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Colorful Cannabis Guide

Have you ever seen pictures of cannabis plants with beautiful, exotic colors and wondered how they did it? Do you want to grow cannabis flowers that transform from drab greens and browns into bright purples, yellows, oranges, and even reds and blues? This guide will teach you the tricks you need to know to get the most vivid colors in your cannabis garden.

Most often, cannabis coloration is pretty predictable: bright green on new growth, darker green on old growth, and then fading into a dull yellow as the plant flowers. Sometimes though, flowering cannabis plants can put on a spectacular color show in late flowering, displaying a spectrum of colors that can light up your garden. A couple of factors can impact your plants’ coloration and determine whether it will follow the normal progression of green-yellow-brown or take on vivid coloration. We’ll compare cannabis to the fall display of deciduous trees to look at these factors.

Factor 1: Genetics 

Coloration is the same for cannabis as it is for trees; the genetics of the specimen will have much to do with the final coloration. Maple trees are a good example; some varieties have red leaves at the end of the season, while others have yellow or orange. With cannabis plants, some strains will be prone to produce bright colors, while others will not.

This Dark Devil has beautiful coloration in late flowering.

Factor 2: Environment

Several environmental factors impact how bright or vivid their fall displays with deciduous trees. The amount of water available and what time of the growing seasons (early or late) that drought conditions hit can cause brighter or lighter displays. The temperature throughout the growing season can also impact the autumn display. Temperature, available water, soil acidity, and nutrients all play off one another to determine how bright and vivid the show will be. The same is true of cannabis.

Step 1: Pick the right genetics

There is a surprisingly easy way to find genetics with nice coloration since many strains that produce excellent color shows are named for their coloration. Just search for the color you are looking for, like purple, blue, or orange. Other strains are known to produce good coloration. Here are a few strains we have found to deliver the best color shows:

Purple Fem by Pyramid Seeds is a cross between multiple purple types and produces beautiful purple buds and coloration.

Raspberry Cough by Nirvana Seeds produces beautiful reddish-colored foliage in late-season flowering.

Dark Devil Auto by Sweet Seeds has dark red foliage with a dark purple flower structure. It is a truly striking plant.

Chemical Bride by Greenhouse Seed Co has pinkish-red foliage that stangs in bright display against the powder-white crystals on the bud structure.

There are plenty of other strains that have beautiful coloration. Once you have the best strain, it’s time to set up the best environment for a good color display.

This Raspberry Cough is developing dark purple and red leaves in late flowering.

Step 2: Setup the right environment

To optimize the environment to result in the best color display, we need to understand how different environmental factors impact cannabis coloration during late flowering. Cannabis changes colors for the same reasons as deciduous trees change colors in the fall: it is chemical.

What makes cannabis change colors?

Leaves get their colors from pigment molecules. Most leaves have multiple pigments, but the dominant pigment present is chlorophyll, a chemical the plant uses to convert sunlight to energy during the growing season. Chlorophyll reflects green and masks the other pigments. Towards the end of the growing season, the plant will stop producing chlorophyll, and as the pigment molecules break down, the other colors that the chlorophyll masked now become visible.  

Deciduous trees go through this process every season as they stop producing chlorophyll for the winter and focus on storing sugars in their root structure for winter. In cannabis, the end of the flowering cycle starts this process when the plant focuses its energy on flower development and reduces chlorophyll production in older leaves. As the green reflecting pigments fade, other pigments become visible. Often, the underlying color transition is to light yellow to brown, but under the right conditions can be spectacular.

These cannabis plants are finishing flowering in relatively low temperatures.

What chemicals impact cannabis colors?

Several chemical compounds impact the coloration of cannabis, including

  • Chlorophyll: Used for sugar production, pigments produce a bright green color while active and a darker green color as the leaf ages.
  • Carotene: Carotenoid terpene that produces yellow and orange colors
  • Lycopene: Carotenoid terpene that produces orange and red colors
  • Flavanol & Flavone: Flavonoids that produce yellow coloration
  • Anthocyanin: Flavonoid that produces red, blue, purple, and magenta colors

The colors your plants present will be mostly dependent on what combinations of these chemicals are present at a given part of its cycle.

How does my plant get the right chemicals?

After chlorophyll production ends, your plant must contain carotene, lycopene, and anthocyanin to produce exotic coloration. You can increase carotene and lycopene availability by adding terpene enhancing supplements to your feeding regimen. 

Anthocyanin production requires sugars, so your plant must have access to carbohydrates. Use compost tea as part of your feeding regimen to provide the right balance.

