I mean I commend you on the plant you're growing but does that picture prove anything? My entire point is great genetics can come from anywhere and my alternative suggestion is to try some cheaper seeds, dial in your growing skills and if you want to invest in to some better genetics go ahead.
Most people don't want to wait over a month for seeds from Europe and if you are basing it off of price you can easily find cheap american breeders that breed and have strains just as good if not better than Nirvana. Newbies nowadays have a wealth of information online to help them grow and it's really not hard to get a decent first grow, no need to handicap yourself with boring strains. I've grown Nirvanas seeds. Aurora indica and white widow. They aren't bad but I'll always recommend american genetics because they are easier to get and tend to be better than euro genetics.
Some of the highly acclaimed euro strains have changed over the years, the original breeding plants lost, and attempts to recreate the strains have not lived up to expectation. Many Euro breeders buy mass produced seeds made in Spain, again raising question to the quality. Many euro breeders mislead buyers, using names that are similar to the USA hype strains. These are but a few examples, and I could go on, but it is all on here for you to find. You're a new member, stick around and you'll find that this place has a plethora of information.
I don't see how you can say they're better though? I mean what is that based on exactly? I've grown a lot of Nirvana strains as well over the years, White Rhino, White Widow, Northern Lights, AK48, and one other I can't remember. I've had some great plants from those packs of seeds in particular the White Rhino, I had an amazing cut that I lost. I also ran a lot of Mandala genetics which gave me some great plants. I agree there is a lot of information and having a good first grow is possible but I don't see the genetics as the handicap. I personally like being able to look at grow reports of certain breeders and smoke reports. I don't see a lot of those for American breeders and a lot of the breeders are just shitting out crosses left and right. Either way if you're a first time grower I am positive any cannabis you get will feel special. The day the drying is done, you test some of the herb, and know you grew it is far more powerful than where the genetics came from. Eventually I will grab some genetics from US breeders and I can see for myself how they stack up.
I might be new to this forum but I've been on grow forums for nearly 20 years. My contention is that you can find good cannabis genetics wherever you go. It's why I follow guys like Kevin Jodrey who are trying to bring back genetics from the 70's/80's before the genetics got pigeon holed into a specific set of terpene profiles. Now we're sitting in an era where everything is literally a cross of an OG Kush with a sativa dominant hybrid. For a new grower anything they grow is going to get them high and it's going to be a great experience. If you've been growing for a long time I can see why you might put more emphasis on the breeder you're getting genetics from but ultimately they're all pretty similar. I mean I've seen some amazing plants out in Spain and I don't see what evidence you've provided saying they're lower quality? You act like it's impossible for a European breeder to get clones of genetics in the US and breed with them.
$300 for a seed pack based on hype started in Europe though. In 2003 my buddy bought a 10pk of regular jack herer seeds from Sensi seed bank for $360 and a pack of The Hog by THseeds for $280. Both were hightimes cannabis cup "winners" and all hype. I mean the jack is a classic but hog not so much.
