5 autoflowering strains that will surprise you

The quality of autoflowering (also known as automatic or simply auto) genetics have been greatly improved over the past years. Today, cannabis breeders develop top quality auto versions of some of the most acclaimed photoperiod varieties, so this type of genetics is being increasingly used by many growers.

Auto strains are ideal for those with small growing spaces, to make several outdoor crops per year easily or for those who have an outdoor growing space with light pollution (which can make it impossible to grow photoperiod strains). While just a few years ago the quality of these strains was mediocre, today you can find literally hundreds of autoflowering strains coming from the best genetics on the market.

We want to make things easy for you, that’s why today we present you a list of 5 extraordinary auto varieties that you should definitely try if you’re interested in this useful type of cannabis plants. New and classic strains, CBD-rich plants, high yielding genetics…you’ll find whatever you’re looking for!

Commercial auto strains where first created from Cannabis Ruderalis genetics

High Mass ASB S1 by Xtreme Seeds

If you’re looking the get the most out of your growing space, Super Auto strains are your target. While keeping the autoflowering trait, these genetics grow much larger than …

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As research on the different cannabinoids and terpenes  – and other compounds produced by the cannabis plant – advances, more and more testimonies claim that the efficacy of these substances is beyond doubt. While further research is needed in both humans and animals,  cannabinoids like CBD are being increasingly used to treat diverse symptoms and pains in pets, since many users have realised the great benefits it can provide in some cases.

Cannabis can help our pets to have a healthier life

The endocannabinoid system of animals

Mammals, as our beloved dogs and cats, all have an endocannabinoid system composed of CB-1 and CB-2 receptors, which also produces endocannabinoids. When they detect the presence of other cannabinoids in the body, these receptors react in much the same way as they do in the case of humans, so it is believed that cannabinoids and terpenes could provide similar benefits in animals. While the CB-1 receptor is focused on the activity of the brain and central nervous system (CNS), the CB-2 receptor is mainly found in peripheral organs like the immune system. The most important here is that phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by plants) activate these receptors, providing a number of beneficial effects.

However, and before starting any cannabis-based treatment, we must stress that psychoactive cannabinoids like THC or tetrahydrocannabinol have …

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Cannabis plants go through different stages of life before reaching harvest. These stages are: germination, pre-growth, growth and flowering. Depending on the phase of life, the care and feeding required can vary greatly, in this case we’re going to focus on the flowering period of cannabis and the changing nutritional demands upon our plants.

Phases of plant life

Pre-bloom phase of cannabis after the photoperiod change

At this point in their life cycle the plants are growing well, they’ve already occupied a little over half of the available space, and now is the moment to change the timer, so instead of using 18/6 we will switch to a 12/12 photoperiod and induce the plants to flower.

Depending on the type of plant and the genetics being cultivated, the time between changing the photoperiod to 12/12 displaying the first flowers can vary a great deal, and more if we are talking about differences between pure Indicas and Sativas.

Indica vs sativa

The stage between switching the photoperiod to 12/12 and seeing the first flowers appear is known as “the stretch“, as plants will tend to elongate and stretch in growth at this time. There’s a huge difference between the stretch of an indica plant and that of a sativa.

Indica plants stretch far less …

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Purple Caper Seeds: quality seeds of North American provenance

Purple Caper Seeds is a US seed bank specialising in regular seeds. Established in the state of California, where both medical and recreational cannabis have been legalised.

This seed bank has been cultivating and selecting quality genetics both indoors and outdoors for 25 years. They are known to have the best parental plants in the Bay Area and Central Valley, where many of the best seed banks in the State of California are located.

The very finest genetics have been collected and sourced over time from among the best clubs and growers in the area. These selected female strains have been crossed with the best males from their genetic library and the results have all been tested.

Any crosses which didn’t give the desired results were rejected, with only those examples that came up to the banks tough requirements in terms of yield, flavour, aroma and potency being selected. Only the best specimens are further worked to F4 generation to obtain highly stable regular seeds, always appreciated for indoor grows.