The final step to assuring that your plants have access to the proper chemical compounds is to ensure that the pH is balanced correctly and that you provide it with the right amount of water so that it can carry out the chemical processes it needs to generate anthocyanin.

This Jack Herer developed beautiful orange and purple coloration.

How does temperature affect coloration?

With trees, cooler temperatures at the end of the season can cause more brilliant displays, which is also true for cannabis. The cold temperatures cause the plant to transition away from chlorophyll production more abruptly as it senses the season’s end. Lowering the temperature to under 60F (~15.5C) at the end of the growing season can improve the color display dramatically.

Conclusion

Cannabis is a beautiful plant, and with just a few steps, you can make its display even more dazzling. Just pick a strain that is known to produce nice colors, increase the terpenes and lower the temperature, and you can grow beautiful cannabis gardens.

Organic Cannabis Gardens

You don’t have to sacrifice yields to grow cannabis organically and in this guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to grow all-organic cannabis.

What Is Organic Cannabis?

There are a lot of reasons to grow organic but at the end of the day it’s better for the environment and it’s better for you. But what does it mean to grow organic cannabis? Modern farming uses chemical fertilizers and other synthetic inputs to optimize plant growth, but leave behind salts, heavy metals, and other harmful residues. Organic farming, on the other hand, focuses on using all-natural inputs to create a living system similar to natural conditions that allow the plant to thrive.

To grow cannabis organically, there are 3 primary inputs to consider; growing medium, nutrients, and pesticides. With growing mediums, you will want a natural material where you can create a living ecosystem that will work in conjunction with your plant to create a fertile environment. Nutrients and other supplements provide the all-natural ingredients to feed the ecosystem and provide your plants with building blocks for growth and flowering. Finally, protecting your crop organically is about tipping the balance towards beneficial conditions for your plants and negative conditions for pests through natural means.

Organic Growing Mediums

The main idea with organic mediums is that you want to mimic the natural biome that the plant would thrive in under natural conditions. Whether you are growing in soil or an inert medium like coco, you want to create a full ecosystem of microbial life that will break down the organic matter and provide nutrients directly to the plant’s roots.

The first step to organic cannabis farming is to select an organic growing medium. The primary goal is to create an environment for your roots that will retain water but not stay waterlogged so that beneficial mycorrhizal fungi and microbes will thrive. We recommend a mix of soil, perlite, and coco coir if you are mixing your own. If you would rather start with ready-to-use organic growing mediums, here are some that we’ve used successfully in the past:

No matter what growing medium you select, make sure it is organic and that it doesn’t contain time-released nutrients (like Miracle Grow). Time-released nutrients are not good for cannabis because cannabis needs different nutrient ratios at different times during its lifecycle.

Organic Nutrients and Additives

When synthetic fertilizers are added to the soil they are immediately available for uptake and use by your plant. They are produced in a laboratory through a chelating process. This wraps chemicals like phosphorus and potassium and makes them easy for roots to uptake. While this helps the plants grow, these types of synthetic processes leave behind salts and heavy metal residue and can negatively impact the taste and smell of the flower.

Organic nutrients, on the other hand, are raw organic ingredients, like bat guano, earthworm castings, and compost. The problem is that these nutrients are not immediately available for uptake and use by your plants. They have to be broken down first from their raw state into usable components. This is where a growing medium that can support a biome of microbial life comes into play.

With synthetic fertilizer, you feed the plant directly. With organic fertilizers, you feed the soil and it will feed the plant. The microbial life consumes the organic matter and outputs usable nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungus help deliver nutrients directly to the roots. Through complex relationships that have been refined for billions of years, the plant’s growth is naturally and safely boosted.

The same general rules apply as with synthetic nutrients: in the vegetative state, you will want higher nitrogen availability and in flower, you will want high levels of phosphorus and potassium and decreased levels of nitrogen. Since you are relying on a natural process, it takes time to improve the soil. You will want to start before you begin the actual grow so there is plenty of nitrogen available to start.

Cannabis thrives in organic gardens.

Improving Organic Soil

One of the best ways to speed up the process is to use microbial and mycorrhizal additives. This will help form your biome of helpful organisms that will boost your plant’s growth. Most of these are sold as dry soil amendments that you add to the soil or added to water. Mammoth P provides beneficial soil bacteria and microorganisms to make phosphorus other nutrients available. Great White is a mycorrhizae based additive that helps with water and nutrient uptake

Organic Pest Control

The very first solution to most pest issues in cannabis is organic anyway: cold-pressed Neem Oil. Neem oil is derived from the Neem tree. It has been used in India for centuries and has become the standard for organic farmers all over the world. Made by pressing the oil from seeds and fruits of the Neem tree, this is a pure vegetable oil that has all the advantages of the tree’s natural pest resistance. It’s also safe for most beneficial plants. Just spray a neem oil solution lightly for preventative measures and heavy treatments if you have an outbreak. You can also water with it to help with root and soil pests. We have a guide dedicated to Neem Oil, the organic wonder treatment for cannabis.

