How to select for higher CBD from two crossed strains?

GKM420

Active Member
Howdy Folks,

I'm a newbie to breeding, this being my first attempt, and am also a newbie at growing photoperiods. I've successfully grown a few harvests with autoflowers but am interested in trying out something new.

So, please let me know if this question belongs on another forum, or sub-forum as I wasn't sure where to post. I've been searching for an answer to this question but haven't found a good answer yet.

My question is:

I'd like to cross an indica with a high-CBD/no THC strain and then select for the strains with high-CBD as well as strains with a good mix of THC/CBD. How do I do this? IE, how do I sort out which resulting plants will have high-CBD and which will have a good mix of CBD and THC?

My understanding is that, out of the resulting first generation seeds, some will grow plants that will be all THC, some will be all CBD, and the others a mix of THC and CBD.. Maybe that is incorrect, but that's what I've been lead to believe.

So how do I figure out which plants I'd like to reproduce again (to preserve the traits)? If I'm not able to consume some of the harvested bud, I won't know which plants have a mix of THC/CBD and which are only CBD.

Is the idea basically that I can take a plant far enough into flower to sample the buds, and then clone the plants I want to keep? Or is there another way that I'm missing? I've not had any luck trying to figure this part out. I'm guessing that people can take a flowering clone and put it back into the vegetative state to breed it. Or can you pollinate the plant even at a late state of flowering? I assumed that a female would need to be pollinated within the first few weeks but that also might be wrong.

Or, do you just select the best of the first generation plants and then breed it back with another of the parent plants...Then go from there to fine-tune the desired traits (in this case, high-CBD and a good mix of CBD/THC)?

Some might ask, well, if you want a high-CBD strain why not just go with one that's available? To that I'd say: That's not as much fun as creating your own! Hopefully, from a lot of work will come a lot of reward.

Please forgive my lack of understanding; maybe this is something simple I'm missing but because I'm used to growing autoflowers I'm confused!
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Why not just start growing a 1:1 cbd strain - kings kush or similar ?

Cuts out the drama up front. Most 1:1 are available in photo and auto.
 

GKM420

Active Member
Makes sense, but like I was saying, I'd like to make something new! Time to explore new areas of cultivation and making my own strain(s) is too enticing to resist. It's a lot of work but hopefully it will come with a lot of reward.
 

GKM420

Active Member
Why not just start growing a 1:1 cbd strain - kings kush or similar ?

Cuts out the drama up front. Most 1:1 are available in photo and auto.
Oh wait, just realized maybe I misunderstood what you're saying. Are you saying cut out the Indica and just cross a high-CBD strain with a 1:1 CBD/THC strain? Maybe find a solid indica with the 1:1 ratio and cross it with a high-CBD strain (or vice-versa)?

Might be an idea. That would save some time and work, I'm thinking
 

deeez99

Member
I haven’t tried this yet but just came across it recently, Thin Layer Chromatography. This provides an opportunity to see the CBD:THC ratios early on (3-4 weeks old).

 

GKM420

Active Member
I haven’t tried this yet but just came across it recently, Thin Layer Chromatography. This provides an opportunity to see the CBD:THC ratios early on (3-4 weeks old).

Nice find, I'm going to do some research into TLC. If I try it out I'll be sure to update...thanks a lot for sharing!
 
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