As our readers are aware, we view the majority of marijuana seeds breeders and sellers with disdain because they constantly rip growers off with inferior strains that have major genotype and phenotype problems, making them a frustrating waste of time to grow.

Most legacy Dutch seed breeders who used to dominate the cannabis seeds industry have lost their best genetics and are living off past glory. Hundreds of newer marijuana seeds companies have flooded the market with amateur crosses, epidemic hermie traits, dishonest marketing hype, and bulk seeds. That’s why we have a hard time recommending any marijuana strains or seeds companies these days.

Fortunately, one Dutch heritage breeder is always upgrading their strain list and strains to stay current and competitive. This company is Dutch Passion, founded in 1987 by cannabis genetics pioneer Henk van Dalen. Henk is credited with creating the first truly feminized seeds, and spent decades gathering proprietary cannabis genetics from across the world.

We’ve talked to Henk at Cannabis Cup events; he’s one of the most honest, transparent, educated, ethical cannabis seeds entrepreneurs ever. So it’s not surprising Dutch Passion keeps up with the latest new strain influences to incorporate them into their breeding programs. They’ve also upped THC percentages, and provide third-party lab analyses to prove it.

Further, Dutch Passion’s website is a role model for how a seed website should be. Written by a professional cannabis insider and communications professional who has been short-listed for the prestigious literary Booker Prize, DP’s website contains way more useful, detailed cultivation, strain origin, and strain effects information than any other seed breeder provides.

Now let’s take a look at a few of Dutch Passion’s fire new feminized, photoperiod strains:

Blue Zushi (Kush Mints x Zkittlez) is an Indica-dominant hybrid cannabis that gives you at least 25% THC. It’s known for a heavy terp profile leading to intense sour/fruit/lemon/gas tastes and scents. The strain handles outdoor cold-weather growing well, and generates very heavy harvests after 8-9 weeks in bloom phase. The effects are sedating, definitely an evening strain.

Mokum’s Tulip is a multiple award-winning Gelato x Sherbet cross with hybrid structure, and a strong but balanced high. Dutch Passion used a rare Gelato cut for this cross. Verified lab tests show THC percentages at least 26% if not more. The strain only needs 8-9 weeks in bloom phase to produce delicious-smelling buds that tend to smell sweet rather than acrid. Some phenos finish very fast. The hybrid high is paradoxically relaxing and stimulating, and harvest weight is average to above average.

Unlike most other seed companies, Dutch Passion is honest about hermie potential, and they warn that Mokum’s Tulip has a bit more hermie problems than others. Company founder Henk van Delen has always noted that feminized seeds are not “natural” seeds, so at least some hermie traits are likely to exist no matter how careful a breeding program is.

In our testing of hundreds of cannabis strains, we’ve found hermie traits prevalent in feminized seeds, and even in some non-feminized regular seeds. Hermie floral clusters generate pollen. Many growers blame plant stress for hermies, and it’s true that stress can trigger hermie traits, but the traits are already there, buried in the genetics. It’s nice there’s at least one seed company that lets you know when hermie traits are possible in a strain.

The good news is growers who’ve tested Mokum’s Tulip say the strain is so powerful and heavy-yielding that it’s worth taking the hermie risk.

Sour Tropicana Sherbet is a feminized photoperiod cross of an award-winning Sherbet mother and Sour Tropicana Cookies. Expect vigorous plants that are easy to grow! The Sherbet mother is a potent, stable foundation that easily produces 20-25% THC.

By crossing Sherbet with Sour Tropicana genetics, the terpene profile is unicorn with caryophyllene, humulene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, nerolidol, terpineol, fenchol and farnesene.Watch out for excessive bloom phase stretch. During the 9-10 week bloom phase, growers marvel over bud colors including purple, pink, rose, red, and orange. The high is energizing, but also has substantial body effects.

Sherbelato Cake is a cross of an award-winning Sherbet mother with Gelato and Wedding Cake. These individual fire dessert strains is very popular worldwide, but nobody has as successfully combined them as Dutch Passion. Sherbelato Cake is noteworthy for its very robust terpene profile including caryophyllene, linalool, humulene, limonene and farnesene.

After an 8-9 week bloom phase, you get a moderate to above-average harvest of very potent buds that give a powerful high that leans towards Sativa effects. Plant morphology and bud structure leans slightly towards the Indica side so you get gooey, tight buds.

