Mixing Strains

[Kelleytoons]

So this morning I'm sitting here trying to decide what I might partake of after a nice tennis match and I read about someone mixing strains.

What are folks opinions on this? Does anything think it makes a real difference?

I ask because to me, it's magic enough when I take any single strain. Which is to say, I never really know how well it will hit, or what effects I'll get. I know in a very GENERAL way, mind you, but sometimes things come on like gangbusters which never did before, or sometimes my favorites just aren't hitting. And I know you've all experienced that.

It just seems to me mixing things would be SUCH a hit or miss it wouldn't be worth it. But I want to hear from everyone - what's the consensus and what are your strategies (and best practices)?

[Roofdog]

So this morning I'm sitting here trying to decide what I might partake of after a nice tennis match and I read about someone mixing strains.

What are folks opinions on this? Does anything think it makes a real difference?

I ask because to me, it's magic enough when I take any single strain. Which is to say, I never really know how well it will hit, or what effects I'll get. I know in a very GENERAL way, mind you, but sometimes things come on like gangbusters which never did before, or sometimes my favorites just aren't hitting. And I know you've all experienced that.

It just seems to me mixing things would be SUCH a hit or miss it wouldn't be worth it. But I want to hear from everyone - what's the consensus and what are your strategies (and best practices)?

I use 2 strains that have "hit" consistently. I always mix 50/50 and most of the time it is excellent (95%). I mix with just about every dose unless Im checking out something I just bought. This opens up a new world in effects, at least for me. As always this is my opinion. Some people i have read mix 3 or 4 together, ive never done this I just stick to 2.

[Lokey]

I've heard a lot that blending a red with a white for example the strains complement each other. The red tones down the stimulation of the white and adds pain relief. Combining also gives your body a wider variety of alkaloid profiles especially if from different batches and vendors that may work synergistically to feel like a brand new strain so can break through some tolerance issues.

[Kelleytoons]

Sigh. You guys realize this could complicate my life. A LOT <bg>.

With a little less than 100 different strains (all in bottles of 100+ capsules I made myself) the combinations are... well, let's not say infinite but definitely well beyond my lifespan (5000+ combos of just TWO - make it three and we are up to around 150K).

I will never even take 5000 doses in my lifetime (my very limited lifetime. Big sigh).

Still want to hear more thoughts on this, however (I'm a glutton for punishment).

[Kelleytoons]

So today I purposefully tried an experiment - I used some Denette's green (Lanay, if memory serves). And then an hour later I added a gram of a totally undistinguished red from a mass market vendor I had been meaning to give or put or throw away. An hour from THAT and I was in heaven.

It wasn't just the green - by itself it was serviceable - and the red, as I've said, was basically trash. But somehow TOGETHER they made a truly wonderful experience, on par with that fluke I had the day before (with the white and red).

So while it's dangerous and not particularly scientific to draw conclusions from only two tests, I'm wondering some things:

1) Does mixing even a so-so strain with something better result in more power?
2) Is it always a red that's good to mix with either a white or green?
3) Are mixtures nearly always this good?

Obviously there are no absolutes, not when strain colors themselves are mostly hit or miss (one vendor's reds may be another's greens, and vice versa) but it just seems very odd that I've had two amazing experiences in two days. As I said earlier in this thread, I don't have enough time left in life to really experiment or come close to all the various combinations, but I'm really encouraged now to try, and to make it a habit (at the very least until it completely stops working for me).

[Roofdog]

So today I purposefully tried an experiment - I used some Denette's green (Lanay, if memory serves). And then an hour later I added a gram of a totally undistinguished red from a mass market vendor I had been meaning to give or put or throw away. An hour from THAT and I was in heaven.

It wasn't just the green - by itself it was serviceable - and the red, as I've said, was basically trash. But somehow TOGETHER they made a truly wonderful experience, on par with that fluke I had the day before (with the white and red).

So while it's dangerous and not particularly scientific to draw conclusions from only two tests, I'm wondering some things:

1) Does mixing even a so-so strain with something better result in more power?
2) Is it always a red that's good to mix with either a white or green?
3) Are mixtures nearly always this good?