For severe outbreaks, there are stronger organic options available. There are a range of treatments based on essential oils and extracts and often work on contact.

We have had success with Bonide Mite-X spray treatment. It’s an organic solution made of botanical cottonseed, clove, and garlic extracts and works like a broad-spectrum pesticide that eliminates a wide range of insects including spider mites, aphids thrips, broad mites, russet mites, and whiteflies. Unlike with neem oil alone, spider mites die on contact. Eggs are suffocated within 12-24 hours.

Cannabis Loves Organic

There are plenty of great reasons to grow cannabis organically. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for you. One of the best reasons though is that cannabis loves organic gardens. They have thrived in a nutrient-rich natural environment for millennia. It may seem like more work on the surface, but it’s really not once you know the basic tricks of how to create a healthy biome for the plant to thrive in.

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Vegamatrix Nutrients Review

Using all-natural chelating agents, Vegamatrix combines some of the health benefits of organic fertilizers with the growth boosts of chemical fertilizers.

Vegamatrix Nutrient Line

8.5 out of 10

This line of nutrients is primarily based on natural ingredients and processes but performs in line with traditional salt-based nutrients – boosting growth but leaving behind almost undetectable heavy metal content. We’ve been using Megamatrix for years now as our daily nutrient with great results and have found the only downside is the cost – but we still find it a great value.

Ease of Use
10 out of 10
Performance
9 out of 10
Sustainable/Healthy
8 out of 10
Price
7 out of 10

Pros

Easy to use

Primarily natural ingredients

Little residue left behind

Great performance

Cons

Not the cheapest option

Buy this Product

Grow on Dealzer Bloom on Dealzer


About Vegamatrix Nutrients

This unique line of nutrients is based on an earth and health-friendly approach that uses safe and sustainable ingredients. They call this a high-performing fertilizer ‘veganic’. Look at the companies ‘About Us’ statement to learn a little about the thinking that has went into this formulation:

We are a company created with love for the human race and for the planet, a company based on kindness, respect and generosity to each other and to the earth. Each and every one of us serves a role that is intrinsic to the whole. Together, bringing out the best in one another, we strive to create products that will help make the world a better place.

The resulting product is so close to natural that we have never noted a case of nutrient burn. While we have seen beefier growth from other products, the salt residue left behind was concerning. With this mix, the residue left behind so low that its nearly undetectable.

There are lower-cost solutions on the market you could pick. It depends on your priorities if Vegamatrix is a good value or not. If you want the best of both worlds, this stuff is perfect. It’s made from a blend of organic materials and naturally mined minerals and just a touch of synthetic minerals to provide explosive growth.

How We Use It

Vegamatrix offers a wide variety of nutrients and supplements for cannabis gardens (see full list here), but we use the Grow and Bloom nutrients throughout the plants lifecycle. Grow contains higher levels of nitrogen for strong vegetative growth. Bloom brings in higher levels of phosphorous and potassium for growing huge flowers. The manufacturer recommends adding Boost, a veganic proprietary blend of Calcium, magnesium, and plant-based ingredients including Kelp, soybean, willow, and yucca extracts. We also used Grow and Bloom along with Cal-Mag and FoxFarm’s BigBloom, made from bat guano and earthworm castings and had great results.

Since it does not cause nutrient burn, you can use Vegamatrix at almost every watering without harming the plant. We have found that using it at every other watering works just fine too. It works in all mediums, from hydro to soil.

While we will continue trying other nutrients, Vegamatrix remains our go-to nutrient.

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Kwazulu by World of Seeds Review

Kwazulu Seeds Overview

9.5 out of 10

World of Seeds found this landrace strain growing in South African mountains and have produced a stable strain. This is our favorite strain this year for good reasons: it is a compact Sativa that has a reasonable flowering time and produces extremely high-quality flowers with psychedelic-but-relaxing effects.

Easy to Grow
10 out of 10
Flowering Speed
10 out of 10
Yield
9 out of 10
Potency
9 out of 10

Pros

Compact for a Sativa

Holds up to pests

Amazing high

Many medical applications

Cons

No negatives

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View on Seedsman

The Details

This pure sativa, landrace originally grows wild on the north-facing slopes of South African mountains and has been used and cultivated by the Zulu peoples of the region. World of Seeds has created a stabilized strain that captures many of the great qualities of this compact plant. We have grown quite a few of these over the last year and have found it grows well indoors and out – at least in the Pacific Northwest – and has become our favorite strain of the year.

