Heirloom strains

[Jackalope]

There are so many new growers out there these days. New to the whole world of marijuana seeds, strains, breeders, and banks. It was kind of over whelming when I first started and that was 30 years ago. There was only a handful of seed companies back then and no seed banks. You dealt with the sellers directly. I can't even imagine how overwhelming it is now. I have learned a lot over the years which has simplified things for me.

This new world is good and bad. I really want to cover one part of the whole strain thing. It is really important.

If anyone wants to try a "Heirloom strain". Try the real deal or grow a new hybrid. In most case's it is a waste of time whether you get good weed or not. You are not growing the Strain you are growing the Name.

Weed is not a good place to go with Knock Offs! Trust me I have did it. I started with lower price seeds so I could get more strains. I get it trust me I do. I still have tons of strains for that same reasons. I have grown multiple knock offs for Blueberry Bubblegum C-99 and a few others. In every case I end up having to grow the real deal to know what the strain is like. Every time I tried the real strain from the real breeder it was better. EVERY TIME! In most case's I only saved a few dollars with the knock offs and ended up wasting more money to try the real strain. Knock offs end up costing you money and time.

Thing is. It is not like there are is not better strains now. Most made with those same heirloom strains. You are a lot better off growing a hybrid Joe Blow made then his Blueberry. He doesn't have the real Blueberry D.J. Short does. His Blueberry is half ass. The hybrid he made from his keeper Blueberry pheno could be a amazing F-1 hybrid.

I am not saying all new stuff is better then the old. It isn't. There is a reason these strains are still around. I am just saying. If you want to try a old strain try the real stuff or get a great new hybrid instead. You will get the most for your money that way. Nothing worse then trying a strain and kind of liking it but know it is a copy. Sorry Nirvana, your seeds were a waste. I still need to try TH Seeds Bubblegum. "That was the last knock off I will ever grow".

Yes the real deal cost more. That is why I am saying buy hybrids. In lots of case's you will get more for your money. Once things go well for a while your going to want to spend the big money someday.

 

[Justin Goody]

I hear what you're saying. Been growing since 1992 ish. Bred some of my best hybrids around 2001-2003 when it got a lot easier to get seeds, and the strains didn't seem so watered down. I still remember arguing (with myself) about spending $2 more for a seed and wondering if it's worth the $. And It usually was. I have grown every kind of bagseed, bought seed, gift seed etc that I could find. I do love the true heirloom strains when they can be found. I used to live near a guy who had an Alaskan Thunder plant that he had been taking clones from for like 10 years, and I have never found another Alaskan Thunder like that. Was it the real one? He claimed it was. People came from miles around because they thought it was too.
The best strain I ever grew was a hybrid I created from White Widow x White Rhino x Haze crossed with a strain they called "Garlic" that came from the hills of Santa Barbara. It had exactly what I wanted- Smelled like cat shit but tasted like candy, with excellent resistance to spider mites and other pests, with a beautifully balanced high. I've still never grown anything quite like it. Life is too short for knock offs, create the plant you want to see!

 

[Jackalope]

That hybrid sounds way cool!

My favorite strain for years was a White hybrid. The guy made his own White Russian with the AK and White Widow he had. Over time he bred in a couple other strains. Mr Nice SSH was one of them. (My short pheno of SSH was just like his keeper plant years ago). Back when I only grew one strain. That strain did it all. You had to go a little light on it in the morning but the SSH added enough head high to keep you going. The strain had no ceiling so you just get higher all day. You can smoke enough of it to drop your chin to your chest.

It is kind of dated these days. I still keep it to breed with. As strong as it was it had no flavor for the most part. I got one pheno years ago that flowered for 14 weeks that had amazing flavor. Most of this strain finishes in 6 to 8 weeks LMAO.

