Help Me Understand The Basics, Please

[Bud_Chef]

Hello, Everyone.

Please understand up front that I just started growing last year. So far, so good. I've had two pretty good harvests...and managed to not kill any plants. I'd like to try my hand at breeding. I realize I haven't been growing for long, but I have a reason this is so important to me.
My 3-month old granddaughter died earlier this month. I'd like to create a strain in her honor...to fill people with as much joy and happiness as she gave me.
I've been doing a lot of research, and think I mildly understand the process. But, if any of you could help me out with correction and advice, I'd sincerely appreciate it. I plan to put as much time and resources at this as I need to. What (I think) I've learned so far:
1. Start with regular seeds. Once I'm able to tell, separate the males from the female plants.
2. Harvest the pollen from the male plants.
3. Use that pollen to "impregnate (?)" female plants of the strain I'd like to cross with the male plants.
4. Harvest the seeds from those female plants.
This is where I'm lost.
Will the seeds I harvest from the female plants be regular seeds? What do I do with them?
Do I need to repeat steps one through four? How many times?
I've read some articles discussing "Cross Backing," and I think I understand it, sort of...but I'm hoping someone (I'm no horticulture expert) can explain this process to me in novice / layman's terms.
Also, can anyone suggest a website(s), blog or book(s)?
Thanks to you all. I appreciate your help.
I'm going to dedicate my all to this project. My granddaughter meant the world to me.

Chef

 

[lvstealth]

I can't really help, but did want to say how sorry for your loss and it's good to find such a goal, it will help. Don't get lost in the goal and not enjoy the journey.

Gl!

 

[Greenjourneyman]

Greg Greens breeders guide

Hey man,
ditto very sorry for your loss, and it is a very worthy mission. So I’m no expert in breeding, I now a good amount of the therapy, but not a ton of practical experience. But Ive seen this thread the last few days with no responses. So I’ll try a crack at it.

Yes you are totally right about steps 1-4. And the little auto I have pictured here has gone through steps 1,2, and 3. I used a small paint brush to dust the pistils with pollen. Obviously I’m not done the flower period yet so I have not seeds to show you.

So in laymans terms. Cannabis is sort of like apples. A individual seeds of the same strain can have variability and genetic possibilities that the parent plant does not show pheno-ically. (Brief bit of science genes that control control plant features genome, the features the plant physically manifest are phenoms). The issue being that a single once You breed two plants the seeds the produce are a big jumble of the parents genomes and phenomes.

say you plant 10 of the offspring seeds and you find that plant cross-03 has visual scent or taste phenomes that you want to preserve and keep in future seeds, that when the back cross breeding comes into play. In back cross process (drawing on memory of what I’ve read since I have not done it). You want to basically breedt with itself so the future seeds from cross-03 have the same genome/ phenome you wanted to preserve.

So any time you pollenate a female with a male you are technically creating a new strain, however that new strain is not genetically stable (showing the same traits in every seed) until you back cross and inter-breed for specific traits.

back to my little plant, it’s a Nrotherlights Auto crossed with a blue dream hybrid. The first generation offspring will have a total mix of auto, fem, and reg genes, I’ve been told it will take me at least 3 breeding cycles to isolate and preserve the Auto genome/ phenome Traits. This first generation could really be a total blender bag as to what I will get.

 

[Billymgb]

I would like to thank you (greenjourneyman) for that explanation it helped me understand. And Bud I am also very sorry for your loss. I hope this helped you and keep us informed on how your doing.

 

[Marzcanna]

Good day, im am extremely sorry for your loss. I also lost someone important in our family a month ago. Its not easy but you have a great goal. Enjoy the journey of pheno hunting and breeding. I have a abit of experience in breeding. The above post already highlights alot but If you ever need some more advise you are always welcome to ask me anything in private. All the best and be strong

 

[Pileit]

Deepest sympathies and condolences. I think this is a great idea to dedicate to your grandchild. Best of luck with your project.

 

[growsince79]

Hello, Everyone.

