Nelson
R.I.P. Gone, but not forgotten.
This is an interesting topic. I just got a PM asking me this very question. I will tell you what I have found out by experience and maybe others will add their knowlidge to the thread.
A lot of success can first be determined by the method that you use to make your seeds.
One way is to just leave the male and female plant together in the same area and they will more or less do their own thing thing over time. You can help by occasionly lifting the male up and gently shaking it over the female. A cloud of pollen will be released and the female plant will get the benefit.
The main advantage of this method is that it is the easiest method by far. The drawback is that this method is that the seeds will vary a lot in maturity because they will just keep growing and making new seeds. The male will make pollen and the female will make more bud and new places for the seeds to grow. This way you get the most seeds possible but they will definately be in various states of maturity.
You of course can use more than 1 female either of the same type or of a different type to make some crosses all at the same time. It is a nice easy way to get get a thousand or more seeds.
The real test is when to harvest the females. A good way is to examine the buds and you can see the seed pods developing. It takes about a month for most of the seeds to start developing. I usually wait until I can start to see the seed end prodruding out of the seed sack on some of the seed sacks. This means the female is getting close to start dropping seeds on the ground. Some just shake the female plant to see if seeds actually drop out of the female plant. I find this usually starts to happen about week five in the mating process. By week 6 the seeds will start dropping.
Some modifications of this procedure. Keep the males and females seperate and then bring the male in when you think the females are ready and shake him over the females and record the date. Take the male out and destroy him. the benefit of this is to make all the seeds you are going to get all the same maturity and reduce the seed sorting work which is a lot I can tell you.
A little seed sorting tips. I like to keep a shot of rum beside me to keep my finger tips clean cause they get wicked gooey. Yes you can drink it after you are done. Green soft seeds got no chance just throw them out. If you have poor vision like me, the brail method works also. If the seed is soft and squishy throw it out. The next sorting is semi mature seeds. they are usually white or a pake color. Some of these, about one in four will grow but they should not be gifted or sold as they are considered not A grade seeds. Mature seeds exit their seed pod very easily and their outside surface takes on a slippery feel. These are the A grade seeds and will have a very high hatch rate. Seeds which are not as easily taken out of the seed sack but haven't taken on the smooth outer feel to their outside skin and may be a splotchy color are your B grade seeds. Their hatch rate is probably 8 out of 10 approximately. I keep these seeds for my own use cause 80 % is good enough for me. I see B grade seeds sold to me from seed companies all the time. They are not that fussy as I am I guess.
There are other methods like collecting pollen and single branch pollinating and painting buds with a paint brush. They are all OK but I just don't do it cause if I want to make seeds I use the whole plant. Maybe someone with lots of paint brush experience and single plant seeding will come on and describe their methods.
Good luck with your breeding.
A lot of success can first be determined by the method that you use to make your seeds.
One way is to just leave the male and female plant together in the same area and they will more or less do their own thing thing over time. You can help by occasionly lifting the male up and gently shaking it over the female. A cloud of pollen will be released and the female plant will get the benefit.
The main advantage of this method is that it is the easiest method by far. The drawback is that this method is that the seeds will vary a lot in maturity because they will just keep growing and making new seeds. The male will make pollen and the female will make more bud and new places for the seeds to grow. This way you get the most seeds possible but they will definately be in various states of maturity.
You of course can use more than 1 female either of the same type or of a different type to make some crosses all at the same time. It is a nice easy way to get get a thousand or more seeds.
The real test is when to harvest the females. A good way is to examine the buds and you can see the seed pods developing. It takes about a month for most of the seeds to start developing. I usually wait until I can start to see the seed end prodruding out of the seed sack on some of the seed sacks. This means the female is getting close to start dropping seeds on the ground. Some just shake the female plant to see if seeds actually drop out of the female plant. I find this usually starts to happen about week five in the mating process. By week 6 the seeds will start dropping.
Some modifications of this procedure. Keep the males and females seperate and then bring the male in when you think the females are ready and shake him over the females and record the date. Take the male out and destroy him. the benefit of this is to make all the seeds you are going to get all the same maturity and reduce the seed sorting work which is a lot I can tell you.
A little seed sorting tips. I like to keep a shot of rum beside me to keep my finger tips clean cause they get wicked gooey. Yes you can drink it after you are done. Green soft seeds got no chance just throw them out. If you have poor vision like me, the brail method works also. If the seed is soft and squishy throw it out. The next sorting is semi mature seeds. they are usually white or a pake color. Some of these, about one in four will grow but they should not be gifted or sold as they are considered not A grade seeds. Mature seeds exit their seed pod very easily and their outside surface takes on a slippery feel. These are the A grade seeds and will have a very high hatch rate. Seeds which are not as easily taken out of the seed sack but haven't taken on the smooth outer feel to their outside skin and may be a splotchy color are your B grade seeds. Their hatch rate is probably 8 out of 10 approximately. I keep these seeds for my own use cause 80 % is good enough for me. I see B grade seeds sold to me from seed companies all the time. They are not that fussy as I am I guess.
There are other methods like collecting pollen and single branch pollinating and painting buds with a paint brush. They are all OK but I just don't do it cause if I want to make seeds I use the whole plant. Maybe someone with lots of paint brush experience and single plant seeding will come on and describe their methods.
Good luck with your breeding.
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