Probably one of the most therapeutic thing I have done since I learned I could order seeds and grow them (this last April) is seed shopping. I don’t mean buying. But perusing all the things I can grow. Most of my time is spent on ILGM and HGC. Just learning about strains, genetics, how they each grow best. For me seed shopping feels like I am a kid again and pouring over that massive Christmas Sears catalog dreaming of what Santa might bring me.
Right now looking at indica feminized strains for next grow. Just about have it nailed down to Grandaddy Purple. I guess one perk of doing this is that when I go into our medical dispensary or to Colorado rec stores I am finding I am armed with quite a bit of knowledge on each strain available and am making smarter choices for the effects I want. I have got to where some of them I can look at and think, this is a cross between Grape Ape and Grapefruit.
Anyways, every evening chilling and toking I will find myself perusing the seed bank. Right now it is way better than the constant maddening negativity of the ‘breaking news’ and op eds.
I typically look around some on holidays. 420 especially, but not hard to find deals on black Friday, Christmas, and other major holidays too. Most of my seed stash has been built up by buying things I didn’t really need, but deals were too good to resist.
I enjoy it, almost as much as smoking it… OK that is a lie, but I do enjoy looking at al the strains available! Sort of sad when you realize they don`t deliver to your country and they are the only bank that has that one strain you have been searching for
Gotta use an exporter @Holmes. If I find that I can’t have something shipped to the US , I ship it to a friend in Canada or the UK and have them ship it to me. Lol networking
@Holmes what strain are you lusting after? Sometimes if you do a bit of genetic search you can find very similar strains. My daughter-in-law loves Pink Champagne, that seems like a unicorn of a seed to find. However, it’s genetics are so very, very close to Wedding Cake that she seems just as happy with the substitution.
I spent some time on a Canadian seed bank and wow, the Canadians have some strains that I have never heard of. Black Domina and Grandaddy Black come to mind.
I just spent the morning going through my bagseed bank I have collected seeing if there is something there I might try for another grow rather than buy more seeds. (We are trying to decrease our carbon footprint and use what we have rather than buy.) I had an absolute blast growing that one bagseed Grape Ape for my first grow, along with the ILGM Wedding Cake. That little shrubby plant was super fun and loaded with these round, fat pistachio ice cream cone looking buds. I have ONE Grape Ape seed. Plus, some other good candidates to grow with it. Banana Hammock is one I collected. Maybe some Glueberry I collected.
Yeah, cannabis is addicting, but not exactly the way they would have you think. It is a gateway to farming!
Lately I have been looking at Landrace pure strains, none in particular! I always think how does this breeder know if it is pure whatever, and is just trying to sell a bunch of seeds regardless! Most realize repeat business is how to make it, and some just want your money now!
I actually researched landrace strains recently, as I was under the same thought as you are, and came across this article. I was going to go with just pure landrace, but since we are only smoking the product, it didn’t make sense for me at the time. Not that I am against them in anyway. It just made me realize if there was a newer strain built from landrace, etc., it was just as good for what I wanted to achieve; however I am not at all opposed to growing a landrace for consumption. That said, if I ever get into breeding or developing a new strain, and believe me, that would be an interest down the road when I can grow in a bigger building (we are planning to build a shop next year) I may well do that.
In any case, this might be of interest to you. (Moderators, I hope it is okay to post this)
If I could I’d buy 5 of every seed strain from every breeder but instead I peruse but not for to long or else I talk myself into buying some. Seed city is great for window shopping cause of the sheer variety of breeders they have though their layout and shipping times leaves a little to be desired . Coffee shop seeds is also pretty great for window shopping. Msnl is cool because their graphs give you a rundown on flavor and effect profiles.
My problem is that for all my dreaming, when I finally do need to buy seeds I am like a rat terrier at a squirrel rodeo. This one! Wait! This one! No, not that one, go for this one!
“Oh what a tangled web we weave when we skip paying bills to buy more seeds…”
I had a problem. I have a friend that combs real estate listings like I do seeds. I felt sorry for him.
I was like Joe dirt reading auto trader…" aw sweet, I ain’t seen cat piss in forever…oh look,BOG,DJ Short and Mandala too,niiiiice! I gotta buy them and make gumbo! Whohooo!!"
I appreciate a well thought out and researched summary of a seeds genetics, flavor,and pics. I am always looking for that perfect strain to smoke while snowboarding.
Nice! The thing I am learning from seed shopping is that I am picking up on parent strains, genetics, etc., so for the rare times I actually buy dispensary weed now I have a pretty good foundation of the products they are selling. The young budtenders are great and they love to start in on the ‘indica is in the couch and sativa for high’ that they tell everyone assuming we all are neophytes with this. Listen kiddo, I remember a time when you were just happy to get weed and had zero clue what it was and if you were supremely lucky it was not Mexican brick weed but sensimilla. I think if I had the quality of weed we can get now, I would not have drank so much beer with the cowboys at the rodeo and hung with the stoners, which included my sister and cousins. I am glad I didn’t marry a cowboy and have been with my stoner for 37 years
Yep, same here. Like today, I received an email from ILGM and now am interested in the new GDP Auto … but I already have seeds … but the purple, the 100% Indica … wanna try it …
appreciate the link. I moved from a 33"X55" closet to an 8X10 room! I have bred before ,and I want to again!