Notice the purple and yellow coloring of the leaves on this strain. Reasons for this could be natural genetics, missing nutrients, pest attack or a finishing harvest flush.
The next thing to look at is the flowering period. Each strain’s flowering period can vary. It is toward the last days of flowering that you should begin your harvest. If the seed bank says Skunk #1, flowering time seven to nine weeks, then you should be able to know roughly when your plant will be ready for harvest. In this case, it will be seven to nine weeks from the time your plant starts to flower.2
You may also find that a number of similar strains have been produced by different breeders. When you look at the seed bank list you may see as many as four or more listings for the same strain.Take Skunk #1 for example. Skunk #1 is a mostly Sativa plant, but there are about seven breeders who have provided a certain seed bank with Skunk #1 seeds. Each breeder tries to develop the best plant possible from that strain, but some breeders are better than others. Make sure that you check with the seed bank and confirm which strains are the best. The reason for choosing the best is that later on you can produce your own seeds from that optimal strain.
How to Get Seeds
The best way to get seeds is from another grower who has developed a plant that you enjoyed. This, by far, is the best way because (1) you may get the seeds for free and (2) you know what the high will be like because you have already sampled it.
The next best way is through seed bank catalogues on the Internet. The Internet is full of seed banks that want to sell you seeds, but you may encounter problems. Firstly, some of these seed banks are not legitimate and will rip you off. Secondly, some of these seed banks do not ship worldwide and their products may be unavailable to you. Thirdly, some of these seed banks misrepresent their stock. Finally, seeds can be very expensive. Some seed banks charge anywhere between $80 and $300 for 10 to 16 seeds. There are rip-off artists out there. So, how do you choose a seed bank?
Choosing a Seed Bank
After locating a seed bank, the first thing you should do is to research what people have to say about that particular seed bank. The best way to find this information, apart from word of mouth, is to check one of the more popular sites on the net, like Greenman’s www.seedbankupdate.com, which is the most useful seed-bank review site on the internet. It was one of the first review sites ever established and still remains the most popular to this day.
This is a harvest drying. This washing line setup is very common but what is most important is that this is done in a dark environment without light and with some airflow.
TRANSPORTING SEEDS
1. Unclip the disc holder from the box and turn it over.
2. Tape up to four seed packs to the back of the holder.
3. Put the holder back in place and put the CD in place and you are done.
Good seed banks sell seeds in their original professional packages with logo and brand name.
Confirm that the web site you are buying from has a registered URL, like a dot.com site. If they use a free web-site service then consider avoiding it because it could disappear overnight.
Next, check out the reviews on each seed bank by the public. Then, visit the URL of each seed bank and check out their prices. Make sure that the seed bank has a quick turn-around time. It should only take up to 30 days for delivery. Some seed banks have been known to create back orders that take over two to three months to clear. I have personally witnessed Christmas seed orders arrive in the following March. This is a problem usually associated with counterfeit goods.3 However, there can be circumstances where a breeder simply doesn’t come up with viable stock for that season. The general rule is to avoid seed banks that have a large turn-around time gap. You want a snappy service and delivery within 30 days is the norm. Some seed banks have a 1 to 2 day shipping policy as soon as your money has cleared. These seed-banks are generally very popular with most growers.
Some seed banks offer deals on seeds and you will also find that prices fluctuate from bank to bank. Before buying anything, send them an email and inquire about their services, the seeds you like, delivery options, postage, packaging, and security arrangements. Wait until you receive a reply. If you do not get a reply then do not use that seed bank. These individuals are salespeople and should communicate with you and answer your questions.
Most seed banks sell their seeds in batches of 10 to 20, but anything can happen in transit. A misplaced foot in the postal office can kill the seeds, making them not viable. Quality seed banks should provide good protective packaging.
Communication with your seed bank is important. If your seeds do not arrive in a reasonable amount of time, you need to be able to ask the seed bank what happened. This will improve your communication with the seed bank the next time you purchase seeds. If you do not have access to the web, then you will have to write to the seed banks to request more information.
Always consult the seed bank about your strain—you never know, they may even be able to recommend something better to suit your needs.
You should receive your seeds in a stealth package. You will probably find them inside a clear, heat-sealed and labeled plastic bag. Check your seeds to make sure that none are crushed. If some or all of the seeds are crushed, send them back to be replaced explaining to the seed bank that this particular package was damaged. Do not open the bag if you are sending them back.
HARVESTING SEEDS
Teasing seeds from the bud. Here a calyx containing a seed is being lightly squeezed between the thumbs at its base so as not to damage the seed.
The calyx opens and the seed comes up. Be careful doing this because is quite easy for the seed to fly out, drop or become lost.
This is the seed. It is not pale and so is likely viable. However, some pale seeds can be viable, depending on the strain.
A collection of some strains and the variation in their morphology. This strain is called strawberry.
