Nostalgia---good sweet smelling weed. F the skunk

[sinse]

Hi all,

Im an old guy, smoked back in the 80's took a break for 30 years and am back to smoking a little herb. Ive been around the "new school strains" with you young whipper snappers and I have to tell you, I hate stinky strains. WTF happened to weed? It smells like a nasty skunk, I hate it.

So, WTF is this old crazy F talking about? Smelly weed can be a big problem if your trying to stay low key, (by that I mean not broadcasting that you a stoner)... My friends are always tellimg me my car smells like skunk and I'm carrying small sealed 1/8ths. This is not good if you get pulled over. (even in a legal state)

So, back in the 80's we would get some great sinsemilla from time to time. The smell was sweet like honey and citrus, think of the smell of a dollar bill---very close. The weed smelled delicous and you could carry a 1/2 ounce without anyone knowing. It was very potent as well, I'd bet 15-20 percent. Not quite as strong as some of your skunk strains, but close.

Now I remember when "skunk" hit the streets. It was HUGE and very potent. I hated it back then too, and prefer the nice mellow smelling strains. Is this what happened? Did skunk make its way into many of todays strains? Dammit !

Luckily for me, there is Northern Lights, Master Kush, Durban Poison. (still very stinky after cure but a LOT less skunk smell...) Any other recomendations or am I best off to just stick wth the old classics? (I know there may be some skunk genes in the strains Ive mentioned, but they are much lower in odor than most--even with skunk in the mix.)

(Last thing, yes I have a carbon stash bag and yes it works... But when you grind your bud, the Pepe Le Pew lingers for HOURS...)

 

[Stokes]

Runtz and anything ive done with cookies lineage has been very pleasant smelling, not skunky at all. The dosidos ive done has smelled like straight sugar cookies.

Id suggest cherry pie. Im doing pie face right now and the cherry/nutmeg smell is amazing

 

[sinse]

Thanks man, GSC = Durban Poison/OG kush... two of my favorite "today" strains. Cherry Pie = Durban Poison and Grand Daddy Purple, pretty cool that your recommended stains that contain my old school Durban in them. (I grew Durban Poison from seedsman and it was AMAZING)

Ive been watching Belushi Farms and he grows Cherry Pie, that strain was already on my radar, I'm just not sure how badf it will stink in flower as its not listed as low odor....

Love Dosido's too, have a 1/2 ounce of it now but it is very skunky.. (Durban poison here too....GSC/Face off OG---)

 

[4HyerLevelz]

I am very similar. I am familiar with what was available in the early eighties but for me it has been 40+ years. I am just starting to grow. I have started to collect the newer strains along with as many older genetics as I can find. My sense of smell is not what it was when i was in my 20's but I have visited some grow areas that reminded me of a hog farm. I would prefer my house does not smell that way. Are there any meters that can quantify the amount of odor produced. Part of Mn new legislation involves odor pollution.

 

[Stokes]

Ive never done a durban. On my list for sure.

Was consideringDoing tiki madmans cherry pie redux sometime soon. But after i get these out of the 4x4 im starting Hazemans chocolate thai. That will be in the tent probably until march.

 

[sinse]

I am very similar. I am familiar with what was available in the early eighties but for me it has been 40+ years. I am just starting to grow. I have started to collect the newer strains along with as many older genetics as I can find. My sense of smell is not what it was when i was in my 20's but I have visited some grow areas that reminded me of a hog farm. I would prefer my house does not smell that way. Are there any meters that can quantify the amount of odor produced. Part of Mn new legislation involves odor pollution.

Too much weed, my math is off... 2023- 2080 = 40+ years, so Im right with you. Nice to see Im not alone.

 

[Stokes]

Oh and you’ll be glad to known that i havent smelled anything resembling a legit skunk since 2017.


Consensus on here is that that skunk smell has been purposely bred out to avoid the overpowering smell.

