Selecting a mother that will keep you happy

Most know that it's a good idea to take and mark a group of clones from your best looking set of potential seedlings at about 12+" tall, then bloom them out. While keeping the clones under flour. or MH 18/6 or 24/0. As the only way to know for sure which ones are the exceptional pheno keepers you want for mothers is by smoking the mature buds they produce.
But what no one seems to point out is the importance of finding a mother that has the closest internode spacing and earliest branch development near the top of the plant. These features are critical as they directly relate to overall yield more than any other factor. The mature buds will be larger and there will be more of them at harvest, as early and dense branching translates into mega bud sites.

Great information, but i think you will find this has already been said by someone... I'm pretty sure if you have a look in the breeding section you'll see something about this

Wiz

yield isn't always a driving factor for a mother. if there's a pheno that smells and tastes better then a higher yielding one, i'm picking the tastier one every time.

FarmerWiz said:

Great information, but i think you will find this has already been said by someone... I'm pretty sure if you have a look in the breeding section you'll see something about this

Wiz

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Should have checked the breeding section first. But in general I still feel this is something that isn't pointed out as often as should be relative to it's significance.

i will pick taste and smell over yield anyday. yield doesnt matter if i dont like the taste.

You appear to contradict yourself. First you say you are keeping clones so as to find the best smoke, then you say that it's critical that you select based on yield. It's typically the case that higher the yield, lower the quality, not always, but more often than not. Personally i will grow something that is a great smoke, not something that will net me a pound. I grow for the love of cannabis, not the love of money. If the smoke is good enough then you don't need as much so yield isn't such a critical factor. I'd rather an ounce of fantasti smoke than 2 ounces of inferior smoke, because chances are it will last exatly as long as the one ounce as i'll just need to smoke more. And for me it's the high, not the taste, i find all smoke tastes rancid no matter the strain or substance, my body does not enjoy smoke, but it enjoys getting high

typoerror said:

yield isn't always a driving factor for a mother. if there's a phenos that smells and tastes better then a higher yielding one, i'm picking the tastier one every time.

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I did essentially point that out in the first paragraph of my post. And in contrast I wouldn't necessarily chose a stretchy poor yielding mother just because she was slightly tastier or more potent. Generally I've found that plants that fit the close internode and early branching physical profile wind up being among the most potent anyway. While taste is important, potency is more my determining factor. If done right, any very potent cannabis can have a palatable taste. And long after the taste is gone from those last bong hits you took, the high is still there calling your name.

I agree with tip top. I thought I was crazy, but it seems every time I have a huge yeilder, even if it is really good smoke, it is not unbelievable great.

Best stuff I've grown have not been the best yeilders.

tip top toker said:

You appear to contradict yourself. First you say you are keeping clones so as to find the best smoke, then you say that it's critical that you select based on yield. It's typically the case that higher the yield, lower the quality, not always, but more often than not. Personally i will grow something that is a great smoke, not something that will net me a pound. I grow for the love of cannabis, not the love of money. If the smoke is good enough then you don't need as much so yield isn't such a critical factor. I'd rather an ounce of fantasti smoke than 2 ounces of inferior smoke, because chances are it will last exatly as long as the one ounce as i'll just need to smoke more. And for me it's the high, not the taste, i find all smoke tastes rancid no matter the strain or substance, my body does not enjoy smoke, but it enjoys getting high

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I wasn't contradicting myself at all. Rather than going to the extremes where a greed driven higher yield involves lower potency, I'm refering to finding that sometimes rare pheno that fits both criteria. And some are primarily interested in yield where it's more about the money. While I have to admit back in 1999 I stumbled onto some bagseed that out of 20+ seedlings one shorter and lower yielding female turned out being that almost once in a lifetime unbelievably potent and incredibly tasty 45 day pheno that was to die for. Called her Atomic Chronic and put a hallogram lightning bolt sticker on the bags I'd sell. Obviously I kept an earlier clone of her to establish as my mother. Wish i still had her today (sigh).

tip top toker said:

And for me it's the high, not the taste, i find all smoke tastes rancid no matter the strain or substance, my body does not enjoy smoke, but it enjoys getting high

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really tip top, you have never found any smoke that you liked the taste?

everything i grow gets me high, but sometimes a certain strain or pheno just has that tatse that i cant get enough. its just a bonus when you want to get high and it tastes great.

i just wish i could keep a mother plant or 2 or 10.

smoke and coke said:

i will pick taste and smell over yield anyday. yield doesnt matter if i dont like the taste.

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Sorry if I seemed to imply that it's all about yield and taste or potency is somehow low in the priority list. Rather than being contradictory, I did point out essentially what you're saying in my first paragraph. And though it may not be as common, it is quite possible to find outstanding potency and taste in a good yielding plant. My point is to try and avoid those stretchy females that only form a relatively few small flower clusters along the main stem.

