This was the second year of guerrilla growing for me, and I decided to take a chance on an indoor apartment grow as well. I chose to focus on a medicine-type strain, namely a smallish but strong 1:1 THC:CBD chemotype. I found Auto CBD Kush.
Auto CBD Kush
SeedBank:
Rocket Seeds (breeder: Sonoma Seeds) was the vendor where I found the seeds. They are reputable, honest, prompt, and fair. Their shopping cart works well, despite the problems with governmental sanctions of the process. I would go with them again, and heartily recommend them as a seed bank.
Strain:
Auto CBD Kush 1:1 This strain is a cross between Candy Kush and a “high-CBD strain”.
Did it autoflower?
No, it required changing the light timing from 18/6 to 12/12 for it to flower.
Soil/hydro:
FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil
Nutes:
FoxFarm duo of Big Bloom and Grow Big, also Mykos mycorrhizae and Alchemist monosilicic acid.
Light (kind and schedule):
MarsHydro TS1000, with a schedule of 18/6 for veg. and 12/12 (had to go there) for flower.
From seed to harvest date: 158 days
Planted: February 21, 2021
Harvested: July 29, 2021
Dry Yield: 250g from 3 plants
High/Effect Duration:
Typically, vaping through a Mighty brings a 30-minute high, then it plateaus for another hour as the CBD effect regulates the THC euphoria.
In-depth
This grow was the first of many firsts. It was the first Autoflower I have ever grown. And besides houseplants, it was the first indoor grow I have ever attempted. Along the way, there were other firsts, like everything pretty much, when I think about it. I had done a small outdoor guerilla grow the previous year, but this year a friend’s health emergency motivated me to do an intense indoor grow that I could apply low-stress training and hopefully maximize the production of resin. These plants were grown for oil using ethanol extraction, although I did save out an ounce of bud for vaping and the occasional bowl. When I decided on Sonoma Seed’s Auto CBD Kush from Rocket seed bank, it was due to its moderately high cannabinoid content, and its one-to-one ratio of CBD to THC. My ultimate goal was to make up a 60-gram batch of some nice, multi-strain FECO, with the Auto CBD Kush being the main strain. The output from these plants was a decent rookie yield I guess, and also because of one nasty under-watering misstep during the veg cycle, and triple transplants, those things also had potentially nasty effects, even though I was as delicate as possible.
When I initially popped the seeds, it was using the damp paper towel method. As soon as the radicles were a half-inch long, I put them into starter solo cups with miracle gro potting soil. One seed failed to sprout, and one of the four remaining lived for three weeks only. I battled mold all season in a humid, midwestern apartment, without a dehumidifier. Controlling the indoor environment was the main challenge, and by harvest time I had learned a lot about it the hard way. The Auto CBD Kush plants shared space with several other plants that ended up outdoors in the guerrilla grow. And although several of the other plants did suffer mold issues, which I kept under control only by constant observation, none of the three Auto CBD Kush plants got mold at all, which tells me this strain is Highly Mold Resistant.
Initially, I set the light cycle to 18/6, and intended to keep it there. The plants had a vigorous veg cycle, and soon outgrew their solo cups. Then I transplanted them into one-gallon fiber pots, using Ocean Forest soil. They barely skipped a beat, and outgrew their pots again way faster than I had expected them to do, and I transplanted them again about three weeks later. Looking back on it, this was probably the main reason for the weaker than expected yield. I wish I had known the adage to avoid transplanting at all before I played musical pots with them. Next time will be better, haha. Nonetheless, once in their big pots, they started vegging again. This was when I noticed a bit of a slowdown, but also the appearance of pre-flowers all over, so I assumed all was well and they were switching over into autoflowering. So from seed to preflower was about 63 days. Right about at this time, I was out of town for three days, setting up another guerrilla grow, and because of the mold worries, I kept a fan going on them the entire time. When I got back, all three plants were in a state of dehydration that looked like they would die any moment. I watered them immediately, and to my relief they did bounce back to ‘normal’ within an hour. But I was very worried about the shock they endured, and any unseen effects going forward.