Obviously there are no absolutes, not when strain colors themselves are mostly hit or miss (one vendor's reds may be another's greens, and vice versa) but it just seems very odd that I've had two amazing experiences in two days. As I said earlier in this thread, I don't have enough time left in life to really experiment or come close to all the various combinations, but I'm really encouraged now to try, and to make it a habit (at the very least until it completely stops working for me).

I havent tried the not so good stain with the good strain mixing. But I have tried strains that everyone said was good (that didnt do anything for me) with one I know was good (from personal experience) and that has turned out to work well.
The color mixing for me has always been the following
Green & green, white & green, red & white, white & white. This is what I have stuck to because I am not a big Red guy. I am going to experiment with red & green soon or even red and red.
Ill use a mix one day and then ill do the same mix another and results are a little different but always good. Thats because I normally use 2 strains that work for me. I need to venture out a bit and try others. I have some yellows and golds I havent even tried yet.

[uspatriot995]

So this morning I'm sitting here trying to decide what I might partake of after a nice tennis match and I read about someone mixing strains.

What are folks opinions on this? Does anything think it makes a real difference?

I ask because to me, it's magic enough when I take any single strain. Which is to say, I never really know how well it will hit, or what effects I'll get. I know in a very GENERAL way, mind you, but sometimes things come on like gangbusters which never did before, or sometimes my favorites just aren't hitting. And I know you've all experienced that.

It just seems to me mixing things would be SUCH a hit or miss it wouldn't be worth it. But I want to hear from everyone - what's the consensus and what are your strategies (and best practices)?

I'm a 60% reds 40% greens kinda guy. I mostly prefer to dose single batch and rotate - this has almost always worked best for me. Once I do a few burns from particular batches of red or green, I may experiment with a blend, and it's almost always that - a 60/40. I believe this is a highly individualized preference for all the reasons that have been written about. However, there is something to a blended dose for me with 60% red and 40% green, almost half and half. I experimented to get that ratio, but to complicate matters, it's different from batch to batch, MIT%, alkaloid content, etc.

However when you get it "just right" it's a nice change-up. Again, depends on what your goals are. In general things are so subjective I have come to believe it's all quite experimental - thought to your point I will say that blending has been more of a hit than a miss. Never really a true miss, actually.

The only other time I've blended was when I had sub-par product, and wanted to stretch a not-so sub-par product.

Getting dosages dialed in at their lowest effective point and evading the fickle line of "too much" seems to be the main thing for me, and then practicing discipline and restraint.

Last point, I did have an idea to mix the small leftovers from like 6-7 batches, at my usual dose of course, just to see what that would be like.

[Kelleytoons]

I like hearing about folks' experience with doing this.

I'm not really trying to stretch my kratom - I already have enough for more than my lifetime - but more a matter of trying to get the experience as good as it was these last two times. But - perhaps just a coincidence. I just find it fairly suspicious that it happened twice, though, with two very different blends.

Someone here (either earlier on this thread or elsewhere) said something to the effect that mixing different strains might activate different sorts of receptors and I kind of think that might be what is going on with me. But - who really knows? I believe I could spend at least two or three lifetimes experimenting on just me to see. But, of course, that's part of the fun of kratom.

In any case, I will continue to experiment. My hard and fast rule is to always take a white before I play tennis but I think this Friday I'll try a white/red mix just for fun. And then, while my hard/fast rule is to always take a red at night to help with the pain, I think I'll try a green/red blend. At least for a few weeks until I either decide it's all a bunch of random factors, or that it continues to work for me.

[Loveandpeace]

So this morning I'm sitting here trying to decide what I might partake of after a nice tennis match and I read about someone mixing strains.

What are folks opinions on this? Does anything think it makes a real difference?

I ask because to me, it's magic enough when I take any single strain. Which is to say, I never really know how well it will hit, or what effects I'll get. I know in a very GENERAL way, mind you, but sometimes things come on like gangbusters which never did before, or sometimes my favorites just aren't hitting. And I know you've all experienced that.

It just seems to me mixing things would be SUCH a hit or miss it wouldn't be worth it. But I want to hear from everyone - what's the consensus and what are your strategies (and best practices)?

I use 2 strains that have "hit" consistently. I always mix 50/50 and most of the time it is excellent (95%). I mix with just about every dose unless Im checking out something I just bought. This opens up a new world in effects, at least for me. As always this is my opinion. Some people i have read mix 3 or 4 together, ive never done this I just stick to 2.

