Skunk Dream CBD Feminized is a testament as to what can be achieved through focused breeding programs. Cultivars with low THC but high CBD percentages have traditionally lacked in the flavour department. This is no longer an issue. Skunk Dream CBD is the result of craftily blending the popular Skunk #1 flavours into a CBD-dominant strain for you to enjoy.
Flowering stage: 70 days
Total time, seed to harvest: 91 days
Final yield: 67 grams
THC content: 0.4%
CBD content: 9.28%
Skunk Dream CBD was created to serve a specific need. Although CBD strains existed on the market, there was a general lack of profile that would accompany many of the strains that were high in CBD. Another issue some people faced was that they could only find CBD strains that contained comparable levels of THC.
People looking for an option of flower that is high in CBD but very low in THC had few options. Not everyone is interested in psychotropic effects. This is where Skunk Dream CBD fills the void. Finally, a flower with optimal levels of CBD but THC levels so low that there is no “high”, as some people would call it. On top of that, this strain offers a familiar flavour and terpene profile from one of our award-winning strains, Skunk #1.
Skunk Dream CBD results from outcrossing our Skunk #1 to a high-CBD cultivar. We then embarked on an extensive phenotype hunt to find the best representation of our Skunk #1 profile that also contained the desired THC:CBD ratio. The winning phenotype was then worked for stability, and we are proud to present the Skunk Dream CBD Feminized seeds.
Germination & seedling
We cracked open our pack of Skunk Dream CBD Feminized seeds and took the first seed out to place in a small cup of pH’d water (pH 6.2). Within 24 hours, the seed had cracked at the seam, and a tiny, 0.5 cm whitetail was emerging.
The quick germination demonstrated to us the vigour of the seed, and it was then transplanted into a 1L pot with the white tail part pointing down. Tweezers were used to transfer the opening seed from the water cup to the soil.
Special attention was paid not to squeeze the seed too hard, which could damage the emerging root tip. Before placing the seed into the soil, we created a 0.75 cm hole to place it in, which we then backfilled with soil.
We had filled our pot using BAC Lavasoil Growmix, and at the time of transplant, no watering was necessary due to the soil already having enough moisture content. On the third day, as we saw the seed push through the soil and shed its hull, 100 ml of water and root stimulant were added. This mixture with a total EC of 0.8 was added to the soil around the base of the stem at a pH of 6.2.
Skunk Dream CBD Feminized is a photoperiod plant, and the light cycle was immediately set to 18 hours on, 6 hours off per 24-hour cycle. This light schedule will keep the plant in its vegetative stage until we are ready to begin flowering. A 600W Green Power Phillips light is used for the entire grow. Because it is a powerful light, and seedlings are sensitive to light intensity, we kept our light 80 cm above the top of our seedling.
One thing we did to help strengthen our plant was to turn the pot a quarter turn each day. Plants are phototropic and will lean towards the direction where light is coming from. Skunk Dream CBD loves to lean towards the light, and by switching its orientation each day, the stem is constantly re-adjusting to grow thicker, more muscular cell walls.
Another step we took at this time was to release beneficial predators in the form of Hypoaspis Miles into the soil. These beneficial mites will help deter outbreaks of fungus gnats and control potential thrip issues by consuming their pupae. A good Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is about being proactive, not reactive.
At the end of the first week, Skunk Dream CBD Feminized was only 3 cm above the soil, and growth was focused on building a robust root system. This was now starting to show out of the bottom of our pot, and was another sign of excellent vigour in the Skunk Dream CBD Feminized strain.
Vegetation
We adjusted the temperature controls to slightly differ between “day and night” temperatures in week two. The grow room was kept at 26°C during the lights on portion and 22°C during lights off. RH remained unchanged and stayed at a steady 65%. By this point, our Skunk Dream CBD was developing a good network of roots.
To give these new roots more room to spread out, we transferred our plant into a 3L pot. Watering was increased to 100 ml at the beginning of the week and gradually raised the level to 200 ml by the end of the week. Only root stimulant was added to our water, and the total EC of our input was 0.8%. Our plant was flourishing, the foliage was developing nicely, and our plant focused all its energy on reinforcing the stems and broad leaves.
Week three was off to a good start. With the growth of our Skunk Dream CBD Feminized, the top of the canopy was 65 cm from the light, which is 15 cm closer than our seedling was. With more biomass above the soil, comes more roots below. We watered our plant at 200 ml per day and introduced some grow nutrients along with our root stimulant. The addition of Bio Grow nutrients brought the EC of our water to 1.4%.
A good IPM program requires constant attention. Although we did not see any pest pressure, another sachet of Hypoaspis Miles was released to keep any fungus gnat or thrip pupae populations in check.
