beginner questions...

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
I had an opportunity to selectively spread some pollen on individual branches in this summer's outdoor grow, so I went for it. I read that if it "took", the pistols would shrivel and brown, and that never happened so I thought I did something wrong and basically forgot all about it. In most instances after a couple of weeks I even took the tape off the branch that marked which one I had pollenated.

Sure enough, while doing the final trim, each plant had one branch that was loaded with seeds. So I have some questions.

First, some of my plants were taken down a little early because it was a wet summer and an early fall here, and PM and bud rot were issues. Will not fully matured seeds produce weak plants, or just not pop at all?

Second question, do seeds need to sit a certain amount of time before they can be popped? My limited understanding is that I need to dry them before storing them, but I'm wondering if there is some necessary period of time for them to be stored before they can be used? I was hoping to test some of them soon in a winter indoor run, so I know what to expect from them in next year's summer outdoor.

I've mostly worked from clones (I live in a legal state), and only popped seeds a couple of times, so working with them - especially breeding them - is all new to me. Thanks for the help.
 

bf80255

Well-Known Member
I had an opportunity to selectively spread some pollen on individual branches in this summer's outdoor grow, so I went for it. I read that if it "took", the pistols would shrivel and brown, and that never happened so I thought I did something wrong and basically forgot all about it. In most instances after a couple of weeks I even took the tape off the branch that marked which one I had pollenated.

Sure enough, while doing the final trim, each plant had one branch that was loaded with seeds. So I have some questions.

First, some of my plants were taken down a little early because it was a wet summer and an early fall here, and PM and bud rot were issues. Will not fully matured seeds produce weak plants, or just not pop at all?

Second question, do seeds need to sit a certain amount of time before they can be popped? My limited understanding is that I need to dry them before storing them, but I'm wondering if there is some necessary period of time for them to be stored before they can be used? I was hoping to test some of them soon in a winter indoor run, so I know what to expect from them in next year's summer outdoor.

I've mostly worked from clones (I live in a legal state), and only popped seeds a couple of times, so working with them - especially breeding them - is all new to me. Thanks for the help.
immature seeds just wont pop

it increases your germ rate if you let them sit for a month or so, some people put them in the freezer to mimic winte, ive done it and it works but not any better than just letting them chill.
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
immature seeds just wont pop

it increases your germ rate if you let them sit for a month or so, some people put them in the freezer to mimic winte, ive done it and it works but not any better than just letting them chill.
Thanks for that information! You actually answered another question I had... one plant that I pollenated went straight into the freezer for hash before I knew that the pollination worked, so its seeds were frozen and I was wondering if that would 'kill' them or not. Good to know! Not sure if I'll be able to find them in the bags of frozen buds, but if I can at least they could be salvageable.

There will be at least a month between putting them out to dry and popping them, so that sounds like it should be sufficient.

Thanks again!
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
bf80255 has it right Humanrob. A drying period gets best germ rates. Can speed that up putting the seeds in a sealed jar with drying crystals or rice to to draw the moisture out faster if the beans are need sooner. 2 weeks should do it with drying but at least a month without.

If a bean sprouts it will have all the genetic info even if it is a little immature but may need a little TLC to get it going but once it's growing should be fine. I gently shake my beans for a full minute in a pill jar lined with 150 grit sandpaper then pop them right into screened ProMix for sprouting with no presoak. Get every one most times.

I'm planting 90 beans today if I get off my ass soon and will be putting pics and description of how it goes in my journal. Could get more done if I got up before noon too. :lol:

:peace:
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
bf80255 has it right Humanrob. A drying period gets best germ rates. Can speed that up putting the seeds in a sealed jar with drying crystals or rice to to draw the moisture out faster if the beans are need sooner. 2 weeks should do it with drying but at least a month without.

If a bean sprouts it will have all the genetic info even if it is a little immature but may need a little TLC to get it going but once it's growing should be fine. I gently shake my beans for a full minute in a pill jar lined with 150 grit sandpaper then pop them right into screened ProMix for sprouting with no presoak. Get every one most times.

