[ProGroWannabe]

Hey fellers! Thought I'd attempt to gather some opinions here. I've been growing for a couple of years and have been reading until my eyes hurt about breeding. I had one project well under way, but that got canceled. Anyhow, I've been reading/researching Original Haze from the one and only Sam the Skunkman for a while now. I know I want to attempt to spruce up an existing strain with it. Sam says it makes nearly anything better (like a good haze should, I suppose). So my question is this:

Would you guys consider it a ?strong? possibility that some of the really good commercially available strains could be improved on to any noticeable degree by crossing them with an O. Haze male (assuming I got a good one from say....a two pack purchase? I'm not made of money here, so buying 20 packs is out of the question even though I know I'd have much more to choose from that way.

I'm thinking if one crossed the O. Haze to a really strong yielder, such as POG, Sensi Star, or even SSH (to make it more haze dominant), that the potency and high complexity could be improved upon.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of the above strains, I just wanna play around with them and would like some experienced input on whether I'd be wasting my time, or whether this type of cross has merit? Throw in your two cents!

[Kuntjoose]

yeh that would def be a good idea. i would pick the fattest most chunky indica dominant strain u can find and give her a good cross. however i think i rember reading sumthin from dj short saying that when u make a cross u will get better results if the father is the indica. either way i think it will be dank.

[ProGroWannabe]

I appreciate the reply Kuntjoose, thanks. I'll definitely look into the indica as the father. I have a ways to go yet before isolating a plant (let alone a specific pheno of said plant) that will be bred to the O. Haze.

I figure if nothing else the topic could create some interesting discussion or friendly debate.

[Blazed_Out]

I read something from Sam the Skunkman that strains with indica blood would cross nicely with the Original Haze.
When breeding to create true F1's you will need to cross 2 unrelated varieties, preferably true breeding strains like landraces or IBL's so that the offspring would have that hybrid vigour.
I am no expert or have any breeding experience, but would like to experiment in making crosses and the Original Haze was the first strain I was thinking of crossing with to full blooded indicas.
For example, Bubba Kush x O. Haze. This would work because their genetic spectrum is on opposite ends and their offspring would lie somewhere in between. It can also help add different traits, because the veg on Bubba is quite slow, the O. Haze could speed this up.
If I remember correctly, the female keeps or tries to retain its flavour and effect and the male brings its growth traits such as flowering times...

Now I really need to get the Marijuana Botany book!

[ProGroWannabe]

Blazed Out.... there's some useful reading here: http://www.mellowgold.com/grow/mjbotany-removed/

It's from Rob Clarke's book.

I agree that the general consensus is to cross an indica to a haze variety as well. However, one CAN cross two similar varieties. I'm guessing the only problem that this might pose is in Combining Ability.

The ONLY way to select for combining ability is to test for it.
Even though there is a positive relation between overall vigor of an inbred, and the yield of its crosses, the combining ability is more important.(Clarke)

So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, the idea is that when combining a haze with an indica, one stands a better chance of inheriting noticeable characteristics from both. However, when combining a haze with another sativa, it is less likely that the majority of the progeny will show characteristics of both of it's parents. Statistically there would still be some progeny that show a good combining of genetics from both parents. It's just that one would have to grow out many more progeny to select from since the combining would show in fewer of the progeny.----This all ASSUMING I understand this correctly.

So in short, if one wants to make selection somewhat easier (for taste, for instance) then it would make selection easier if one crossed the haze with an indica due to the better combining ability of the two.

I will most likely do this first, as a learning experience. Maybe O. Haze x Joey Weed's Sugarberry. The idea would be to increase the potency of the SB, while keeping it's syrupy-sweet taste.

Once I have a better handle on selection, I'll attempt to increase the potency on a sativa-dom. All without losing the other necessary traits of a solid strain...no herms, mold resistance, etc.

As a side-note, I want to stabilize each of these past F1. F1's are ok, but I'd rather have the strain(s) produce a consistent two or three phenos, if possible.

[ProGroWannabe]

Alright!! I've gotten it narrowed down to two strains and I guess I'd like to do them both. Joey's SugarBerry is one. The other would be BlueHemps Lebanese. However, I can't seem to find any "recommended" resellers for BlueHemp genetics. The only one I've came across is the Cannapot Webshop. I also need "worldwide" shipping.

Does anyone about the reliability of Cannapot Webshop? Do you know of any other distributors for BlueHemp that ship worldwide?

[learners_permit]

PGDub,

You are headed down the same path as me. I have a very nice O. Haze male from Sam's stock that I'm flowering to gather pollen right now. I will get some pics up as the flowers start to drop, but man oh man is that puppy a specimen. All of the fan leaves and stems are triched up, and I'm really surprised at the vegetative vigor considering its IBL lineage. I have a number of candidates that will be dusted just for the hell of it, and some that I think have some good potential to work into a unique line (all for the exploration, never for $$$ in my case).

I'd love to compare notes with you as explore this area.

[ProGroWannabe]

Awesome LP!! Nice to see a fellow farmer workin with the O.Haze. I'm just getting started, myself. I received some O.Haze x Sk#1 freebies with a past seed order, so I'm currently starting those first. They've all germed, heh, all five of them..lol. We'll see what will happen with them. If the males that I get are really similar, then I may use the pollen that I get from this first round. However, what I'm planning on doing is an incross, then select from the many more males I get outdoors next year. Either way, it'll be MONTHS before I know anything...lol.

My notes are just getting started LP, but I'll be happy to share any info I can with ya.

[Kush Lion]

Just got the same freebie. I could mix with Master Kush, purple erkle.... or LUI, ortega pheno, Rene. So you think it is worth it....? Also am running Reeferman's/Barno's G13 X haze, and a few female - heavily Sativa phenos have revealed themselves. (4 or 5) Might be fun.

I do not think I will ever run a pure haze indoors, only in a greenie, so a hybrid would be a great use of good genetics.

[ProGroWannabe]

Yeah for sure KL. Sam said that in almost any cross with the O.Haze, the resulting progeny are better than either parent. He was of course speaking of the uncrossed O.Haze, and not specifically speaking of the O.Haze x Skunk #1 cross that he did, but the way I see it, the O.Haze x Sk1 is still VERY haze dominant since it's flower time is near 20 weeks. Knowing that, I'd say that the potency, and to some degree the resin coverage, should still come through though. However, the only way to know for sure obviously, is select the parents for the traits ya want, cross em, grow em, and see what ya get....?