I’m a still a somewhat new hobbiest grower. Most of what I’ve grown is from clones but I’m running seeds now and want to select a pheno to keep as a mother. Outside of the obvious things that I’ll only know post grow ( terps, yield, quality, etc), what things are helpful to take note of now in veg and into pre flower that would be important in selecting a keeper?
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I typically look for structure. How much they eat. How they do with heat and drought. I like my keepers to be tough haha.
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Vigour. Structure. Take clones. Label them. Keep them. When the plants are judged select clones.
Best of luck
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Studying the strain pedigree, if you can, and even if it’s evasive.It always help to be rationnal in selection and to don’t wait for ever a pheno that can’t be produced by the line ^^
So basic things to start gently :
- to don’t ask to a skunk to be as fast than an afghani etc … strain based choices.
- the best root mass density in veg, always usefull.
- recovery from pruning/pinching/accidents, shorter than 48hrs to recover and grow again is a mark.
- photosynthesis … it look like silly but i don’t like plants that are answering badly to a high density of light.
It’s very basic without any goal … just think like a farmer. Also think about the compromises later.
Specimen 1 : shown good root mass in veg, recover well, clone well but low yield
Specimen 2 : low density roots, need a week to restart to grow after a pruning, clone in two weeks … but very high potency.
When you stack datas in veg, it can help to make a choice … on the final match.
It’s no longer extra potency vs low yield, it’s low yield that grow like a rocket or a clone that you flower only one time a year to stay mentally sane ^^
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I was going to post a comment until I read Fuel’s response. I wholeheartedly agree with all points!
The only thing I’d like to add is what YOU want. If your goal is the best of the best in terms of visuals, you can do that. What you might find is that a particular plant might have a more enjoyable effect. Finding the balance between effect and visual characteristics is the name of the game. Nobody has those secrets! And if they did they certainly wouldn’t share 
Good luck!
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pretty much this ^^^^
If finding a keeper is the goal, all the females have to be cloned, the originals flowered out and evaluated, keeping the best clone(s) from the group.
Be ruthless and only accept the very best of what checks your boxes for desired flavor, vigor, resilience and potency/effect. There a whole universe of seed out there to hunt through so finding something good shouldn’t be too hard, even for a novice grower.
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I did take a clone from each and they are numbered, just want to be as thorough as possible
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Super informative, thank you so much.
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Stability,vigor,potency and duration of effects,hardiness,maturation time,branching,size,yield,caylx size,resistance to bugs and mold,adaptability are some traits to consider
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You select what you like most about a veg plant.
if it grows fast or slow, if it grows a lot of branch or a single stem, if it smells a lot or a little in veg, ease of care, resistance to pests, its speed of cloning. etc
These are all good things to look for, but some of the most potent plants out there are slow to root and notoriously hard to clone 
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Right now I have a Chernobyl I just flipped into flower
Prior to doing so, I took a single cutting (usually take more than one, in case any one cut doesn’t root) which I’m now holding in the 2x2
In about mid to late flower, I feel like I’ll know if the cut is worth keeping, BUT, the true test is finishing the plant and smoking the flower. What if it smells great, looks great but maybe doesn’t carry the potency you like? Or, maybe the overall effect isn’t where you want it? --thats why I think smoking the flower is important before fully deciding on a keeper
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All good info above…
I personally take more than 1 clone per plant, especially till you know how well she roots.
Research the strain for tips on this, someone may have already done the work for you. Then look for the identifying characteristics.
What strain/breeder?
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Only after smoking can you decide a keeper , everything else is for breeders to ponder over
: )
Make sure you have a clone of each , or a surrogate plant with all of the phenos graphed onto it and labelled , if plant count a problem
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I am partial to a stem rub in veg tho as a indicator but wouldn’t rely on that solely unless I had previously grew that strain and knew what smell I was looking for to help pre select and thin numbers
: )
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I took two from each because I’m quickly running out of space in the veg tent, but wanted to be sure I got a clone of all the girls.
It’s @CurtisCrosses Ice cream Dump truck ( orange icepop x curts kush)
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I’ve been doing stem rubs often but feel like so much can change in flower
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I keep a cut from each plant I run
Before harvest I look at
Shape / structure
Stem rub
Node spacing
Overall look
After harvest
Potency
Effect
Vigor
And the biggest is do I like the high
Yield ( but not a major factor)
Quality
Bag appeal is last ( i don’t sell )I just grow for family but I love it when it’s got that look
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One thing I look for is - does the plant easily clone? Does it root quickly ? It’s a nice feature if it does
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Another - Are the structure and height going to work efficiently in the grow system?
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