The main effect at this point was the plants remained in a state of permanent pre-flower, week after week. Finally, on June 6, after 105 days, I decided to switch over to a 12/12 light cycle and try to force them to flower, which they did within a week. Relieved then, I know now I messed up with the transplanting and the three-day dry out a few weeks earlier. Once the plants were into flower, they seemed to continue to thrive. Once the outdoor plants were removed, the Auto CBD Kush plants had the place to themselves and could stretch to their limits, which they did. By this time I knew they were going to be heavy resin producers, because they were already getting real sticky to the touch.
With respect to training, I did low-stress train one plant- the one in the two-gallon pot. The other two plants, in 5-gallon pots, received no training at all. I wanted to see how they grew on their own. Well, the bigger the pot the bigger the yield, training notwithstanding, and the 5-gallon twins produced easily half again as much as the low-stress trained plant in the 2-gallon pot, and had just as many bud sites. But when their ground level is a foot and a half above the floor to start with, they have little headroom to stretch in the 4x4 tent. Just before harvest, they began to exhibit beautiful purple buds and purple leaves, even to the fan leaves. I harvested them on July 29, 2021, 158 days from sprouting. My time in trim jail was an incredibly resinous experience.
20/20 hindsight makes it clear to me that had I not made so many rookie mistakes, I could have easily seen another pound of yield. First, adding a second TS1000 light to the 4x4 tent would double the photons. Having just one light in there was not enough to maximize yield. Second, I now make sure the fan moves air around the plants, not blowing directly on them when I am away for more than a day. Third, a dehumidifier is necessary in humid climates to control mold issues. Four, plant directly into the big pots instead of transplanting indoors. Save the 1 gallon pots for outdoor transplanting if needed at all. At 158 days from seed to harvest, this strain behaved more like a regular strain instead of an auto, although my mistakes during veg cycle may be the reason why. Late flowering was not a phenotype issue, since all three plants behaved in the same way. It doesn’t really matter to me, since this strain is so full of resins, and that was my intent to grow a high-resin 1:1 THC:CBD strain. I’m thrilled by the excellent oil production using ethanol extraction, which averaged out to about 5 grams of oil per ounce of tops.
RATE SCALE: * bad to ***** good
5-stars for sure I cannot recommend Auto CBD Kush enough. It's high is unique enough that it deserves a place in anyone's stash, but as medicine it is a generous resin-maker as well.
BAG APPEAL: *****
Very green, and very sticky
THE GROWTH: *****
Easily manageable indoors, with plants reaching 4 ft. without any training.
THE SMELL: *****
Very dank smell with a unique CBD scent mixed in.
THE SMOKE: *****
Because of its ultra-high resin content, Auto CBD Kush vapes very well and makes a lot of it.
THE HIGH: *****
As I mentioned above, vaping through a Mighty brings a 30-minute high, then it plateaus for another hour as the CBD effect regulates the THC euphoria. The initial high is a strong one that makes me wish I could get an accurate profile for the record. Once the CBD effect kicks in, then a very clear plateau is reached before any couch-lock can set in. The friend I grew it for says it is wonderful, especially because he can work while high. This prominent entourage effect surely includes other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavinoids, etc., but I don’t know what they do exactly, so I just call it good unseen stuff in unknown amounts. And since the Auto CBD Kush high is as effective in terms of leaving aches and pains behind as what for me would normally be a couch-lock level buzz, it enables me to be more active.
POT VOLUME:
One planted in 2-gallon pot, two planted in 5-gallon pots.
PLANT HEIGHT AND ODOR WHILE FLOWERING (1-10)
The two larger ones reached as close to the light as possible, about 5 ft. By harvest, these two pretty much filled a 4x4 tent. They have a nice odor that is easily kept in check with a 4” inline carbon filter. I'd give it a 5 on the odor scale. It was just smelly enough to appreciate, but not a 'problem'.