This plant is extremely easy to grow. Its compact size, generally under 3 ft (1M) helps with indoor grows and helps provide wind protection and improved stealth for outdoor grows. It is not particularly prone to pests, stands up well to rough weather conditions, and not prone to nutrient issues. At 60 days, this plant is extremely fast flowering, especially for a sativa.

Kwazulu buds that are ready for harvest.

The yields are good for a sativa and the buds are good-sized too. The breeder advertises the yield at 350 gr/m2, and this is close to what we saw. While the size and structure are fairly stable, but there appear to be at least 2 phenotypes; one that develops red leaves and smaller buds and one that has bright green leaves and fatter buds. In all the cases, the buds are extremely tight, resin-coated, and covered with dark purple hairs.

All of this makes it a perfect candidate for home grows.

The compact structure makes these plants great for indoor grows.

The Best Part

The best thing about this plant is that the high is a relaxing mix of psychedelic effects and positive feelings. While the overall THC is under 20%, the CBN and other Cannabinoids in the flowers blend to create a super experience. The flavor profile is great, with a sweet, tropical vibe. All of this comes together to form a luxury bud.

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Top Medical Strains in 2021

Scientific studies in the past decades have consistently shown that cannabis can be extremely effective at treating a wide range of medical conditions, including pain, nausea. anxiety and depression. Many people have root causes, like cancer, that cause a variety of related medical issues.

Cannabis contains over 119 chemical compounds called cannabinoids. Many of these cannabinoids (like THC, THCV,  and CBD) have been shown to be helpful with a wide array of medical conditions. THC is the compound that causes you to feel high, while CBD can calm the mind and ease the pain but doesn’t make you feel stoned. Cannabis strains produce concentrations of different cannabinoids at different rates so some strains will be more effective than others for treating your condition.

In this article, we look at some conditions that cannabis is effective at treating and then some of our favorite strains to help with that condition.

Anxiety & PTSD

Anyone who suffers from severe anxiety or PTSD can tell you how crippling it can be. The side effects of anxiety can negatively impact work and personal relationships. While it won’t cure you, there are strains of cannabis to help calm anxious minds.

CBD has been shown in scientific studies to be helpful for anxiety. Strains that are high in THC can increase anxiety, but strains that are low in THC and high in CBD can relieve anxiety and PTSD.  Balancing THC and CBD to a 1:1 ratio is good option to get the best of both worlds. Here are two strains that have worked well for people suffering from anxiety and PTSD.

1: Candida

Flowers from this strain can have up to 20% CBD and less than 2% THC, making it the highest CBD with the lowest THC on the market. If CBD works to relieve your symptoms but THC increases anxiety, this will make a great strain for you.  Learn more about Candida on Seedsman.

2: Skunk Haze

This calming strain has a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD at around 10% each, so it will still get you high while helping keep you calm. The end results are buds with the aroma and flavor  of spicy cedar wood alongside tones of citrus and pine. Learn  more about CBD Skunk Haze on Seedsman.

Pain

We all know what pain is and none of us like it. Chronic pain sufferers have a persistent and painful condition over a long period of time. Since there are multiple root causes for pain, from injury to disease, there is no simple solution to the problem. The primary medical approach has been to prescribe addictive opiates, but this is not a tenable long term solution.  

3: Raspberry Cough

This strain helps with pain and creates an extremely relaxing vibe without leaving you couch locked. It’s a rare sativa dominant hybrid that has high levels of both THC and CBD. Learn more about Raspberry Cough on Seedsman.

4: Lithium OG Kush

Crossing OG Kush and Master Kush resulted in this indica-dominant strain that produces high levels of THC.  While it does not produce very much CBD, the combination of high concentrations of THC with low CBD  can be effective for the treatment of depression as well as pain and nausea. Learn more about Lithium OG Kush on Seedsman.

Depression

Depression is a common, but serious illness that causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home. Depression is treatable, and cannabis can play a role in that treatment.

5: Fruity Jack

We’ve done a full review of Fruity Jack in the past, and it remains one of our favorite plants for medical uses. It has high THC (and CBD to help with a wide array of conditions. The smell and tastes are out of this world, and the effects are calm and mellow if left in flower long enough to develop CBD.

Fruity Jack has high levels of CBD and THC and can be helpful to treat depression, pain and anxiety. 

