Exclusive Seedlings from Purple City Genetics
PCG's limited-edition seedlings are on par with what commercial cultivators are selecting as front-of-the-curve strains that keep pace with the ever changing trends of California cannabis. Now available only at March and Ash.
Guest blog by Eric Rosen.
Purple City Genetics is an Oakland, California-based cannabis collective founded in 2008. We were born out of the medical movement, primarily with smaller indoor growers who always had their finger on the pulse with respect to consumer preferences, both current and also what the next vanguard cultivars were likely to be. This type of close connection to the community of growers, cultivators, farmers and producers has been one of our greatest allies from a cultivar selection and breeding process. As a result, many farms now look to us to ask ‘What should we grow next year? What’s going to be the next big thing?”. The genesis of our breeding program extended from the same desire we’ve always had: to provide new, unique and vanguard cultivars to farmers with trends, terroir/microclimate considerations and end-use cases in mind (i.e., top shelf flower, hash, biomass, etc.). We’ve always found setting trends is a lot more exciting than chasing them, and breeding exemplifies this for us.
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PCG 2021 Limited Retail Seedlings
Our limited-edition seedling offering for select dispensaries, including March and Ash in San Diego and Vista, offers special PCG selections that are on par with what commercial cultivators are selecting as front-of-the-curve strains that keep pace with the ever-changing trends of California cannabis. The small batch nature of PCG retail seedlings ensures that home growers are able to be on the cutting edge of cannabis genetics with the excitement that comes from phenotypic differences with seed-based plants. Our seedling product is perfect for the grower who wants the benefit, diversity and novelty of seeds without worrying about some of the germination issues that might happen throughout the process.
One category of the small batch seedling releases are varieties that are only available in the dispensary seedling drops. A second category are cultivars that are available in seed form as well however provide a convenience factor of already being germinated and transplanted for the busy home grower that wants to bypass the germination process. March and Ash in Mission Valley, San Diego and Vista are fortunate to be receiving an example of each of these two categories on this particular drop.
14 Bombers Seedling
The lineage on 14 Bombers is THC Bomb x Strawnana. This is currently available in seed form and is one of the only current PCG seed lines we are releasing in seedling form. If you missed out on picking up some of 14 bomber feminized seeds, this is your opportunity to pick up one of the most hash-forward cultivars we have ever made. We chose to release this in seedling form as well specifically because it's one of our top extraction varieties, and one of the main questions we get from growers is ‘How well will it do in mechanical extractions for making ice water hash?”. A main focus for PCG over the last few years has been breeding exclusively for trichomes and high yield extraction specifically to meet this particular need in the marketplace. On this note, a general rule of thumb is that anything that either the THC Bomb or the Strawnana touches in a cross results in plants that perform particularly well in mechanical extraction, i.e., ice water hash.
From an extraction yield perspective, we tested a full acre of 14 Bombers at one of the largest farms in Santa Barbara, and the extraction results were superb. To put things in perspective, if you wash 100 pounds of flower and yield 3 or 4 pounds of hash, a 3-4% extraction level is considered respectable. Reaching a 5% level is great, and anything that exceeds a 6% or 7% threshold is considered spectacular. 14 Bombers clocked in at 7% from a full acre test. Coupled with the fact that the same outdoor run tested at 27%+ THC%, this is a seedling product that’s the best combination of convenience and excellence. 14 Bombers will produce amazing flower and extracts alike with high yield and vigor. This is a very potent TKO, punch-in-the-face type of cultivar.
14 Bombers is a 9-10 week strain and is a 50/50 hybrid. It’s a heavy yielder and terpene notes include bubblegum, banana/strawberry smoothie that can often have either foreground or background inflections that lean towards yogurt or parfait.
F1 Durb x Gushers S1 Seedling
This is a cornerstone component/ingredient cross that we’ve used in many PCG crosses. Most noteworthy on this front is our Gush Mints cross which has a lineage of: Kush Mints x (F1 Durb x Gushers). Many Gush Mints crosses in seed form are being germinated by commercial cultivators in real-time to power broad acre farms for the 2021 outdoor season. As always, our next breeding projects will be focused on what’s next; as we moved away from the F1 Durb x Gusher crosses we decided to unlock the vault and share this previously unreleased ingredient strain out of popular demand. From an agronomic standpoint, phenos that lean more towards the F1 Durb have wider internode spacing, with a thick girth to the stem and a generally very robust plant. On the other hand, Gushers-leaning phenos tend to look like an OG, with thinner stem which grow and look like a prototypical OG Kush cultivar.
F1 Durb x Gushers S1 is a 10-week strain and is a 50/50 hybrid. The F1 Durb leaning phenos tend to have incense and even metallic-like scents. Gushers leaning phenos can offer creamy, gassy, and Gelato aromas. Both tend to be very colorful and are ‘extremely modern looking cannabis.’
PCG Breeding Philosophy
From a philosophy perspective, we care deeply about the plant which faces an ever-evolving set of challenges, both human and botanical. From a breeding standpoint, our mission is to provide the best genetics possible. This means searching through hundreds of thousands of seeds every year looking for just one or two cuts worthy of the Purple City Genetics roster: high THC, unbelievable terps, high return in concentrates.
PCG Breeding Program
Our breeding program is geared towards broad acre use, strong agronomic plants, but with buyers in mind who want a variety of popular flavors and terpenes. The program is created from an extensive archive of genetics that range from rare and emerging exotics to the canonical standards. Our seed line is a true expression of California’s diverse cannabis heritage—shaped with both farmers and tastemakers in mind. We offer a broad range of feminized, autoflower, and standard photoperiod seeds to solve for the diverse needs of cannabis farmers regardless of environment or end use case (i.e. top shelf flower, live resin via mechanical extraction, etc.).
Why Seeds vs Clones
Many growers ask, “Why seeds over clones?” Compared to clones, seeds offer increased yields at lower cost, stronger taproots and immune systems, elevated THC and terpene levels, and more pest/viroid resistance. Seed-based plants are a known standard for more established agricultural sectors, and we are starting to see a major shift in the marketplace with cannabis farmers who are seeing the light with respect to starting from seed vs clone.
Final Thoughts on PCG Small Batch Seedling Drops
One of the primary reasons we launched the small batch seedling program is for consumers to enjoy playing with something different; seed-based plants have a wild card as phenos can differ from one another. Seasoned and first-time growers alike will love the thrill of the hunt when growing any of our small batch seedlings. Part of the excitement is in the magic and mystery of being delighted by your specific seedling, and when you open a jar at a party later this year, you’ll not only turn heads, but you’ll have something truly unique to share with your friends.
Eric Rosen is the Sales director of Purple City Genetics. He holds an MBA from The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. When he’s not traveling around the state consulting with cultivators, he lives in Los Angeles and enjoys spending time with his wife, 3 kids and their Pandemic Puppy, Mushu.
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DISCLAIMER: THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.
All information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other materials contained on this site are for informational purposes only. No text, graphics, images or other materials on this site are intended to be professional medical advice or a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional medical advice because of something you have viewed on this site.