Dinafem Seeds review by WeedWorld's Own DreadyBob

Hello again everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying the springtime. It’s a good time to start off any seeds you may have and/or to prepare for some outdoor plants too. Lets hope this summer is slightly better than the last. Could do with a few more sunny days for everyone who likes a bit of the guerrilla gardening styles.

Well, for this review I am going to have to retract something that I said in an earlier issue. The issue in question was Issue No. 59 on page 115. Now if you can remember that far back, I did a review on seeds and a simple method for germination. Well within that review, you may recall me saying that I was not in favour of the feminising of seeds.. I put them down quite severely and really I was wrong to do that. I like to class myself as an intermediate grade breeder of cannabis and the view I had on feminised seeds was quite a ‘tunnel vision’ view to say the least. I was quite quick to say that feminised seeds were rubbish and were not good gene stock. But to be honest, they are not for breeding. That is what the regular seeds are for. Feminised seeds are made from chemically treating female plants so that they produce male flower points which in turn, cause the plant to seed, but because the male flowers came from a female plant you have a 99% chance of the seed being female. The only problem is you can only get one grow out of a feminised seed and that is all. But I think that was what was intended of them. They are a way for the seed companies to keep you coming back for more. Clever I suppose if you are a seed company hey..?

So now I have taken back my words about feminised seeds, I would like to talk to you about a seed company that only deals with feminised seeds.. There are a few companies now that only sell feminised seeds but the one in question today is a Spanish company called Dinafem Seeds. Some of you may have had the chance to speak to these guys if you attended the UK Hemp Expo in London. They had a stand at the show and it was a great time to see their whole seed range and to ask them some questions. And to be honest, it was these guys that totally changed my view on feminised seeds. Up until that point, I had totally avoided feminised seeds and dismissed them as rubbish and of no use to me. But now I realise their use and I have accepted that I was wrong to judge them as I did.

So, Dinafem Seeds is a Spanish company, they have been in business since 2002 and they have some good strains on the go that I think you will enjoy. I am going to pretty much tell you about all of their selection to date. I am really only covering the strains that are within their 2009 catalogue and also some of the text from it too. They are always adding to the list though so there are always more to come.

You must excuse me for the lack of photos of the strains other than the standard issue Dinafem shots, but in my defence I have not grown one from start to finish yet and so did not want to show pictures of an incomplete grow. I think I will do another review in the future to show off their pictures and new strains. But for those of you who have access to the Internet, there is a way of being able to see some of these strains actually being grown with some great pictures to view.

So if you are interested in having a look you must go to the Skunk Forums website: https://skunkforums.org (and yes, that is without the www). You will then have to become a member to access the members area. Once in, in the members area, there is a link to a sub-forum called “The Great Dinafem Grow Out”. Within this area, you can see most of the strains within grow diaries showing them from start to finish. This site is a very useful site with a lot of knowledgeable people on hand to help answer your questions and help you with your grow problems.. Much better than that old uk420 rubbish… LOL Ooooh, was that a dig or what? Ha ha!!

Right now, before we go off track too much, back to the strains on offer by Dinafem Seeds. The strains within Dinafem’s 2009 catalogue are as follows (excluding their auto flowering range as I will mention them at the end): Diesel, Industrial Plant, Blue Fruit, California Hashplant, Blue Hash, White Widow, Blue Widow, Moby Dick, Moby Hash, Power Kush, Shark Attack, Critical+, Royal Haze, Santa Sativa and Super Silver. So they do have quite a good range of strains for you to try and I promise, they are worth having a look at. I have been lucky enough to try two of their strains whilst I was in the South of France and both of them were excellent and I was very impressed. In fact, it was most probably the effects and the looks of the Moby Dick strain that really made me think twice about feminised seeds.

Well anyway, lets talk a little about each strain and their specifications. I must say that most of this next section is taken straight out of the 2009 catalogue because it was by far the best description of each plant and also a standard issue picture of most of the plants is supplied from Dinafem too. Thank you Guilhem for getting them to me!!