6: Grandaddy Purple

This classic strain was created by crossing Purple Urkle with Big Bud and results in a bushy plant tightly-spaced purple buds. Like a lot of the ‘purple’ strains, Grandaddy Purple can be effective at relieving the effects mild to severe depression and anxiety, as well as insomnia and pain. With THC levels measured up to 35%, this strain is not for the timid! Learn more about Grandaddy Purple on Seedsman.

ADD/ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a psychiatric disorder that causes problems of attention, hyperactivity and behavior control issues. While we often think of this as a childhood problem, this is not the case as a large number of adults suffer from ADHD. Strains of cannabis that are high in CBD with lower THC can help focus attention and reduce hyperactivity.

7: Nagual

Nagual was the ancient spirit guide and shaman revered by the peoples of meso-america and can help improve focus and relieve other symptoms of ADD/ADHD. This spirited strain was created by crossing  Sour Kush Diesel and Candida and produces THC:CBD at a 1:1 ratio to help calm the mind while giving you the focus like a shaman! Learn more about Nagual on Seedsman.

8: Green Doctor

This is another cross with Candida – coupled with the fact that Candida is also on our list should show you how much we believe in it. This one comes with a 1:2 THC:CBD ratio with a median 5% THC and 10% CBD to provide even more focus with a less intense level of THC. Learn more about Green Doctor on Seedsman.

Decreased Appetite

Many medical related issues results in decreased appetite and whether it’s cancer treatment, HIV/AIDs or Crohn’s disease, the human body needs fuel to live and repair itself. Cannabis has long been used to help stimulate the appetite and here are two strains that could help increase appetite.  

9: White Walker Kush

This new strain will help increase appetite with high levels of THC. DNA Genetics made this Sativa dominant hybrid by crossing their own Skywalker OG with a White Widow to produce buds with 24% THC that would stimulate your appetite without putting you to sleep. Learn more about White Walker Kush on Seedsman.

10: Forgotten Cookies

Here is another Sativa dominant hybrid that can increase your appetite but leave you energized. With the scent of sweet cookies and lime zest just the smell of the buds could be enough to get your appetite rolling! Learn more about Forgotten Cookies on Seedsman.

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Chocolate Skunk CBD by 00 Seeds – Review

Chocolate Skunk CBD Feminized Seeds Overview

8.5 out of 10

Overall, this plant is an aggressive grower and strikingly beautiful. It took on dark purple tones in the cooler growing temperatures. It needs training, or it gets very tall, but it’s also very productive and has great medicinal value; making this strain an excellent choice for intermediate and advanced growers.

Easy to Grow
8 out of 10
Flowering Speed
8 out of 10
Yield
9 out of 10
Potency
9 out of 10

Pros

Beautiful plant

Holds up to pests

Medicinal applications

Cons

Very leggy

Low flavor profile

Buy this Product

View on Seedsman

The Details

We don’t know much about the exact genetics that led to this particular strain because the breeders at 00 Seed are a bit light on the details in that area. My observation of this strain grows like a true hybrid. It is very leggy and tall like it’s skunk Sativa lineage, but it has the fat leaves, and massive bud structures like you would find in an Indica.

We’ve grown several of these and each seed germinated successfully. We kept the plants in vegetative growth for about a month. We topped each one a week before putting them into flower but did not perform any training.

The leaves were very fat, and the lower fan leaves grew very large, reminding me of a kush strain. As soon as we put them into flower, they get extraordinarily leggy and almost tripled in height in the first few weeks!

The flowers are enormous and also remind me of the flowers from a kush strain because of their size. The resin production is incredible, so it’s a good thing that the plant’s structure is stable and was able to maintain the height without drooping under the weight of the large buds.

Chocolate Skunk CBD produces tons of resin and is a striking plant.

The next place this plant shines is in a super-quick flower time, and the breeder says the flowers are ready in 50-55 days after the start of flowering. The timings were accurate to get the highest THC content, and we saw consistent flowering times of 60 days from germination to get a the best medicinal benefits by harvesting at max CBD levels..

With high levels of both THC and CBD, the bud produces a nice sedative effect. It started slow and finished strong.

Easy to Grow?

These plants are very robust and easy to grow through the vegetative stage since they weren’t particularly prone to pest or nutrient issues. As soon as we transitioned over to flowering, it became a slightly different story. The plants proved to be extremely leggy by quadrupling in size. They were about 18″ (47cm) tall when we put them into flower, and I expected them to double that during flowering roughly. They ended up over 6ft (~2m) tall!

In this photo, you can see how much the plant grew after we topped it. It stretched aggressively after switching to 12/12 ligting.

