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@kaptaincush Genetics

@kaptaincush Genetics@kaptaincush Genetics@kaptaincush Genetics
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How To Understand Breeding Terminology

Imagine plants as "Moms" and "Dads" (aka Studs) that make seeds.

  • Some seeds grow into males and females (Regular seeds).


  • Some seeds grow into all females (Feminized seeds).


  • Some are family mixes (F1, F2, F3, etc.).


  • Some are Mom copies (S1, S2, etc.).


  • Some are interbred back to their Mom (backcrosses like BX1, BX2, etc.).

Regular Seeds

These seeds can grow into male or female plants.
 

  • You don’t know which until they grow up!
     
  • Males make pollen.
     
  • Females make the flowers (the buds).


Regular seed line available here

Feminized Seeds

  • These seeds grow into all females.
     
  • This is good because most people want the flowers (buds) from the females.
     
  • Breeders make them by tricking a female plant to make pollen instead of using a male.


Feminized seed line available here


F1 Generation (First Filial)

  • When two unrelated parent plants make seeds together, those seeds are called F1. These can be regular seeds or feminized seeds.
     
  • F1 seeds are usually strong, big, and have a mix of both parents.


Regular F1 seed line available here.

Feminized F1 seed line available here.

F2 Generation (Second Filial)

  • When related F1 plants make seeds together, those seeds are F2. These can also be regular seeds or feminized seeds.
     
  • F2 seeds are like a big messy family — some carry more traits from the mom, some carry more traits from the dad (or female pollen donor), some will even carry traits from grandma! 


  • Lots of surprises!


Regular F2 seed line available here

F3 Generation (Third Filial)

  • When related F2 plants make seeds together, that’s F3.
     
  • Now the family is getting more steady and you start to see more plants that look the same.
     
  • Less surprises, more predictability.

Backcross (BX1, BX2)

!Feminized BX1 willeavailablee a selected female plant.
 

  • You make seeds using an unrelated male (or female pollen donor) creating an F1 cross, and then you breed one of those seeds back to the Mother plant.
     
  • That’s a backcross = BX1.
     
  • If you do it again, that’s BX2.
     
  • Backcrossing is like going home to the Mother plant again and again to keep her special traits.


Regular BX1 available here

 Feminized BX1 will be available soon!

S1 (1st Selved Generation)

  • This is achieved when a plant makes seeds with herself using reverse pollination methods.
     
  • It’s like making a copy of the Mother plant, though not a perfect copy.
     
  • She makes seeds that look a lot like her.
     
  • These are called S1 seeds.


  • These seeds can are like F1s, where they can carry traits from the Mother and even grandparents


S1 seed line available here

S2 (2nd Selved Generation)

  • Now you take a seed from the S1 and she makes seeds with herself too!
     
  • That’s S2.
     
  • Each time, the plants will ideally start looking more and more like the original Mother plant.
     
  • It’s like making better copies, if the correct traits were achieved during the S1 selection.

Plant Breeding Basics

This quick-reference table breaks down key breeding generations—like F1s,  F2s, S1s, and backcrosses—explaining how each is made, what type of seeds they produce, and the genetic variation you can expect. Whether you’re growing with regular or feminized seeds, this guide helps you make sense of the breeding process.

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Wanna Know How Seeds Really Work?

Dive into the science behind regular and feminized seeds, backcrossing, F1s, F2s, S1s, and more. 


It’s plant breeding made simple, fun, and worth the click.

Learn more

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