Caramellow Kush Automatic (Research)

Caramellow Kush Automatic (Research)

In this report, we’ll detail our experience growing Caramellow Kush Automatic; a 75% indica-dominant hybrid bred from a cross of Gorilla and Zkittlez. Our plant stayed on the taller end of things and took a bit longer than average for an autoflowering indica, but the potent buds and soothing high made it worth the work.

Total growing time: 119 days

Flowering time: 85 days

Final height: 112 cm

Final yield: 97 grams

THC content: 22.2%

The setup we used for our Caramellow Kush Automatic was crafted to be the ideal environment for weed; a stable daytime temperature of 23°C (getting down to 21°C at night) and a relative humidity of 65%. Above everything, we hung a 1000 W Philips GreenPower HPS light on an 18/6 schedule. The plant itself was grown in an 8-litre plastic pot filled with BAC Lava Mix topped with a thin layer of Rockwool.

Germination & seedling

Before our plant could truly blossom, it first needed to come out of its shell, so to speak. Germinating cannabis seeds is a breeze and, like always, we used the long-running standard simply called the paper towel method. To pull this off, all you need are some seeds, a plate, a few paper towels, and a plastic bag, Simply place a folded and slightly damp paper towel on a plate and spread a few seeds on top (be sure to leave a few centimetres between them). Next, cover that with another damp paper towel, place it all loosely inside an open plastic bag, and wait a day or so.

After about 24 hours, our seed split open to show off its shiny new taproot signalling that it was time to plant it. At this point, we put the seed (taproot down) into a Rockwool cube and placed that under a 600 W lamp. This early on, seedlings are extremely fragile, and too much light, water, or wind could put a quick end to our ambitions. After three days, we gave our seedling her first feeding; 100 ml of pH-balanced water (pH 6.2; EC 0.8) mixed with a small amount of rooting hormones.

At the end of the first week, our seedling had grown to a height of 7 cm and was well on her way to a successful harvest. At this point, we transplanted our plant to her new home; an 8-litre pot under our 1000 W lamp. We also began feeding with Bio Grow liquid nutrients added directly to the 100 ml (pH 6.0; EC 1.4) of daily water.

Vegetation

Making our way through week two, our Caramellow Kush plant grew only slightly to a new height of 9 cm. While that might not be a huge increase, the growth was incredibly productive with our little lady developing her first set of true leaves with a second pair already sprouting. Anticipating more significant growth to come, we doubled the volume of water to 200 ml per day.

At this point, we also placed satchels of Neoseiulus californicus and Amblyseius swirskii on the plant’s lower branches. These small white pouches are filled with nearly microscopic predatory mites that thrive on parasites such as spider mites and thrips which can decimate a harvest. What’s even better is that these symbiotic mites don’t harm your plants at all. These pouches are replaced every four weeks to maintain a fresh supply.

Week three saw a major bump in growth with our plant nearly doubling in height to reach 15 cm tall. This week also saw the growth of a few new sets of leaves as well as the sprouting of branches at the inner nodes. Speaking of inner nodes, the spacing between them was incredibly tight and this plant was shaping up to be a classically compact indica. Well, appearances can be deceiving. With the growth rapidly accelerating, we once again doubled the volume of water to 400 ml per day.

Week four saw the most rapid growth so far with our Caramellow Kush plant climbing to a new height of 26 cm. By now, the branches were beginning to catch up to the main stalk and a nice canopy was beginning to develop. We were also beginning to see the very first signs of flowering as tiny white hairs appeared at the inner nodes and the tops of branches. To make sure that our plant had everything she needed to enter flowering, we—yet again—doubled the water to 800 ml each day.

Flowering

As we worked through week five, our Caramellow Kush Automatic had grown to a height of 37 cm and was beginning to properly flower as the single pistils along flowering sites were slowly becoming tiny clusters. To help move things along, we increased the water to 1000 ml (pH 602; EC 1.8) per day and began mixing it with Bio Flower liquid nutrients.

Additionally, we swapped to a 12/12 light schedule. While this isn’t strictly necessary for autoflowering plants, there’s no real downside to it and it’s a great way to cut down on your energy costs. Lastly, we lowered the humidity to 60%.

Week six was explosive with our plant gaining another 14 cm to climb to a new height of 51 cm. By now, nearly every flowering site had developed a protoflower and the entire plant was ready to transform. The shape was fantastic with a nearly perfect canopy and an incredible roundness. With the real show about to start, we upped the water one last time to a rate of 1500 ml every day.

