Strain vs Hybrid

[Jackalope]

We all see this time and time again. Different companies carrying strains by the same name. I will use Blue Dream as a example. This is a hybrid of Super Silver Haze x Blueberry. Any cross of these strains in that order is Blue Dream. The thing that changes everything is which pheno's of each strain are used.This changes them all. They are all Blue Dream and all have their pluses and minuses. Everyone can have their own take on what Blue Dream is. So technically there is no wrong Blue Dream..........................................................................
The same can not be said for a Strain. I will use Blueberry as a example. D.J. Short bred Blueberry though multiple crosses of multiple strains. This is the " Blueberry "! As with Blue Dream lots of companies have a Blueberry. Most with a Blueberry smell and taste. Though the genetic make-up is not the same. While they can call a strain what they want. I feel most falsely present their strain as Blueberry. Just because it smells the same. Does not make it the same. The type of high varies a lot. Though most Blueberry strains are mostly, Indica or Indica dominate. The highs will vary a lot from the true Blueberry...........................................................
Whats your opinion?

 

[Bobby Blunt]

I'm kinda with you on some of those things, when you talk about a "Strain", its all or mostly one thing indica or sativa and breeding them to themselves, when you talk about a "Hybrid" your breeding a indica into a Sativa or vise versa for a 50/50 mix. I think what decides whats going to be dominant is the particular plant it self, weather male of female. its just who's genes are stronger in that strain. I pollinated three auto fems; World of Seeds "Sweet Coffee Ryder", Green House Seeds "Super Critical" auto, and the beast, Dutch Passion's "Glueberry OG". I used Dane Strain's "Blue Matic", which is mostly "Williams Wonder", "Master Low", and "Low Ryder", and "Blueberries", of course. As mothers, the Glueberry OG topped at 26", the Super Critical at 20" and the Sweet Coffee Ryder at 18", I'm in my second grow of their seeds/fem, 5th wk of flower, the Glueberry is at 21", Super Critical at 13", and Sweet Coffee Ryder at 11". The first group from seeds were nice but because of genetics, Low ryder family the yield was not much, this group is kind of the same, the plants are very healthy, just small but they still taste and affect like their mothers.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Well technically Blueberry is a Hybrid also as part Indica and part Sativa, as are about everything else that isn't a Landrace (not even sure about those sometimes to be honest). But everything is becoming so convoluted it is all just a name and about it anymore, as you go into a Dispensary and get Strain "X" and it can act/taste/smell/etc.. and Strain "X" can be different each and every time as not only varies on the pheno but also where the seed came from. As comes down to how "stable" a Strain/Hybrid is far as phenotypes go, some have only a couple and others it is all over the place with 6+ phenos, as there are Breeders and then there are Pollen Chuckers and then the folks trying to "Copycat" something on top of that.

But one of those "opinions all over the place" kind of things, same as most things in Life.

 

[Jackalope]

Since we now know even some landraces strains are not pure but natural hybrids. I consider a true breeding hybrid to be a strain. Never considered a hybrid just to be a indica x sativa. I figured a crosses of 2 landrace sativas to be a hybrid. Blueberry was made through years of cross breeding so it now breeds mostly true. I feel if a breeder takes the time and energy to work with a hybrid tell it breeds mostly true it deserves to be called a strain. To me a Hybrid is a F-1 cross which are great in their own right. And that's leaving copy cats out of the equation......................................................................................................
Your so right about dispensary weed. Not only do their strains vary from place to place. I find when I grow a strain the outcome is very different from when I buy it.

 

[Jackalope]

I'm kinda with you on some of those things, when you talk about a "Strain", its all or mostly one thing indica or sativa and breeding them to themselves, when you talk about a "Hybrid" your breeding a indica into a Sativa or vise versa for a 50/50 mix. I think what decides whats going to be dominant is the particular plant it self, weather male of female. its just who's genes are stronger in that strain. I pollinated three auto fems; World of Seeds "Sweet Coffee Ryder", Green House Seeds "Super Critical" auto, and the beast, Dutch Passion's "Glueberry OG". I used Dane Strain's "Blue Matic", which is mostly "Williams Wonder", "Master Low", and "Low Ryder", and "Blueberries", of course. As mothers, the Glueberry OG topped at 26", the Super Critical at 20" and the Sweet Coffee Ryder at 18", I'm in my second grow of their seeds/fem, 5th wk of flower, the Glueberry is at 21", Super Critical at 13", and Sweet Coffee Ryder at 11". The first group from seeds were nice but because of genetics, Low ryder family the yield was not much, this group is kind of the same, the plants are very healthy, just small but they still taste and affect like their mothers.

Its a little more then just dominate traits. Yes you are right. There are plants that always tend to share certain traits very well. How those traits are transferred are different. I'm not huge on the science of it all but here are some basics. The growth structure of a plant comes mostly from the mother plants. Some of the things males carry well are extra crystal, flavor and flower time. Ie: if you want to breed in better flavor it is best to do with a flavorful male................ you mentioned Auto genetics. Not something I know much of but I have a guess. Ruderalis is tricky to work with. The crosses you are making are giving you stronger ruderalis genetics. The originals may have as little as 1/4% to start when crossing with another ruderalis hybrid you are adding more ruderalis.

 

[Bobby Blunt]

I agree, I am coming into my 4th yr of growing, I did my first breeding last year, it was nice to see how the plant reproduces, I can only imagine the time and work it takes to stabilize a strain.

 

[Jackalope]

Lots of time and energy yes. The biggest thing is knowing marijuana and its growing patterns. Lots of people have grown 100's of plants but have never grown a male out. Not only finished male plants but grown enough of them to understand male plants. Breeders who have that super star male plant found them by growing out 100's of males. Most people do not have the space to grow out 1 male let alone 100's.