Multi-line

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

Two or more pure-breeding lines, which are very similar, but differ in a small part of the overall phenotype (i.e. maturation, disease resistance). The varieties are grown and bred separately but are subsequently mixed together and sold in the same seed package. These packs are a benefit to growers if the grower’s given environment is inconsistent from year to year, or for growers who are experimenting with growing in a new location.

For example, a multi-line may include a slightly earlier maturing variety with a slightly more mold-resistant variety; most other traits are equivalent in each population. The variations in performance of each variety with regards to mold or earliness of maturity ensure that there will be some harvest even in a year where only the early varieties finish (as a result of early rains), or even if mold is more prevalent during the particular grow season. If a grower is new to the area, multi-lines may be useful for the first few years of planting. It is always a shame to plant a single variety, only to find it is not suitable for the particular climate, thus wasting the year of production. The grower may not reap the highest yield as may be possible from a single hybrid variety particularly suited to the climate, but the degree of variation present in multi-lines helps to ensure that least some plants are harvested.