Grow report - Karibeña from Kannabia Seed Company

Growing the Karibeña cannabis strain from Kannabia

In this post we present you a cannabis grow report performed by the breeders of Kannabia Seeds Company, who explain us one of their growing methods with the Karibeña strain, along with growing tips that we all should remember. They will also tell us about their prefered nutrients and additives.

Nutrients:

Bioheaven (BioBizz)
Final Part (General Hydroponics)
Magnesium (Canna)
Calcium (Canna)

Additives:

Super Vit (Hesi)
Rootstimulator
Aktrivator (Trichoderma, Canna)
Seaweed (Biobizz)
Florakleen (General Hydroponics)
PK Boost (Growth Technology)

Lighting:

T5 Fluorescents - 8x54w, growth phase
600W HPS (Dual) + Adjust a Wings Enforcer reflector

Substrate:

U grow Coco (70%)
Grow Mix Soil from Plagron (20%)
Clay Pebbles (5%)
Bio Supermix (slow release fertiliser) (5%)

Plant pots:

1,65 litres
11 litres

Other equipment used during the crop: 8L humidifier for the growth phase and a dehumidifier for the flowering phase.

Germination and growth of Karibeña

Germination of the seeds with H2o + 10% of H2o2 — Germination of the seeds with H2o + 10% H2o2

The seeds were removed from their original packaging; 20 seeds of the Karibeña variety from Kannabia were set to germinate in a plastic cup with water and hydrogen peroxide (1 ml/l). Using hydrogen peroxide prevents seed rot caused from letting the seed in permanent contact with water for a prolongued time, thus oxygenating the solution. Moreover, by using hydrogen peroxide we avoid that any pathogen, fungi or bacteria affect the germination process of the cannabis seeds, thus achieving better germination ratios.

After 24 hours, most seeds have already sprouted. On the following day - after 38 hours - all seeds have sprouted with incredible vigour. Now we prepare the Jiffy pellets to sow the seeds, what we'll do very carefully to avoid breaking the radicle.

Karibeña seeds in Jiffy?s — Karibeña seeds in Jiffy pellets

Once sowed, the guys from Kannabia put the seedlings under fluorescent lights at 18 hours of light per day...and the game begins! During these first days the seeds are sprayed with water and the moisture level of the Jiffi pellets is mantained using a syringe, preventing them from drying out. At this life stage, plants require high environmental humidity levels to grow properly. If the humidity isn?t controlled and it is too low, the stomata of the leaves close and the plants can?t breathe correctly, what will cause dehydration and ultimately death. A good option in case of not having a humidifier is to spray the plants several times a day to maintain a suitable humidity level during the first life stage of the plants.

After 7 days, the substrate is prepared and a first selection is done. Once selected, the seeds are transplanted in each pot adding some root stimulator to ensure proper rooting and a nice development of the rootball, which is essential for a correct nutrient uptake and a vigorous plant growth.

11 plants were selected out of 20, a difficult task to perform since all plants were growing healthy and strong. They started with 20 seeds to check germination ratios to look for any type of visible deformity. They decided to grow a total of 7 plants per m2, so the rest of them was removed.

Beginning of the growth with help of a humidifier — Humidifier for the early stage of plants

A few days after the transplant, the plants had adapted quickly to the new pots and began to grow, showing their vigour and growth potential.

Karibeña in growth phase at 18h light — Karibeña growing under 18/6 photoperiod

According to Kannabia, during the selection process the aroma of the plants was taken into account , as well as their strength and structure. The selection was hard since all plants were very homogeneous, with remarkable vigour and very similar scent.

After selecting them, the chosen plants - with a height of 37-45 cm - were planted in 11 litre pots.

During the transplant the rootballs looked beautiful, white and fresh (thanks in part to the Trichoderma used). The excellent health status of the roots is a good sign of the care that these cannabis plants have received since their germination.

After the transplant, the plants are placed back under fluorescent lights with a 18/6h photoperiod for a couple of days. This prevents plants from getting stressed due to excess of light, what could happen if they are put to soon under HPS lamps. Stress can be caused by both the heat from the HPS bulb and the change in light intensity.

After a couple of days, and once the plants have rooted into the new pots, it is time to change the lighting system. The fluorescents are removed and a 600W HPS lamb is mounted, with a 12/12h daily photoperiod.

Nutrients and additives used during the growth phase

During the growth phase, the breeders from Kannabia used the following nutrients: Bioheaven (Biobizz), Magnesium and Calcium Mono Nutrients (Canna) and slow release fertilisers in the soil, which was Bio Supermix from Plagron.

A few waterings with root stimulator (seaweed) were also performed. The trichoderma is applied through watering every 15 days, making sure they remain in the substrate. The pH levels ranged from 6.2 to 7. The EC values ranged between 0.42 (initial EC level of the tap water) to 1.6, gradually raising it every week according to the feeding needs of the plants.

Beginning of the flowering period of Karibeña from Kannabia

Kannabia used the following products during the flowering stage. The pH ranged from 6,2 to 7, while the the EC value ranged from 0,42 to 2,0.

Bioheaven
FinaPart
Supervit
Magnesium and Calcium Mono Nutrients (Canna)

The plants continue in full development, doubling their size during the pre-flowering stage (first 14 days of bloom). At this point the Kannabia team changed the feeding schedule, reducing nitrogen to degrade this nutrient and thus get a truly flavourful harvest.

During the flowering stage, all nutrients needed by the plant should be provided, along with vitamins, trace elements and micro-nutrients, which are the most difficult to absorb by the plants. After 26 days of flowering, plants develop buds at a spectacular rate, beginning to produce resin and releasing very strong smell.

All goes as planned, so 2 weeks before harvest a couple of waterings with Florakleen are performed. At this point of the crop, the larger leaves have already begun to turn yellow while the buds have grown spectacularly.

The progressive reduction of nitrogen during the flowering period causes plants to gradually lose this nutrient. This process of nitrogen degradation provides better flavours and scents.

Karibeña from Kannabia on the verge of being harvested — Karibeña from Kannabia about to harvest

According to Kannabia Seed Company, the harvest was done after 65-68 days. The plants harvested after 68 days showed more intense tones, but they were really hard to distinguish from the earlier plants. All individuals had sweet and tropical aromas and flavours.

Karibeña is a plant suitable for both indoor and outdoor growers looking for Indica-Sativa genetics with creative sativa hints and tropical flavour.

The articles published by Alchimiaweb, S.L. are reserved for adult clients only. We would like to remind our customers that cannabis seeds are not listed in the European Community catalogue. They are products intended for genetic conservation and collecting, in no case for cultivation. In some countries it is strictly forbidden to germinate cannabis seeds, other than those authorised by the European Union. We recommend our customers not to infringe the law in any way, we are not responsible for their use.

2015-10-05 Cannabis grow reports