Outdoor selection of the best Purple Caper Seeds hybrids

Nowadays the bank boasts a wide variety of seeds with many different genetics, which can now be found at alchimiaweb.com. Let’s have a look at the newest, …

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What is the Emerald Triangle?

The Emerald Triangle refers to an area located on the northwest coast of the United States (northern California) and comprised of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties. To be delve into the origins and traditions of cannabis cultivation in this region, we must go back to the 60s, during the Summer of Love in San Francisco. During the second half of the decade, and with the hippie counterculture as a backdrop, a good number of growers settled in this area in search of a place that would meet the ideal conditions for the outdoor cultivation of cannabis, namely isolation and a privileged climate. Since then, the Emerald Triangle has been one of the main sources of cannabis supplying California. As of 1996, and after the approval of California’s Proposition 215 for medical cannabis, the production in these three counties shot up due to the increase in demand, reaffirming the Emerald Triangle as one of the main producing areas of the country.

Map of California with the Emerald Triangle outlined in red

This region is often referred to as the Napa Valley (famous for its vineyards and the quality of its wine) or the Silicon Valley of cannabis given the large proportion of the population devoted directly or indirectly to the cultivation of this plant, …

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What are Solvent Extracts?

Whereas all solventless concentrates are extracted via mechanical means, be it agitation or heat and pressure, we can also make cannabis concentrates with a wide range of chemical and organic solvents, most commonly butane, propane, ethanol and CO2. This process works by dissolving the trichome heads in the liquid solvent which is separated from the plant material and purged (evaporated off) in a vacuum oven or dessicator and vacuum pump to ensure we are left with a pure resin extract with as little residual solvent as possible. Solvents are divided into two groups, polar and non-polar, with non-polar solvents like butane readily dissolving non-polar compounds from the plant, in this case the oils and lipids making up the trichome heads. Polar solvents like Ethanol however will extract both non-polar and polar compounds, meaning water-soluble compounds like chlorophyll are more likely be extracted alongside cannabinoids and terpenes. Many of the solvents used in extractions are highly flammable, meaning only the proper equipment should be used to extract and purge, and additionally a high level of safety and care must be taken to avoid accidents at all stages of the process.

BHO Textures: Shatter; Budder; Sugar Wax; Wax. (Photos: @sergiohuertasdemaria)

BHO (Butane Honey Oil)

Hugely popular across the cannabis world, and probably the …

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The story of this group of growers begins around 2003, when the world of medicinal cannabis in France was very small. At that time, deep within the cannabis culture underground, there were a few enlightened souls beginning to forge a therapeutic path in the French cannabis world. From among these few select characters swimming against the stream, the MaD Strains collective was formed, the Hip Hop Bee of cannabis!

Through passion and hard work MaD Strains (Medicinal And Delicate Strains) learnt and evolved in their growing, both outdoor and indoors, building a background knowledge that they never hesitated to share with the rest of the cannabis community.

In 2006, after 3 years of work and many internet contacts, they were invited to a French underground growers forum. There they made contact with the cognoscente of the underground cannabis world, presenting and sharing their first elite clone, obtained from an Exodus UK Cheese.

In that encounter a series of synergies between growers was generated that in 2007 led to a clone of Amnesia Core Cut arriving in their hands, and another of the Riri Cut of Sour Diesel, little could they imagine at that moment the repercussion that this clone would have in the future. From there, they learnt the importance of conserving and exchanging genetics.

After numerous …

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Every year in the weeks around Spannabis, the Catalonian city of Barcelona plays host to a multitude of events, competitions, workshops and seminars as the great and good of the global cannabis scene flock to the city to enjoy the company of like-minded folk from around the world. This year one of the biggest events of off-Spannabis was the Masters of Rosin competition organised by one of the top clubs in the city HQ Barcelona and hosted by solventless pioneer Nikka T of Colorado’s Essential Extracts.

