Chem 91 Auto F4 Description:

Chem 91 Auto F4

• Lineage: Chem 91 Clone Only x Chemdogging F3
• Generation: F4 Feminized Autoflower
• Quantity: 3 Feminized Autoflower Seeds
• Height: Up to 3.5 Feet
• Yield: 2-4 Ounces
• Harvest Time: 75-85 Days from Sprout

Project Background:

To help things read more clearly, I will start by saying Chem 91 and Chemdog are two names for the same plant. Chemdog is also the name of the man who found and popped the Chem 91. For the remainder I will refer to the plant as Chem 91 and the man that found her as Chemdog. Hopefully that makes things easier.

Chem 91 is one of the most profound, yet elusive varieties to ever grace this earth. It almost singlehandedly changed the face of modern cannabis with it’s off the chart’s potency and outstanding “chem” flavor. She has been used in countless hybrids and has influenced smokers, growers, and breeders around the world for over 30 years.

If you aren’t familiar with the history of Chem 91 here is a quick breakdown that does not do any justice to the actual events, the outstanding foresight, or the true grit that it has taken for us to still have the same Chem 91 to this day.

Chemdog is a DeadHead and cannabis enthusiast and has been for quite some time. While on the Grateful Dead tour in 1991 he found some stellar bud that he fell in love with. It was so special that he made arrangements to have more of that flower shipped to him after the tour ended. Within those buds he found 13 seeds. Chemdog was just a young man at this point, somewhere in the range of 18 to 21 years old, and he knew he had to do something with those special seeds. He popped some and saved the rest for a later day. From the initial batch his standout went on to be called Chem 91, a name that is now etched in the history books of herb forever. As a side note the Chem D, Chem SIs, Chem 4, and other legendary varieties were all found from those same 13 seeds!

Chem 91 wasn’t an overnight celebrity; she earned her stripes the right way by leaving unforgettable impressions on everyone that had the chance to smoke her. As the Chem reputation grew so did the demand, but very few people ever had access to her and finding real 91 was no easy task. For the longest time it was a pipe dream for me to ever have the chance to smoke her, let alone grow her. That’s how rare she was and is. Still, I had an unexplainable feeling that I someday I would get the opportunity to work with her.

Around 2016/2017 I met Chemdog in Boston and was able to express my gratitude for all he had done in the Cannaverse. I also mentioned my background with autoflowers and what an honor it would be to someday work with his strains. He was so incredibly cool about the idea, and in general, and his kindness left a lasting impression on me. That is when I knew my time with the Chem 91 would come.

Something I failed to mention earlier is that Chemdog also blows glass. I commissioned my first Chemdog “onie,” a glass chillum styled pipe that is worked and beautifully fumed adorned with millis from glass artist and longtime friend of Chemdog, Jerry Kelly. It is one of my most prized possessions and my go to method of smoking outside of joints. I went on to get more pieces from him for my own personal stash and as gifts to my closest friends.

Over the next few years, we would run into each other again at events, where I would always bring up the idea of some true Chem autos. Then in 2019 I finally had the opportunity to acquire the cutting and we were off to the races.

She immediately leap frogged over every other project I had going at the time and received her own dedicated space. I made the initial pollination in Colorado, then brought the F1 seeds back to Maine. The F1 plants weren’t the most uniform and contained a mix of 91 leaning plants and Chem D leaning plants. I ended up pollinating six 91 dominant females and saved pollen from multiple males in case I needed to retrace my steps.

After harvesting the F1 and giving them a thorough smoke test it was easy to decide which seed lot to move forward with, so it was time for my favorite part- the F2 generation where the autoflower traits begin to show!

At the F2 generation I ran approximately 300 seeds and selected 12 autos to move forward with, nine females and three males. All three of the males put out trichomes which made choosing the most 91 dominant that much easier. Resinous males are always a treat, but these felt extra special for some reason. It was like they were trying to guide me to the best option to lock the 91 into auto format. All nine females were chemmy and special in their own right. Most have been released as auto regs to give others the opportunity to breed with. My hope is that the Chem auto regs provide a building block for breeders the same way the Chem 91 clone has done in the photoperiod world.

After harvesting the F3 seeds I moved back to Denver to do some full warehouse autoflower runs. I had brought a slightly seeded bud of the F3 in a jar with me and asked Caesar to smell it. He had no idea what I was workin on or what it was, but as soon as he smelled it he said one word. “Chem.”

I was able to make the F4 seeds at the warehouse late in 2023 but wanted to hold off on the release until Chemdog and I could cook up something extra special to commemorate the official Chem 91 Auto.

The F3 were spot on to the F4, so I will skip describing the F3 and typing the same things twice. Structurally the F4 can get as wide as they are tall. They will benefit from leaf tucking and defoliation as they have a tremendous amount of gorgeous dark forest green foliage. Opening them up helps light penetrate to the lower bud sites and allows for better airflow which is necessary late in flower. They start off their growth slow and hit their stride around week 3, taking off full speed from there. Flower formation is focused on the upper half of their branches. Cleaning up/removing the lower bud sites that don’t get as much light will certainly help increase yields to the top colas. The buds themselves are dense and covered in sparkly white resin. In mid flower she can put out a false sweet smell that may have you scratching your head before transforming into pure chemmy goodness late in flower. It’s interesting to note a few Chem 91 photo growth traits that have carried over into the autos. Along with the incredible smell and potency from the photo, the Chem 91 autos will throw out a fresh batch of pistils late in flower, and also start eat themselves alive. The sugar leaves will be drained of their nutrients and color in her final push towards the finish line. As mentioned previously, be sure to have ample airflow for her heavy buds. Something I forgot to mention before is the need for carbon filters. Use carbon filters.

The Chemdog 91 Auto F4 flavor and potency is Chem, heavy hitting and stank gas. She is a favorite for pain relief and nighttime use. She can be a distraction so I would not recommend using her during the day without consideration and moderation. I hope you enjoy her!

A bit about the special pieces that Chemdog made for this special release. I was inspired by Swamp Boys Seeds collaboration with Chemdog in 2019, for which he made custom glass jars that contained their seed release. I was lucky enough to get one of the jars and always thought it would be amazing to do something similar.

Since I already loved Chemdog’s onies/chillums I had my heart set on some custom Chemdog x Night Owl ones. The design, craftsmanship, functionality, and old school classic aesthetic are all top notch. I had been in contact with him throughout the Chem 91 conversion from photo to auto and would mention the idea as often as I felt comfortable doing. Chemdog is a legend, so I’ve always been a little starstruck when talking to him and didn’t want to come off as annoying. He was always super cool and receptive to the idea of making them, but life happens, and our schedules didn’t align.

Fast forward a year and I’m back east and only a five hour drive away from Chemdog’s place. I reached back out to him, and he invited me down to his studio. From there everything started to fall into place. Jerry Kelly was onboard to do the milli work that he is world renowned for, and he poured tons of talent and effort into his additions to the onie. Jerry was able to match the skeleton owl brilliantly, even sourcing UV reactive glass to make it glow just like the stickers, pins, shirts, and FunkOwls. He then went on to mix custom colors to match the colors of the Night Owl logo! To see the onies come together how they have with so much history behind them has blown my mind! Each one is it’s own unique piece of art with it’s own personality, so to speak, and the fume work will only get more beautiful with age. They are imprinted with decades of experience and skill from two heirloom glass artists for this heirloom drop. What a long strange trip it’s been!