c-ray
05-16-2006, 11:07 PM
to get the ball rolling I'm going to offer a few suggestions:
a) germinate seeds direct in the soil, as opposed to in a paper towel
b) start seedlings outside when the minimum temps are above 4 degrees C (40 degrees F); study the seasons and listen to the rhythms of nature and understand when is the best time to plant, not too early or not too late
c) always let the seeds ripen on the plant for as long as possible, until they are popping out of the pods, and then cut them but let them continue to ripen for another month or so until they are ready to germinate as they come off the bud
d) study your genetics; read some good breeding texts
e) know your genetics; keep it simple, when breeding work with stabilized genetics and pay attention to patterns
f) focus on creating stabilized genetics that can be depended on from season to season; stabilized genetics with known behaviors in known environments can become the basis for future plant improvements
g) work on stabilizing a strain synchronously and harmoniously with other breeders who share the same goals and aspirations; share seeds at the end of every season with the collective
h) grow organically; grow in well composted well balanced mediums as opposed to peat-based soilless mediums; develop sustainable fertility on site using nitrogen fixing legumes, planting green manure crops in the fall at harvest time and plowing them under in early spring; add a mix of well aged animal and vegetable manures well ahead of planting time; add granite rock dust and kelp/seaweed to composts or directly to planting sites to replenish and sustain trace minerals
i) use as many parents as possible in the gene pool with equal amounts of males and females; cull or exclude plants from the gene pool when necessary de-selecting for known deleterious traits such as poor mold resistance or poor pest resistance, but avoiding culling plants based on poor yields or for aesthetic reasons
j) fertilize less rather than more, water less than more, let the plants develop enough intelligence to search for their food and water rather than letting them become dependant on the gardener to provide food or water
k) love your plants
l) store the seeds in a holy place such as on an altar or in time capsule buried in the earth; store the seed vials in dry peat moss (a natural radiation shield)
a) germinate seeds direct in the soil, as opposed to in a paper towel
b) start seedlings outside when the minimum temps are above 4 degrees C (40 degrees F); study the seasons and listen to the rhythms of nature and understand when is the best time to plant, not too early or not too late
c) always let the seeds ripen on the plant for as long as possible, until they are popping out of the pods, and then cut them but let them continue to ripen for another month or so until they are ready to germinate as they come off the bud
d) study your genetics; read some good breeding texts
e) know your genetics; keep it simple, when breeding work with stabilized genetics and pay attention to patterns
f) focus on creating stabilized genetics that can be depended on from season to season; stabilized genetics with known behaviors in known environments can become the basis for future plant improvements
g) work on stabilizing a strain synchronously and harmoniously with other breeders who share the same goals and aspirations; share seeds at the end of every season with the collective
h) grow organically; grow in well composted well balanced mediums as opposed to peat-based soilless mediums; develop sustainable fertility on site using nitrogen fixing legumes, planting green manure crops in the fall at harvest time and plowing them under in early spring; add a mix of well aged animal and vegetable manures well ahead of planting time; add granite rock dust and kelp/seaweed to composts or directly to planting sites to replenish and sustain trace minerals
i) use as many parents as possible in the gene pool with equal amounts of males and females; cull or exclude plants from the gene pool when necessary de-selecting for known deleterious traits such as poor mold resistance or poor pest resistance, but avoiding culling plants based on poor yields or for aesthetic reasons
j) fertilize less rather than more, water less than more, let the plants develop enough intelligence to search for their food and water rather than letting them become dependant on the gardener to provide food or water
k) love your plants
l) store the seeds in a holy place such as on an altar or in time capsule buried in the earth; store the seed vials in dry peat moss (a natural radiation shield)