Strong growth is generally a positive thing, but this became something of a problem in my 8′ foot tent. Next time I grow these, I will top multiple times and train more to channel all of that vertical growth into horizontal growth. This is an excellent strain for intermediate and advanced growers but could become a problem for beginners or those growing in confined spaces.

Even though it grew tall and had large buds, the structure was stable enough to hold the flowers upright. This is a view from the top down.

Speed to Flower?

The breeder advises 50-55 days from germination to harvest. We found that to be accurate and uniform across the plants we grew, though we waited 60 days to maximize the CBN development.

Medical Use?

CBD Chocolate Skunk has high levels of CBD and produces relaxing effects, making it an excellent choice for treating pain, anxiety, stress, and depression. We waited to harvest until CBD production was maximized, resulting in the medicinal bud of the highest quality. Learn more on how to find the perfect time to harvest in our harvesting guide.

Potency?

This strain has medium-high levels of THC that are balanced by high levels of CBD, resulting in relaxing high. The effects are balanced, without racing thoughts or anxiety.

Yield?

The advertised yield is good.

Indoor plants will reach about 70 – 90 cm. tall and will yield in the region of 400 gr/m2 in a flowering period of between 50 – 55 days.

Remember, our plants ended up over 180cm tall, but we didn’t account for the rapid growth, and the plant wasn’t shaped to take the best advantage of our lights. Still, we saw very respectable yields that were approaching the breeder’s range.

The colas were very dense, with resin coating every surface and spilling off onto the leaves.

The buds were large and dense with high levels of resin development. The plant’s structure is excellent, and we didn’t see much drooping, even though the plant was very tall and the buds were dense and heavy.

Even the lower branches produced large, resin coated buds.

Flavor?

The flowers cure well and results in a beautiful chocolate color with a relatively smooth smoke. The overall flavor profile is mellow and pleasant if not very distinctive.

The cured buds had a chocolate coloration and smoked smoothly.

Grow Setup

We grew in a 4×4 tent with 4 LED lights: one 1200W LED Reflector light, one 800W LED reflector light, and two 400W COB lights. The temp was between 60F and 70F throughout the grow. We grew in a soil/coco mix and used Blue Planet Nutrients as the base nutrient for this grow. Once per week, we added CalMag and liquid seawead.

Since these plants got so much taller than their tent mates, and so close to the top of the tent, each ended up needing its own light. We rotated lights around the tent every couple of days.

About 00 Seeds

This Spanish breeder specializes in Auto and feminized seeds, focusing on strong, unique flavors and aromas while maintaining a classic line of strains. Click here to see more strains from 00 seeds.

Learn more about selecting the right strain for your setup and about buying seeds online in our seed and strain guide.

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Dark Devil Auto by Sweet Seeds – Review

Dark Devil Auto Feminized Seeds Overview

7.3 out of 10

This auto-flowering strain was bred from a Big Devil XL and a purple auto-flowering plant. This compact strain displays beautiful coloration but has relatively low yields.

Easy to Grow
7 out of 10
Flowering Speed
10 out of 10
Yield
5 out of 10
Potency
7 out of 10

Pros

Beautiful plant

Holds up to pests

60 days from seed to harvest

Cons

Low production

Prone to weather damage

Buy this Product

View on Seedsman

The Details

This plant is fun to grow because of its unique coloration, but it wont be the top performer in your garden. We grew several of these and have found that they are prone to weather damage (sun, heat and wind) when grown outside but do moderately better indoors. While the breeder claims 50 to 200 grams per plant outdoors, we never harvested more than 20 grams per plant. The best part of this plant is that it only takes 60 days from germination to harvest. However, we only recommend this plant for its aesthetic beauty as there are far more productive fast-autos on the market.

Gallery

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Seedling Guide

In this chapter, we’ll cover caring for your cannabis seedlings. The seedling phase begins when…
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Northern Lights by 00 Seeds – Review

Northern Lights Feminized Seeds Overview

9 out of 10

Northern Lights is a powerful Indica that was originally bred right here in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. In the mid 80’s, some specimens were taken to Europe where they quickly gained popularity in the coffee houses. Since that time, it has become one of the most important strains of all times by contributing genetics to many of today’s modern strains.

Easy to Grow
9 out of 10
Flowering Speed
10 out of 10
Yield
9 out of 10
Potency
8 out of 10

Pros

High CBD production

Holds up to pests

High CBD Production

Low priced seeds

Cons

Leggy structure

12 weeks to flower

Buy this Product

View on Seedsman

The Details

We have grown several of these and had 100% seed germination rates. The plants were very fast and vigorous growers. We topped them multiple times and performed low stress training to develop a thick canopy of buds. The buds were ready in 50 days, but it took a full 60 to develop amber trichomes. You’ll need to flower that long if you want your buds to develop CBD.

