James Loud Genetics shares 3 tips for new growers and their top recommendations!
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3 Tips For New Growers

Start small and stay consistent
Fewer plants mean less complexity and faster learning. Start with four to six plants max, and grow the same cross rather than mixing multiple varieties. This allows you to identify patterns in growth, nutrition, and structure, while also teaching you how individual plants express differently, even among sisters.

Genetics set the ceiling
Start with proven, stable cultivars. Varieties with Blue Dream, LCG, Runtz, or Tangie lineage tend to be more forgiving and easier to manage, which builds confidence early. More finicky lines like OG Kush or Cookies can require multiple cycles to dial in and often frustrate beginners. Set yourself up for early success.

Follow one system and track everything
Do not combine multiple sources of advice. Pick one approach and follow it precisely. Document your full process, and when making adjustments, change only one variable at a time. Track yield and quality, with quality as the primary metric. Real skill comes from repetition and problem solving over time, not guessing. Everyone starts somewhere, consistency is what separates average from exceptional.

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Favorite Breeding Project

My favorite breeding work right now is my upcoming 420 release built around the Double Lemon Cherry crosses, along with several Runtz-based projects. What excites me about this work is the level of diversity I brought into it. I am incorporating a wide range of unique cultivars, including Dream Candy, RBK OG Kush, GMO, NL5 Haze, 24k, Chem91, Oregon Blueberry, and Bananaconda, to create new expressions of what is popular right now while still pushing things forward.

What makes this project stand out for me is not just the genetics, but the process. It is the first full run I have completed in Rockwool, where I was able to precisely steer the crop using Grodan’s Gro-Sense system. That level of control gave me a much deeper understanding of irrigation strategy, VPD, and dew point, and how those variables directly influence plant performance and final expression.

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Story From The Garden

I’ve been doing this long enough to remember when charcoal filters weren’t standard. Back in 1997 to 1998, we were building our own with five gallon buckets and loose carbon.

The first run I ever did of Oregon Blueberry with those homemade filters barely smelled. I thought we had it figured out. Then came the next run, a Chemdog variety in my garage under six lights. The smell was overwhelming, completely uncontrollable. Neighbors over 200 feet away were convinced there was a skunk loose in the neighborhood. They kept asking me and my wife if we had seen it. We told them yes, of course.

We tried everything to manage it. Strong smelling companion plants, orange oil sprays, anything we could think of. Nothing worked. The plant just overpowered it all. Somehow, we got lucky and avoided any real issues, but at that time people were getting serious time for far less.

We were among the early wave of people with medical cards in California, but back then that card was not something you could rely on to protect you. You had to be sharp, resourceful, and a little lucky. That run taught me quickly that some varieties don’t just grow, they announce themselves whether you are ready or not.

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Strain Recommendations