Over week seven, our plant had her single largest growth spurt gaining a whopping 28 cm to stand at a height of 79 cm. While much of this was in the main stalk (which was slowly climbing above the rest of the canopy), the lateral branches were more than able to keep up. As the plant stretched out, the internodal spacing was also increasing which was a blessing as it would allow for greater airflow and give the buds room to mature.

Week eight saw a slight slowdown in growth with our plant now standing 96 cm tall. By now, the main stalk had grown considerably taller than the surrounding branches, though the evenness of the canopy was still impressive. The small clusters of pistils were rapidly turning into proper flowers and the entire plant was covered in small white buds.

In week nine, our bussing beauty slowed down immensely gaining only 5 cm to reach a height of 101 cm. This slowdown of vertical growth was matched by an increase in flower development as the buds grew noticeably larger each day. While still lacking density, things were moving along very nicely.

By the end of week ten, the lateral branches were bowing outwards under the weight of their flowers with the lowest branches bending almost 90°. The buds were developing quickly and the main cola was taking shape. Over this week, the plant grew only slightly, reaching 105 cm. At this point, we lowered the humidity to 55% as the plant’s increased vegetation was giving off a considerable amount of moisture.

As week eleven came and went, our Caramellow Kush Auto plant grew to 109 cm and the buds continued to grow larger and denser. The main cola was fully formed and the tops of lateral branches were each sporting seriously massive buds. While the main stalk had slowed its growth, the branches kept growing and the canopy was almost completely even.

By week twelve, many of the lower branches had bent past 90° but were still supporting considerable nugs. The main cola was now covering the top 20 or so centimetres of the plant as none of the flowers showed any signs of slowing down. Even at the end of the week, there were almost no orange pistils to be found anywhere.

In week thirteen the pistils began to slowly change from white to amber signalling that harvest was only a few weeks away. By the end of the week, our lant had reached her maximum height of 112 cm—on the taller end for most indicas, but in-line with many autoflowering strains.

Week fourteen was the week when most of the pistils turned a dark orange and a few fan leaves turned yellow. Our plant was almost ready but we wanted to give her a couple more weeks to wrap everything up. You can’t rush nature.

Weeks fifteen and sixteen saw no new vertical growth but saw incredible productivity where the flowers were concerned. Everything grew denser and the main cola was a thing of pure beauty.

Finally, at the end of week seventeen, it was time to harvest our plant.

Harvest

Harvesting our Caramellow Kush Automatic plant didn’t take too long. First, we simply cut it down at its base then we removed all of the fan leaves and, lastly, we hung it upside-down to dry; typically 10-20 days. The room where we hung our plant was dark and kept at a consistent 15.5°C with a relative humidity of 50%.

Once the branches were dry enough to snap when bent, it was time to trim up the buds. Overall, the flowers weren’t terribly leafy which made trimming a breeze. Once everything was cleaned up, the buds were placed into glass jars for curing.

These glass jars were left open for the first 24 hours before being sealed. Over the next 6 weeks or so, the jars were opened several times a day (gradually decreased to once a day) for an hour at a time. Eventually, the process was complete and we were ready to sample the fruits of our labour.

In the end, we harvested 97 grams of dry flower with a THC content of 22.2%.

Terpene profile

As soon as we sampled our Caramellow Kush, we knew that the wait had been worth it. The taste of the smoke was a pleasant combination of fresh fruit and sweet cream with a nice piney finish. This was some pretty tasty stuff.

Almost immediately after inhaling, we felt a tingly deep body stone begin to set in from head to toe as muscles relaxed and tension simply melted away. This strain might have some sativa genetics, but you wouldn’t know it from the effects. This is an incredibly soothing strain that is ideal for the end of a long and physically demanding day.

The outcome

A bit tall for an indica and on the slower side, Caramellow Kush Automatic might not be the best choice for every grower. However, those with the space and time will find an incredibly rewarding plant. Easy to grow and reasonably productive, this strain is a great choice for anyone in the market for a potent and relaxing indica.

  • Disclaimer:
    Laws and regulations regarding cannabis cultivation differ from country to country. Sensi Seeds therefore strongly advises you to check your local laws and regulations. Do not act in conflict with the law.

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    Sensi Seeds

    The Sensi Seeds Editorial team has been built throughout our more than 30 years of existence. Our writers and editors include botanists, medical and legal experts as well as renown activists the world over including Lester Grinspoon, Micha Knodt, Robert Connell Clarke, Maurice Veldman, Sebastian Maríncolo, James Burton and Seshata.
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