I'm planting 90 beans today if I get off my ass soon and will be putting pics and description of how it goes in my journal. Could get more done if I got up before noon too. :lol:

:peace:
Thanks OldMedUser. The few times I've started from seeds I've had good luck using the Rapid Rooters I use for cloning. I just keep the bottoms in water to keep them extra moist until the seeds pop, and then drain the pan (and top water) after they've established. Had pretty good luck with that so far.
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
I'm Scottish so don't buy luxuries like rapid rooter to do so many beans. ;) Drilled holes through the cups in 5 - 18 cup styrofoam egg cartons to fill with fine screened promix to start my babies.

Pics and follow-up to come in my journal.

:peace:
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
I can see how with 90 plants that would add up! I'm a small-time med grower for one patient (my wife!) so everything is small scale here. There is a six plant max on the med card, and so far there are no statutes in Oregon saying that a medical household with another adult can NOT have an additional 4 recreational plants, so we use 10 plants as our limit. I've never needed more than 4 at a time to get us by, but sometimes use the "10" number when starting from seeds until all the boys are removed, then depending on how many are left I might give away a few, and then grow the remaining handful for our needs.

I'm Scottish so don't buy luxuries like rapid rooter to do so many beans. ;) Drilled holes through the cups in 5 - 18 cup styrofoam egg cartons to fill with fine screened promix to start my babies.

Pics and follow-up to come in my journal.

:peace:
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
I can see how with 90 plants that would add up! I'm a small-time med grower for one patient (my wife!) so everything is small scale here. There is a six plant max on the med card, and so far there are no statutes in Oregon saying that a medical household with another adult can NOT have an additional 4 recreational plants, so we use 10 plants as our limit. I've never needed more than 4 at a time to get us by, but sometimes use the "10" number when starting from seeds until all the boys are removed, then depending on how many are left I might give away a few, and then grow the remaining handful for our needs.
That's the way I've been growing the last 15 years but expanding the playground for the first time and going to stock up. Those 90 sprouts will be flowered at around 10" or so in a 4x4' SoG just to get a decent crop in around Xmas. Meanwhile other plants will be vegging upstairs to get bigger then move into the other half of the tent for flowering. Once things are running steadier in the new year there will be a lot less but bigger plants.

I wrote up what I'm doing in my journal.

:peace:
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Sounds interesting, I'll be sure to check out your journal :)

That's the way I've been growing the last 15 years but expanding the playground for the first time and going to stock up. Those 90 sprouts will be flowered at around 10" or so in a 4x4' SoG just to get a decent crop in around Xmas. Meanwhile other plants will be vegging upstairs to get bigger then move into the other half of the tent for flowering. Once things are running steadier in the new year there will be a lot less but bigger plants.

I wrote up what I'm doing in my journal.

:peace:
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
more newbie questions... :)

If I had two under-cared for plants that were thin and weak, and one pollenated the other, would the strength of the original genetics carry on or would their weakened state produce weak seeds (i.e. inaccurate DNA replication?)?

Long story: I gave my brother some of my excess plants, one from seed (turned out to be a boy) and three from clones. The original genetics were solid. He was way busier than he expected, traveled a bunch, and the plants were seriously not cared for. They did manage to survive and pollinate though... so I'm wondering if its worth harvesting the seeds?
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
They should be fine. Any plants grown with those seeds should grow OK when cared for properly.

It would take many generations of poor growing conditions for the plant to morph into something else that tries to fit into it's environment.

I'd use 'em.

:peace:
 

A.K.A. Overgrowem

Well-Known Member
Sounds interesting, I'll be sure to check out your journal :)
I don't put seeds in the freezer, I do sometimes put/keep them in the fridge. My understanding is that the water expansion from freezing damages them at the cellular level....... It can take a while for the pistols to shrivel.... I have popped seeds right off the bush, drying is better, but green beans can be germed. Early on I used regular seeds. Would make seeds and swap with friends (Often got the hottest thing going at the time in a swap). Small 4 plant grow made fem seeds necessary . Setting up my colloidal rig was a chore but after I got it going, I would never give up the fem. seeds.
 
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