Masters of Rosin 2018

First edition of Masters of Rosin Barcelona

This was a different proposition from the usual cannabis cups, for one thing it was the first ever Rosin-only competition, and for another thing it was judged exclusively by professionals from the cannabis sector, picked for their expertise in this relatively new solvent less extraction technique called rosin. In this first edition of the contest the judges panel was comprised of such big names as DNA Genetics, House of the Great Gardener, Frenchy Cannoli, Ripper Seeds, R Kiem Seeds, Dabinator, Sasquash, La Kalada, Yellow Brick Labs, and Nikka T himself, as well as one very fortunate member of the team here at Alchimia.

The trophies were miniature irons of gold, silver and bronze. (Photo: HQ

…

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Bhang Lassi is a very popular drink in India both for its aromatic smell and relaxing, spiritual effect. It is an ancient cannabis preparation enriched with seeds, spices, honey and milk which has been used for centuries in this amaing country. In this article we explain you how to easily prepare it at home!

Bhang Lassi and cannabis

The popularity of this beverage has its origins in the Hindu religion and is associated with the cult of Shiva: the followers of this goddess used – and still use today – to smoke Bhang (which means “cannabis” in Hindi language) in the temples dedicated to Shiva, also charas (which is hashish obtained by rubbing fresh plants with the hands). Without a doubt, sadhus are the most famous among the followers of Shiva, religious “holy men” who wander along the temples with their traditional clay chillums.

Bhang Lassi and other cannabis derivatives have been traditionally used in religious ceremonies to connect men with Shiva and be purified from their sins. But the popularity of Bhang Lassi skyrocketed when the first tourists interested in recreational cannabis visited India (during the 70’s and onwards) and discovered the traditional cannabis milk shakes, which is to say, Bhang Lassi.

Since the popularity of this drink throughout the territory is huge, you can find …

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When we talk about Sativa strains, there is a name that comes to mind almost immediately: Jack Herer. This genetics is doubtless one of the most renowned and sought-after cannabis hybrids around the world, winner of countless awards and a true classic in Amsterdam coffee shops. Obviously, it has been used to develop many other new strains, as the spectacular Rosetta Stone, one of the parents of the strain we’ll see today.

In this occasion we’ll know more about one of te best Sativas of Spanish seed bank R-Kiem Seeds, Eli, a variety which comes from the cross between the aforementioned Rosetta Stone and a pure African landrace kept by the guys at R-Kiem, Sawla Ghana.

R-Kiem Seeds is gurantee of quality

Genetics of Eli by R-Kiem Seeds

Rosetta Stone – the male parent used to create Eli – comes from a hybrid developed in the late 90s by Brothers Grimm Seeds, a cross between Ginger-Ale and the famous White Widow. On its part, Ginger-Ale is basically composed of Jack Herer genes (Cafe Girl, Cinderella and Princess). Thus, Rosetta Stone stands out for her unique woody scent – with awesome turpentine and sawdust notes – and intense and balanced effect. Her growth pattern is more compact than most Sativas, developing a prominent main stem where …

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The most important fair in the European cannabis sector – and the most visited cannabis event around the world – will be held this coming weekend at Fira de Cornellà, Barcelona. During 3 days, tens of thousands of professionals and visitors meet at Spannabis to know about the latest marijuana strains, nutrients, growing systems, smoking accessories, vaporisers, climate control units, lighting systems…Also, and following the trend of the past years, it’ll pay special attention to one of the most widely used cannabinoids in the medical field – cannabidiol or CBD – as well as cannabis resin extracts and concentrates.

Alchimia Grow Shop at 2018 Spannabis

The party starts on Friday 9th of March. The XV edition of The Cannabis Fair (as Spannabis is also known) includes a new pavilion to host more exhibitors and increase the global surface of the fair, something necessary if we take into account the large number of professionals who want their space in this event. In this way, this year’s edition will count with 22 new exhibitors for a total of 258 companies.

As could not be otherwise, Alchimia Grow Shop will be there sharing our booth with our brothers from Philosopher Seeds and Reggae Seeds. Fun and lots of laughs are ensured!  As always, we’ll be in the central …

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Today, we have thounsands of cannabis strains with tens of different traits, so that virtually any type of grower can easily find what he’s looking for. Today we’ll focus on strains with fruity flavour, like oranges, lemons, strawberries or blueberries. Thus, in this article we’ll list some of the best and most reputed fruity cannabis strains, which have a terpene profile (terpenes are aromatic molecules which give marijuana its particular scent and taste) reminiscent of these fruits.

