The Dutch Passion Seed Bank: A History
When I think about the pioneers of the cannabis seed market, one of the first producers that comes to mind is the Dutch Passion Seed Bank. A Dutch cannabis seed bank that has been on the market almost from the very beginning of the industry.
Who owns Dutch Passion seeds?
Not without reason, the company started its activities in 1987, when it was founded by Henk van Dalen. Dutch Passion is a producer with an exceptionally wide range that is constantly growing from year to year. The producer is also a pioneer, having been the first to produce feminized seeds commercially and introduce them, setting new standards. But let’s start from the beginning…
The beginnings of the Dutch Passion Seed Bank Amsterdam
Dutch Passion officially started in 1987, but Henk (the founder) has been around for a long time. Henk started growing cannabis for his own use as early as 1972. During this period, he was a biology student at the University of Amsterdam (1970–1976).
Henk also took an active part in numerous lectures on pharmacy and was interested in and studied the effects of various psychoactive substances. Thanks to his field of study, his passion developed very quickly and he quickly gained recognition and respect among the cannabis community as an excellent grower.
Henk began by growing seeds unearthed from buds, which at that time were almost exclusively imported from countries such as Thailand, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. So he began to cross these seeds with each other and create completely new varieties and crosses, which soon afterwards were much better adapted to the Dutch climate than their parents.
Thanks to his numerous contacts, Henk obtained seeds from all over the world, thanks to which he was able to create more and more varieties and crosses. It quickly turned out that the cannabis grown from the seeds that Henk had grown was much better than that imported from Africa or Asia.
It was the moment when he realized that the future was to sell cannabis seeds so that everyone could grow weed for their own use, in their own garden or greenhouse. And so the thought entered Henk’s head …
Dutch Passion’s first years of hard work
In the early 1980s, people began to appreciate the quality of the marijuana grown in the Netherlands, which was already much better than that imported from Asia or Africa. Henk, using all the experience and knowledge gathered in recent years, decided to put everything on one card: the production of marijuana seeds.
Henk van Dalen founder of Dutch Passion
In 1987, he officially founded the Dutch Passion Seed Company, one of the first cannabis seed banks in the Netherlands and in the world. Thanks to him and people like him, almost everyone could start growing high-quality cannabis for their own use in a home greenhouse.
However, Henk did not stop at the seeds alone. In 1988, he opened a coffee shop in Amsterdam, aptly named “Homegrown Fantasy.”
It was the first coffee shop to sell only cannabis grown in the Netherlands. Currently, however, the Homegrown Fantasy coffee shop has a different owner.
Henk has earned the respect of many people for all the hard work he has put in to turn his passion into a way of life. In the early ’90s, he won numerous awards for his Haze/Skunk crossbreed.
Dutch Passion Feminized Seeds Revolution
dutch passion cannabis seeds revolutionized the seed market in the 1990s. Henk’s greatest discovery was the creation of “feminized” seeds, meaning only female seeds. It was a unique achievement because, as we know, cannabis in nature is a dioecious plant, i.e., there are both female and male specimens.
Unfortunately, for our needs, male plants are worthless and even threaten us with the possibility of a significant reduction in the quality of the crop. The creation of feminized seeds made the work of growers easier and allowed even the less experienced to start growing.
The following books helped Henk discover the possibility of feminizing cannabis seeds: Mel Frank / Ed Rosenthal’s “Marijuana Grower’s Guide” (1978), Robert Connell Clark’s “Marijuana Botany” (1981), and Jorge Cervantes’ “Indoor Marijuana Horticulture” (1983). These books led him to the trail that prompted him to experiment and make his first attempts to make small-scale female seeds, which, of course, Henk succeeded at.
Dutch Passion’s 30th anniversary
Feminized Cannabis strains
As of now, about 2/3 of all Dutch Passion sales are fem seeds, and some producers have completely abandoned the sale of regular seeds. Not surprisingly, feminized seeds have several benefits over regular seeds.
First of all, you don’t need to sow twice as many seeds as you need female plants, which means that in the event of a mishap, the consequences will be less. Second, we do not need that much space for the vegetative development of plants. Third, in the period when the plants begin to bloom, we do not have to worry that, by accident, an overlooked male specimen will pollinate our female bushes.
The autoflowering frenzy from Dutch Passion
Autoflowering varieties, also known as slot machines, have grown in popularity in recent years. Autoflowering is a type of cannabis whose plants do not bloom depending on the length of the day and night but on their age. Autos usually bloom after about 20–30 days of life, while standard, so-called seasonal varieties, bloom when the daylight hours are equal to the nighttime darkness.
In nature, it is usually late summer or fall, but when growing in a grow tent, when we can change the daily cycle from 6/6 to 12/12, most autoflowering cannabis strains from sprout to harvest are ready in about 10 weeks, which is a short period of time. In addition, the quality obtained from such plants does not differ much from the quality of seasonal varieties, which means that more and more people are choosing to grow them.
Dutch Passion is investing heavily in auto-flowering varieties due to the desire to improve them and the very high demand for this type of seed. Dutch Passion has several varieties to its credit that can undoubtedly be considered one of the best cannabis genetics that has ever been made, including Dutch Passion Auto Mazar, Auto Ultimate, and Think Different. These varieties are distinguished not only by a very fast period from sprout to harvest but also by the very high quality they provide.
Cannabis in medicine and recreation?
The undeniable fact is that each type of cannabis has medicinal properties. However, some of the compounds found in it have much greater medical potential than others. One of the compounds with the most extensive medical use found in cannabis is CBD or cannabidiol.
Unfortunately, current recreational varieties have very little of it. In 2012, Dutch Passion decided to change this, and the company partnered with CBD Crew, a producer of cannabidiol-rich seeds. This cooperation allowed us to introduce to the market Dutch Passion strains with a more complete medical application than ever and all this for patients who can now grow their medicine in the garden.
Dutch Passion at the marijuana show
In addition, cannabis strains with a high CBD content can be successfully used recreationally, if the user wants to relax and does not feel like having a psychoactive effect.
Dutch Passion today and tomorrow
Currently, Dutch Passion is one of the oldest, largest, and fastest-growing cannabis seed banks in Europe and the world. Thanks to its visionary approach, it has been setting new standards and paths in this industry for years, providing the highest quality seeds for gardeners and collectors all over the world.
Thanks to Henk’s passion, today you and I can develop your interest without any obstacles. Dutch Passion has contributed to the development of the cannabis culture and industry around the world and has made cannabis history forever.