The central mainstem was thickening substantially, and our Skunk CBD had grown over seven nodes. The upper foliage was beginning to develop, and more leaves covered the upper canopy. The leaf structure was healthy, with the leaves’ serrated fingers absorbing essential lumens to convert them into energy.
Flowering
Week four started by evaluating the overall height of our Skunk Dream CBD. Our plant now stood at 28 cm, double the height from the previous week. From experience, we know this plant can stretch a lot during the initial stages of flower, and the decision to change the light cycle to 12/12 and initiate flowering was made.
Before we did this, we once again transplanted our plant into a larger, 5L pot. The plant’s canopy was now 50 cm from the bottom of the light. Although the temperature remained unchanged, humidity levels were lowered from 65% to 45% for the remainder of flowering.
With new soil and a larger pot, more beneficial insects were released to maintain proactive IPM practices. This time we placed sachets of Amblyseius Cucumeris and Amblyseius Californicus to combat any thrip larvae or two-spotted spider mites that may be thinking of invading our gardening space.
Feeding was also changed to support the upcoming rapid growth of Skunk Dream CBD Feminized. The nutrients were switched to the Bio Flower line, and we stopped adding root stimulants into the water mix. The new EC total of our solution registered at 1.6%. Watering was also increased throughout the week, starting at 200 ml and finishing the week with 400 ml per day. As with every watering throughout this grow, our solution was balanced at a 6.2 pH.
Week five saw remarkable growth from the week before, and this caused the need for us to raise our light. Skunk Dream CBD was proliferating, and we now kept the bottom of the light 45 cm above the canopy. Watering remained at 400 ml per day, but the nutrient solution in the mix increased slightly. This brought the total EC of our water mix to 1.8% and a pH of 6.2.
Pre-flowers are developing from the nodes, and tiny white stigmas emerge from the slightly swollen calyxes. Lower branches stretch substantially, with the majority of new growth developing on the upper branches. The foliage is a lovely bright green, and our Skunk Dream CBD looks in optimal shape.
Week six started with our Skunk Dream CBD being nearly 300% the height of just a few weeks ago when we initiated flowering by changing the light schedule. We knew the stretch was considerable, but we also know that the height we see now will be close to the final height. The stretch period is close to over, and the plant will now turn all of its attention to bud formation.
Our mixture of water and nutrients remained at the same EC and pH, but the overall volume was increased by 100 ml to a total of 500 ml per day. Unlike before, we used plain water on one of the days we watered, and no nutrients were added. Although our soil does not dry out much between waterings, if a soil has been fed salt-based nutrients consistently, an occasion pure water rinse is recommended.
When soils dry out, they can leave deposits of concentrated nutrient solution in the soil structure. These accumulations of dried, concentrated nutrients can cause problems when watering the next time because that crystallized, highly concentrated nutrient is dissolved and released into the root zone. This can cause burning or other issues on the leaves.
During our water-only day, we made sure to get 10% run-off from the base of our pots to ensure that we effectively were rinsing all levels of the soil equally.
Week seven saw a welcome reprieve in the rapid height gain from our Skunk Dream CBD. The plant now stood 88 cm, and this was only a 5 cm increase from the week before, which indicates the stretch is likely over. Looking at the plant, we can tell it is about to go into a feeding frenzy to fuel bud growth. Watering with the flower nutrients was increased to 1000 ml of solution per day.
To remain vigilant, we re-introduced sachets of Amblyseius Cucumeris and Amblyseius Californicus to continue our IPM efforts. Keeping your grow room clean is an equally important step in good IPM. Do not leave dead plant materials on the floor, clean up any stray soil or dirt, and do be sure to wipe up any spills as they happen. You do not want to provide suitable habitats for pests.
The lower branches have reached a universal height, whereas the upper growth has continued, and there is significant bud development on the upper central mainstem. Calyxes are swelling, and white stigmas are shooting towards the light. There is substantial trichome development with the dark green sugar leaves glistening under the light.
Week eight and only 4 cm of growth vertically, our Skunk Dream CBD Feminized now stands 92 cm tall. We chose one day this week to give our plant 1000 ml of pure water, pH’d to 6.2, in an effort to leech out any accumulated salt nutrients from the soil pores. The following day we returned to the consistent 1000 ml mix of water and Bio Flower nutrients.
Significant bud development has been seen among the lower branches, and the plant is starting to fill the internodal gaps with buds. Calyxes are swelling considerably with a thick layer of resin glands covering the blooming flowers. The stretch is visible in the significant internodal gaps on the upper central mainstem, which will hopefully fill out during the remaining weeks of flowering.