OG Kush x Blueberry hybrid with berry scent

Cannabis strains with citrus flavour

Citrus flavour, which is present in some local strains from Asia or South America, comes from a terpene called limonene. Highly appreciated by many users, these strains have been bred to fix this trait and even enrich it, so we can now find diverse genetic lines with complex citrus scent, each of them with its own nuances and personality. In this way, Las Vegas Lemon Skunk has favored the appearance of many other strains with citrus aroma, like Super Lemon OG, Lemon OG Candy, Lemon Walker…

However, and depending on concentrations and interactions with other terpenes, another limonene isomer can also produce a scent more similar to oranges or mandarins. Without a doubt, Orange Bud – a particularly smelly Skunk phenotype which became …

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Until recently, it was very difficult to find professional quality extractions without investing several thousand euros in a complex closed circuit system.

Herborizer offers one of the most interesting alternatives with this Passive Mini Closed Loop system. Closed circuit systems permit us to obtain better quality oils thanks to the purification of the gas (which we will discuss next) but also permits the almost infinite reuse of this refined gas.

Finally BHO lovers can try professional quality extractions thanks to this Mini Closed Loop by Herborizer. Compact in size, the tube measures 15cm in length by 4cm wide and the containers of the system measure 10cm x 10cm, being very easy to transport and particularly resistant thanks to its integral fabrication of 304 stainless steel. With a capacity of 45 grams of flower and approximately 400-500ml of butane gas, with this system it will be possible to recover between 4 and 7 grams of BHO in each session.

We have been able to make various extractions with different plants

Above all, never forget that this type of extraction is potentially dangerous if the proper security measures are not respected. Although this is a closed circuit, it is always vital to carry out the extraction outdoors, in a well ventilated place.

How the BHO extractor works

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Today we present you a grow report made by the guys at Colorado Seed Int. with their Clementine Kush, an amazing and tasty hybrid between Tangerine Sunrise (awarded as one of the top 10 best strains in Colorado in 2014) and Gupta Kush, one of the flagship parents of this American seed company. Remember that you can pruchase Colorado Seeds strains in feminised form only at Alchimia!

Clementine Kush by Colorado Seed

Genetics of Clementine Kush by Colorado Seed

This hybrid, which we already saw in our presentation of Colorado Seed, comes from a cross between he renowned Tangerine Sunrise and Gupta Kush, from which the best individual was used to develop the feminised version or S1.

Tangerine Sunrise is a cross between a spectacular Sativa from Hawaii – Hawaiian Sunrise – and Tangenesia, a hybrid between Tangerine Haze and (Ghiesel x Amnesia Haze). The resulting strain has intense orange scent with delicious Haze and musky notes, highly appreciated by connosseurs from Colorado also thanks to its positive, euphoric effect.

On the other hand, Gupta Kush is a second generation backcross between Ghost OG Moonshine and Rugburn OG. It’s a mostly Indica strain created by Colorado Seed to honour Dr. Sanjay Gupta with potent sedative effect and suitable to treat anxiety, stress or insomnia. It performs …

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Cannabis plants have a remarkable capacity to adapt to the environment they grow in, a great advantage for us growers as it frees us to select the type of substrate best suited to our needs from the wide range available on the market that serve perfectly as growing media for cannabis.

In this post we will look at the different substrates and the variants of each of them, highlighting the fertilisers to be used and the peculiarities of each substrate, enabling you to choose the one that best suits your needs, whether it is for ease, production, quality , or simply because you want to innovate or try new cultivation techniques.

Cannabis and substrates

Soil as a substrate for cannabis

Soil is the universal substrate used for all vegetation, the most widely used growing medium since the invention of agriculture. We can describe what we call soil as a composite of different types of substrates. The native soil out in the fields may be suitable for cultivating certain types of plants but not for others. Likewise, not all soils work for cannabis cultivation, they must have structure, composition and characteristics suitable for this use.