Please understand up front that I just started growing last year. So far, so good. I've had two pretty good harvests...and managed to not kill any plants. I'd like to try my hand at breeding. I realize I haven't been growing for long, but I have a reason this is so important to me.
My 3-month old granddaughter died earlier this month. I'd like to create a strain in her honor...to fill people with as much joy and happiness as she gave me.
I've been doing a lot of research, and think I mildly understand the process. But, if any of you could help me out with correction and advice, I'd sincerely appreciate it. I plan to put as much time and resources at this as I need to. What (I think) I've learned so far:
1. Start with regular seeds. Once I'm able to tell, separate the males from the female plants.
2. Harvest the pollen from the male plants.
3. Use that pollen to "impregnate (?)" female plants of the strain I'd like to cross with the male plants.
4. Harvest the seeds from those female plants.
This is where I'm lost.
Will the seeds I harvest from the female plants be regular seeds? What do I do with them?
Do I need to repeat steps one through four? How many times?
I've read some articles discussing "Cross Backing," and I think I understand it, sort of...but I'm hoping someone (I'm no horticulture expert) can explain this process to me in novice / layman's terms.
Also, can anyone suggest a website(s), blog or book(s)?
Thanks to you all. I appreciate your help.
I'm going to dedicate my all to this project. My granddaughter meant the world to me.

Chef

The seeds will be regular seeds. If you want to bx; take a clone of the mother and breed it back to a male offspring. Or you can freeze pollen from a male and use it to pollinate it's daughters.

 

[MagicNative1]

Hello, Everyone.

Please understand up front that I just started growing last year. So far, so good. I've had two pretty good harvests...and managed to not kill any plants. I'd like to try my hand at breeding. I realize I haven't been growing for long, but I have a reason this is so important to me.
My 3-month old granddaughter died earlier this month. I'd like to create a strain in her honor...to fill people with as much joy and happiness as she gave me.
I've been doing a lot of research, and think I mildly understand the process. But, if any of you could help me out with correction and advice, I'd sincerely appreciate it. I plan to put as much time and resources at this as I need to. What (I think) I've learned so far:
1. Start with regular seeds. Once I'm able to tell, separate the males from the female plants.
2. Harvest the pollen from the male plants.
3. Use that pollen to "impregnate (?)" female plants of the strain I'd like to cross with the male plants.
4. Harvest the seeds from those female plants.
This is where I'm lost.
Will the seeds I harvest from the female plants be regular seeds? What do I do with them?
Do I need to repeat steps one through four? How many times?
I've read some articles discussing "Cross Backing," and I think I understand it, sort of...but I'm hoping someone (I'm no horticulture expert) can explain this process to me in novice / layman's terms.
Also, can anyone suggest a website(s), blog or book(s)?
Thanks to you all. I appreciate your help.
I'm going to dedicate my all to this project. My granddaughter meant the world to me.

Chef

You'll need to back cross not cross back, LoL. And the way I've always under it is if your just want to just breed a male plant to a female plant then you just have to have them in the same room throughout flower, or like your talking about administer your own pollen.. She'll seed up just fine on her own... But if your wanting to make those seeds feminized then you'll have to do other things... The thing about strains is that once you start mixing them and with what mixes are already mixed you start getting into the deep end of the water.. people usually end up after breeding several times per strain or introducing a newer strain into the mix that after a point it starts degrading... Faults start showing up the farther away from stable... But eventually to get those things tied down your going to need a good F1/S1 of your cross or I guess even reversing it back to a dominant sativa or indica.... Pretty much everything is all hybrid now days tho.... People love to mix and match make their own and eventually all the oldies and the greats that helped people accomplish all these newer 10 gen crosses end up getting lost or get left on a shelf so long they aren't viable any longer.. like usual in search of the better all the time we humans usually destroy everything else to get it in the long run...

But sounds like you've got a pretty fun time ahead of you getting to pick n choose smell's taste effects etc to get you your own Lil strain.. and I'm sorry about your granddaughter it's a sad day to have to experience those kinda days long before their time... Condolences and prayers to you all