Female seed
- Interview with Cees (mr. XX) from Highlife spring 1999 -
 
Lately there has been a lot of fuss about 100% female seed. Quite rightly, because this could be the big change in the world of the growers. As you know, now it is possible to fill, without (illegal) cuttings, the gardens with female plants, which moreover as a seedling bring in more than the cuttings. Highlife was able to be the first to publish pictures of this miracle of technique and manipulation. But what is even more interesting: we have an interview with the improver of these plants, who will lift the veil and share with us the techniques and materials who until now where only known by a handful of people. This person is a devoted lover and has no need at all to reverse his knowledge into stone-hard currencies. He is a man with a vision and in his story is a message, as well for the improvers of seed as for every blower in Holland. Because of the discretion, we call the super freak ‘Mister XX’, what, in view of the matter is a very appropriate name.
 
Highlife: Dear XX, could you tell us what has driven you all those years? Because it is such a complicated matter, it has cost you lots of time and you encountered a lot of set-backs.
 
Mister XX: Indeed I was already experimenting for years, before I got some results. But I am a kind of person who digs in the heels of matters that interest me, certainly when the rest of the world also has no solution for it. By all set-backs I suffered on the road, the desire to succeed is getting stronger. The only disadvantage of all those years of experimenting was, that it was nearly not smokable. Belief me, this matter is for people who want to grow their own smoke not recommendable. But luckily I got that phase behind me.
 
Highlife: Why did you work all those years at producing female seed, and what will you do with it now you ‘cracked’ that formula?
 
Mister XX: My goal was to make of really potent XX plants minimal a natural healthy quantity of female seed. When I, after ‘eternal’ experimenting, was ready, I began to cultivate this seed, to see if it, after a while would decline. Then I discovered that the material where I work with, was also useful to bloom more fully, in a shorter period then we are used to. But, we will talk about that later, because this is not so interesting for me. Certainly not, because I will wizen up the breadgrower, who mostly use pesticides and other stuff, just for the money. Because I belief the chance is very small and because other people in this world where marketing female seed, I did not want to keep this to the persons who also where interested in these matters: in other words: I want to pass that the stuff that I use, is free of poison and work very well.
 
Highlife: You have our complete interest, so tell your story and begin at the beginning.
 
Mister XX: To produce XX seed, you need a 100% XX plant. To determine if a plant really is pure and if this is a XX-plant, can not be too difficult. To disturb the cycle regularly, by using light to recall shockeffects, is a good method to commit hermaphrodites. It is optimal if you, while shocking, give the some more CO2. But, make sure that you give them in time trace elements. By all these strange moves they use a lot of extra, especially magnesium, I noticed. When you finally have one or more pure females, then they will be the base of the improved species. But, look out, because there are very liter pure XX plants, how strange this may sound. Inattentive breeding in the past, with especially Asiatic plants, have genetically in depth produced much hermaphrodites. So, when a plant is not pure XX, the pollen can also not be pure XX. This is very frustrating, because all the work has been for nothing. But, if you have found a XX-plant, we go look further. After years of experimenting and seeking, I was three years ago able to cover the XX plant with it’s own dust. But it did not really hurry up, because the length of the cycle was very disappointing to the yield.
 
  Highlife: Most people would be very happy if they would come this far, but we understand that this was only the beginning for you.

Mister XX: Yes, this gave me a kick, but more like: ‘And now we really get started!’. Now I can also solve this problem. Today I can manipulate every XX plant that I choose, as you can see on the pictures.

 

You see a plant who is showing on three branches, three different kind of inflorescences. It is a strange and unusual sight, but very exiting to me. Because this was for met the way to good and potent female seed. But also (this appeared later) the way to a 30 to 40% more and full bloom of the ladies, and a shorter blossom-time of almost a week. With this I demonstrated the possibility of the plant to treat one ore more branches different. As you can see, I can take care of full bunches of male flowers in a XX-flower, who is producing a lot of pollen.

If one ore more full sisters of these plant are in full bloom, put this manipulated plant between them for fertilization. Now the fertilization will take place only if the plants has full blooming tops, and that will give you lots of seed. Only a plant with some big bunches of male-flowers can fertilize a big room of plants.

 
Highlife: This was a nice story but the question stays how to get those male flowers in that plant. We have waited long enough, now we want to now what means you use. Go right ahead!
 
Mister XX: I want to tell you a lot, but not everything. There are different materials where you can manipulate with. The material I have chosen for is GIBBERELLIC ACID, that is also known as the German name GIBBERELLINSAURE. But at this moment there are five different performances of Gibberellic and there is a big chance that the producer has other compositions. The reason I have chosen for this, is because I let it tested by Dr. Alink,, a toxicologist from Wageningen. The result I got in writing n it says black on white that it is harmless for man or animal. This test is executed without questions or any opposition, what says that it is possible for everyone to test materials on harmfulness. So, in other words, we can work much harmful as we all know. And it costs: nothing!

Gibberellic Acid is harmful on its own. It is strange that the material has not been added on the list of pesticides who are not allowed in nature.
 
Highlife: But you can spray Gibberellic on the plants?
 
Mister XX: No, that would be very easy. First you have to dissolve it. To dissolve a synthetic acid as Gibberellic is a story at itself. Now I use Natriumhydroxide, a very aggressive material what is used as a purgative. Natriumhydroxide solves very easily and it is not toxicological not dangerous. To find the right proportion is the next question. Then you find out that the condition of the plant sometimes asks for a specific proportion, who deviates to far behind the comma. If you can not weigh to specific, than it is not going to work out. It is that accurate. The difference in doses are so small, that making it is more than a precise job. A pharmacist as a friend will be very useful, but he also can weigh at 0,05 grams. But especially choosing the right moment is the biggest problem.
 
Highlife: If all these things are right, then it is just a matter of spraying, and ready we are, I mean Mr. XX is.
 
Mister XX: Yes, that is true. Surely reality is far more complicated but I lifted a big piece of the veil. I did this because I think that all blowing people in Holland are entitled to know what is happening. So, here I give a piece of my experiences in these matters. I hope that the people who are busy manipulating will test the materials they use in toxicological values. This is free of charge and the examinatiors don’t ask annoying questions. For me it is the only way to inform people in which materials you use, those which are mentioned on the package. The time that growers and improvers had to work with poisoned materials such as Colchicine, is really long gone.
 
So far the story of an interesting and driven person who, without any financial meaning wants to share his knowledge and wants to warn against the dangers of the use of pesticides. After this interview, we got a handful of seeds to try out. We keep in touch about this project.
 
N.B. The Amsterdam cannabisseedcompany ‘Dutch Passion’ is the only company in the world which will sell female seed. It is not strange that we questioned them how to use poisoned spraying-materials. Owner Henk van Dalen says: We also tested Gibberellic acid. In the market garden it is a common material. Gibberellic acid is a hormone and stimulates in a very small way the male bloom and has for the growing of the plant unfortunate side-effects. We do not use hormones at all, because the plants are acting strange. The material we use is a simple chemical material, you can think of a salt solution and is absolutely free of poisoned materials.

This interview appeared originally on Highlife On Line, in the spring of 1999. We thank the publisher and editor for their contribution. Copyright 1999 Highlife