We must highlight the essential characteristics that the soil must have so that the cannabis plants have an optimal, problem-free development. If that’s not …

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Nowadays more and more people are being made aware of the benefits of consuming cannabis resin extracts or concentrates, they are more efficient, with higher purity and potency, they have better flavour and give relief more quickly than smoking or vaping flowers. Indeed, in California, cannabis flowers currently make up just over half of the market (55% in the 2nd quarter of 2017.), with extracts making up the remaining 45%, and according to figures from Colorado, another beacon of legalisation in the US, the concentrate market is growing at an astounding rate, with sales increasing by 125% from 2015 to 2016, compared to an 11% rise in flower sales and an 53% rise in edibles.

Fresh frozen ice water hash (Photo: @hashcelona)

Solvent, Non-solvent, Solventless and Solvent-free. What’s the difference?

These terms are increasingly common to see in the menu in dispensaries or cannabis clubs, but they can cause some confusion, so let’s examine the real meaning behind them within the context of the cannabis world. Solvent extracts are those that are carried out using a (generally hydrocarbon like purified butane gas) solvent to dissolve the active ingredients and separate them from the plant material. Solventless or non-solvent is a label applied to products that have been extracted mechanically, without the use of solvents. Now, here’s …

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Feeding the soil

The nutrition of cannabis plants is a key factor that to a huge extent will determine the success of the harvest. Naturally, achieving a high yield of flowers is one of the principal objectives of every gardener, and a good way to measure the success of the grow. As a result the use of fertilisers in cannabis cultivation is pretty much ubiquitous, although there are still many growers unaware of the benefits of a healthy and active microbial life in the substrate.

To faithfully reproduce and accentuate the organoleptic characteristics (the aromas and flavours) of the cultivated variety, and to achieve a high cannabinoid content in the trichomes, are good indicators of a successful cannabis grow, and to achieve this, proper nutrition is absolutely indispensable.

All growing media needs microbial life for healthy plant development

Therefore, the type of fertiliser that we use, in addition to encouraging flower production, will also have a significant influence other aspects such as the quality and final aroma of the flowers, their cannabinoid content and even the speed of flowering and maturity.

It has been demonstrated that when cultivating cannabis with natural or organic fertilisers instead of chemical or mineral fertilisers (minerals) the plants will produce better quality buds, giving excellent results in terms of flavour and aroma as …

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Cannabis concentrate consumers are increasingly numerous thanks to the advances in equipment available on the market allowing the production of good quality homemade cannabis resin extractions. Here, fans of Rosin or BHO can find various different methods to consume their extracts.

Spread on rolling paper (Twax Joint)

One of the simplest and probably one of the oldest methods, in the 70’s, consumers of honey oil made with alcohol would smoke it by smearing some onto a cigarette.

Now in 2018 consumer habits have evolved somewhat. The Twax Joint has become famous across instagram and it’s frequent to see increasingly complex and highly decorative spliffs covered with various different types of cannabis oil, it seems there are no limits to the creativity and imagination of cannabis users.

When consuming this type of joint, we should take some care not let the oil drip off and fall to the ground, we will have to hold the joint in an upright position to ensure the oil flows onto the paper.

Twax Joints (Photo: dabbing.de )

On a vaporiser screen

Some vaporisers such as the Volcano or the Firefly allow us, thanks to a specialised screen, to vaporise BHO or Rosin type cannabis oils of high purity. The flavours are preserved perfectly and we obtain the same benefits as in the vaporisation …

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Colorado Seed Inc. is a seed bank based in Boulder, Colorado (USA) that since 2008 has been producing regular seeds under license from its library of more than 40 cannabis varieties, as well as producing medical cannabis for various state dispensaries.

However, Timothy and Sam have experience going back decades, since the 70’s when Tim’s passion for cannabis breeding was born. After several decades of work selecting and breeding their best strains, in 2008 he finally decided to market their most valued projects through Colorado Seed Inc. with Sam, founding a seed bank to distribute the highest quality cultivars.

Colorado Seed International, the European branch of the company

Years later, after having established the company as one of the industry leaders in Colorado, the guys at Colorado Seed Inc. decided to embark on a new adventure: to bring some of their best work to Europe and develop feminised versions of them. A very ambitious project that, after many months of work, we are very happy to finally present.