I did put up a webpage of this grow. It may be found at http://rainbowstorm.org/plants/autoone/index.html
Auto CBD Kush
SeedBank:
Rocket Seeds (breeder: Sonoma Seeds) was the vendor where I found the seeds. They are reputable, honest, prompt, and fair. Their shopping cart works well, despite the problems with governmental sanctions of the process. I would go with them again, and heartily recommend them as a seed bank.
Strain:
Auto CBD Kush 1:1 This strain is a cross between Candy Kush and a “high-CBD strain”.
Did it autoflower?
No, it required changing the light timing from 18/6 to 12/12 for it to flower.
Soil/hydro:
FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil
Nutes:
FoxFarm duo of Big Bloom and Grow Big, also Mykos mycorrhizae and Alchemist monosilicic acid.
Light (kind and schedule):
MarsHydro TS1000, with a schedule of 18/6 for veg. and 12/12 (had to go there) for flower.
From seed to harvest date: 158 days
Planted: February 21, 2021
Harvested: July 29, 2021
Dry Yield: 250g from 3 plants
High/Effect Duration:
Typically, vaping through a Mighty brings a 30-minute high, then it plateaus for another hour as the CBD effect regulates the THC euphoria.
In-depth
This grow was the first of many firsts. It was the first Autoflower I have ever grown. And besides houseplants, it was the first indoor grow I have ever attempted. Along the way, there were other firsts, like everything pretty much, when I think about it. I had done a small outdoor guerilla grow the previous year, but this year a friend’s health emergency motivated me to do an intense indoor grow that I could apply low-stress training and hopefully maximize the production of resin. These plants were grown for oil using ethanol extraction, although I did save out an ounce of bud for vaping and the occasional bowl. When I decided on Sonoma Seed’s Auto CBD Kush from Rocket seed bank, it was due to its moderately high cannabinoid content, and its one-to-one ratio of CBD to THC. My ultimate goal was to make up a 60-gram batch of some nice, multi-strain FECO, with the Auto CBD Kush being the main strain. The output from these plants was a decent rookie yield I guess, and also because of one nasty under-watering misstep during the veg cycle, and triple transplants, those things also had potentially nasty effects, even though I was as delicate as possible.
When I initially popped the seeds, it was using the damp paper towel method. As soon as the radicles were a half-inch long, I put them into starter solo cups with miracle gro potting soil. One seed failed to sprout, and one of the four remaining lived for three weeks only. I battled mold all season in a humid, midwestern apartment, without a dehumidifier. Controlling the indoor environment was the main challenge, and by harvest time I had learned a lot about it the hard way. The Auto CBD Kush plants shared space with several other plants that ended up outdoors in the guerrilla grow. And although several of the other plants did suffer mold issues, which I kept under control only by constant observation, none of the three Auto CBD Kush plants got mold at all, which tells me this strain is Highly Mold Resistant.
Initially, I set the light cycle to 18/6, and intended to keep it there. The plants had a vigorous veg cycle, and soon outgrew their solo cups. Then I transplanted them into one-gallon fiber pots, using Ocean Forest soil. They barely skipped a beat, and outgrew their pots again way faster than I had expected them to do, and I transplanted them again about three weeks later. Looking back on it, this was probably the main reason for the weaker than expected yield. I wish I had known the adage to avoid transplanting at all before I played musical pots with them. Next time will be better, haha. Nonetheless, once in their big pots, they started vegging again. This was when I noticed a bit of a slowdown, but also the appearance of pre-flowers all over, so I assumed all was well and they were switching over into autoflowering. So from seed to preflower was about 63 days. Right about at this time, I was out of town for three days, setting up another guerrilla grow, and because of the mold worries, I kept a fan going on them the entire time. When I got back, all three plants were in a state of dehydration that looked like they would die any moment. I watered them immediately, and to my relief they did bounce back to ‘normal’ within an hour. But I was very worried about the shock they endured, and any unseen effects going forward.