Diesel

First up is the Diesel. Yet another legend created in the United States of America. The history of this variety’s genetics is too long to explain here, but basically it comes from the ChemDawg line, a curious strain that is said to need high chemical feed to bring out all the intense, long lasting, rich sweet flavour it has to offer. When grown organically it’s called Dawg and when grown chemically, it’s called Chem. The strain, which made its way to NYC via a grower who got cuttings, crossed Superskunk x Northern Lights, and came up with Diesel, named for the diesel-like smell of the fresh buds. The strong points of this variety are its distinct lemon-lime flavour mixed with tangerine and a touch of diesel fuel. The plant is mellow due to its low CBD content; the high is much more cerebral than physical. It is easy to grow, moderately mould resistant in cool outdoor areas. It’s excellent production makes it a great choice for outdoor gardens, especially if flavour is the number 1 factor. It has a flowering period of between 60 and 70 days, can reach a height of 3 meters outdoors.

It is an Indica-Sativa cross with a more Sativa dominance.

Industrial Plant

Second one is the Industrial Plant. The first strain that was specially adapted to be grown under artificial light, a cross between a high-yielding Afghani Indica and a Thai Sativa, was created in the seventies in Seattle, Washington. This new strain was developed and established over years, giving rise to the first breed of cannabis designed to produce the maximum possible yield. It was called Northern Lights (aurora borealis), a strain that has had a tremendous global impact, crossed successfully by hundreds of thousands of growers all over the world. The reasons? For greater yields in less time than any other seeds normally available. High yield, low height, powerful and few leaves to clean - that’s what makes this variety a good example of quantity and quality. Pine wood aroma with hints of lemon and black pepper, powerful body and head high, this exceptional strain is the foundation of the haze and skunk crosses in Europe, and is one of the parents of “Jack Herer,” the best-known variety in history. It grows with few side branches, wide leaves and a dark green colour, and most of the production in the main stalk; It has a typically Indica look – thick, sparse, very dark leaves and thick stems. A combination of a body-head high with a pleasantly sedating psychoactive effect. It has a flowering period of between 45 and 50 days, can reach a height of 2.5 meters outdoors. It is an Indica-Sativa cross with a more Indica dominance.

Blue Fruit

Next is the Blue Fruit. This variety was originally developed in the mountains of Oregon, USA and later spread throughout America and Canada, where it was massively cultivated, selected, developed and enhanced. The original genetics was a cross between a purple Mexican variety, a Thai Sativa and an original Afghani high-yield strain. This strain is known internationally to be less stable than most seeds normally found for domestic use. But that doesn’t keep it from being deliciously aromatic and having an incredible purple-violet autumn colour that makes it one of the most beautiful around.

The instability is seen in mutant plants that grow deformed leaves, but when they flower they are surprisingly aromatic and resinous. This cannabis tastes sweet and fruity, like sweet red berries; in some cases the smoking flavour is so intense it produces a long-lingering aftertaste, which is why this is one of the most highly sought after strains by fans of this variety. It has a flowering period of between 56 and 70 days, can reach a height of 3 meters outdoors. It is an Indica-Sativa cross with a more Indica dominance.

Hashplant

California Hashplant is next up. Over several years of selective breeding in outdoor conditions, with high humidity and low light levels, focussing on fast flowering, high production and good mould resistance, 2 sister plants were selected and crossed together to produce the California Hashplant. It is a pure Indica plant and is typically short and bushy in appearance. It has a medium strength and a sedative effect due to its CBD content, quite similar to the effects of smoking hash, as its name suggests. It is therefore a good strain for medical users with nervous disorders or sleeping difficulties. Its flowering period indoors is 45-50 days and outdoors it will be ready to harvest by the beginning of October. It is a good and fast producer and outdoors can reach a height of between 2 and 3 meters if left to get on with it.

