Big Berry Boom Boom Feminized Grow Report

• Total growing time: 90 days
• Flowering time: 62 days
• Final height: 110 cm
• Final yield: 143 grams
• THC content: 21.6%

We grew our Big Berry Boom Boom (B4) Feminized cannabis plant, a strain we created together with Serge Cannabis, in an 8-litre plastic pot filled with BAC Lava Mix and placed under a 1000 W Phillips GreenPower lamp. Throughout the grow, we kept our space at a regular 23°C during daylight hours and allowed temperatures to dip to 21°C at night. Throughout vegetation, we kept the space at a consistent 65% relative humidity and gradually lowered it as the plant developed.

Germination & seedling

To get our plant started, the first thing we needed to do was to germinate the seed. Fortunately, germinating seeds is the easiest part of growing a healthy plant and doesn’t require any special knowledge or equipment. To start, we folded up a few paper towels and wetted them with just enough water to be damp but not dripping. After this, we set our seed onto the towels, covered it with another damp paper towel, placed the whole thing into an open plastic bag, and set it somewhere warm and out of direct sunlight.

After about a day, our seed had cracked open to reveal a small, thin taproot sticking out. We then placed our seed into a pre-soaked Rockwool cube (taproot pointing downwards), set it underneath our 600 W LED lamp, and gave it a few days to sprout. At this early stage, plants are extremely fragile and excessive light, heat, or water can prevent them from properly taking root, so it’s best to just give them some space to work.

After three days, we gave our seedling its first feeding with 100 ml of pH-balanced water (pH 6.2; EC 0.8) mixed with a small amount of rooting hormone. By the end of week one, our seedling had grown to 9 cm with some small, healthy cotyledons on top of a slender stem. At this point, the roots were growing out of the bottom of the Rockwool cube, so we moved our plant into its new 8-litre plastic pot and set it under our 1000 W lamp. By now, we were giving the plant daily feedings with 100 ml of water (pH 6.0; EC 1.4) mixed with Bio Grow liquid nutrients.

Vegetation

In week two, our plant grew to 14 cm and sprouted a few new sets of leaves with extremely tight internodal spacing. The leaves were rather small and a deep, healthy green. Anticipating a week of significant growth to come, we began feeding with 200 ml of water per day.

Over week three, our plant grew considerably to 24 cm, and multiple new sets of leaves were growing out of some rapidly stretching inner nodes. The lateral branches were growing in, but they weren’t really shaping the plant yet. With the switch to flowering just around the corner, we increased the volume of water to 400 ml per day.

Before we could flower our plant, though, there was one final precaution to take, and we hung satchels of Neoseiulus californicus and Amblyseius swirskii on the plant’s lowest branches to help fend off pests. Invasive creatures like thrips and spider mites can completely wipe out even the healthiest plant, but these satchels contain tiny bugs that feed on these pests without harming the plant at all. We replace these satchels every four weeks to maintain a fresh supply.

Flowering

As week four kicked off, we switched our B4 plant to flowering by flipping the lights to a 12/12 schedule, lowering the humidity to 60%, and feeding with 800 ml of water (pH 6.0; EC 1.8) mixed with Bio Flower liquid nutrients. By the end of the week, our plant was 32 cm tall, and the lateral branches were now large enough to give the plant a squat, bushy shape.

In week five, our plant continued to grow nicely, gaining another 12 cm to reach a height of 44 cm. The internodal spacing was already beginning to show signs of stretch, and the lateral branches were growing rapidly, though they were still only half the height of the main stem. Everything seemed to be on track, and we began watering with 1000 ml of water per day and lowered the relative humidity to 60%.

Week six saw our plant’s single largest week-on-week growth spurt as it grew to 19 cm to end the week standing 63 cm tall. This was seen all over the plant, with the main stem and lateral branches all stretching considerably, transforming the entire plant over just a few short days. While there still wasn’t much flowering activity, we were expecting it any day now, and we began feeding our plant with 1500 ml per day.

Week seven gave our plant another burst of vertical growth as it grew up 79 cm. By now, we had begun seeing small white pistils popping up along some of the inner nodes, signalling that flowering was starting. The internodal spacing was still growing rapidly, and the entire plant was a tangled weave of fairly robust branches and giant fan leaves.

