Over the past thirty years, some of the the world's finest cannabis has been developed by “crossing” or breeding one strain with another. Cultivators have invented thousands of hybrid combinations, each with its own unique characteristics.

These new strains are created by growing female and male plants of different lineage and allowing them to cross pollinate. Seeds are gathered from the pollinated flower, grown and observed for the most attractive traits, or phenotype. Once the desired offspring is found, often times it is pollinated back with one or both the original parents and the process is repeated to allow the new strain to stabilize and develop combined traits of the different parents. 

This isn’t always the case, though. Many of the most famous strains have been created by accident, or even grown from a random seed found in a newly purchased satchel, like Chemdawg; parent to powerhouse strains such as OG Kush & Sour Diesel. More interesting still, is that some original hybrid strains now exist only in clone form such as Pre ‘98 Bubba Kush, Headband, and the illustrious Girl Scout Cookies.

Patients and aficionados alike appreciate hybrid strains for the wide array of choice they offer. Not only of taste and aroma, but of effect as well including type of high and medicinal benefit.  For the cultivator, hybrids allow a custom choice in flowering period as well as physical characteristics of the plant. For example, if you are doing a small closet home grow with a sensitive neighbor, you might opt for a smaller, bushier hybrid with a floral scent (rather than say...skunk).  Or, maybe you’ve got a more serious operation going and you specifically want a variety that tastes like cherries, is high yielding with a flower time of 56 days, resistant to mildew and is best suited for outdoor growing. Guess what? There’s a strain for that!

If you’re interested in perusing the wide world of hybrids, I recommend starting your search online at seedfinder.eu. There you can read about thousands of different marijuana strains, check out lineage, and see all the different qualities they offer - with information right from the breeder.

Finding the right hybrid that suits your needs and preferences might not be easy, but it’s also not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Next time in we’ll be exploring types of fertilizers including chemical-based, organic, and micro; and why it is important to know what is going into your plant, and eventually, into you.