Blue Hash

Next on the list is the Blue Hash. This strain comes from crossing the California Hashplant with a good Blueberry strain to produce a strain similar to the California Hashplant but with the Blueberry flavour with slightly bigger and heavier buds. Again, the Blueberry genetics were selected outdoors focussing on things like quality, production and mould resistance. This strain is a very good outdoor plant and a very good producer. It can reach a height of 3 meters and is also a good choice for high altitude mountain growing as it can withstand the cold nights a lot better. Cultivated on the South Pyrenees, at an altitude of 1,500 m, it has proven to be a delicacy and a real beauty. It has good strength, like Indica, with a strong psychoactive effect. It has a flowering period of between 50 and 55 days. It is a Sativa Indica cross with a more Indica dominance.

White Widow

The White Widow. In the late nineties, White Widow earned admiration the world over, for all the right reasons, as it was something new and different with more resin than any other strain at the time. It is an Indica-Sativa hybrid with clear Indica predominance. Not very vigorous, it has many side branches making it easy to control indoors. The leaves are small, dark and shiny, whilst remaining quite wide. The smell of the stems rubbed between your fingers is deep, sweet & sour and very strong; it is important to use carbon filters indoors. Production may be lower than for other strains but its resin-coated flowers, offering very good strength and a mixed physical and mental medicinal effect, which is truly pleasurable, compensate this. The flowering period lasts around 60 days indoors, which is necessary for maximum resin production; it is advisable to leave them in complete darkness for the last 5 days, to increase resin production as much as possible. This technique also increases the concentration of essential oils and flavours, so it is recommended if you want a very tasty final product. In outdoor conditions it can reach a height of between 2 and 3 meters.

Blue Widow

The Blue Widow is next. This F1 hybrid of Blueberry and White Widow has been created to give flavour, taste and colour. The intense sweet & sour taste of White Widow and the forest berry aroma of Blueberry, when mixed, create a blend of fruity sweets that smells like chewing gum. Due to its Blueberry heritage, in low outdoor temperatures this plant displays autumnal colours, turning from blue to purple and even reddish colours when the temperature drops even further. It also grows somewhat taller than pure White Widow, displaying larger internodal distance as well. It has great upward growth and can double in size as it starts flowering making it a good choice for a SCROG. Outdoors it can reach 3m tall which, along with good dry weight production, the precocity of the blue mother and the resin production and sedative power of the White Widow father, guarantees high production. It shows good mould resistance but particular care is recommended during the last two weeks of flowering, because the size of the buds increases significantly which can lead to the appearance of mould. It has a flowering period of between 50 and 55 days, can reach a height of 3 meters outdoors. It is an Indica-Sativa cross with a more Indica dominance.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick. The best known strain in the Dinafem catalogue, it is also one of the strongest and very typically sativa. It is the result of crossing the 2 best clones of their Mother Plants, a sativa with an indica. Moby Dick is their most psychoactive strain with a concentration of up to 21% THC and the presence of THCV, a substance present in equatorial sativas produced in response to the sun’s ultraviolet rays; this substance makes the effect of the THC stronger, to the point that the effect can be felt after just 2 or 3 puffs. The low CBD concentration helps to make the effect psychoactively intense and long lasting. It speeds you up both physically and mentally and the come down is long, slightly physical and noticeable. It produces great hunger and thirst, and it is advisable to eat and drink well, to counteract its effects. Due to this increase in appetite, it is recommended to treat the secondary effects of chemotherapy and anorexia. To develop this strain to its full potential, it needs a lot of light, up to 800 watts per square metre and a very high E.C between 1.5 and 2.00 as this strain needs more feeding than most of the strains. It has a flowering period of between 60 and 70 days and outdoors will easily reach 3 meters in height. And in my opinion is the best one in their range so far.

Moby Hash

Moby Hash is the sister plant to Moby Dick, showing many similarities. Due to sativa dominance, its main features include fast growth, vigour in all kind of situations, mould produces more than its sister plant thanks to its cross with the California Hash Plant which raises productivity. It grows a lot, needing a good supply of fertilizer to maintain strong development. It also needs plenty of light and water. Light is a crucial factor, particularly indoors, and it is essential to use 600 w per square metre to reach full potential. Height increases significantly during flowering, which should be kept in check depending on available indoor height. Flowering lasts between 60 and 70 days, producing large main buds with protruding calyxes similar to the California Hash Plant but fatter and shorter with an enormous resin production and outdoors it can reach a height of 3.5 meters!!