Tropical Tangie is the purest Tangie seed strain you can get, and it’s our headline photo for this article. It’s Sativa dominant but only needs 8-9 weeks in bloom phase, and is higher yielding than most Sativa strains. Buds are fat, reeking of lemon, orange, tangerine, gas, and sweet fruit, giving you appealing tastes and scents. Plant structure is not as tall or gangly as regular Sativas—the strain’s natural profile is like a Christmas tree. The high is very buzzy and stimulating, ideal for making music or other creative tasks.

Melonade Runtz is a unique cross only available through Dutch Passion. It combines DP’s proprietary award-winning Lemon Z with Lemon Tree, Zkittlez, Gelato, and Runtz genetics, giving you a genotype nobody else offers. It’s an easy to grow strain that has a sturdy, short structure, strong branches, intensely-scented buds, and needs 9-10 weeks in bloom phase. The high has been described as “almost narcotic,” with THC percentages routinely testing at 25% and higher. In fact, novice users are warned to go easy on dosing until they get used to the extreme potency. Consumers report delicious tastes and scents that combine citrus with creamy desserts like gelato.

Pineapple Poison: Two of my favorite strains are Pineapple Express and Durban Poison. Both are like cannabis caffeine, with stimulating, creative, upbeat effects. This Sativa strain was made from an old-school Pineapple and a Dutch Passion Durban Poison.  The buds don’t smell exactly like pineapple—they also have the scent and taste of licorice and other citrus fruits. Bloom phase duration is 7-9 weeks, and you’re advised to do some topping in grow phase to ensure a wider canopy and decreased height. You’re likely to see foxtailing near end of bloom phase, and the chunky, dense buds give you a heavier harvest than from most other Sativa strains. The strain grows well indoors and outdoors, and can grow quite large and tall outdoors, yielding a kilo or more dried buds per plant.

Lemon Z is a potent, tasty combination of Lemon Tree, Lemon Skunk, and original Zkittle. Expect large yields of very resinous buds, a lot of limonene, heavy harvests, a 58-65 day bloom phase, and an energizing powerful high. Test show Lemon Z Buds have at least 25% THC!

Dutch Passion Provides Information On Strain Breeding

We mentioned earlier that Dutch Passion provides more grower-friendly information than any other cannabis seeds seller. One of their most recent data sets comes from Antonio, breeder of Dutch Passion’s recent limited edition seed drop, who explains how to breed connoisseur strains good enough to be sold commercially. Antonio is solely responsible for breeding three specialty strains: Triangle Sherbet Kush S1, Sour Tropicana Sherbet, and  Sherbelato Cake. Here are some of his strain breeding tips:

  • You partially learn cannabis breeding by reading botany books and from other sources, but only experience teaches you the full spectrum of skills needed.
  • Only use the most impressive, stable, phenotype/genotype-consistent males and females in your breeding projects.
  • Pollinate females in early to mid-bloom, using a small-angle, “detail” artist’s paintbrush.
  • Feminized cannabis seeds are usually made by “reversing” a female plant to create “female pollen” that contains no male chromosomes. When a normal female cannabis plant is pollinated with this pollen, it produces feminized seeds.
  • You know pollination is successful when white bud hairs (pistils) turn orange within 1-3 days of applying pollen.
  • Seeds needs 5-7 weeks to fully mature.
  • Pollinated buds look, smell, taste, and mature differently compared to unseeded buds.
  • LED grow lights (we recommend only those made by SANlight) are the preferred indoor lighting for cannabis.
  • Growing in cloth pots or air pots using a soil/coco mix and slow-release organic nutrients is Antonio’s preferred root zone and feeding protocol.

There have been some tragic disasters with cannabis strains recently, and growers are justifiably frustrated with seed companies selling defective seeds and strains. We haven’t yet grown all the strains in this article, but we know from growing past Dutch Passion strains, and networking with them, that they’re one of only a few seed companies still worth your trust and enthusiasm. And they now have a USA website, so seeds are easier to get than ever.

One other thing–although Dutch Passion strains grow well in any cannabis gardening situation, because the company is based in Europe where home growing is mostly illegal, many of their strains do especially well in small indoor grow tents and other clandestine spaces! Check out this comprehensive Mokum’s Tulip grow video…