That works well enough but only cloning will give you uniform genetics. That said, if you don't mind getting examples of all the phenotypes in a strain's family tree, and you can get lab quality colloidal silver, it's an economical way to go.
So in theory, once I go back to photos, I spray colloidal silver on one branch a week into flower and I'd have feminized photo seeds? What is the advantage of seeds when I can just clone? If I use that method won't I seed the whole grow?
Yes I found that in the first generation I got several phenos with most the strains I have done, however by selecting the most consistent seedlings and self pollinating that way I got to about 99% uniformity by the third generation. I too believed high quality CS was required because that was what everyone with experience on forums was saying. One time I tried simply making an electrolysis cell with .999 silver coins and the CS worked flawlessly, so I tried using a shitty old cheap Stirling silver ring and the CS also worked perfectly. Been using cheap Stirling silver ever since and never even had a single hermie in probably 5000-6000 plants grown from pollen produced with Stirling silver CS.
Yes you will seed the whole grow. With photos the only reason to do it is if you want to archive a strain while you grow something else or take time off, move house, make a hybrid or whatever.
No.
That's true, but you don't have to pollinate a different plant. Spraying just one lower branch makes just that one branch produce feminized pollen. That branch polinates the rest of the plant and you get genetic uniformity faster that way, or at least it appeared so. Worked for me anyway.
I can see how this process would be good for attempting to create new strains and like @TheGreatSouthern said, if you want to archive a favorite strain/plant or if you gotta move your grow for some reason. And maybe I'm partial because I grew photos for ten years without touching a seed, but all that seems like next level shit. I'm still just a guy super happy to be growing some weed in his house. The idea of spraying my plants with what is apparently some really bad shit (you mentioned to never ever smoke the stuff) and possibly seeding my entire grow just sounds daunting. I suppose I might get into it someday, but I'd probably be better off taking the genetics I already have and doing my best to make them shine.
I'm guessing you have plants that you use specifically for seed production (i.e. you don't smoke the plants you use to make seeds?)
I understand the desire to simply grow.
I do use them, yes. Typically, I let my seeded plants dry a lot longer and more thoroughly than my regular bud plants. I then hand crumble the buds to get all the seeds out.
so if you had a bunch of flower that you cant smoke because of the CS could you use it to make concentrates?
Just for completeness sake, the branches that you make pollen using CS can't be used at all.
Yeah never smoke the ones you spray. You wouldn't want to anyway if you saw one in full male glory covered In silverish grey CS residue anyway, pollen all over the place. yucky. Yeah when I do a seed run I sprout about 400 seeds in rockwool, pick the strongest 6 or so which are always the first few to sprout and isolate them then spray the strongest looking one of those and let it pollinate it's self and the rest. Then remove and discard the pollinator branch at week 8 and let the rest go way past their use by date until seeds are dropping off by themselves, then cut and dry until crispy dry then scrub all the bud through a kitchen sieve. The bud comes out the bottom as a coarse powder and is good for concentrates and the seeds stay in the sieve, that method is the most efficient way I can find to produce seed on the scale I need. It has the added advantage of scarification. I used to save and freeze pollen but found it was too much work. When I compare the time I spend doing that versus the time I used to spend cloning there is no comparison.
Thanks for the clarification; I thought we were talking about the flower that had the CS applied to it.
I'm trying to picture your setup and it sounds bigger than mine. IDK what your feelings are as far as the legal side of cultivation, but I grew illegally for a long time before everything started changing. But man the was nerve racking. Now I avoid any unnecessary stress by following the law to a T. And in doing that I can't think of a scenario where I would forgo growing a crop to smoke/dab for a crop to produce seeds. Based on the numbers you mentioned I'd have to give up two plants (4-8 oz. or more). That might be a hard sell.
I wouldn't start feeding again. They'd start producing new pistils in a tardy manner and you'd get sick of it. Just keep flushing and they're done when they're done. Don't reduce lighting hours
I'm in a prohibition country. So I eat well, but I don't sleep well. For me it's more productive as I use one small tent for 13 weeks to produce enough seeds for two years. If I ran clones I would need to run that tent all the time for two years. So for the rest of that time that space is productive.
I ordered a bunch from true north but haven't got them yet. no landrace. Got some autos from mephisto I probably wont use (unless the true north beans dont show).