At Alchimia Grow Shop we are proud to introduce the catalogue of Colorado Seed International, the European branch of the company, exclusively for all our customers. This has been possible thanks to the three-way collaboration between Colorado Seed Inc., R-Kiem Seeds and Old School Genetics, with the latter …

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A large proportion of women have several symptoms before and during their period, no matter their age, physical condition or medical record. Furthermore, the days before the start of menstruation are sometimes the hardest for most of them, with a group of symptoms commonly called PMS or premenstrual syndrome. For centuries, medical marijuana has been used across the world for its therapeutic potential, and menstrual cramps are not an exception. In this article we’ll focus on how cannabis can help relieve these symptoms, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know if you decide to use marijuana to treat them.

Cannabis may be useful to treat menstrual cramps

What is premenstrual syndrome or PMS?

PMS or premenstrual syndrome is a group of symptoms which appear a few days before the start of menstruation, also known as luteal phase. These are some of the most commonly found symptoms during this phase, also during menstruation:

• Breast pain
• Bloating
• Cramps
• Headaches
• Mood
• Tiredness and fatigue

As anyone can imagine, it is hard to have a normal daily life with these symptoms, so treating them has been one of the main goals of medicine since its very beginning. We have studies that confirm that 84% of women suffer from some of these symptoms during each and every period. And, as …

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In this article we’ll tell you more about one of the feminised strains in R-Kiem Seeds catalogue, Negra 44. As you may know, this Spanish cannabis seed company is known for the high quality of their strains, with a relatively short but solid catalogue, thanks to which they’ve been awarded in many occasions in different major cannabis events.

Furthermore, the guys at R-Kiem are also famous for the high quality of the resin extracts and concentrates produced by their varieties, something increasingly important nowadays. Let’s take a look now at the main characteristics of Negra 44, a versatile, mostly Indica hybrid with early flowering and excellent smell and taste.

Negra 44 produces excellent and tasty hash

Genetics of Negra 44

The breeding behind Negra 44  is absolutely amazing. The female parent use to develop it is a pure landrace from the Sawla district, in Ghana. This area is located northwest of this beautiful cuntry, right between the Mole National Park and the Ivory Coast border. Thanks to a friend who used to travel there to work in solidarity projects, Angel (founder of the company) could get his hands on some seeds from the Sawla area, from which he found an excellent plant with intense citric and floral scent.

On the other hand, the male parent used was …

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Mosca seeds is a cannabis seed bank originating from the USA that only works with regular genetics, using males and females in the “Old School” way, and demonstrating to the world that there’ll always be a place for regular seeds.

These regular seeds are meticulously worked over time to ensure stability in all crosses, maintaining the best characteristics of their ancestors while improving quality with every generation.

Mosca Seeds logo

Mosca Seeds genetic library

In the hybrids produced by the breeders at Mosca Seeds we will find not only current strains – such as the world famous Gorilla Glue, crossed with other high quality strains across the genetic spectrum – but also legendary strains that have stood the test of time and continue to shine in the international cannabis market, such as Old Time Moonshine, a cultivar that in its day gave so much joy to the growers who were able to cultivate and smoke it.

Indiana Bubblegum

Another pillar of Mosca’s genetic library is the highly regarded Original Indiana Bubblegum, one of the most reputed clones in the USA and one that has been around for decades in both the American and European cannabis markets

This strain stands out for being an easy cannabis plant to grow, being very fast to flower and …

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What is Pinene?

• Name: Pinene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene
• Formula: C10 H16
• IUPAC name: (1S,5S)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene
• Molar mass: 136.24 g/mol
• Boiling point: 155-156ºC
• Appearance at room temperature: Liquid, almost insoluble in water

Pinene is a bicyclic monoterpene widely found in the resin of many plant species, from conifers (pine trees, spruces) to non-conifer plants like wormwood, rosemary, sage, heterotheca or cannabis. Two isomers are found in Nature, called alpha-pinene (α-pinene) and beta-pinene (β-pinene), which can be found in substances like pine resin, turpentine or camphene and are also used by many insects to communicate. Pinene is also a common terpene in a large number of cannabis strains, being highly appreciated by many users for its beneficial properties.