In week eight, our plant’s vertical growth continued its gradual slowdown, gaining only 9 cm to reach 88 cm in height. This perfectly coincided with the proper onset of flowering as small clusters of pistils were growing at the tops of each branch. By now, the lower branches were outwards as much as upwards, and the plant was as wide as it was tall.

Week nine saw our B4 Feminized plant grow another 8 cm to end the week at 96 cm. By now, the main stem was standing nearly double the height of the lower branches, which were doing a great job of supporting their weight. The entire plant was taking on a bit of a lean, but that was nothing to be worried about.

In week ten, our plant grew to a new height of 102 cm, with much of that gain coming from the rapidly growing main cola. Every branch was covered in buds, which were all growing larger and denser with each passing day. There was nothing left to do at this point but reduce the relative humidity to 55% and wait for nature to do its business.

Weeks eleven and twelve saw our plant reach its maximum height of 110 cm as the pistils began changing from white to a dark orange hue. While the main cola didn’t run the upper stem, the buds were rock solid and extremely sticky.

Finally, in week thirteen, we harvested our Big Berry Boom Boom Feminized cannabis plant.

Harvest

Once it was finally time to harvest our Big Berry Boom Boom Feminized cannabis plant, we started by cutting it down at the base and trimming away all of the large fan leaves. Next, we left the plant hanging upside-down in a climate-controlled room kept at 15.5°C with a relative humidity of 50%. Once the smaller branches were dry enough to snap when bent (typically 10-20 days), it was time to move on to the next step.

After the plant was dry, we removed the flowers and trimmed off the remaining leaves. These buds weren’t incredibly leafy, but they were sticky with resin, and we had a large number of golfball-sized flowers to get through. This combination made trimming a real chore.

When everything had been trimmed up, the buds were placed into glass jars for curing. For the first full day, we left the jars open so that a good deal of the remaining moisture could evaporate. After about 24 hours, we sealed the jars and “burped” them several times per day for an hour at a time. Over the next several weeks, we gradually reduced the frequency of these burps to only once per day until the buds had finished curing. The curing process typically requires 4-6 weeks and cannot be rushed.

All in all, we harvested a seriously impressive 143 g of dried flowers with a genuinely impressive THC content of 21.6%.

Terpene profile

Almost as soon as our Big Berry Boom Boom Feminized plant began flowering, it was giving off a noticeable aroma with tropical and citrus aromas popping up first. As our plant matured, these fruity scents blended with sharper diesel notes, creating a pleasing, if somewhat pungent, aroma. While noticeable, it’s not exactly overpowering, but if you’re concerned with privacy, you may want to take a few extra steps to deal with the odour.

After our buds had dried, they took on a brighter, more tropical aroma, boasting hints of mango, pineapple, and citrus dancing just on top of a sharp, diesel backdrop. The flavour was pretty much what we’d expected from the smell; a burst of sweet tropical fruit on the inhale (you’ll notice the mango, pineapple, and lemon), while the back end delivered a smooth transition to earthy, gassy diesel with a subtle spiciness.

On the whole, the flavour is a well-balanced mix of classic indica fruitiness and more earthy sativa notes. However, the effects are almost pure sativa. Almost immediately after trying Big Berry Boom Boom, we were hit hard by a fast-acting cerebral high that left us feeling a little quiet and introspective. This was paired with a powerful body buzz that took a little time to fully kick in, relaxing muscles and relieving tension. Overall, the effects were rather potent and long-lasting, with the potential for couch-lock at higher doses.

The outcome

So often, when growers (particularly indoor growers) are looking at a strain’s size, they’re mostly concerned with height. While Big Berry Boom Boom Feminized can be kept to a manageable height indoors, the massive footprint from the wide lateral branches can make these plants a little tricky in tight spaces.

However, if you’ve got the space and are looking for a large and productive sativa that can be grown indoors, B4 is worth your consideration. When paired with advanced growing techniques like LST or a screen of green (SCROG), these plants can become production powerhouses.