What is a good baseline strain to measure others against?

[sdd420]

Definitely get the best seeds . You can't get more out of a strain than its genetics carry. Meaning that well grown crap seeds are still crap and crappily grown top notch genetics will still be better. But research your desired qualities needed and then get the best you can afford. Or get several varieties and decide later lol which you prefer. Peace sdd

 

[sdd420]

I still use Skunk #1 as a measure to all other cannabis hybrids. It would surprise many people how many strains can't hold a candle to properly grown skunk #1.

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You know I believe you are right. A lot of us started with the Skunkman freebies which we learned with but never a proper grow for me . Good call out

 

[Dropped Cat]

vagina kush, no question.

 

[FireIn.TheSky]

Id say ECSD is a good one to measure others against, it has high calyx to yield ratio, very branchy, it has stink, it has flavor, yields well and has been a crowd pleaser for over a decade.

 

[bigbadbiddy]

But what baseline ?

Good for drysift, bubblehash or appealing flowerset ?

I meant as an "all-rounder" like Skunk#1 is.

I would say Skunk#1 is not on the extreme side of things in any aspects. Neither yield nor taste nor potency etc.
Not extremely potent but neither hay weed.

I regard it as a good "standard" weed. Just wondering if it holds that status to this day or something has taken it's place in that regard.

@bigbadbiddy,
If you can list some of your favored traits...

You may get better suggestions to lead you down the right path.

Be specific.
What are your desired flavors/aromas?
Do you prefer couck lock, electric, or something in between?
What about paranoia?

How much space have you got to work with?
Do you have a prefered plant structure?
(Pole, christmas tree, bush...)

There are a thousand questions to be answered but they need to be asked first.
The above are examples of the most common.

Hey passion.
Desired flavors/aromas:
Fruity, sweet things, sour and citric as well but the good "stanky musky" may also be present.

Effect rather heady/cerebral or electric as you called it. Looking for giggles, happy highs, countering depression mostly.
A mix with couch lock is also fine.
Paranoia to be avoided if possible but not the end of the world. "Racy" highs are fine but not too extreme if possible.

Space to flower:
1.1x0.9 meters with 1.8 meters height, 400W MH
and
1.4x1.2 meters with 2.1 meters height, 600W MH

5 gallon smart pots, organic soil mix, well-water.

No preferred plant-structure.


But I am not looking for strains to grow or breed with, eh? I have about 1000 seeds in stock of various strains I am convinced of.
Just wondering if the Skunk#1 is still the right baseline/benchmark to rate the other strains against or if I should use another strain for this purpose.

Obviously I cannot rate the effects of a pure indica or pure sativa against the Skunk#1 as it is a hybrid and the effects will just be different.

But overall potency, yield, growth pattern, structure, time, etc. are things I could rate against the Skunk#1.

The "pure" sativa effects I would obviously have to rate against other pure sativas.

I still use Skunk #1 as a measure to all other cannabis hybrids. It would surprise many people how many strains can't hold a candle to properly grown skunk #1.

That's kind of what I was hoping to hear to be honest.

I'd say a chemdog cut like chem4 would make a good baseline to measure against. Great structure, potency, yield, terpene content. Obviously not the holy grail but solid in most categories.

Have considered that as well because of the OG Kush craze and the crucial role (imho) the chemdawg plays in all those hybrids.
At least in the US chemdawg seemed to be the "gold standard" that Skunk#1 was in the Netherlands/EU for all those years.

Problem is: Getting chemdawg seeds from a reputable source/breeder (at least what I would consider such).

From my research, Reservoir would be my best bed for Chemdawg in seed form but aside from the bad Karma those seeds have, I could only get them from the Bou and they would be at least 5 years old. Doesn't sound like a great option to me ..


@anyone I didn't reply to directly
sorry
Still very much appreciate your input and opinions!

 

[Ollie]

I meant as an "all-rounder" like Skunk#1 is.

I would say Skunk#1 is not on the extreme side of things in any aspects. Neither yield nor taste nor potency etc.
Not extremely potent but neither hay weed.

I regard it as a good "standard" weed. Just wondering if it holds that status to this day or something has taken it's place in that regard.

Guess its time to look at the current clones being run and then make a decision, on which You think is the new all rounder.

Stardawg(s)
OG(s)
KKSC
Bluedream
Diesel/Sour(s)
Big yielders (Critical Mass) etc.

There is plenty material, in which one can apply his/her owns criterias.

I for instance think the SleeSkunk is a strain which is "underrated or not utilized to its potential"

 

[bigbadbiddy]

I think OGs, Diesels or Bluedream could fit that bill as well...

How do I explain what I mean better...

Let's take Skunk#1 as the "gold standard". Grown well etc.

Now I grow a landrace Sativa as a new strain I have no experience with.

The Sativa is harvested, dried, cured, I smokes it.

Now being a landrace Sativa, uniformity, growth patterns, effect, potency, etc. won't really compare to a hybrid such as Skunk.

However, let's say the landrace Sativa went 16 weeks and the Skunk goes 10.
The landrace Sativa would have to have a noticeably different sativa effect to the Skunk and also either yield better or be noticeably more potent. Or have those aromas/flavors to die for.

If it doesn't blow the Skunk out of the water in any category and the effect isn't that noticeably different, then there would be no use in keeping it around.

Catch my drift?

That's what I meant as a "baseline/benchmark".

Sure you can't compare the yield of a big yielder like Critical Mass to a "not-big-yielder" strain.

But you can compare all the other attributes as well and usually more than 1 has to be as good or better although that is obviously subjective.


I think I will simply continue using Skunk or NLxSkunk as my baseline/benchmark.
From the strains suggested here, OG Kush is the only thing I have available and I simply don't have enough of those seeds and paid too much for them to run them before dialing my setup in and getting my feet wet after a long hiatus.