Maximum Yield Cannabis USA May/June 2021 | Page 71

“ Breeding can be for a hobby , to preserve genetic lineage , to improve plant health , or for developing new species .”
After veg , we go into the flower phase . Usually , when a male plant is in pre-flower you have about three to four weeks till the flowers will begin to be mature enough to open and drop pollen . Alternatively , you can cut clones from the plants and place them under 12 / 12 light . In about two weeks they will begin to sex . This will tell you which plants are male or female . Isolate the males so no unwanted crossbreeding occurs . Some breeders will isolate males from each other to decrease pollen contamination . Now , we need to collect pollen . There are two commonly used methods of collecting pollen . The first method is collecting pollen in bottles , bags , or small jars . The collected pollen is stored with desiccate material in the freezer until the females are ready . Prior to storage make sure no plant material is mixed in with the pollen . Plant material and water will destroy pollen so keep the pollen in a low-moisture environment . The second and possibly easiest method is using a nylon screen . I find the best screens to use are the kind that are used in silk-screen printing . Any mesh screen will work but I find that higher mesh counts are easier to work with . However , common 110 or 156 mesh counts work just as well . Place the screen preferably in a frame and over a clean , dry container . Now , begin to cut the stalks of your male flowers one at a time . We can begin to shake them or trim them over the screen . Pollen will fall through the screen and all plant material will remain on the screen . The pollen can then be stored and used later on .
Pollination
Now that we have our pollen collected , it ’ s time to start pollinating the females . It is best to pollinate females between 21-29 days of flower . This is common because the flowers ’ pistils are white and standing up . Pollinating at this time will also give you enough time for the seeds to fully mature and reduce other issues that can happen . There are three main methods of pollinating females that all get the job done . The first method is to take the pollen out of storage and let it warm up to room temperature . Take any fine toothbrush and dip it into the pollen .
Then paint the female pistils with the pollen . I like to start from the top of the female and work my way down . That way I can ensure the whole flower has been pollinated . Try not to disturb the plant after pollination so the pollen can be absorbed by the flower . The second method is introducing a male into a room of females and shaking it . This method will coat everything , so some preparation is needed . After a male is selected , place the females into a separate closed room . Place the male in the center of the room if possible . Tie a rope or string onto the male ’ s main stem . With the rope in hand walk out of the room and try to close the door . You can also add a sheet of plastic to the inside door frame to keep pollen from escaping . Now shake the hell out of the rope . You will see a cloud of Armageddon-like pollen cover everything in the room . Leave the pollen to settle for at least 30 minutes to one hour . Now the females can be removed from the room . Alternatively , take individual male flowers that have just opened or are about to open and sprinkle the pollen on the female flower . You can cut the entire stalk of flowers off and shake it above all the flowers . The third method is to take a brown paper bag with pollen in it and cover the female flowers with it . Shake the bag and let it set for five to 10 minutes . This method will allow you to cross different males on one female . Be sure to label the cross and attach it to the stem .
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