NGL, id like to do a skunk, would take me back to the 90’s. Im currently doing euforia, which is supposed to be a skunk, but more of the fruity smelling phenos. The pie face is completely overpowering the tent so i can even tell

 

[sinse]

Ive never done a durban. On my list for sure.

Was consideringDoing tiki madmans cherry pie redux sometime soon. But after i get these out of the 4x4 im starting Hazemans chocolate thai. That will be in the tent probably until march.

My Durban poison has been curing for 1.5 years and is VERY loud, but very little skunk. It smells like grapefruit, citrus and is very sharp to the nose -not much skunk odor. Its the best tasting strain I've grown and very potent---tastes like lime when smoked. Didnt expect such good flavor from an old school sativa.

(before you beat me up, I know 1.5 years is a long time to cure but it seems to get better and better.....) When I grow, my weed lasts a long time even giving half of it away to friends...

Life is good all ! Weed is actually cheaper than it was in then 80's... A 1/4 was 35 bucks back then (full stems included in weight--- they used to put entire colas in a baggy--I miss that), ounces in my dispenseries are now selling for 100-150 a Z.

 

[Stokes]

I think the longest ive cured is 5 months.


Id be right there with you, but i tend to gift what i dont think i’ll smoke

 

[sinse]

Oh and you’ll be glad to known that i havent smelled anything resembling a legit skunk since 2017.


Consensus on here is that that skunk smell has been purposely bred out to avoid the overpowering smell.

NGL, id like to do a skunk, would take me back to the 90’s. Im currently doing euforia, which is supposed to be a skunk, but more of the fruity smelling phenos. The pie face is completely overpowering the tent so i can even tell

Good to know they are trying to reduce the skunk... Not knocking the skunk, I'd smoke it and I know its good, but I could live without the smell..

 

[sinse]

I think the longest ive cured is 5 months.


Id be right there with you, but i tend to gift what i dont think i’ll smoke

yeah, I like to ge through my strains in 3-6 months of cure but you'd be surprised how smooth it is to smoke after a year cure. It might have lost some potency but you can take massive bong hits without coughing at all...its silky smooth to smoke.---I get way too high off Durban everytime because it doenst feel like Im smoking much.

 

[sinse]

Went to a dispensery to sample Master Kush for $100 an ounce. I was planning to buy master kush seeds if I liked the dispensery sample. Well I see why the MK was so cheap as I found 5 seeds in my ounce. So now, I have free seeds and currently have four germinating in a paper towel. This will be my first non Fem grow so I figured I'd germinate 4 seeds in the event that I get unlucky with males.

 

[Choppr]

im starting Hazemans chocolate thai. That will be in the tent probably until march.

Got 3 Hazemans Chocolate Thai in a Veg tent now, (the 3 smaller ones on the left/mid, the middle front was a slow starter?) the others are my own crosses (all Sativa)

 

[4HyerLevelz]

Went to a dispensery to sample Master Kush for $100 an ounce. I was planning to buy master kush seeds if I liked the dispensery sample. Well I see why the MK was so cheap as I found 5 seeds in my ounce. So now, I have free seeds and currently have four germinating in a paper towel. This will be my first non Fem grow so I figured I'd germinate 4 seeds in the event that I get unlucky with males.

Which way is unlucky...having a male seed or not. Obviously you would not know what the male parent would be for those seeds. It could be an awesome F1 cross. I am a newcomer but it seems to be easier to stabilize the genetics of a cross if you have a male plant. I have not tried to force hermaphroditism yet. That will probably be one of the first stages of my growth as a grower.

 

[sinse]

Which way is unlucky...having a male seed or not. Obviously you would not know what the male parent would be for those seeds. It could be an awesome F1 cross. I am a newcomer but it seems to be easier to stabilize the genetics of a cross if you have a male plant. I have not tried to force hermaphroditism yet. That will probably be one of the first stages of my growth as a grower.

