Growing Strictly for Seed - how long to veg?

[Brian804]

How long do you guys generally veg your plants if you're strictly doing a seed run? You're not necessarily pheno hunting (although there will be decisions to be made and plants to cull before pollination), you're not after flower, you're literally growing out plants simply to build up your own personal seed vault.

I've got 5 plants in two-gallon pots. They're in early week three of veg. I probably should have planted in at least three-gallon bags but, live and learn, I guess.

I guess my question is: What, if any, downsides are there to not waiting to see signs of gender before I flip them? Like, ideally, should the plants be mature in late veg before they get flipped even if all I'm after is seed?

Seems like there would be some negative, hokus pokus effects on genetics by not letting them reach maturity before they get flipped. But I don't know, I've only grown fems up to this point, this is my first trip down the regs lane, and certainly my first time pollinating plants for seed.

Thanks

 

[grayoldnproud]

How long do you guys generally veg your plants if you're strictly doing a seed run? You're not necessarily pheno hunting (although there will be decisions to be made and plants to cull before pollination), you're not after flower, you're literally growing out plants simply to build up your own personal seed vault.

I've got 5 plants in two-gallon pots. They're in early week three of veg. I probably should have planted in at least three-gallon bags but, live and learn, I guess.

I guess my question is: What, if any, downsides are there to not waiting to see signs of gender before I flip them? Like, ideally, should the plants be mature in late veg before they get flipped even if all I'm after is seed?

Seems like there would be some negative, hokus pokus effects on genetics by not letting them reach maturity before they get flipped. But I don't know, I've only grown fems up to this point, this is my first trip down the regs lane, and certainly my first time pollinating plants for seed.

Thanks

If your goal is a shitload of seeds then you want more growth areas for the buds to produce. If you just want a handful then not. @corey827 did a nice Kona Preservation recently. You can get some tips there. https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/my-kona-gold-preservation-run.174418/

 

[Brian804]

If your goal is a shitload of seeds then you want more growth areas for the buds to produce. If you just want a handful then not. @corey827 did a nice Kona Preservation recently. You can get some tips there. https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/my-kona-gold-preservation-run.174418/

Quantity isn't really a concern or a goal right now.

My plan for this first run was to just let them grow however they're inherently going to grow up to x-amount of height, flip them, continue to observe, decide what's giving pollen and what's receiving it, cull what's left, and let the fan blow the pollen around. I figure once I have a handful of seeds I can always grow for a shitload later.

I'll check out corey827's thread. Thanks!

 

[leroygreen]

Seeding an 18 inch plant can yield a few hundred fairly easily.

 

[orggrwr]

Even if you flip them early they won't start to flower until they reach maturity. Some people do 12/12 from seed to keep plants small. I don't think there will be any negative effects from flipping early besides less seeds.

 

[Bigalmoby]

I would say how many seed you trying to produce if just a few then from flip if you are trying to make more then I would want a bigger plant just my 2c

 

[Brian804]

Seeding an 18 inch plant can yield a few hundred fairly easily.

Good to know. Thanks.

'Preciate the replies. Sounds like I'll proceed as planned. Thanks

 

[Brian804]

If you're just making seeds, flip once they're healthy and established. Plenty of breeders do it that way, and I've seen vigorous theseedpharm genetics handle an early flip just fine when the goal is building a seed stash.

Roger, Dodger. Thanks.

 

[Brian804]

Flipped this morning. Probably hard to tell from the pictures, but there are three distinct phenos.

In the back row, the one on the left and the one on the right are what I'm considering 'pair #1'. The front row is 'pair #2'. The middle one in the back is my outlier. Compared to the other four, I haven't really liked anything about it since the beginning, other than it's a cannabis plant. Hopefully I can just cull that one and be done with it. There's not a whole hell of a lot of difference between pair #1 and pair #2; pair #2 is slightly more compact with slightly broader leaves.

My ideal scenario would be pair #1 is a male/female pair and pair #2 is a male/female pair. Highly unlikely but, that'd be pretty sweet. Then I just cull my outlier, fire up the other tent, and let each pair do their thing in their separate spaces.

At any rate, here's a couple pics.

These are a Skunk #1 from Alter Ego, via SoCal Seed Vault.

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