So, my question is.....When is the best time to pollinate the females.... Week 1 of flowering, Week 4....?
Also, what are some methods of stabilizing a strain?....
I have several strains that are great....But I have crossed a Sharks Breath and AK-48 that will put ya down... How do I go about making this a stable strain?
the number of seeds is more dependent on how many male flowers open AND how far into bloom your girls are before you pollinate-- and not really the # of days / weeks in 12/12, since each plants bloom-rate in 12/12 varies..
IMO-- best time to pollinate is when the female has a dime-sized "puff" of hairs at a bunch of nodes, and the male has a LOT of opening/open flowers.
IF you have other plants, take the "breeders" elsewhere for 3-4 days (all they need is a 100w CFL to keep em going) and shake the male onto the female every day as he releases more pollen.
Before you return the female to the 12/12 room with other plants, spray her down well with water in the shower 1st to remove any un-used viable pollen.
Every calyx has the potential to become a seed-- so the more hairs/calyxs she has, the more seeds you'll get. BUT: If you wait too long to pollinate, the seeds may not be mature at time of harvest...
Also remember-- once pollinated, MOST of the time the buds will be smaller and fluffier-- but still very smoke-able!!! We've had gals that we seeded give us a couple hundred seeds (or more) at a time, and still give a couple decent OZ's of bud.
are you trying to create a new strain for yourself, and stabilize it ?
several ways you can go. your seeds are f1's grow em all out and look for common traits that are favorable. plants that stand out, yet are of common structure and build. take the best of these and kill the rest. grow these out further (veg) and really begin to look at them, for color, node space,smell, height etc.
take the best of those and kill off the rest. now you got you a fine mess of outstanding mothers. by now you should have picked a greasy male with common traits that you like to be a father. flip your girls into flower, and at week 4 pollinate only the cream of the crop. you will know by week 4 which are the best producers of what you want.
or you could use some of the male pollen you have now on one of the f1's, or you could clone the mother and use pollen from one of the f1's to pollinate her. depending on what traits you want.
if you think your f1's could use a little more romulus influence. hit some with the pollen....etc.