Power Kush

Power Kush. This is the most endogamic strain that Dinafem have developed. A single original mother plant grown over many years, the Power Kush has provided descendants which are all grandchildren of that one plant. For that purpose, S1 seeds, or self-pollinated first generation seeds were created. These seeds were cultivated and later selected, aiming to keep plants which were similar to the mother plant, which was an indica-skunk hybrid, used for commercial production supplying Amsterdam coffee-shops. The best two of these S1 daughter seeds were selected and their cross finally gave the Power Kush seeds that are sold. The result gives greater stability than other breeding systems which, in addition to the vigour of the strain, has given us seeds with skunk/ afghani genetics providing very predictable and commercial results. They grow well, the leaves are big, wide and long, so the plant can make the most of the light. They flower quickly, producing a harvest of buds covered in white and orange hairs, particularly popular in Amsterdam, an abundance of resin and a sweet skunk smell with a light touch of orange and strawberry. The effect is physical and mental; the strength is astonishing but no real coincidence if we take into account that skunk was the queen of Holland during the nineties and was developed quickly to produce great quality that has been maintained as much as possible to the present day. Flowering lasts from 45 to 55 days and is made from a 50-50 cross between Indica and Sativa.

Shark Attack

Shark Attack. This indica dominant strain is mostly important for 3 reasons: the white layer of resin that it produces, its medicinal effect due to its high CBD content and its intense indica aroma and taste. It relaxes the body and muscles very noticeably, like hashish, and the effect is strong and pleasurable. The leaves are wide, short and very dark with an indica smell; if you rub the stems there is an intense aroma offering a prelude to the strong sweet & sour aroma that the flowers will produce. It gives medium production, ripening completely after around 55 days. The buds are white with a very pungent smell and, when smoking it, the smoke is dense and pleasant. Highly recommended for medicinal use, its great CBD content ensures deep and repairing sleep and it also relieves a whole variety of aches and pains. The best medicinal quality is obtained by growing this plant biologically, combined with a good flushing with plenty of water and stimulators before cutting it. More Indica dominant.

Critical+

Critical+. Selected by a great grower from Bilbao to whom we owe this little marvel, for a wide variety of good reasons, this plant won the 1st High Life Cup in Barcelona. The most interesting feature of this strain is without a doubt the intense aroma and taste that it produces; it smells like fruity skunk, but its smell is very strong which could pose a real problem particularly indoors where the use of carbon filters is a must until it is totally dry and packaged. It is important to emphasise that when smoked, even mixed with tobacco, the original taste comes through and it does not taste like burnt grass. It is really intense from start to finish and a real pleasure to smoke, leaving a great aftertaste. It grows like a sativa and it looks a sativa with slim, narrow leaves, not too dark, long and quite thin stems for the size of their flowers. It has a lot of side branching with a short internodal distance which improves production. It is advisable to control the height before flowering, due to its tendency to grow rapidly during this period. During this flowering period it shows all its potential, when what looks like a sativa becomes a super-producer that outstrips all other strains. It is great for SCROG systems; flower development is really fast and it is ready to harvest in 45/50 days with 12 hours of light indoors.

Royal Haze

Royal Haze. High quality sativas produce clear psychoactive effects, without the feeling of sleepiness or tiredness. The presence of THCV, a compound that makes the stimulant effect of THC stronger, and the absence of CBD are key factors to the length of the effect, as it can last for several hours, without the sensation of lethargy or tiredness. It is not easy to create this quality of plants whilst maintaining high production. Royale Haze meets both requirements: the effect is true sativa and it produces like crazy as long as its gets a lot of light, plenty of water, a lot of fertilizer, and just 70 days of flowering. The aroma is really spicy, with a subtle sweet skunk tone in some of them, which is rich, complex and tasty. Out of the 3 sativas that Dinafem have produced, this is the best mixture of extreme strength, sativa quality and high production.

