Albino and leucistic strains: cultivation differences and what to expect
178 replies · Strain Discussion
I've been growing standard golden teacher for a year and I want to try an albino strain. I've heard they're more difficult to grow and more potent. What should I know before switching?
Albino strains tend to colonize more slowly and are more sensitive to contamination. The albino phenotype correlates with some environmental stress sensitivity — more stable conditions required, more careful sterile technique. Expect 20-30% longer colonization times.
The potency claims vary. Some albino strains (AAA, Albino Penis Envy) do appear to run consistently more potent, potentially related to PE genetics in their background. Other albinos are just pigmentation variants without potency differences. Don't conflate albino with potent automatically.
For a first albino: try Albino A+ or Malabar Albino before jumping to APE. More forgiving cultivation profile, still interesting genetics. APE is genuinely difficult and the potency means dose calibration errors have bigger consequences.
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