessary is.Indoor/outdoor? indica/sativa or % percentage of mix wanted.-Other things to think about are smell, reviews/breeders reputation. If you want to look for or avoid any specific genetics.
i usually avoid hybrids of anything skunk or northern lights because most likely you are receiving a watered down version of what ever the cross is.
its fun to play with the advanced seed search at the attitude seed bank.
with all that said, its more fun to buy as many seeds as possible )

edit-
things like effects are a matter of opinion and will vary from different grows and growers, flower times and yield are always exaggerated. I really do mean always even % of THC is really a guess of what "could be" % varies greatly between phenotype and genotypes.

 

[hush]

This is a really good thread idea, Red Fang.

I can say that first and foremost I am looking at price. I immediately eliminate anything right away that costs more than ~$100 for a ten pack of regulars, or for a five pack of fems. That eliminates a GOOD portion of all the rehashed crap out there. The best breeders don't overprice their seeds... that's something the fly-by-night crowd does, and you won't even remember the names of these pollen chuckers in a year or two.

Then from what remains, I like to shop by breeder, as opposed to by strain. I will go through the list and focus on the handful of breeders that are known to really care about this plant and have done good things for the community. From there, I will look through their selections and see if what they have matches my desires. Then I will begin the sometimes-lengthy procedure of looking up reviews on this breeder's strains. Leafly was mentioned above, that is a great place for reviews.

Then, ultimately, I make my selection(s) based on these factors, in this order: type of high, reasonable flowering time, potential yield, flavor, smell, and color.

 

[Red Fang]

Thanks for the help so far, please keep it coming!
Conformist: Interesting user name, I thought of using the opposite of that once.
The I/S ratio is probably highly up to personal preference, which is hard for me since I don't have one! But I would be indoor for the forseeable future. Everyone wants the perfect strain in taste, smell, yield, earliness, best calyx to leaf ratio, and so on. No such strain exists, but for me picking the one that most closely approximates that to me is next to impossible. Leafly, I never knew that existed! Can you just sign up to read the info even if you are not a patient or from a med state? That seems like a great resource!
And the other one, is the last word Finder? thanks!

grod31: One of the few things I don't want to experience is paranoia or smoking hemp and getting a headache! So indica/sativa ratio is only relevant to me as far as what would grow well indoors. I like both ends of the spectrum and in between too, maybe a motivating happy creative morning smoke would be good to get me moving in the morning, and a nice relaxing dreamy one at night to make me transition to sleep better and take care of aches and pains. I would prefer something pleasant smelling or think I would, but I hear others rave about cat piss, liver and onion, barnyard, roadkill skunk and other such things and wonder why. Advanced seed search, sounds intriguing! And yes, I would buy everything if I won the lotto or something, just to experience it all and find what I like best. Probably there is not time enough to do that anyway. yeah so no closer to knowing what I want but maybe this will help, thanks

 

[Red Fang]

hush, your post was not there while typing my novel but is now!
Price is a good thing to look at. I try to select diamonds in the rough, things that are low to mid price and seem like they have a lot to offer but are humble enough to not overcharge. But, I would not totally rule out over $100 packs in my case, once I can afford it. But it is a big initial turnoff and something has to pull me back the other way hard for me to consider these expensive packs. Haven't bought one yet but not ruling it out. who are these handful of breeders? Ok should I ask that in public? Then it comes down to what you like as you say, we all like the same basic things as you detailed but with differing priorities and in differing combos and so on. Or for someone like me, you don't know what the hell you want!

 

[Dirt Life]

Research, genetics that I know I enjoy, and think I would, unbiased user reviews, and pretty much most of all, plain dumb luck. What I think will turn out great has more often not, and vice versa. Other factors include ethics, bargains, and yes, but rarely, speculation and rumor. Gut instinct, as well.

 

[hush]

I definitely think you should ask around and get people's opinions on who the "beneficial" breeders are to this scene. I can't speak for anyone else, but having been involved in this scene for about 20 years now, I can say that these are the ones I hold in high esteem:

Serious Seeds (I've grown their Bubblegum, and it is still in my top 3 strains of all time)
Ace Seeds (Never grown their stuff before, but that will change with my next order)
Cannabiogen (Just like Ace, not yet, but they are next)
BOG (Never grown his offerings, but he seems to have legions of happy customers)
Chimera (Haven't grown his yet either, and they are somewhat pricey, but good reputation)
Mandala (Grown plenty of these, they are nicely priced, genetics are fresh and not bottlenecked)

I'm sure there are a few more but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. Just ask around. There are certain breeders who have "staying power" who have been around all along and who still remain. Of these breeders, some of them stand out by contributing valuable essays and information to the scene, and they demonstrate their passion for the plant. I tend to be magnetized to this, as opposed to the ones that are obviously businessmen first and gardeners fourth.

 

[Conformist]

Conformist: Interesting user name, I thought of using the opposite of that once.

Me too but, i went for sarcasm instead.
Plus, at the same time, it's also an insult at the general population.