Molecule of alpha-pinene

Indeed, many cannabis varieties contain considerable amounts of pinene in their trichomes, a terpene that – as we’ll se next – has numerous therapeutic properties (especially the α-pinene isomer). Furthermore, pinene is also widely used in the industry (selective catalytic oxidation of pinene produces compounds used to make cosmetics and fragances), while the beta isomer is used to synthesize myrcene, one of the most popular terpenes.

Synthesis of pinene

If we take into account the vast number of plant species containing pinene, we can state that it is doubtless one of the most abundant terpenes in Nature. Both the …

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Sometimes, you may not be sure about which cannabis strains to purchase for your next grow. Your personal taste and circumstances will greatly determine your decision, so while some of you may be looking for high yields or certain effect, others may prefer strains resistant to moulds or with the shortest possible flowering period.

In many occasions, the path followed by breeders to develop their genetics is similar, looking to fix certain traits in the offspring. Thus, today we’ll present a list of strains known for their early flowering trait. As you’ll see next, all varieties listed here have a bloom period no longer than 8 weeks, something that – on the other hand – doesn’t question their quality at all.

Some cannabis strains complete their bloom cycle really fast

Fast flowering cannabis varieties

We’ve carefully checked our category of fast flowering strains – which includes some of the fastest varieties in our catalogue of marijuana seeds – and have chosen the following list, which includes genetics that do not take longer than 8 weeks to be ready to harvest. Of course, and as you can see by checking that category, there are many other strains sharing this trait. We have chosen these 7 plants because we’ve tried them and we know they represent a very good balance between …

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What is Cannabicyclol?

• Name: Cannabicyclol
• Formula: C21 H30 O2
• IUPAC Name: (1aR- (1a alpha, 3a alpha, 8b alpha, 8c alpha)) – 1a, 2, 3, 3a, 8b, 8c-hexahydro-1,1,3a-trimethyl-6-pentyl-1H- 4-oxabenzo (f) cyclobut (cd) inden-8-ol
• Molar mass: 314.469 g/mol

Cannabicyclol, also called CBL, is one of the least known and studied cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Although it is commonly found in many varieties, in particular those with a higher content of CBC (Cannabichromene), the amount of CBL produced in trichomes is always very low, so it doesn’t usually receive the attention given to other, more plentiful compounds of the plant with a much more noticeable presence, such as THC, CBD or CBN.

CBL or cannabicyclic molecule (Photo: Wiki Commons)

One of the main characteristics of CBL is the absence of psychoactivity in its effect, which is why it is not listed in the Convention of Psychotropic Substances. In fact, CBL shares its formula with many of the other phytocannabinoids produced by cannabis, even with psychoactive compounds, although it differs slightly – as in the other cases – in its structure, in the ordering of the atoms that make up the molecule, meaning that its effects vary enormously. For example, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol (the main psychoactive cannabinoid of cannabis) and CBL differ mainly in the absence of double …

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How to get your cannabis grow tent ready to grow:

In this post we’ll tell you how to properly assemble and install all the necessary devices in your grow tent to start your indoor grow. This step-by-step guide basically explains how to install your air extraction fan and activated carbon filter, how to mount your grow light and how to program your timers. Let’s get started then!

Indoor grow tent

First thing to do is assembling the grow tent by following the manufacturer instructions. Then, connect the activated carbon filter to the extractor fan with some duct tape. Once it is properly sealed (you can also use metal duct clips) you can make the necessary electrical connections (two wires).

Next, you must hang up the carbon filter and the extractor fan with the strips included in your grow box (see pics below). Then, connect the air duct to the air fan and pass it through one of the holes designed for such use. The ideal would be to remove the air inside the grow tent to another room or directly to the outside. Also, keep in mind that it’s always better to place the carbon filter on top of the interior space, since hot air rises.

