This time, we’re going over our grow of Raspberry Critical Kush Feminized; a 70% indica created in collaboration with the team at Champelli. This medium-height, fast-flowering strain surpassed even our most ambitious expectations when it came time to harvest. While the plant needed a little extra help along the way, the results speak for themselves.
Total growing time: 95 days
Flowering time: 60 days
Final height: 132 cm
Final yield: 186 grams
THC content: 23.68%
To grow our Raspberry Critical Kush Feminized cannabis plant, we used a 1000 W Phillips GreenPower HPS lamp set to an 18-hours-on-6-hour-off schedule and hanging three metres above a 12-litre plastic pot filled with BAC Lava mix and topped with a layer of Rockwool cubes. We kept our growing space at a consistent 23°C during the day and let it cool down to 21°C at night with a relative humidity of 65% during vegetation.
Germination & seedling
To get things started, we first needed to germinate our seeds. Thankfully, this is an extremely simple task that only requires a few common household items: paper towels, a plate, and a plastic bag. We folded up the paper towels, set them on the plate, doused them with several millilitres of water (enough to keep them moist without being soaked), and carefully placed the seeds on top, leaving a couple of centimetres between each one. After covering them with another damp towel, we placed the plate into a slightly open plastic bag.
A little more than 24 hours later, the seeds had cracked open showing off the taproot. We moved the seedling into a Rockwool cube with the taproot facing downward and placed it under a 600W LED light to begin sprouting. At this early stage, seedlings are incredibly fragile and excessive light, heat, or moisture could easily disrupt their growth.
Three days later, it was time for the first watering: 100 ml of pH-balanced water (pH 6.2; EC 0.8), along with a small dose of rooting hormone. By the end of the first week, the seedling had grown to 11 cm, with a full set of healthy dark green leaves. We then transferred it into a 12-litre pot and began watering daily with 100 ml of water (pH 6.0: EC 1.4), mixed with Bio Grow liquid nutrients. The stem was still a bit slender and the seedling needed a little extra support but this isn’t uncommon.
Vegetation
In week two, our plant grew to 15 cm and sprouted a few new sets of leaves with very tight internodal spacing. Additionally, the growth of lateral branches kicked off with a bang as one of them grew to be even taller than the main stalk. This would gradually even out as the plant matured. With so much lush growth, we doubled the daily feedings to 200 ml of water.
Week three saw our plant nearly double in height to reach 27 cm. The fan leaves were massive and the lowest branches were still standing taller than the main stem. However, the plant was now robust enough to remove the wooden support rod; though we had to replace it later. We would begin flowering next week, so we again doubled the volume of water to 400 ml per day.
As a final task before flowering, we hung small satchels of Neoseiulus californicus and Amblyseius swirskii from the plant’s lowest branches. These little bugs live in harmony with cannabis and won’t harm the plant at all. Instead, they hunt down parasites like thrips and spider mites which can rapidly destroy even the healthiest of plants. We replace these every four weeks to maintain a fresh supply.
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Flowering
In week four, we began flowering our plant by switching the lights to a 12/12 schedule, reducing the humidity to 60%, and we began watering with 800 ml of water (pH 6.0; EC 1.8) mixed with Bio Flower liquid nutrients. Our plant continued to grow rapidly rising to 41 cm and covered in dense, healthy vegetation. Internodal spacing remained tight but was gradually spacing out and the canopy was beginning to even out.
Week five saw our plant skyrocket to a new height of 66 cm. The internodal spacing expanded rapidly and the main stem finally outgrew the lower branches. Aside from the height gains, the plant was also rapidly growing outwards. It was obvious this was going to be a big one. While we weren’t seeing any signs of flowering yet, we upped the water to 1000 ml per day to give our plant everything it needed.
Over week six, our plant saw its largest growth spurt of 29 cm to shoot up to 95 cm tall. This was almost entirely stretch as the internodal spacing was now fairly extreme. We were beginning to see the first signs of flowering as single white hairs popped up at the inner nodes and along the tops of branches. Once again, we increased the volume of water to 1500 ml per day; this wouldn’t change for the rest of the grow.
Week seven was another week of extremely rapid growth as our plant gained another 24 cm to reach a new height of 119 cm. By now, the main stalk was standing well above the lower branches and every flowering site had a small cluster of pistils growing larger every day. By now, the plant had the very classic Christmas Tree shape that is so common to many indicas.
In week eight, our plant’s vertical growth came to a screeching halt as it only grew 4 cm to reach 123 cm tall. Honestly, this was something of a relief as the extra-long lower branches were becoming difficult to manage and were beginning to bend under their weight. Flower production accelerated rapidly and the main cola was almost fully formed.
Weeks nine and ten saw our plant reach 131 cm tall. By now, the main stem and the lateral branches were buckling under the immense weight of their dense buds and we needed to add in several support rods. This also helped to rein in the plant’s horizontal expansion which was becoming something of a problem.
In week eleven, our plant reached its maximum height of 132 cm. Even with the support rods, the plant was starting to lean to one side and harvest couldn’t come soon enough. Fortunately, the first pistils were turning orange indicating that our plant was nearly ready.
Week twelve saw more and more pistils turn orange as the buds gradually stopped growing larger. All we could do was now was wait patiently and hope that our support rods held out.
Finally, in week thirteen, we harvested our plant.
Harvest
Harvesting our Raspberry Critical Kush Feminized cannabis plant was just as simple as everything else about this grow. To start, we simply the plant at the base and stripped off all of the fan leaves. Next, we hung the plant upside-down in a dark room kept at 15.5°C with 50% relative humidity. We left it hanging there until the smaller branches became brittle enough to snap when bent, which usually takes between 10 to 20 days.
Once fully dried, we removed the buds from the plant and trimmed off the remaining sugar leaves. The buds weren’t too leafy and we only had a handful of large colas to deal with. There were several smaller buds lower down, but these were still dense and easy to trim.
After finishing up the trimming, we put the buds into glass jars for curing. For the first 24 hours, we left the jars open to let most of the residual moisture evaporate away. After that, the jars were sealed and “burped” multiple times per day for about an hour each time. As the curing continued, we gradually reduced the frequency of burping to only once daily. This process typically lasts between four to six weeks.
In the end, we harvested a staggering 186 grams of dried flower with an equally impressive THC content of 23.68%.
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Terpene profile
While flowering, Raspberry Critical Kush Feminized begins to give off a fairly pronounced floral aroma, which combines sweet, fruity notes with earthy and musky undertones, accompanied by subtle hints of berries and pine. Overall, the smell is fairly noticeable and growers who value discretion should take steps to combat the odour.
When it comes to taste, these same notes come out in full force and deliver a complex and smooth flavour that’s sure to please even the most refined palates.
Overall, Raspberry Critical Kush offers a very well-balanced high which kicks off with an uplifting and euphoric sensation. After some time, this gradually gives way to a more soothing body buzz that, while powerful, won’t lock you to the couch. This strain is perfect for winding down after a long day or tapping into a burst of creative energy.
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The outcome
Overall, we were beyond pleased with our Raspberry Critical Kush cannabis plant. With a short flowering time and incredible production, there’s a lot to love here. However, these plants can become a bit unwieldy if not properly cared for. Their lanky branches and heavy buds aren’t ideal for novice growers or those with limited room. However, if you’ve got the time and space, this strain is an ideal choice for a screen of green or mainlining.
- 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.
