I’m posting this article for one reason. There seems to be a general discouragement for some growers I.E. “Why doesn’t my gorilla glue look like gorilla glue I’ve had before?”
“My friend and I both grew White widow and mine isn’t as good. Why?”
“This Blueberry isn’t real Blueberry. I think my seed bank lied.”
It seems to me in reading many threads that some new growers give up too early on a plant. I’ve done it too. We’ve all done it, most likely.
Think of it this way. The gene pool is like an atlas. If you are looking for a specific place a map will tell you all the ways to get there. One destination with multiple routes. The phenotype is the specific route that you take to get there. If I wanted to go from Chicago to Santa Barbara the ideal “genotype” would be Route 66. However if you take all county roads you will get there eventually but it may take longer. Your experience on the trip will be different, as will be what you get out of the trip.
Genotype=All the possibilities of results based on genetics, hence GENOtype.
Phenotype=the result you get based on specific growing methods and in what environment.
Just because you feel like your plant isn’t as good or is different from another’s of the same strain, DON’T GIVE UP. Most likely they’ve just figured out their best route for them. You may live in a area or have tended to the plant in a way that doesn’t produce the same results. You will figure it out. What works for some doesn’t work for others. Keep your head up and think about it like driving. First time you got on the hwy chances are you didn’t know what the hell to do or where the hell to go. Now you can probably make it to the store with ease. It just took time and experience to get comfortable with YOUR route.
Clarifying that is more of a “can be” statement.
True. How would you edit that statement specifically? I will go back and edit appropriately. I don’t want people to misconstrue my words. @dbrn32
I read a few long threads and questions along the baseline of “why doesn’t my ww look like the picture” or “I suck at this” I would like people that are new to growing in general to not be discouraged or quit. Understanding genotype and phenotype helped me with that.
I’m not exactly on the up & up with my breeding lingo, so probably not the best person to clarify. But completely possible and likely to get different phenotypic expressions even when methods and environment is identical. I usually associate this with having kids. My parents are both short with dark hair brown eyes. I’m tall with dark hair brown eyes, one of my sisters is tall with red hair green eyes, and the other sister is short with dark hair and green eyes. You will see the same types of characteristics in plants.
@Bogleg could probably help you here. And there’s some good examples with his last journal.
I’ve often compared it to bingo. The numbers are all the gentetics possible. The same numbers never come up in the same order. The outlier being with plants what you do helps lead toward the same result but it’s still not a guarantee. The exact same results are hard to come by. Even on the same plant from node to node it can differ on some level.
I was just looking at the ladies today pondering their parents and wondering why this one is leafy and lankier while her sister is stalkier and tighter nodes. I wish I had numbered and cloned just for fun if nothing else.
I’ve sat and wondered too. I’m not patient so sometimes it tortures me lol. It frustrates some people to the point they give up or think they did something wrong. I want to build a bubbler cloner. If I could grow a mother and take clones I would prefer that. I’ve read a few threads on it but I won’t have the room for a few months.
Even plants from the same parent can and will be different. Look up a Punnett Square. The Genotype is the full potential of the plant, while Phenotype is what actually expresses itself. If mom is short with blonde hair and blue eyes, and dad is tall with brown hair and brown eyes then all of those are the possibilities…that is my genotype. Lets say I turn out with short, blonde, brown eyes…that is my pheonotype. My environment wont change me. No matter what nutrients or sunlight you give me I will never have blue eyes, brown hair, or become tall.
I can’t see why anyone would give up on an otherwise healthy plant just because it didn’t look like someone else’s…unless you are talking about Autos. The way they speed breed autoflowers, it’s no surprise how many people complain their plants haven’t flipped after 12 weeks…
Because out of that plant genome, this particular seed picked up the non-auto flower phenotype from mom/dad.
Agreed. I don’t know why people give up, now anyway. Once I wrapped my head around the fact every plant is different. I think some people will assume that they did something, wrong, for lack of a better word. It can be stressful, especially when you have money invested, when you don’t get the result you expect. OK now allows 12 med plants 6 in veg 6 in flowering. Most people I interact with are disheartened when they are expecting a LB and get 4oz. I can see it on their faces. I get the disappointment but it’s not a reason to quit trying.
I know more people that have given up growing , then I do people that still grow…
Bottom line…
it’s not for everyone…
Really has nothing to do with genetics … maybe 10%…
You either got it or you don’t…
You either love it or you don’t…
Some of my worst grows have been my best weed…
You always have to keep your head in the game and don’t get discouraged when $hit hits the fan…
It always will and it always does , right when you think you got everything dialed in… never fails…
As is life… 