 

[Justin Goody]

Sounds nice! I have tried to breed for strength and ended up with several flavorless hybrids. Once I bred for flavor I could find the strain I liked (much like yours, I wanted one I could smoke all day) and at that time I had the luxury of having a huge growing/breeding area so that was my goal. I watched a video once on cannabis genetics and they showed why strains lose features when you try to overbreed them. Much of it was over my head but I understood what they were getting at. Heirloom strains are a great way to get back to interesting flavors and highs. Not everyone needs a 30% THC fake candy tasting strain. Some want that old 14% Afghani cause it does something newer hybrid strains can't do. Will be interesting to see the future of cannabis genetics when they start editing genes and making weird strains of bud that smell like fried chicken and taste like chocolate ice cream

 

[Jackalope]

The strain I was referring to was bred by a outlaw grower. He has always breed for quality instead of quantity. His hybrid really did both back then. Production has yet to be equaled. He was getting 4 to 6 ounces off plants in 2 gallon pots. He kept it because the high was the best around. Not many 20% THC strains back then. At least in the middle of the country anyway.

They need to keep the old stuff around to add substance to what they are doing now. Banana Sorbet is strong as shit. It produced more then anything else last grow. The high is quite boring. Old strains could do it all with less then 20%. I think the effects of older strains where a lot more rounded back then. You only had one weed. Not daytime and nighttime weed.

It seems my keeper strains that I will grow for ever are older. Headband Canalope Haze and C-99 will be hard to be replaced. The new shit is sure a lot of fun though. The more I look the more I am amazed.

 

[The Celt]

I agree with Jackalope 100%

Whenever possible, I buy my seed directly from the Breeder and if I can’t but can get it from a seed bank, I will only buy it if it comes in the original breeder packaging.

The Blue Dream I have been growing the past 2 years is from HSO who originally bred the strain.

All my Bomb Strains I buy directly from Bomb Seeds, I also have numerous other strains here from various breeders in original packaging.

It is also why I don’t waste money on Canuck and Crop King.

 

[Jackalope]

You have to admit. Those companies know how to get their money off a pack of seeds. Most of us buy a pack. Pick a mother or just grow a few fat females out of a pack of seeds. With a mother we can grow a lot of weed. That makes the seeds worth more.

Seed banks that sell named genetics. Buy a pack of seeds. Pick a mother and or a father. Make seeds, grow weed, smoke weed, sell seeds. That pack a seeds just keeps paying them back. Oops. it is not the pack of seeds paying him. It is new growers!

 

[Jackalope]

I just had a thought.

I notice none of the seed companies here that do it are defending their actions. I do admit the thrill of having a copy of a strain made by Nirvana was great. early on I didn't care that they were copies. I wanted cheap and lots. They did that perfectly.

Just trying to save people time and money now LOL.

 

[CannaFish]

Broccoli Man
“In planning for the approximately 3 square meters of garden I'd decided to use for broccoli, I scoured the internet for the appropriate genetics. After much research I decided on a heritage pure strain of broccoli, one of the foundation varieties used in modern hybrids. It made me feel important, giving meaning to those 3 square meters. A noble pursuit, saviour of the broccoli universe, Broccoli Man! I bought the seeds.

I terraformed the garden changed it from a sand pit to an earth worm orgy. I planted my precious heritage seeds. The growth was impressive (am I a genius?)
beautiful dark green leaves, this is going to be great. Finally the broccoli heads start forming. What do I get?

Perfectly healthy primitive broccoli. Smallish, open heads with coarse flowers.
A perfect representative of the strain. People come to admire the work of the master. Hmmph, a bit small, are you sure it's broccoli? (I feel my penis getting smaller). Yeah but,.... it's a pure strain....I'm saving the universe you know... I'm broccoli man.

What can I do to save the day? Maybe I can find some EGO BOOSTING HORMONE and inject the bloody things.

What I really wanted was ego boosting genetics. The mega hybrid, something that fizzed, a huge head the size of a basket ball. I can imagine the compliments. Gee, that's big and so hard. (I'm feeling better already). This is what most people want, I worked that out 25 years ago.

Breeding seeds for the grower is primarily about finding out which hybrids give the most "bang for your buck". It's not as easy as it sounds. You have to find the right combinations and constantly refine your pure lines to give new improved versions of the super hybrids. People will accuse you of being a hack, "only" selling hybrids. Pay no attention, they really want the big sticky mega buds.

Next year I'm growing hybrid broccoli.”
-Nevil