Week nine was an uneventful week in the garden, and those are nice to have. Our approach to maintaining environmental conditions succeeded, and the two main factors of temperature and RH held steady, between 22°C to 26°C and 45%, respectively.
The canopy of Skunk Dream CBD remained 45 cm from the bottom of our light. Since week five, we maintained this hanging height by raising the light every few days during the rapid growth period. During this week, we also defoliated and removed a large proportion of the large fan leaves allowing light to penetrate the lower bud sites, increasing our yield and improving airflow.
Each morning, the topsoil would be a lighter shade of brown. Through that and by feeling the weight of our pots, we could tell she was drinking fast. We watered each day with a 1000 ml solution of water and flower nutrients. It is best to water within the first few hours of the lights coming on. Avoid watering right before the lights out period.
Week ten began, and we felt fortunate that we had not seen any pest pressures in the garden. Without the plant focusing on raising the shield of its natural defences, the main focus of our Skunk Dream CBD was aimed at bud production.
Instead of saying that we only had a few weeks left and were probably safe, we took the proactive approach to IPM and released more natural predators. Just like in week seven, we hung sachets of Amblyseius Cucumeris and Amblyseius Californicus on the plant. This should keep us safe from any thrip larvae or two-spotted spider mites for the remainder of the grow.
Week eleven, and our buds are covered in trichomes, and all lower branches have filled out nicely. Upper leaves are basking in the light and providing the necessary energy to enhance bud production. The anthocyanins in the plant are expressed by changing parts of the flowers to a light purple hue, and our Skunk Dream CBD looks beautiful.
We continued feeding our Skunk Dream CBD 1000 ml of water mixed with nutrients, but we took one day this week to feed pure water. As we approach the end of the growth cycle, we want to reduce the amount of nutrients, but stopping them too soon may result in lower yields. We are looking to decrease the amount of nutrients in the mix, which you can see in the lower EC, but we are not quite to that point yet.
There has not been a need to raise our light for a few weeks, and the plant has been a consistent 93 cm. The buds are where the growth has been focused lately, and we had no complaints. As buds get larger and can contain more moisture, we maintained RH at 45%, ensuring adequate airflow within the canopy.
We began week twelve with a sense of happiness and relief. Our Skunk Dream CBD looked fantastic, and the yellow colouration in the leaves is a great natural indicator that our plant is almost ready for harvest! Large buds expressed a wide variety of colour hues; however, the majority of buds are a delightful light green with darker foliage.
At the end of week thirteen, we finally decided to harvest. In the final week leading up to the harvest, we continued a daily watering of 1000 ml of pure water.
We have been keeping our eye on the colour of the trichome heads covering the buds, and we are seeing the maximum number of amber heads for our preference. Commonly, people harvest with 10% amber heads, but gardeners who are after maximum CBD levels, may take it slightly before this point. The colour change often represents a transformation of tetrahydrocannabinol as they convert to the cannabinoid CBN.
Our Skunk Dream CBD Feminized finished at 93 cm in height. She had a quick growth spurt on the plant that was put into the flower cycle but has remained at an even height over the final month. This allowed us to get maximum light to the branches without constantly adjusting the lights.
Harvest
Preparation is the name of the game when it comes to harvesting. If you are harvesting more than one plant, it is handy to have all of your tools by your side before you begin the process. To be ready, we had a box of gloves, loppers, trimming scissors, and a trash can to toss discarded leaves into. Before starting the defoliation process, we inspected the plant for any signs of pests or pathogens. Our Skunk Dream CBD was all clear.
We began by putting on our gloves and removing the large fan leaves. These are the oldest leaves on the plant; they rarely contain useful trichomes and retain more moisture than the smaller leaves. Our drying area has already been prepared for the right conditions, but if the buds are covered by large leaves while trying to dry, this can create micro-climates of warmer, moister air. Those unfavourable conditions surrounding the buds can lead to botrytis (bud rot) concerns.
Once all of the excess vegetation was removed, we used our loppers to cut the plant at the base of the stalk, just a few inches above the soil line. Some growers will cut their plant just below the first branch so that they can hang the plant by that branch over a line. That works too.
In our garden, we like to cut the plant whole and then separate the branches individually to hang them upside down on a line. If you have a very bushy plant, hanging the branches individually can be done to use your drying space more efficiently.
Three main criteria for proper drying include temperature, humidity, and airflow. The drying room temperature was maintained at 18-20°C, and RH was kept at 60%. We used a fan with variable speeds for consistent airflow.
