SPONSORED CONTENT
Winning Strains
THE PHENOTYPE PHENOMENON
R
iver Valley Remedies (RVR) teamed up with Benjamin Nadol-
ny of Fox Hollow Flora for this month’s Q&A series. Fox Hol-
low Flora (FHF) is a premium producer providing cannabis
to the Eugene medical dispensary community since 2013. Th e
farm is currently “pheno-hunting” for new strains to bring to
the Oregon cannabis market.
RVR: What is a phenotype?
FHF: Even though a pack of cannabis seeds is of the same strain, you
will still get different expressions from each individual seed. These expres-
sions are traits passed down through genetic lineage. Some traits include
growth rate, cannabinoid content, aroma and fade colors. The most respect-
ed seed makers have spent years of thoughtful breeding to develop seeds
that have a predictable outcome of specifi c expressions.
How is FHF searching for phenotypes currently?
We fi rst determine what the market is eager for as trends and tastes
evolve. We have a library of seeds from our favorite seed makers along
with some of our in-house varieties, always have new genetics moving
through our system, and put 3 to 4 new strains into phenotype hunting ev-
ery couple months.
What do you look for when searching for a phenotype?
Always attractive is the plant with the most vigor. We don’t count out
anything until we’ve had a chance to harvest every phenotype. We remove
the males from the fl owering stock. Throughout the fl owering cycle we look
for plants with well-rounded qualities and a wow factor. If a plant is small
and weak, but has a huge fl avor or highly effective medicinal properties it
can win by the wow factor. We personally taste test the harvest of every
phenotype, then send our favorites to a lab for more information.
Are you growing everything from a seed and then choosing a spe-
cifi c phenotype?
A lot of what we grow is from seeds we’ve pheno-hunted. If we didn’t
pheno-hunt for it, we know who did. We are a quality over quantity produc-
er – we’re hunting for things that are very special.
If you don’t fi nd a “winner” do you kill of those genetics or do you
keep the “best” one still?
We sometimes think we know the winner within the fi rst few weeks,
but are often pleasantly surprised to discover a different one emerges as a
winner. There is a drying, curing and personal taste test that has to happen.
Sometimes you don’t fi nd any winners in a seed pack. It’s disappointing,
but it does happen. And yes, they would all get killed off.
How long does it take to fi nd a winning pheno? Do you have to grow
it a few times to make sure the genetics are stable?
From a seed to the fi rst harvest it takes over three months for the in-
door grower. We take our favorite phenotypes and put them back in fl ower
in different pot sizes and in different zones. It is not uncommon to discover
genetic fl aws on the third fl owering round of a phenotype that was strong
for the fi rst harvest. The most common genetic fl aw is the fl owers become
hermaphrodites and pollinate surrounding fl owers. Cannabis plants are sur-
vivors and sometimes they will fi nd a way to seed themselves to survive.
Do you want to address anything I didn’t ask about phenotypes that
might be benefi cial to anyone looking to grow from seed?
It takes a lot of patience to bring a new strain from seed to the high-end
consumer market. Even if you fi nd an amazing winner of a phenotype after
the fi rst test harvest and you want to share it with the best retailers and con-
sumers in the state, it takes many months to prepare a stock of plants to put
into fl ower. With multi-harvest testing and analysis it is not uncommon for
it to take 9 months to go from seed to the open market.
1985 W 7th Ave, Eugene • (458) 205-8257
rivervalleyremedies.net
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February 22, 2018 • eugeneweekly.com