PCG Background:
Purple City Genetics is an Oakland, California-based cannabis collective founded in 2008. We were born out of the medical movement, primarily with smaller indoor growers who always had their finger on the pulse with respect to consumer preferences, both current and also what the next vanguard cultivars were likely to be. This type of close connection to the community of growers, cultivators, farmers and producers has been one of our greatest allies from a cultivar selection and breeding process. As a result, many farms now look to us to ask ‘What should we grow next year? What’s going to be the next big thing?”. The genesis of our breeding program extended from the same desire we’ve always had: to provide new, unique and vanguard cultivars to farmers with trends, terroir/microclimate considerations and end-use cases in mind (i.e. top shelf flower, hash, biomass, etc.). We’ve always found setting trends is a lot more exciting than chasing them, and breeding exemplifies this for us.
PCG Breeding Philosophy:
From a philosophy perspective, we care deeply about the plant which faces an ever-evolving set of challenges, both human and botanical. From a breeding perspective, our mission is to provide the best genetics possible. This means searching through hundreds of thousands of seeds every year looking for just one or two cuts worthy of the Purple City Genetics roster: high THC, unbelievable terps, high return in concentrates.
PCG Breeding Program:
Our breeding program is geared towards broad acre use, strong agronomic plants, but with buyers in mind who want a variety of popular flavors and terpenes. The program is created from an extensive archive of genetics that range from rare and emerging exotics to the canonical standards. Our seed line is a true expression of California’s diverse cannabis heritage—shaped with both farmers and tastemakers in mind. We offer a broad range of feminized, autoflower, and standard photoperiod seeds to solve for the diverse needs of cannabis farmers regardless of environment or end use case (ie top shelf flower, live resin via mechanical extraction, etc.)
Why Seeds vs Clones:
Many growers ask “Why seeds over clones?”. Compared to clones, seeds offer increased yields at lower cost, stronger taproots and immune systems, elevated THC and terpene levels, and more pest/viroid resistance. Seed based plants are a known standard for more established agricultural sectors, and we are starting to see a major shift in the marketplace with cannabis farmers who are seeing the light with respect to starting from seed vs clone.
PCG 2021 Limited Retail Seedlings:
Our limited edition seedling offering for select dispensaries offers the newest PCG selections that commercial cultivators are selecting to grow this season but aren’t available to consumers in seed or clone form. The small batch nature of PCG retail seedlings ensures that home growers that want to be on the cutting edge of genetics have access to what’s typically only reserved for commercial farmers. Some of the releases are varieties that also won’t even be available to commercial farms and will only be available in the dispensary seedling drops. One of the best examples of this category of PCG varietals is our upcoming Tropical Gushers. It’s a 8-10 week strain, and is an 50/50 hybrid. Terpene notes can range from Gassy and creamy to fruity. The lineage is Forbidden Fruit x (F1 Durb x Gushers). This is a prime example of a rare and emerging exotic cultivar bred by PCG.
Forbidden Fruit & Forbidden Fruit Crosses:
Why is it rare and exotic? When we bred Tropical Gushers, we were aiming to create a truly standout exotic Gelato-style cultivar. Forbidden Fruit was on our clone menu for years, and while it was highly popular and had an unreal terpene profile, it didn’t clock particularly high on the THC% or potency front. What it lacked in those departments it more than made up for with it’s deep cherry and tangie terpenes (Forbidden Fruit’s lineage Cherry Pie x Tangie). As the market demand for higher and higher THC% requirements has risen substantially over the last few years, our goal was bring the best of Forbidden Fruit’s terpene notes into a modern, vanguard variety that would check off all of the boxes for even the most discerning of customers today. The result is a potent cultivar with Gelato-esque cake, frosting and dough terps layered onto exotic fruit notes that don’t remind you of any one particular fruit, but tropical fruit in general.
While we pheno hunted the F1 Durb x Gushers and found a next level pheno, the inclusion of the F1 Durb component speaks to our breeding philosophy around reintroducing older cultivars back into the cannabis gene pool. This approach provides refreshing and reminiscent terp profiles and experiences. Tthe addition of classic varietals into the breeding mix with strains like Gushers, add an extra layer of richness to what’s already considered ‘exotic’ in today’s market.
From an agronomic and traits standpoint, the net result of the breeding work we’ve done with Tropical Gushers. is a more potent, higher testing version of Forbidden Fruit. With the inclusion of F1 Durb, the cross shares unique complexities on the, nose, taste and finish that California consumers are after today with a combo of something familiar, new and also unexpected.
Final Thoughts on the Tropical Gushers Drop:
Part of the reason we launched the small batch seedling program is for consumers to have fun playing with something different, and also with the wild card that comes with seed-dased plants since phenos can differ from one another. For as unique as the Tropical Gushers cross is in and of itself, growers will love the thrill of the hunt when growing any of our small batch seedlings. These are only dropping one-time, and not available in seed or clone form. Part of the excitement is in the magic and mystery of being delighted by what your specific seedling blossoms into. When you crack open a jar of Tropical Gushers at a party, you’ll not only turn heads, you’ll literally have something that no one else on earth has.
Eric Rosen is the Sales director of Purple City Genetics. He holds an MBA from The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. When he’s not traveling around the state consulting with cultivators, he lives in Los Angeles and enjoys spending time with his wife, 3 kids and their Pandemic Puppy, Mushu.