Roofdog, this is my way of doing it. Exactly what you said but I stagger the 50/50 doses by about 30 minutes. Total of 2 different strains (hits) per dose and 3 of those doses a day.

[Kelleytoons]

Roofdog, this is my way of doing it. Exactly what you said but I stagger the 50/50 doses by about 30 minutes. Total of 2 different strains (hits) per dose and 3 of those doses a day.

The "stagger" is what I first did (accidentally) and seemed to have the biggest effect. I need to remember to try that again - my mixing has been "good" but not great like that first time and that was the staggered time.

Someone here suggested that kratom had sort of a "cumulative" effect (not the exact term he used but something to the idea that it built upon itself with a second dose) which I could see happening. Perhaps tomorrow I'll give that a shot (it's my tennis day and I need the biggest boost possible on those).

[Roofdog]

Roofdog, this is my way of doing it. Exactly what you said but I stagger the 50/50 doses by about 30 minutes. Total of 2 different strains (hits) per dose and 3 of those doses a day.

The "stagger" is what I first did (accidentally) and seemed to have the biggest effect. I need to remember to try that again - my mixing has been "good" but not great like that first time and that was the staggered time.

Someone here suggested that kratom had sort of a "cumulative" effect (not the exact term he used but something to the idea that it built upon itself with a second dose) which I could see happening. Perhaps tomorrow I'll give that a shot (it's my tennis day and I need the biggest boost possible on those).

Are you meaning take half dose now and half dose in say 2hrs? Ive never tried that yet. But i will give it a shot.

[Kelleytoons]

Love says he takes his 30 minutes apart.

The first time I accidentally did this it was about two hours apart. Note: I use capsules, which don't take effect for about 50-75 minutes anyway, YMMV. But for my next experiment (perhaps tomorrow) I'll do the 30-45 minutes thing even with capsules just to see (I normally get up around two hours before I play, so that gives me enough time for my dose to take effect. In this case even the staggered doses will be in full effect by then).

[Loveandpeace]

Roofdog, this is my way of doing it. Exactly what you said but I stagger the 50/50 doses by about 30 minutes. Total of 2 different strains (hits) per dose and 3 of those doses a day.

The "stagger" is what I first did (accidentally) and seemed to have the biggest effect. I need to remember to try that again - my mixing has been "good" but not great like that first time and that was the staggered time.

Someone here suggested that kratom had sort of a "cumulative" effect (not the exact term he used but something to the idea that it built upon itself with a second dose) which I could see happening. Perhaps tomorrow I'll give that a shot (it's my tennis day and I need the biggest boost possible on those).

The cumulative effect is termed 'entourage' when applied in this manner.

Also, I use my second, staggered dose as my indicator of when to dose again. I use the second doses time and count my 6 hours from there for the next dose. Make sense?

[Kelleytoons]

Okay, both good things to know.

As a *very* general rule I only dose twice a day at most - once in the morning for tennis, once at night to sleep - so the "six hours later" isn't really a factor (soonest it would EVER be would be around 12 hours later).

As I said, I'm going to try this tomorrow but I also might try it tonight with my night time dose (a *little* trickier but worth a try - I think I have a sedating green I can use along with a red).

[Kelleytoons]

So last night I tried mixing a green with a red for my bedtime brew.

The green was nothing special - just a Mitraman green that I've found so-so. The red was a Bennie red I had never tried before (a sample LoveAndPeace gave me).

I took 2 grams of the green and then an hour later I took a gram of the red. I meant to take it 30 minutes later, but I had a cat on my chest and couldn't move for a while. Anyway...

It was INCREDIBLE. Honestly, best (or near best) experience I've ever had at night. For the first two hours (when in my normal sleep pattern I drift in and out of deep sleep) I felt like I was floating in my pool with blood warm water. Or perhaps wrapped in a soft, cushiony blanket. I never wanted that feeling to end (and it might not but I fell into such a sound sleep I didn't wake up until eight hours later).

I don't think it was the kratom per se. Unless that Bennie's red is just super powered (with 1 gram blowing me away) it HAD to be the combo platter. More and more I'm beginning to become convinced that mixing strains is the key to something very special.