If necessary, you can leave one of the bottom holes open as …

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Among the myriad of marijuana strains available on the market nowadays, some of them stand out for certain traits which have been fixed during the breeding process and that will determine the main characteristics of each genetics. The most desirable and sought-after traits are normally fast flowering, certain size or flavour or very high yield.

In this article we’ll focus on those cannabis varieties that stand out for their abundant production of buds, without a doubt one of the most desirable traits for growers. Indeed, you may know people looking for different flavours, or certain growth pattern, or a specified bloom period…but all of them love their plants to produce abundant harvests!

Yields of some strains are considerably higher than others

Highly productive cannabis strains

Among our category of productive cannabis strains we can find genetics sharing some the aforementioned traits, but all of them offer excellent production of flowers, which is normally above 500g/m2 (if growing conditions are optimal). Let’s take a look now at some of the most interesting ones, especially if traits like easy cultivation, quality and a relatively short bloom period are also to be considered.

Lemon OG Candy by Philosopher Seeds

Lemon OG Candy is one of the latest additions to Philosopher Seeds catalogue of feminised seeds. She comes …

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Marijuana trends in American dispensaries

Without a doubt, the USA have been a point of reference in the development of new and amazing cannabis strains ever since the decade of the 70’s, which normally take only a few years to become popular in Europe. Thus, and if we want to know which strains will be increasingly demanded in the near future in the Old Continent, we must definitely take a look at the current scene in the US.

Moreover, the legalisation in some States has led to a much more bearable situation for breeders and growers, who can now focus on developing new varieties without the worry of being caught by the Authorities. In this way, massive selections and large-scale breeding projects are being done today in the USA, which will doubtless led to a new generation of top grade marihuana genetics.

Cannabis dispensary in the USA

The first hybrids ever developed in the USA and exported into Europe were normally kept in Holland, where they were bred and crossed to develop both seed versions of the American clones and new hybrids. European growers should wait for a few years in order to grow these new and exciting genetics from the USA, which were actually being reproduced in Europe.

But today things have changed a lot. Communication between …

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Where did cannabis originate?

Mankind and cannabis have maintained a close relationship throughout the History. Although scientific and archaeological evidence allows us to estimate the date and place where it originated, it is difficult to establish its exact place – and time – of origin.

The Yangtze River, one of the possible areas of origin of cannabis

Different researchers have proposed three possible places of origin of the cannabis plant:

• China: Along the Yellow and the Yangtze Rivers (Li 1974b). The first remains of the use of hemp have been found in China in the form of a fiber, as well as the oldest paper sample of the history, which also contains cannabis fibers. Some of the earliest records of the use of hemp also come from this country. It has been found that ancient Chinese treatises of medicine already distinguished between ‘ma fen’ (psychoactive seed) and ‘ma tze’ (non-psychoactive seed).
• Central Asia: From the Caucasus to the Altai Mountains (De Candolle 1882). The neighboring region to the Takla Makan desert has been proposed as the birthplace of this plant, since from there it could have easily spread into three directions: East towards China, South to India and West towards Europe. Vavilov (1931) suggests that cannabis might have its origin in the northern part of Afghanistan and the

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Although cannabis performs well in many latitudes, a rigorous selection of the genetics that we’re going to grow is sometimes necessary in some places in order to harvest our plants successfully, especially outdoors. In this article we will focus on two classic, adverse climate conditions: cold and humid areas – like Northern Europe – and hot and dry climates, where the different cannabis seeds won’t develop in the same way.

Cannabis strains for humid and cold climate

While high humidity promotes a lush and healthy growth, things are different during the flowering stage, when flowers can be infected by mildew and other pathogenic agents due to the effect of cold temperatures and rains. However, it isn’t impossible to grow in these regions, and many growers from places like the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Canada or even Alaska successfully harvest their outdoor cannabis crops every year, mainly thanks to an accurate selection of the genetics grown – always looking for the most resistant strains – and of course the use of greenhouses, greenhouse heaters, etc.

Before presenting you a brief list of this type of genetics, especially suited for outdoor growing in these areas for being particularly resistant to moulds, we are going to explain a few desirable traits that might ensure the best possible results.

Cold temperatures do not

…

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