I'll kill the males and will only grow out the females, fingers crossed that I dont get a hermie. Its very possible there are seeds in my buds for just this reason.

 

[4HyerLevelz]

If we lived close, I would gladly offer to save those unfortunately males from homicide. I am thinking that the male pollen would be the easiest way to store F1 genetics without keeping a mother plant alive. Herming..is that the right verb form?...anyway, forced hermi'fication of a female to produce seeds unfortunately I think would be an F2. Seeds or pollen are the only home method way of storing genetics that I know of right now. Oops, none of this about the smell of the S. I apologize for the tangent.

 

[Stokes]

Got 3 Hazemans Chocolate Thai in a Veg tent now, (the 3 smaller ones on the left/mid, the middle front was a slow starter?) the others are my own crosses (all Sativa)

How are they doing so far? Post some pics

 

[sinse]

If we lived close, I would gladly offer to save those unfortunately males from homicide. I am thinking that the male pollen would be the easiest way to store F1 genetics without keeping a mother plant alive. Herming..is that the right verb form?...anyway, forced hermi'fication of a female to produce seeds unfortunately I think would be an F2. Seeds or pollen are the only home method way of storing genetics that I know of right now. Oops, none of this about the smell of the S. I apologize for the tangent.

No worries, it seems I'm the minority when it comes to non smelly weed, most like their weed cranking loud. I doubt this thread will go far as I've tried dicussions in the past concerning low odor strains. Not much interest from what Ive seen...

While Ive got you, any chance you can school me on what the F1 and F2 is all about? I've been reading and learning like a maniac, but have skipped over the chapter on strain types. (F1 F2--- phenotype, etc....) teach me please ! Ive mainly grown Nirvana Northern Lights Fem (supposedly stable with little variation or surprises.) but I have heard many mention phenotypes. (Im guessing this is variation from the same strain pulling from one of the other in a hybrid?)

On my 5th grow now, moving away from soil and going with a Coco/Soil mix, perlite and rabbit manure...Yes, I have a pet rabbit, perfect organic food (or so I hope). I might make teas with the manure or just put the pellets (rabbit poop is like a hard pellet) directly into the soil...

 

[sinse]

Phenotype​

Phenotype is a term that is heard most often in growing. It refers to the general physical characteristics of the plant such as height, color, branching, leaf configuration down to cell structure—any markers that can be used to identify and judge the healthiness of a plant.


Reading up now ! You got me very curious..

F1 Strain Genetics​

The F1 strain is the start of the generation. Not just in cannabis, but crossing any purebred or two genotypes in nature can create a F1 hybrid. Take a moment and think back to tenth grade science class. You know? The one where you hoped the teacher didn’t smell that funky skunk on your shirt.

While some of us slept, others learned genetics and crossed the parents of a blue-eyed father and hazel-eyed mother. You might have filled out Punnett Square and demonstrated the different offspring variations. Some of them came out the dominant hazel while the fourth, a recessive, blue-eyed child. With all things in nature, the same concept applies.

The reason to cross-breed genetics is to find the strongest genetics that produce better plants with bud quality being the focus. Which of the qualities such as thickness, aroma, THC content, terpenes, height, and color will make the best cannabis? The best way to solve this question is to grow them and find out. Growers often go on what is called a pheno hunt and produce several variations from that generation. Each of the seeds will be allowed to grow to their plant’s maturity.



The aim of cross breeding F1 genetics is to create the strongest genetics that produce better plants with high quality bud. photo credit

Once fully processed, trimmed, and tested, the breeder will decide which plant has the best properties. Coming from experience in a commercial trim room, Cherry Pie #7 and Cherry Pie #9 are super close but #7 smelled better and had a higher THC content. Little things like that determine who wins.

How is a Purebred F1 Strain Created?​

Consider your favorite old school strain, aka the landrace strains. These are P1 cannabis strains that grow naturally in the wild and have zero human manipulation as far as genetics are concerned. They have the purest genetics available for breeders.