And the other one, is the last word Finder? thanks!

Yes it is.

 

[dank.frank]

Genetic possibility is what provokes my purchases...will the two parents created improvement to what each plant is independently. Will something better exist by this pairing.

What have I seen that set of parentage produce in the past - how my experiences have been with plants of the same family line, etc...

Parents - I check out the breeder to see how they are utilizing their stocks. Do they simply have one male they breed everything to and claim it'll be the next best thing since sliced bread - or do they try many different projects. There are perks to both.

But really - it comes down to how much someone seems to KNOW about what they are working with in regards to what their supposed goals are with the cross - and if I feel that is a realistic / achievable result.

There are so many different Chem / OG combinations for example - how do you pick? Well, gotta know a bit about the different parents - how they have breed historically in other crosses, what other people found, what traits are passed, etc, etc.

From all these deductions, I form a mental picture in my head of what to expect from seeds - I've not been disappointed too often.

Perhaps, you have to know what you like - the more flavors you sample, the more you will become aware of what REALLY works for you...



dank.Frank

 

[festerous]

Though I generaly approach the selection process with a goal in mind, some of my best plants have come from random picks or freebies.

 

[soil margin]

1. When am I growing?
2. Where am I growing?
3. How am I growing?
4. Finishing times/yield?
5. Resistance to local pests/environmental conditions?
6. Bud appearance/color/smell.
7. Seed cost/breeder reputation?

I go through this seven question checklist and after selecting for the criteria I establish, usually there are only a couple viable options left that meet the standards I have.

 

[grod31]

https://www.*********************.co.uk/index.php?act=advancedSearch

nvm i guess i cant link you to a useful page.?...

 

[hush]

^ Yeah, they have blocked that link here at icmag. It is one of their biggest competitors, I would imagine.

 

[Conformist]

^ Yeah, they have blocked that link here at icmag. It is one of their biggest competitors, I would imagine.

They also block strain review sites which makes absolutely zero sense to me.

 

[Red Fang]

Had to step away for a bit, but seems I have a little more time now at least..

This is a really good thread idea, Red Fang.

thanks! Some of my other threads got that reaction but then quickly fizzle, I hope this one is different!

Research, genetics that I know I enjoy, and think I would, unbiased user reviews, and pretty much most of all, plain dumb luck. What I think will turn out great has more often not, and vice versa. Other factors include ethics, bargains, and yes, but rarely, speculation and rumor. Gut instinct, as well.

Me too but, i went for sarcasm instead.
Plus, at the same time, it's also an insult at the general population.

Yes it is.

yes I try all of what most including you say you do... narrow it down a bit, then just pick something (gut instinct?). I have not really tried a fraction of what most here have, so still trying to figure out what I like. I have found what I selected to be good or very good, but more often then not the great stuff is freebies someone gave me long ago!

Me too but, i went for sarcasm instead.
Plus, at the same time, it's also an insult at the general population.

Yes it is.

thanks, and I wish I was that clever!

Dank.frank: sounds like a very sound plan if you have that info to work with, which I hope I do eventually

3. How am I growing?

again a very sound selection process, but #3 in particular, I know some are better sog strains or scrog strains and really not sure which style would best suit my needs. More smaller plants or fewer bigger ones: I am torn. I want to go through a lot of seeds and select what best suits me, but some strains are better suited for condensed growing than others. On the other hand, I find something I do like and want to preserve/clone it. And yet still want to go on growing some seeds as well. great post

 

[Red Fang]

https://www.*********************.co.uk/index.php?act=advancedSearch

nvm i guess i cant link you to a useful page.?...

pm me, or that word in the middle, if it can be broken down into 2 words do that and tell me so. Or change one letter or two and tell me how you changed them. thanks

 

[Conformist]

yes I try all of what most including you say you do... narrow it down a bit, then just pick something (gut instinct?).

Kind of but not really.
Most of the time you're only gonna find 1-2 strains that has all the characteristics you want and is available in seed form.

Leafly is an awesome site to determine what strain is best for you.
If you like being super focused, super relaxed, laughing at stuff you normally wouldn't and feeling like you're sitting on a cloud.

Tell Leafly to find a Lazy, Happy, Uplifting strain.
Then, look at the negative effects of each strains.

If you have difficulty with anxiety and paranoia, don't pick a strain rated high for anxiety and paranoia.
Most of the time, you'll always end up with only 1 strain that meets all your criteria.

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

I spend a lot of time researching strains.

I try to buy strains that are genetically different then strains I already have in my collection so I can interbreed them and make new F1's for free.

I look for strains with a good reputation or strains I have seen grown by others so Im not throwing my money away on junk.

Im also a sale shopper and have scored some really good deals when strains I have wanted went on sale for what ever reason.

I used to buy a lot more seeds then I do now, I am much more selective these days as it becomes more of a hassle to get seeds. I have a pretty large seed collection, so I have been trying to get to many strains I have been sitting on for a while.

Good freebies are a motivator too, I have been known to buy stuff just to get the freebies.