My point was that you shouldn't simply avoid them because of the manner in which they grow, because they could very well be the best smoke of the bunch. Selecting for yield and quality of smoke should be two separate criteria.

smoke and coke said:

really tip top, you have never found any smoke that you liked the taste?

everything i grow gets me high, but sometimes a certain strain or pheno just has that tatse that i cant get enough. its just a bonus when you want to get high and it tastes great.

i just wish i could keep a mother plant or 2 or 10.

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Some folks just don't like the taste of smoking anything. While again there's no getting around the fact that long after the taste is gone, the high is still there giving it's signature.

Jar Man said:

Sorry if I seemed to imply that it's all about yield and taste or potency is somehow low in the priority list. Rather than being contradictory, I did point out essentially what you're saying in my first paragraph. And though it may not be as common, it is quite possible to find outstanding potency and taste in a good yielding plant. My point is to try and avoid those stretchy females that only form a relatively few small flower clusters along the main stem.

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its all good. there are many different factors a person looks for in a mother plant. everyone is different and where 1 plant might appeal to you, may not to me for different reasons. i am still learning and the only factor in yeild i look for is to provide me with smoke for a year untill my next harvest along with trying to maximize my yeild on the plants i really like. i start from seeds for round 1, then round 2 is mostly clones from round 1 that i like the best.

tip top toker said:

My point was that you shouldn't simply avoid them because of the manner in which they grow, because they could very well be the best smoke of the bunch. Selecting for yield and quality of smoke should be two separate criteria.

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Point well taken.

smoke and coke said:

its all good. there are many different factors a person looks for in a mother plant. everyone is different and where 1 plant might appeal to you, may not to me for different reasons. i am still learning and the only factor in yeild i look for is to provide me with smoke for a year untill my next harvest along with trying to maximize my yeild on the plants i really like. i start from seeds for round 1, then round 2 is mostly clones from round 1 that i like the best.

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Agreed. Though I'm sort of strange when it comes to taste. Admittedly pickier than most about taste, I've also been tainted by too many experiences where some of the tastiest bud seems to be lacking in the potency dept. Some folks will be duped into paying higher prices for a bud's taste alone, while the potency seems more often (in my experience anyway) to be second rate. It's not always the case, but seems like finding bud out there that carries both is an unexpected rarity. On the other hand that's a good thing if you happen to be a grower who's locked in on both categories.

Any comments on the most potent and best overall yielding strain they've come across. I'm an old veteran grower but am intrigued and embarrasingly overwhelmed by the mountain of new hybrids out there today. Heard some good things about Critical Mass from Mr. Nice. Supposedly unreal yield (500-600g m/2) coupled with exceptional potency. Though I will again emphasize that potency is priority numero uno in my book.

Jar Man said:

Agreed. Though I'm sort of strange when it comes to taste. Admittedly pickier than most about taste, I've also been tainted by too many experiences where some of the tastiest bud seems to be lacking in the potency dept. Some folks will be duped into paying higher prices for a bud's taste alone, while the potency seems more often (in my experience anyway) to be second rate. It's not always the case, but seems like finding bud out there that carries both is an unexpected rarity. On the other hand that's a good thing if you happen to be a grower who's locked in on both categories.

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well i am very picky about taste where some stuff just taste so bad to me that i give it away. and they always tell me it tastes fine and they loved it.

i smoke daily and have quite a high tollerance level and i only have to smoke less than a half a joint to get real nice.

i generally smoke alone and sometimes i would just like something that taste great and be able to sit and smoke the whole joint myself. but since i have been growing i cant do that. i normally smoke out of glass and not have to smoke that half joint that tastes like crap now.

smoke and coke said:

well i am very picky about taste where some stuff just taste so bad to me that i give it away. and they always tell me it tastes fine and they loved it.

i smoke daily and have quite a high tollerance level and i only have to smoke less than a half a joint to get real nice.

i generally smoke alone and sometimes i would just like something that taste great and be able to sit and smoke the whole joint myself. but since i have been growing i cant do that. i normally smoke out of glass and not have to smoke that half joint that tastes like crap now.

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I've found that people who smoke cigarettes don't seem to be as particular about taste. And as you said, everyone's inately different about what they're looking for anyway. Over the years I've gotten to where I don't smoke joints at all. Even though the trend returned in the 90's when the social aspect of getting high enjoyed a 70's retro era where passing a joint between a group of friends sitting around the coffee table was again en vogue, I've evolved into a glass bong man myself. It's more efficient and tastier. While I just can't seem to get a lung blasting hit off a joint or even a pipe. The only acceptable alternative to me is a glass steamroller.
Suppose after extensive looking around I've settled on both the Vortex and Qrazy Train from TGA Subcool. Like to cross 'em and see what I can come up with. Just a little squeamish about the reported Vortex yield.