But the true test will come this morning - I'm going to try a TFH white combined with a so-so red. I think I *will* try for an hour apart (these are capsules so perhaps that makes a difference).

[Roofdog]

So last night I tried mixing a green with a red for my bedtime brew.

The green was nothing special - just a Mitraman green that I've found so-so. The red was a Bennie red I had never tried before (a sample LoveAndPeace gave me).

I took 2 grams of the green and then an hour later I took a gram of the red. I meant to take it 30 minutes later, but I had a cat on my chest and couldn't move for a while. Anyway...

It was INCREDIBLE. Honestly, best (or near best) experience I've ever had at night. For the first two hours (when in my normal sleep pattern I drift in and out of deep sleep) I felt like I was floating in my pool with blood warm water. Or perhaps wrapped in a soft, cushiony blanket. I never wanted that feeling to end (and it might not but I fell into such a sound sleep I didn't wake up until eight hours later).

I don't think it was the kratom per se. Unless that Bennie's red is just super powered (with 1 gram blowing me away) it HAD to be the combo platter. More and more I'm beginning to become convinced that mixing strains is the key to something very special.

But the true test will come this morning - I'm going to try a TFH white combined with a so-so red. I think I *will* try for an hour apart (these are capsules so perhaps that makes a difference).

I dont know which Bennie red you got but his red lida from a couple years ago was excellent!!

[Kelleytoons]

This was his Red Borneo.

This morning's experiment worked fine but it wasn't earthshattering - it was "good". But it may have been that I waited a bit too long before I took the red (I missed the hour because I was getting ready for tennis, so it was more like 75 minutes).

I will keep experimenting.

[Eu4oric906]

Im relatively new to mixing, but really love hearing success stories and tactics. I went right into mixing 2 that I liked in hopes of improved offspring. Imo it sure didnt hurt, maybe mental some but I like thinking ive unlocked more potential paired than alone. I havent graduated past 2 strains, but theres always the weekend!

[Kelleytoons]

I'm having enough trouble wrapping my mind around two strains - the combos I have are almost limitless (around 8K). Three or more? Insanity.

[coldshowersuperpower]

I was always very hesitant to mix (and I always preferred to buy unmixed strains) for the same reason as Kelleytoons: it's hard enough to know what to expect with a single strain. But I got inspired by this thread, and I'm very glad I did. Interestingly, it worked best for me when I mixed a very good strain with a very meh one. Mixing good strains alone did not yield good results. I suppose the perception of good/bad is subjective, so oftentimes, it's not really about quality but about the nature of the effect that I prefer. So when mixing highly differing strains, they have a high chance to work synergistically because they're complementary. Alkaloid profiles of kratom seem to be complex so I think that makes sense.

[herbalhippie]

I have experimented only a little with mixing and, for myself anyway, I've found that two strains can be good, anymore than two are never good.

And I will never, ever mix a green and a yellow again. BAD experience. I mixed my two current favorite strains and inadvertently made an anger bomb.

[Kelleytoons]

I was always very hesitant to mix (and I always preferred to buy unmixed strains) for the same reason as Kelleytoons: it's hard enough to know what to expect with a single strain. But I got inspired by this thread, and I'm very glad I did. Interestingly, it worked best for me when I mixed a very good strain with a very meh one. Mixing good strains alone did not yield good results. I suppose the perception of good/bad is subjective, so oftentimes, it's not really about quality but about the nature of the effect that I prefer. So when mixing highly differing strains, they have a high chance to work synergistically because they're complementary. Alkaloid profiles of kratom seem to be complex so I think that makes sense.

Yes, this is what I've been doing (a good with a meh strain) and it's amazing how well it works. The good one gets super boosted somehow (Lokey said it was "entourage" effect). It's made me reconsider what to do with some of the strains I've been replacing with superior ones, to the point where I've put them in a sort of "boost" rotation.

Also try the "30 minute later" suggested by... um, maybe LoveAndPeace? I've been doing it this way, the good one first, and that's the real kicker (it also helps because I can feel the effect like a "turbo" charge. The good one is sitting there, being good, and then the meh one comes along and kicks it up). So far, at least, my mix is 2/1 (two grams good to 1 gram meh).