Easy to Grow?

Northern Lights strains are historically easy strains to grow and are often recommended for new farmers. They are known for being pest and disease resistant and are more forgiving of newbie mistakes. This variant is no exception. The plants we grew were very resistant to mites and nutrient problems and recovered nicely from over and under waterings. The structure was strong, not requiring supports, but not too rigid either.

Speed to Flower?

This is where this Northern Lights excels: the flowering time is one of the lowest of any strain on the market at only 50 days. If you’re looking to develop CBD, which develops later in flower, you will need to leave them in flower for around 60 days.

Northern Lights from 00 Seeds can be harvested after just 50 days in flower.

Medical Use?

This plant has some serious medical applications. As a strong Indica with high levels of CBD, this Northern Lights flower can work well to treat insomnia, stress, anxiety and pain. If you want CBD, you will need to flower for at least 60 days. Learn more on how to find the perfect time to harvest for medical purposes in our harvesting guide.

Potency?

This modern Northern Lights strain has medium/high levels of THC at around 19%. The effects are relaxing and sedative. We didn’t experience any anxiety or racing thoughts.

Northern Lights from 00 Seeds produces thick, resinous flowers.

Yield?

The advertized yield is high at 500 grams per square meter. We didn’t see quiet those volumes of yield, but we saw very fat buds covered in plenty of resin. We vegged our plants for one month, for a total grow time just under 4 months and harvested 2 ounces each, working out close to 400 grams per meter.

Grow Setup

We grew in a 4×4 tent with 4 LED lights: one 1200W light, one 800W light and 2 400W COB lights. There were 4 Northern Lights along with other plants. The temp was between 65 and 70 degrees though out the grow. We grew in a soil/coco mix and used Blue Planet Nutrients as the base nutrient for this grow, along with CalMag and occasionally compost tea.

About 00 Seeds

This Spanish breeder specializes in Auto and feminized seeds, focusing on strong, unique flavors and aromas while maintaining a classic line of strains. Click here to see more strains from 00 seeds.

Learn more about selecting the right strain for your setup and about buying seeds online in our seed and strain guide.

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Soil Mix Guide

As most potting soils don’t provide adequate water drainage or retention for Cannabis off-the-shelf, it’s…
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Amnesia Haze by Royal Queen Seeds – Review

Amnesia Haze Feminized Seeds Overview

8 out of 10

Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) developed this two time Cannabis Cup winner by crossing a Haze hybrid back with an original Haze. The result is a robust sativa dominant hybrid strain that produces high yields of potent bud. Flowering takes a whopping 12 weeks, but the top-shelf flower is worth the wait.

Easy to Grow
8 out of 10
Flowering Speed
6 out of 10
Yield
9 out of 10
Potency
9 out of 10

Pros

Medicinal uses

Good resin production

Cons

Leggy structure

12 weeks to flower

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The Details

We’ve grown several of these and each seed germinated successfully. Due to the sativa dominance, they can get a little leggy if left to grow so we topped each once and performed low stress training to get a flat canopy. They responded well to training and maintained a moderate height.

The flowers were medium sized with good resin production and had a fruity aroma followed by a hint of spice. We saw consistent flowering times of 80 days to get a balanced effect at harvest.

Measured at 22% THC, this bud packs a punch. The medium levels of CBD smooth the effects, so we didn’t note anxiety or any other negative effects and found it to be generally medically beneficial.

Easy to Grow?

These plants were easy to grow, since they weren’t particularly prone to pests or nutrient issues and responded well to topping and training.

Speed to Flower?

The breeder recommends over 12 weeks – 84 days – which will result in potent buds with strong effects. The flowers were medium sized but numerous and dense with medium resin production.

Medical Use?

Amnesia Haze produces relaxing effects, making it a a good choice for treating anxiety, stress and depression. If harvested at around 80 days, the high is energentic and doesn’t cause couchlock effects. Left in flower for more than 85 days, the CBD production increases to medium and improves the overall medical effects. Learn more on how to find the perfect time to harvest in our harvesting guide.

Amnesia Haze is easy to grow and has great medical and recreational effects.

Potency?

Amnesia Haze has high levels of THC, resulting in a strong but stimulating high. The effects are uplifting and stimulating, common in sativa dominant strains.

Yield?

The advertised yield is very high, at over 600 grams per square meter, but we weren’t able to duplicate that type of yield. Growing under 800 watt LED lights, we recorded a respectable 450 grams per square meter.

