greenhacker

This year I’ll be fully exercising my right to grow 4 marijuana plants. Existing Cannabis Act is extremely oppressive for small scale growers, but I guess it’s a start. It’s February 23 and this year’s pheno-hunt has culminated in this short research outline.

Final selection

In the end, I selected 4 strains, based on the later criteria overview outlining my desired traits. I paid cash using a Bitcoin ATM to send BTC directly to Vancouver Seed Bank. How’s that for a use case! Paid with fiat cash and my seeds shipped next day.

Apricot Kush

Ancestral Seed Co. description:

This new and exciting  strain features an intoxicating aroma, and very resinous buds. A superb yielder with good mold resistance, the Apricot is great outdoors, in greenhouses or indoors. An uplifting and euphoric high compliment the intense aroma. Warning!!!! These buds will gum up scissors and fingers with resin. Medicinally used for pain and stress relief as well as improving one’s appetite. Also a good bronchial dilator. (Finishing time mid-late september, yields up to 908 grams or more dependent on growing conditions) Flowering time: 8 weeks.

Notes:

• all 5 of apricot seeds sprouted and grew 4″ tall within days, noticeably ahead of other strains

Titan

Federation Seed Co. description:

Eight week flower sativa dominant with a cerebral high. Back in the 90’s we crossed the original Romulan with Island Sweet Skunk for this beauty, and it’s a stunning representative of what quality genetics can produce. Titan has a very pungent sweet basil smell and powerful flavor reflecting it’s lineage. Open colas that are easy to dry and cure, a true champion with superb resin content. More branchy than usual and vigorous growth makes Titan easy to clone and easy to maintain. Flowering time about 56 days, harvest outdoor about Oct 14th in Canada depending on overnight temps.

Notes:

• couple sprouts were also fast growers, others 2″ tall within week
• 1 seed didn’t sprout, one about a week after all others

Island Sweet Skunk

Federation Seed Co. description:

Mostly Sativa, the Island Sweet Skunk mama was grown for many years as a stabilized Sativa-Skunk cross. The ISS Stretches like crazy with vigorous vegetative growth which produces very tall plants by fall time outdoors. Sugary long buds with long, thick hairs, are sparse at first, but will fill as it elongates and begins to swell after the fifth week of flower. The last two weeks will produce a dramatic increase in bud density, don’t harvest early as the most thickening occurs during this finishing period. Island Sweet Skunk has proven itself excellent for managing mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD. The cerebral high delivers a mood boost promoting feelings of euphoria and happiness as well as energy and creativity, which comes with mellow body relaxation.

Notes:

• 1 seed didn’t sprout, one about a week after all others

August Timewarp

Ancestral Seed Co. description:

Genetic lineage inherited from Texada Timewarp, White Grizz, Pine Warp and August Sativa.  Very potent, with a sweet perfume fragrance. Moderate mold resistance, definitely prefers to be grown in pots in full sun, with well drained soil and low elevation (below 2000 feet) Tendency for plants to turn purple as the temperatures fall. Medicinally used for pain and stress relief as well as improving one’s appetite. (Finish time mid to late September, yields up to 681 grams dependent on growing conditions)

Notes:

• most sprouts grew slower than other varieties

Which genetics to grow?

Desired traits overview: high yield, high potency, hearty, huge.

• hearty plants that will thrive in extreme desert-like climate
• relatively early finishers, before October frosts
• uplifting, happy highs
  • for day use: energy, focus, sociability,
  • for night use: relaxation, euphoria,
• huge plants with high yield and potency, duh!

Climate considerations

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Rainfall
• Growing season length

Primary peer-reviewed literature

Historic Okanagan-Similkameen outdoor climate and weather trends

Recent Similkameen valley climate and shifting weather patterns

• (Masoudi 2018) High-resolution modeling of climate change impacts on water supply and demand, and GHG emissions in an Okanagan-Similkameen Subwatershed, British Columbia, Canada
• (Masoudi 2019) Modelling historical and potential future climate impacts on Keremeos Creek, an Okanagan-Similkameen watershed, British Columbia, Canada: Part I. Forecasting change in spring and summer water supply and demand

Open source intel (OSINT)

Winners of Canadian Cannabis Awards 2019

• Winners decided by uploading receipt, voting, reviewing (CCA FAQ), via Lift & Co.
  • Best Sativa: Tangerine Dream
  • Best Indica: Pink Kush
  • Best Hybrid: Ruxton (Sour OG)
• CCA winners (most popular flowers first)
  • Hybrids: Gabriola (Frost Monster), Ruxton (Sour OG), Quadra (Headstash)
  • Indicas: Pink Kush,
  • Sativas: Delahaze, Tangerine Dream
  • Best Canadian breeders: Broken Coast Cannabis, San Rafael 71

• lift.co: best selling
  • Sativa
    • Tangerine Dream
    • Blue Dream
    • Sweet Jersey 3
  • High CBD, Sativa
    • Great White Shark
  • Indica
    • Pink Kush
    • Quadra (Headstash)
  • Hybrid
    • Sense (Sour Kush)
• lift.co: most expensive
  • Chocolope – $18/g
  • Moresby – $15/g
  • Denman (Pie in the Sky) – $15/g
  • Savary (Pink Kush) – $13/g
  • Strawberry Fire OG – $12/g
  • Orange Cookies – $12/g
  • Cabaret (Sweet Island Skunk) – $10/g

Hearty, high yield Canadian seeds

Regionally outdoor grown

• Ancestral Seeds
  • Apricot Kush
  • August Timewarp

• Federation Seed Co.
  • Titan
  • Ziggy
  • Romulan

Desired effects

Energetic, uplifting sativas for afternoon

Federation Seed Co.: Cabaret (Island Sweet Skunk) “has proven itself excellent for managing mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD.”

Euphoric, deeply relaxing indicas for evening

Personal reviews

• Cabaret (Sweet Island Skunk sativa)
  • lovely, uplifting, motivational, happy high
  • minus paranoia or anxiety
• Headband hybrid
  • nice cerebral high
  • could be stronger
• Summer Jam, Twilight, and Oceanview
  • too weak