[Arob1000]

Mixing batches is an art form and I don’t claim to be good at it. Lucky Herbals does the most mixing of anyone I’ve seen and his blends are . I followed some of his mixes (mixing 01/2022 GMD with 03/2022 GMD) and it hit way better than either of them alone. If I can ever get an order placed with him again, I’m hoping to get his base green/white/red and try some mixes myself!

Also a bit unrelated but I prefer using “batch” instead of “strain” Kratom doesn’t have genetic varieties from what I know!

[Kelleytoons]

Yeah, there are a few vendors with good mixes out there, although I much prefer Lucky's "straight" ones (I've never ordered any mix from him, that I know of. unless his Red Krakatoa is one such - I just bought some more of that as it's pretty great).

Liza's Happy-Go-Lucky is a mix I really enjoy a lot, but as a rule I much prefer the straight stuff from any vendor as I want to control things myself. Particularly now that I'm mixing things - tonight I started off with 2 grams of TFH's great green 611 and followed it up 30 minutes later with a gram of this red one I got from someone sending free samples. I had tried the red twice before with almost zero effect, but added to the green? It was/still is pretty fantastic.

With capsules it is dead solid simple to do this stuff - I just took four of the TFH and two of the red. I *might* be getting this down to a science <bg>.

[Loveandpeace]

It wasn't really until I started some mixing is when I realized the Indos must be doing that first, right? A harvest occurs, it is disappointing and there is a shit load left over... so it gets mixed once or twice?? Then I started to think about TFHs best strains and they are mixes...Rocket Red, Lazy Sundae, Jade Hulu. D615 tells you when he does, I think.

A bit of a mystery within the vendors. Is it 'to mix or not to mix?' I'm confused but I mix atleast 6 a day so

Kratom does lend itself to a nice mix, like some of the best salad weed bowls I have shared.

I couldn't help but think of this earlier too... if I took as much as I dose, but one strain, I risk the chance of not feeling it at all, right? The 'mix' keeps it fresh.

[Kelleytoons]

if I took as much as I dose, but one strain, I risk the chance of not feeling it at all, right? The 'mix' keeps it fresh.

Yeah, the mixes make a lot of sense. Last night I used Liza's Happy Go Lucky mix and it was great, as usual (so no need to mix with it). It just means that now I'll never have any real sense of what the heck will happen (which in itself is kind of fun :>).

[coldshowersuperpower]

Just confirmed to myself how much of a wild card mixing can be. Tried a new combination of a favorite green + a weaker white last night (same concept as worked before with different batches), and that ended up not great. Yet to try any of the combinations the second time, really curious now if the same combination will be at all predictable over time.

[Kelleytoons]

It's certainly difficult given that even the exact same strain taken at just a different time (or if you have eaten, or not had a BM or any of a hundred other conditions) can hit differently.

Add in another variable like another strain and you have increased the complexity a LOT. Doesn't discourage me from trying, but it does mean there will (should be?) a lot more failures than complete successes.

[Adrumaddict]

Mixing can be amazing especially when you find batches that seem like they're meant to be together. I usually mix green and white with a ratio of 2 to 1 with the green being the greater, but I do sometimes do the opposite if I'm looking for a strong energy punch but with some pain control as well. Lucky's White MD (2g) + Green MD (1g) is one of those combos that I like to use for the latter scenario.

[Arob1000]

Just tried a mix of Otie’s White Elephant and Otie’s Super RMD, both are special by themselves but mix quite well too!

I’m pretty sure Lucky has a base white/red/green and mixes those for the majority of his variety. The OG Red Krakatoa was a mix of 2 rainy season greens but he is always changing things up. I think D615/TFH and some others don’t do much mixing, rather have multiple suppliers with good leaf by I could be mistaken. I haven’t specifically asked/would love to know!

[BookofEnoch1914]

Just tried a mix of Otie’s White Elephant and Otie’s Super RMD, both are special by themselves but mix quite well too!

I’m pretty sure Lucky has a base white/red/green and mixes those for the majority of his variety. The OG Red Krakatoa was a mix of 2 rainy season greens but he is always changing things up. I think D615/TFH and some others don’t do much mixing, rather have multiple suppliers with good leaf by I could be mistaken. I haven’t specifically asked/would love to know!

I'm 99.9% that Denette doesn't mix/blend any of his batches, pretty sure he confirmed that at one point. With 5-6 different suppliers he has quite the variety as far as sourcing.