The goal is to have a gentle breeze bouncing off the walls to create a swirl of wind around the drying plants. You want to avoid heavy or direct winds on the plants because this can dry them out prematurely, locking-in undesirable aromas and flavours. The dried flowers had an open bud structure similar to a classic sativa. The structure was open and airy, ideal for growers in continental climates looking to avoid an early harvest or botrytis.
The aroma became more pronounced as our Skunk Dream CBD Feminized began to shed excess moisture while hanging in the dark, climate-controlled environment. We avoided touching the buds directly, not to damage the valuable trichome heads, but a quick stem rub produced a delightful aroma. After two weeks of hang drying, our Skunk Dream CBD was ready to be trimmed and cured.
After putting on our gloves, flowers were lightly trimmed to remove any unwanted chickens’ feet and excess foliage. After the dried flowers were trimmed, they were placed into glass mason jars. Buds were placed into the jars loosely and filled a little over 3/4 of the way. Avoid stuffing or overfilling your jars; you want empty airspace for the moisture to move into as it escapes the buds. As part of the curing process, jars are “burped”, which releases the built-up moisture.
For the initial stages of burping, lids are left off the jars for 30 minutes and then resealed. We burped our Skunk Dream CBD Feminized several times a day for the first week and gradually reduced the duration and frequency. This was done for the first few weeks.
Once our flowers reached the desired dryness level, they were placed into our drying vault that maintains 62% RH. Buds were left there to cure for a month before we took them out to start enjoying our work. Skunk Dream CBD Feminized finished with a total CBD level that tested at 9.28%, while the THC level tested at 0.4%. In the end, we had 67 grams of beautiful, dried flower with an unusual amount of CBD, precisely our goal.
Terpene profile
Skunk Dreams CBD Feminized has a terpene profile composed of multiple layers. As the plant grew, it formed a general scent of old-school cannabis. As the buds cured, these aromas became more defined. Absent was the hint of any chlorophyll or “hay” smell, which indicated that we had a successful dry and cure.
Opening the jar of Skunk Dream CBD, the nose is first greeted by an aroma of exotic spices that fills the lungs with warm and heavy air. Taking an edge off of the bite is a pleasant floral scent that is hard to pinpoint to a specific flower but is one that lingers in the air of outdoor flower markets.
The two terpenes which commonly impart a spicy aroma are b-caryophyllene and myrcene. Both of these terpenes are present in Skunk Dream CBD Feminized. These two terpenes are also known to carry a slight floral scent in the right combinations. Another terpene present in this strain is limonene. Limonene is commonly associated with citrus smells and can range from a candy odour to an astringent cleaner scent.
A pronounced background aroma emanates from Skunk Dream CBD, which can best be described as a gassy or diesel scent. As we burped our jars during the curing process, we were eager to crack the lids to get another whiff of this intoxicating terpene combination.
It did not take us more than a single puff on the Skunk Dream CBD Feminized to get familiar with the flavour palette of this strain. Like the aromas, the flavours consisted of an intricate spice that coated our taste buds and did not let go.
As strong as the spice flavour was, the floral flavours came in and smoothed out the overall profile—this combination of flavours made for a smooth and enjoyable inhalation. On the exhale is where the diesel flavour shows up to complete the multi-layered palette of Skunk Dream CBD.
The outcome
We are impressed by the speed at which this plant completed its cycle, considering it is a 70% sativa-dominant strain. Skunk Dream CBD Feminized can be grown well by the majority of gardeners, but some familiarity with sativa morphology will be beneficial, although not required. Starting with our feminized seeds has the benefit of not needing to sex and cull plants as a new gardener.
Skunk Dream CBD performed well for us. The 70% sativa genetics are evident in Skunk Dream CBD’s tall structure with spacious internodal gaps. We did not notice any signs of stress or lack of health in the leaves while feeding it an average amount of nutrients. This plant had a 2x stretch, which should be taken into consideration if growers have low headspace in the garden. Preparing for this, we kept the vegetative cycle to 21 days from sprouting the seed.
Our final yield from this Skunk Dream CBD Feminized was 67 grams of impressive, high-CBD flower. Testing reported cannabinoid levels in a 1:26 ratio. Total THC was recorded at 0.4% in the dried flower, and the total CBD content was recorded at 9.28%. Skunk Dream CBD is for the grower looking to diversify the dried flower and cannabinoid ratios available for any of life occasions.
If you enjoyed the knowledge dropped in this Grow Report, be sure to check out the others. We offer loads of unique strain info and grower’s knowledge in each and every Grow Report. Do not stop learning, and do not stop growing!
Have you had experience with a high-CBD strain? What were the ratio or cannabinoid levels? Let us know by dropping your answer in the comment section. We would also be thrilled to hear from gardeners worldwide who have grown this remarkable strain.
- 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.