I was a fanboy. I’ve already grown their whole classic catalog, minus a couple of the most “recent” strains named after big names on which I’ve not paid much attention. I totally ignored their frankenseeds lines, so can’t tell much on them.
Then I passed almost the year to compare the 2023 releases on some lines with their 2010/2015 and early 2000 versions. All prices range. I’ve to add that I inbred everything, it’s a long range point of view.
I’m saying this because most of people sharing critic with me on this label (a lot too much for my taste considering what i see in growlogs) have actually never grew a single plant of what they criticize. And are generally unable to describe me some details only a grower of the said strain can know.
So yes, your defiance is quite legit from my point of view.
My feedback isn’t good, overall. But ambivalent.
The quality of seeds don’t pass any QC anymore, calibration just don’t exist also. Even in the three digits packs.
By example to get two reliable specimens from the previous 10pack of California Indica i was forced to extract the embryos from immature seeds, only one seed growed normally. And you can see, i’m good for another surgery again. On the Big Bud i got good seeds, but they were obviously F1xS1 so i got only two reliable specimens (not herm to the bone) on 21 and not from the same batch. The difficulties encountered are a bit random.
On customer service, i find their system very inspiring and reactive. But random also. First ticket, they took one week to react but nothing to complain about. Good contact, skilled and comprehensive. Second ticket, terrible. The person don’t even understood the pictures i sent (immature seeds, embryos extraction) and what i said.
That’s my pure feedback and i’ve nothing to promote, to sell and any rep/credibility to build to sell bibles door-to-door ^^. I’m also not the guy that will crack a pack and rename it “pre-something” to hide my sourcing. I don’t give a fuck so, except to prevent some that are ready to throw money on it that they should be ready to fight. It’s the new deal.
Now on the genetics, it’s where the ambivalence exist. I’m still able to read the same phenotypes, their singularity still exist and even for the Big Bud by example, i was surprised by the drastic gain in potency (still a recessive phenomenon).
Now my personal opinion, that i don’t take for a fact at all :
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Still worth the ride to hunt before they totally destroy their genpool for good, but it’s general and not concerning only sensi seeds. The bias is that i already know most of their strains and even some of their P1, and also their progeny on a bit more than one shoot repros. So i’ve a compass to fight against the fallout and to dodge bullets.
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If money is a problematic in term of budget : wait the promotions and focus only on cheap strains. When shit happens, the rape is less painfull with a 15 bucks pack that a three digit one. MLI is actually totally in this vein.
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Being used to inbred and (really) maintain a line is necessary to play with their regs. The time when you obtain a nice motherplant in one shot is over for good. The females are not directly competitive, just the potential. You have to screen out the shit and to heal the line, it obviously mean more than F2. Literrally, to finish their job. Thanks for the fishes, Alan.
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Ortega is not rare. After all it’s just a NL in a way, one of the most used line in hybrids. The Sensi one is cheap actually, but shoot a message to @Baudelaire or try to grab an auction on Mr Nice at the same time. Buying the three is what i will do if i was interested specifically by this strain.
Hope it help, and let’s say that it’s possible to be more lucky and less disappointed/pissed than me. I’m just talking about a lot of seeds overall, mechanically …