Santa Sativa

Santa Sativa. Moby Dick’s sativa cousin is equally demanding in terms of light and feeding providing better a quality effect than its cousin, higher, more mental and not so heavy. It grows vigorously and quickly and needs quite a lot of space to grow properly. It adapts very well to SCROG and can easily be bent outdoors to limit its height. Predominant scents include wood and pine with a touch of spices, giving a strong smell after it has been cured; the THC level is very high, giving a strong and clear effect with a gentle somewhat physical comedown. Extremely powerful and has a flowering period of 65 to 70 days.

Super Silver

The final one in the standard range is the Super Silver. The spicy scent, delightful taste of haze and an intense psychedelic effect are the main features of this strain; it also has great mould resistance and can reach a huge size if cultivated outdoors in good soil in a sunny environment. It is not unusual for it to reach 4 meters in the right conditions, with production of up to 1500g of shiny resin coated flowers. As with all high production sativas, it needs a lot of nutrients, particularly iron, zinc, magnesium and nitrogen, and a pH under 6.3 for healthy development. It is suitable for SCROG or for being tied and bent outdoors which is sometimes the only option to camouflage it properly, unless your neighbours are friendly plant lovers. Very high strength, long duration, stimulates creativity and appetite, this strain is appropriate for disorders such as anorexia. This strain has a flowering period of between 70 and 80 days.

So, that is it as far as the standard range goes. There are though a few more options to their seed list. They also do an auto flowering strain. It is called the Roadrunner. Now an auto flowering plant is a plant that is not governed by a photoperiod and so it will automatically flower. In short, this strain will, from seed germination, complete its flowering cycle in just 60 days!! From seed!! So makes for a very good outdoor producer that is hard to spot. As it is quite short in appearance.

Dinafem Mix

They also do a Dinafem mix which is pretty much an unknown mix of all their seeds. This is due to their packaging process and the seeds that get mixed up. Rather than waste them, Dinafem package them as a mix.. A bit of a lucky dip really. So waste not want not and all that ha ha!!

Now all of their seeds come in an Eppendorf container and then placed in a metal tin to protect the seeds until they are needed. They come in packs of 3, 5 and 10 depending on how many you need. They recommend that the seeds be stored at a temperature of 6 degrees C with a high surrounding humidity. They also recommend a germination temperature of 24 degrees C for best results. Within the Eppendorf container is an amount of colour changing silica pearls and a plug of smaller carbon style crystals to ensure no air or moisture gets to the seeds whilst in storage and transport. So Dinafem have paid some extra attention to the seed packaging process and are pioneering this method of seed storage. So lets see if it catches on.

Right that is almost it for this review, I just have to tell you where you can get these seeds if you wish to try them. There are many places to go and find Dinafem seeds as they are getting noticed more and more all the time but if you want to have a direct link, send an email to Guilhem at SALES@DINAFEM.ORG and he will answer all your questions and enquiries. Also, you can send your emails to Weed World itself and they will point you in the right direction. Again, if you would like to see the strains in action, go to https://skunk forums.org and check out the Great Dinafem Grow Out sub forum within the members area.

Well I hope you all enjoyed that, a little longer than usual but it was worth letting you all know about this wonderful seed company. I have at last let some feminised seeds into my room after saying they were crap. I have tried the Moby Dick and the Blue Hash and I have to say they were absolutely mind blowing and well worth a try. I will follow up this review in the future and show you some good pictures of these strains in action. But for now I hope some of you go out and get some of these seeds. It is a perfect time to get some outdoor ops on the grow so get out there and spread the seed!! A big up thanks goes out to Guilhem and all the guys at Dinafem, well done all!!

Peace to you all, toke it eazy

Dreadybob out….

NB: No information given in this article is to be used for any illegal purposes. This information can only be used in countries where it is legal to grow Marijuana.