dhahn3
- 4
- 3
First of all I'd like to start by saying this post is an honest review of Feminized Cali Connection LA Cookies seeds based on my personal experience. This past August, I bought a 6 pack of CC LA Cookies seeds from Buds & Roses Collective (A very reputable collective in Los Angeles) and after a 5 week vegging period, I am now 3 weeks into bloom. All I can say is man this batch has been a nightmare. 5 out of 6 seeds made it past seedling stage (which is not a bad germination rate as others with CC gear have had problems with), but turns out that 2 of 5 are displaying traits of hermaphroditism and another 2 are displaying feminized MALE characteristics. I know this is technically not a thing but these hermies are none like I've ever seen before. What I mean by feminized male is that these pollen sacs do no form independently from caylxes on internodes. These sacks grow stigmas (often many on one pollen sac), trichomes, and they stack to form buds like calyxes and might have been hard to differentiate unless I opened up a couple of these pollen sacs with stigmas, and lo and behold inside are stamens (aka bananas) and are filled with pollen. I've attached some pictures so let me know what you guys think. I absolutely understand that hermaphrodites can be a result of environmental stress but I am growing in a well-ventilated, temperature and humidity-controlled tent, always between 70-80 F and 40-50% relative humidity in a 60/40 hydroton clay and coco coir mix with most of the Advanced Nutrients line and Great White, feeding at 5.8-6.2 pH which I started at 200 ppm and am now just under 700 ppm 3 weeks into bloom, and these plants have only been transplanted ONCE. All these conditions combined with 4 of 5 seeds going bad suggests very unstable genetics to me. In addition to all this, I'm also growing 10 Rare Dankness Grape Ox seeds right now which I started just a few days after these LA Cookies and they are in another tent with pretty much the same conditions and not ONE hermie or unstable genetics, all 10/10 germinated and 6 females, 4 males. Yes they are regular seeds vs feminized so I will give CC that benefit of the doubt but if your FEMINIZED seeds are not stable DO NOT SELL THEM. No brainer. I'm definitely upset that I am at a loss of $66 for just 1 female seed (but who knows maybe this one will hermie too later on), many hours of my time, and over 2 months of growing, but what is done is done. I've emailed Cali Connection customer support but hearing from other growers on this site who've been waiting 8+ months for promised compensation from CC I have just decided to call it a loss. My point in making this post is not to hate on Swerve and CC since they have undoubtedly done good things for our community but for my post to be a PSA to those who are looking to purchase CC Feminized Seeds and specifically the LA Cookies Strain. Unless you're looking for seeds that will most likely hermie or want to spend the time and effort to breed these characteristics out of their genetics then STAY CLEAR OF CC. Was planning on trying their Blackwater and Purple Chem before these LA Cookies went full Hermie on me, but now I have a bad taste in my mouth that I can't seem to get out and will most likely not be growing CC anytime soon. Might give their regular seeds a try but definitely not in the near future, I'm absolutely baffled and upset. I just wish I had done a quick google search on Cali Connection before I had decided to buy their seeds but oh well you learn from your mistakes and hopefully others will learn from my mistake as well. If you are still set on growing CC then do what I did and grow them in a completely separate tent or room so as not to pollinate your precious sensimilla. Any suggestions on good genetics/breeders/seed banks for my next seed order would also be greatly appreciated. Take a look at these pictures and let me know what you guys think. Also I'm thinking of continuing to pluck these pollen sacs and grow these babies out. Who knows maybe it'll make some killer smoke but with all the effort involved would not be worth it. Will keep this thread updated if I do.