The buds were medium sized and dense with medium levels of resin development. The overall yield was on par with other strains.

Flavor?

Amnesia Haze has a nice fruity flavor that is followed by spicy or herbal flavors. The flowers cure well and results in a relatively smooth smoke.

Grow Setup

We grew in a 4×4 tent with 4 LED lights: one 1200W light, one 800W light and 2 400W COB lights. The temp was between 60 and 70 degrees thoughout the grow. We grew in a soil/coco mix and used Blue Planet Nutrients as the base nutrient for this grow. Once per week, we added CalMag and compost tea.

About Royal Queen Seeds

Royal Queen Seeds is legend among seed breeders. Backed by decades of experience, RQS have produced a full catalog of award winning strains, from Amnesia Haze to Skunk XL, they produce some of the finest strains in the business. Click here to see more strains from RQS.

Learn more about selecting the right strain for your setup and about buying seeds online in our seed and strain guide.

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Liberty Haze by Barney’s Farm Review

Liberty Haze Feminized Seeds Overview

9 out of 10

The breeders at Barney’s Farm crossed a G13 Haze with a fast flowering ChemDawg ’91 to produce this indica/sativa hybrid that won a 2011 Cannabis Cup award. Measured at a whopping 25% THC, Liberty Haze also produces some CBD when left in flower longer. We grow this potent, high yield strain because they have great structure, respond well to topping and training, and aren’t particularly prone to pests.

Easy to Grow
9 out of 10
Flowering Speed
9 out of 10
Yield
10 out of 10
Potency
8 out of 10

Pros

Medicinal uses

Great structure for training

Stable size and structure

Cons

Strong odor while growing

Prone to nutrient issues

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The Details

We’ve grown several of these and had 100% germination rate. We topped each multiple times and performed low stress training to get a flat canopy. The strong structure and rate of growth is impressive.

The flowers were large sized with medium resin production and a citrus fragrance. The ones we grew over winter turned dark purple since the temperatures often hovered in the low 60’s (~15C).

When flowered for the recommended minimum of 60 days, the high was intense and psycho-active, but we didn’t note anxiety or racing thoughts that can come with potent strains. Waiting a full 9 weeks to harvest allowed the CBD to fully form and toned down the intensity of the high. The effects are relaxing and hazy without the couch-lock that you get with a lot of heavy Indicas.

Easy to Grow?

These plants were very easy to grow. They weren’t particularly prone to pests or nutrient issues. They responded well to topping and training and had great structure overall.

Speed to Flower?

The breeder recommends 60 days minimum, which will result in potent buds with rather extreme psychoactive effects. Waiting the maximum recommended of 65 days resulted in buds with a more relaxing sedative effect. The flowers were large and dense with medium resin production.

Liberty Haze is fast to flower and has a strong structure.

Medical Use?

Liberty Haze produces a euphoric effect, making it a a good choice for treating anxiety, stress and depression. If you want the maximum CBD, you will need to flower for at least 65 days. Learn more on how to find the perfect time to harvest for medical purposes in our harvesting guide.

Potency?

Liberty Haze has very high levels of THC, at around 25%. It has medium levels of CBD (~2%) to offset the THC. The effects are uplifting, and euphoric.

Liberty Haze is an aggressive grower, showing yields of 600 grams per square meter.

Yield?

The advertised yield is very high, at 600 grams per square meter and we saw similar results. The buds were large and dense with medium levels of resin development. The overall yield was high compared to other strains.

Flavor?

Liberty Haze has a nice, but mild, citrus flavor with earthy undertones. It cures well and is relatively smooth to smoke.

Grow Setup

We grew in a 4×4 tent with 4 LED lights: one 1200W light, one 800W light, and 2 400W COB lights. The temp was between 60 and 70 degrees throughout the grow. We grew in a soil/coco mix and used General Hydroponics Flora series as the base nutrient for this grow. Once per week, we added CalMag and compost tea.

About Barney’s Farm

Starting life as Barney’s Coffee Shop in Amsterdam, Barney’s Farm has produced some of the world’s most popular varieties of cannabis. Pineapple Chunk winning the Indica Cup in 2009, and Critical Kush becoming a bestseller within months of release. Despite a history spanning nearly 30 years, Barney’s Farm’s popularity has never diminished. New strains are frequently released, allowing for an ever-increasing audience to continue to enjoy high quality seeds from a company that started, literally, at the top and has remained there ever since. Click here to see more strains from Barney’s Farm.

Learn more about selecting the right strain for your setup and about buying seeds online in our seed and strain guide.

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