BUYING
SEEDS?
HERE
ARE SOMEOME THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING
YOUR PURCHASE.
1)
IS PRICE A CONSIDERATION?
Seeds
imported from Amsterdam produce the highest
quality F1 hybrids. Dutch seed companies
also produce some of the finest, stable
pure breeds available in the world. These
pure breeding strains make-up the backbones
of most domestic F2 hybrids.
Lenient
regulations in Holland have allowed companies
there to create world class, high tech,
breeding programs. These Dutch seed companies
have the resources and access that enables
them to take advantage of the most advanced
technologies in the world. Parents are chosen
from very large groups, thousands of plants
are grown out and scientifically analyzed
to help choose the best possible individuals
for breeding.
Domestic
seeds can also be of very high quality.
There are many domestic seed companies that
have entered the market in the last five
years and the results from many of these
seed companies range from excellent to very
disappointing. Repressive laws in North
America have forced domestic breeders to
choose parents from much smaller genetic
groups than Dutch breeders enjoy. Professional
domestic seed producers use careful, experienced,
observation to select the best candidates
for breeding programs that have produced
some of the finest cannabis available anywhere
in the world. Many of the domestic strains
are F2 hybrids, the results from these seeds
are more variable than those obtained from
Dutch seeds. However the ease of stocking
and lower wholesale prices allows us to
offer domestic strains at lower prices than
their Dutch counterparts.
Remember,
genetics are the most important investment
you will ever make in your growing life!
2)
ARE YOU GROWING INDOORS, OUTDOORS OR IN
A GREENHOUSE?
Most
varieties of cannabis will grow indoors
under artificial lighting. Some strains
grow so tall or have such low yields indoors
that they are disregarded by most indoor
cultivators. Strains labeled as indoor on
our web site have been selected for the
best indoor results.
All
varieties of cannabis will grow outdoors,
somewhere in the world. As you move North
or South, away from the equator fewer varieties
are available to outside cultivators, and
conversely those growing outdoors closer
to the equator have more varieties available
to them.
Greenhouse
growers enjoy the best of both worlds. They
can grow bigger plants than indoors and
longer flowering plants than outdoors in
Northern climates. By using shade cloths,
supplemental lighting, heaters and air coolers,
conditions in a greenhouse can be manipulated
to allow the successful cultivation of almost
any variety anywhere in the world. Strains
labeled as greenhouse on our web site have
been selected for greenhouse growing in
Northern Europe, the Northern United Stated
and Southern Canada, without shades or supplemental
lighting.
3)
WHAT KIND OF MARIJUANA DO YOU LIKE?
The
exact taxonomy of cannabis is somewhat complicated.
A fairly exhaustive study of this subject
can be in Marijuana Botany, Appendix 1 Taxonomy
and Nomenclature, By Robert C. Clarke, 1981.
For our purposes we will assume that potent
cannabis varieties fall into three main
categories: Sativas, Indicas (including
Afghanicus) and Ruderalis.
Most
Sativas originate in climates with hot,
long, growing seasons. Many Sativas have
growth patterns that produce tall plants
with relatively large inter nodal distances
(distance between budding sites). Longer
flowering times discourage outdoor cultivation
in climates with short growing seasons.
Sativas
are often characterized by their enduring,
zippy or up high, sometimes described as
being more cerebral than Indicas. There
are many Sativa strains available, some
are pure breeds, some make up a component
of a hybrid with other Sativas or Indicas
and Ruderalis, they include: Durban, Thai,
Burmese, Haze and many other equatorial
strains. Haze is a stable hybrid of pure
Sativas, considered by many to be the strongest
cannabis in the world, and most pure skunk
strains are up to 75% Sativas, both are
excellent choices for your own, hybrid production.
Because of their shorter stature, shorter
flowering times and often higher yields,
Indicas and hybrids of these strains make
up the majority of indoor commercial and
personal cannabis cultivation. They usually
have growth patterns that produce short,
conical or Christmas tree shaped, plants
with relatively small inter nodal distances.
Shorter flowering times encourage outdoor
cultivation in climates with short growing
seasons. Indicas are usually smaller or
at least shorter than Sativas and can often
be more easily hidden outside. Indicas are
often characterized by their strong, narcotic
high, sometimes described as heavier than
Sativas. There are fewer pure Indica stains
than Sativas, however, because of their
popularity indoors, there are many mostly
Indica hybrids. All Indicas originate in
South Central Asia. They include: Kush,
Nepalese and Persian strains from Afghanistan
and Iran. Northern Lights is a stable hybrid
that is up to 75% Indica, Afghani 1 and
Hindu Kush are also good candidates for
your own, hybrid production. Ruderalis is
a less potent strain used as a hybrid with
Indicas and/or Sativas. They have extremely
short flowering times, often auto-flowering
under longer photo periods. They tend to
grow with a single, prominent, central,
cola, and are rarely more than a few feet
tall. They usually produce small yields.
Very
short flowering times make Ruderalis hybrids
popular in climates with very short growing
seasons, some plants are mature by late
July or August in Northern areas. These
strains are not recommended for indoor cultivation,
however, they are often a valuable insurance
policy in high latitudes, high elevations
and other marginal growing areas.
4)
WHAT IS YOUR GARDENING TECHNIQUE?
Or
more specifically: What are your parameters
for plant height and plant density? This
applies to hydroponic systems and soil or
soil-less mediums.
Are
you growing fewer, larger plants?
Gardeners
who grow taller plants often grow Sativas
or their hybrids, because they continue
to get considerably taller during flowering,
some grow Indicas and their hybrids, letting
them vegetate to larger plants before initiating
flowering. This is true, for both, indoors
and outdoors or in greenhouses.
Are
you growing many, smaller plants?
Many
gardeners employ high density techniques
often referred to as Sea of Green or Screen
of Green. This technique uses many smaller
plants, spaced closely together, to form
a continuous canopy of short plants under
high density, horizontal lights. Indicas
are often used because of their naturally
smaller stature, and shorter flowering times.
Sativas are also grown in this fashion,
however, they are often put directly into
a flowering cycle with very little or not
time given to a vegetative cycle, this helps
to prevent crowding and tall, stretching,
growth. The longer flowering Sativas often
make up for the additional time required,
with higher yields and stronger cannabis.
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