The main effect at this point was the plants remained in a state of permanent pre-flower, week after week. Finally, on June 6, after 105 days, I decided to switch over to a 12/12 light cycle and try to force them to flower, which they did within a week. Relieved then, I know now I messed up with the transplanting and the three-day dry out a few weeks earlier. Once the plants were into flower, they seemed to continue to thrive. Once the outdoor plants were removed, the Auto CBD Kush plants had the place to themselves and could stretch to their limits, which they did. By this time I knew they were going to be heavy resin producers, because they were already getting real sticky to the touch.
With respect to training, I did low-stress train one plant- the one in the two-gallon pot. The other two plants, in 5-gallon pots, received no training at all. I wanted to see how they grew on their own. Well, the bigger the pot the bigger the yield, training notwithstanding, and the 5-gallon twins produced easily half again as much as the low-stress trained plant in the 2-gallon pot, and had just as many bud sites. But when their ground level is a foot and a half above the floor to start with, they have little headroom to stretch in the 4x4 tent. Just before harvest, they began to exhibit beautiful purple buds and purple leaves, even to the fan leaves. I harvested them on July 29, 2021, 158 days from sprouting. My time in trim jail was an incredibly resinous experience.
20/20 hindsight makes it clear to me that had I not made so many rookie mistakes, I could have easily seen another pound of yield. First, adding a second TS1000 light to the 4x4 tent would double the photons. Having just one light in there was not enough to maximize yield. Second, I now make sure the fan moves air around the plants, not blowing directly on them when I am away for more than a day. Third, a dehumidifier is necessary in humid climates to control mold issues. Four, plant directly into the big pots instead of transplanting indoors. Save the 1 gallon pots for outdoor transplanting if needed at all. At 158 days from seed to harvest, this strain behaved more like a regular strain instead of an auto, although my mistakes during veg cycle may be the reason why. Late flowering was not a phenotype issue, since all three plants behaved in the same way. It doesn’t really matter to me, since this strain is so full of resins, and that was my intent to grow a high-resin 1:1 THC:CBD strain. I’m thrilled by the excellent oil production using ethanol extraction, which averaged out to about 5 grams of oil per ounce of tops.
RATE SCALE: * bad to ***** good
5-stars for sure I cannot recommend Auto CBD Kush enough. It's high is unique enough that it deserves a place in anyone's stash, but as medicine it is a generous resin-maker as well.
BAG APPEAL: *****
Very green, and very sticky
THE GROWTH: *****
Easily manageable indoors, with plants reaching 4 ft. without any training.
THE SMELL: *****
Very dank smell with a unique CBD scent mixed in.
THE SMOKE: *****
Because of its ultra-high resin content, Auto CBD Kush vapes very well and makes a lot of it.
THE HIGH: *****
As I mentioned above, vaping through a Mighty brings a 30-minute high, then it plateaus for another hour as the CBD effect regulates the THC euphoria. The initial high is a strong one that makes me wish I could get an accurate profile for the record. Once the CBD effect kicks in, then a very clear plateau is reached before any couch-lock can set in. The friend I grew it for says it is wonderful, especially because he can work while high. This prominent entourage effect surely includes other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavinoids, etc., but I don’t know what they do exactly, so I just call it good unseen stuff in unknown amounts. And since the Auto CBD Kush high is as effective in terms of leaving aches and pains behind as what for me would normally be a couch-lock level buzz, it enables me to be more active.
POT VOLUME:
One planted in 2-gallon pot, two planted in 5-gallon pots.
PLANT HEIGHT AND ODOR WHILE FLOWERING (1-10)
The two larger ones reached as close to the light as possible, about 5 ft. By harvest, these two pretty much filled a 4x4 tent. They have a nice odor that is easily kept in check with a 4” inline carbon filter. I'd give it a 5 on the odor scale. It was just smelly enough to appreciate, but not a 'problem'.
I did put up a webpage of this grow. It may be found at http://rainbowstorm.org/plants/autoone/index.html