The list includes: Afghani, Durban Poison, Hawaiian, Panama Red, Thai, and several others. These are strains exotic to different parts of the world. Medicinal cannabis use itself may have begun around 500 BCE in Asia, possibly dating back to 2800 BCE. Landrace strains are the OGs on the block and have been for quite some time.

An Example on Creating a Purebred F1 Strain.​

Pretend a breeder is going to cross two phenotypes of one strain. Call them phenotype #4 and #7. The result is called a purebred F1 strain. The breeder will then assign a number to the cross, assuming another breeder hasn’t crossed and documented this match previously. The new strain could be the #10 phenotype if not already claimed in another cross.

How is a Hybrid F1 Strain Created?​

This is where fun research is happening. Crossing F1 strains is how new strains like G.G. #4 and Purple Sunset are being created. All those crazy names customers are finding at the legal dispensary are the result of creative breeding.

The process of producing a F1 hybrid strain is simple.

Consider all of the strain options out there. Was there a particular one that had qualities that seemed better? Think about the color, aroma, vigor of the plant, THC content, CBD, cola size, height, and everything else in between. Also consider the terpenes and how they might affect the user.

A skilled cannabis breeder has the opportunity to create magic in the kitchen. Based on the two parents they have chosen, cross-breeding intends to give the best of both worlds. Combine the male of one and the female of the other and the new F1 hybrid is born.


Close-up of Afghani, one of the oldest cannabis strains found in mountainous areas of Afghanistan. photo credit

An example would be breeding a male Purple Punch and a female Mandarin Sunset. The seeds that will come from this process will be the F1 hybrid Purple Sunset seeds. A breeder once created the cross of Afghani and Durban Poison, calling it Poison Afghan. That is another example of a F1 hybrid. Several seeds can come from this process and the aforementioned pheno hunt may begin.

How is a F2 Strain Created?​

A F2 strain is created by crossing two F1 hybrid strains. If you cross two Purple Sunset phenotypes from the same parents, you will end up with a F2 strain.

What is the Inbred Line?​

This lineage can continue until F5. After this cross, you cross the “inbred line” or IBL. The genetics have been crossed too many times and are producing plants with weakened genetics and weaker qualities in general. Think of IBL as Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel from The Simpsons.

A F5 strain is believed to be a weaker version of the genetics as compared to a F1 or F2. When it reaches that point, a breeder can perform a backcross. The F5 strain is then crossed with one of the original strains, a F1, with the hope of sparking the genetics. They are trying to breathe more life into a weakened strain as it passes each generation. It helps your plants keep the strongest genetics.

Engineering the Perfect Cannabis Strain​

Theoretically, cannabis breeders could create the ultimate strain for healing. Without making any legal medical claims, terpenes are the magic maker. Limonene, myrcene, pinene, amongst many, may alleviate PTSD, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and more. For myself, cannabis strains such as Citral Skunk scare away anxiety and help me care about goals.

Imagine a strain that crossed perfectly with optimal terpenes for the relief you need.

There are plenty of options out there, but this new F1 strain is equal to an epic, bottom of the ninth grand slam. This same strain could be processed into edibles for folks not wishing to inhale. Help slowly move the world of pain relief from an opioid crisis to plant-related therapy. In a dream world, this is what cannabis breeders could achieve.

Give it time!

 

[4HyerLevelz]

Thank you for finding that. I was struggling to think of a short answer to F1-F2. I found interesting in the writing that cannabis loses vigor about 4-5 selfed generations. I will be starting some IBL seeds within a month. My goal will be to save pollen to cross into a new F1 and hope for hybrid vigor. Genetic stabilization is somewhat of an interest to me.

I like the last paragraph. Gives something to think about but....as i recall opioids are originally from the poppy plant. Maybe should change the sentence from opioid crisis to a cannabis related theory.