Breeding/Breeder Notes

I've started a habit over the last couple of years of taking notes when I hear something interesting so I can return to it later for a more in-depth look at things. Some of the notes make no sense but some offer more insight into things I'm currently learning. These are some of the notes I've collected about breeding/chucking. I'll admit I removed a few because I'm not ready to share them, but I got them from reading books and journals so you can find them there too. (You should be reading books and not getting your information from a stoner on the internet!) While these notes should not be used as a how-to, I do hope to hear other's opinions or theories on breeding. What would you add to this list? What would you delete? and why? Let's get some useful notes in here.

Feminizing seeds.
Sts spray. Flower the donor plant 2 weeks before the receiving plants. Spray donor plant once at flip and follow up every 10 days. (Spray up to three times.) If timed right the receiving plants should be 3-4 weeks in by the time your donor plant starts pollinating the room.

Locking down traits by S1. (Large selection required/perfered.)
Self pollinate any female to create a batch of S1 seeds. These seeds will resemble the female used with some variation. Find the phenotype that has the traits you want to further lockdown, this will be the next female we use to create our S2 seed stock. For the S2 we'll follow the same steps as before just using our S1 pheno plant. Self pollinate our S1 female to create a batch of S2 seeds. These seeds will resemble the S1 female used with less variation than the first batch. Find the phenotype that has the traits you want to further lockdown, this will be the next female we use to create our S3 seed stock. For the S3 we'll follow the same steps as before just using our S2 pheno plant. Self pollinate our S2 female to create a batch of S3 seeds. These seeds will resemble the S2 female used with far less variation than the S1 or S2 batch.

Male reversal.
To reverse males, use Monterey Florel to spray the leaves. *** I need more information on treatment and dilution.

Plant pollination.
Allow pollinated plants to remain in the conception room for 24 hours after conception. After 24hours the pollinated plant can be sprayed with water to eliminate any rogue pollen and placed back into the main flower room. If done correctly you should not worry about stray pollen. 42 days of flower time is required after pollination to ensure fully mature seeds.

Seed quality vs. quantity.
Early pollination (Day 7-20)= Higher quality seeds. Seeds will be bigger, have a higher germ rate, and better female to male ratio. Later pollination (Day 21-30)= Higher quantity of seeds. Seeds will be smaller, have a decent germ rate, and closer to a 50/50 female to male ratio. Male pollen is most viable in weeks 3-5.

Cubing (I'm not really fond of this method)
The theory of cubing is as follows. You have a plant you want to make a (P1) true-breeding strain. This plant will be backcrossed to 6 times. You start by breeding it with another (P2) plant, preferably a plant that looks different to make it easier to weed out later. The seeds from this cross will be P1-50%/P2-50% of the parents' genetics. Grow these seeds and search out a new mate to backcross to the P1 true breeder. The seeds from this pairing will be P1-75%/P2-25% of the parents' genetics. Grow these seeds and search out a new mate to backcross to the P1 true breeder. The seeds from this pairing will be P1-87.5%/P2-12.5% of the parents' genetics. Continue this pattern for 6 total backcrosses back to the P1 will lock down a 99% pure P1. P50, P75, P88, P94, P97, P99

Collecting and storing pollen.
An easy way to collect and filter pollen is by placing a keg cup with the bottom cut off on a mesh screen and then into another keg cup. This will allow you to collect the pollen in the lower cup while filtering out the plant matter. Once the pollen has been collected it must be fully dried before storing it. Dry the pollen by spreading it on a piece of construction paper. Once the pollen is dry, the construction paper can be folded up and placed in a jar with some desiccants. The jar should be then placed in the freezer until ready for use. Best used within 3 months.

Seed Storage
Long term seed storage requires the seeds to be fully dry before packing away. Typically you'll want the seeds to dry in the flower before you shuck the seed. Once you've decided how you want to package your seeds, (100pk, 500pk 1000pk) place dry seeds in a paper bag with lineage and any other helpful notes written on it. Slide that paper bag in a food saver bag or mylar MRE style bag with a decent amount of desiccants inside. Use a vacuum sealer to remove any excess air and seal the food/MRE bag. At this point, they're ready to store in the refrigerator or freezer. If you decide to use the freezer, don't refreeze the seeds. Thaw the seeds in the refrigerator if you don't plan on using them right away. Also, always allow the seeds to come to room temperature before breaking the seal on the package. If not you'll get some condensation inside the package.

Male reversal.
To reverse males, use Monterey Florel at 10mil per liter of water to spray the areas where flowers will form. (Avoid spraying too many fan leaves if possible.) Spray lower branches or areas with less intense light to midigate leaf burn that can/will happen. Use 10mil of Florel per liter of water to spray the plant once 10 days before flowering and follow up every 10 days. (Spray up to three times.)

Have you tried the male reversal yet?

OG Doge said:

Have you tried the male reversal yet?

Click to expand...

Not yet, I really need to though. I did pick up a bottle of that Florel a couple months ago but I've only sprouted Fems since then. I really like the idea of seeing what characteristics the male would produce as a female before using it. Testing males on females has been a long process due to plant count regulations. Have you tried it yet?

Jon Galt said:

Male reversal.
To reverse males, use Monterey Florel at 10mil per liter of water to spray the areas where flowers will form. (Avoid spraying too many fan leaves if possible.) Spray lower branches or areas with less intense light to midigate leaf burn that can/will happen. Use 10mil of Florel per liter of water to spray the plant once 10 days before flowering and follow up every 10 days. (Spray up to three times.)

Click to expand...

Sorry I don't anything beyond the very basics, what is male reversal and what do you get from it?

Star Dog said:

Sorry I don't anything beyond the very basics, what is male reversal and what do you get from it?

Click to expand...

From my understanding, the point is to have your male plant produce female flowers. Once you flower the male out as a female you'll be able to see some of the female characteristics that that may be passed on in breeding projects.