What Affects Potency?

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CrypticSteel

Member
Okay this is a question about a previous grow so I'm not sure how much info you'll need.

Okay my last grow consisted of 3 plants 2 Wonder Woman, and 1 White Castle. The two WW plants grew great, not a single problem with either of them they ended at about 4 feet with nice sized main cola and buds and smelled very good. The WC however was kind of crappy, had a bad case of the claw that I just couldnt get under control.

It's now about 2 weeks since harvest, they've hung to dry, then were jarred to cure and have been curing for a little over a week. Now here's the problem. I smoke it and its a very smooth flavorful smoke that burns well, but its very very weak.

So I guess my question is this, what could I have done to make these plants grow so well and yet be so damn weak. I was under the impression that all I had to do was provide a good environment for them to grow, keep them as healthy and stress free as possible and genetics would take care of the rest (IE. Potency, flavor, and yield to an extent). This stuff just seriously lacks potency.

If you need/want anymore info on the grow just ask, I'm dumbfounded as to why it's as weak as it is
 
MrGhettoGrower

MrGhettoGrower

Well-Known Member
Your plants were good and healthy right? How many weeks did you flower? I thinking your a new growing and didn't go by your trichomes turning. Most growers go by the trichomes turning from clear, milky and then amber. Some grower harvest at milky but not many most wait till like 25% amber it a different high or something. Get a 30x microscope I like it the best radio stack has one 60-100x I like the 30x best!
 
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CrypticSteel

Member
Yes I am a new grower, the grow I'm referencing was in fact my first. The 2 Wonder Woman plants were very healthy, they flowered for about 10 weeks. I did harvest them when trichomes were about 40% amber. I have a little microscope thing thats 30x/ 60x. I think the more amber gives more of a couch-lock high, while milky/clear is more of a head high.

The plants were healthy, and I harvested them at 40% amber so as far as I know they were harvested on time. This is what's got me so perplexed, "on paper" it looks like I did everything right, except this weed would barely get a gnat high, so obviously I did something wrong.
 
C

CrypticSteel

Member
wiseguy316 said:
How long did you cure them for and how? That could have killed your potency.
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I cut the plants down and hung them up in a dark cool closet for about a week, then cut the buds off the branches and put them in mason jars and open them up for about an hour a day. I've been curing them in the jars this way for about the last 2 weeks.
 
C

CrypticSteel

Member
Temps during the grow were 77-78 with lights on, and 72-ish with them out. Since they've been in jars the closet the jars are in is high 60's, low 70's
 
W

wiseguy316

Well-Known Member
only thing I can come up with is they are not fully cure (which i doubt, cause it would still get u ripped). Is that you harvested too soon or you smoke way too much.
 
C

CrypticSteel

Member
Harvested at 40% or so amber trichs so I don't think I harvested early. I also dont smoke a lot. I'm not even an everyday smoker. I gave some to my sister-in-law who also agreed it was very weak.

If people can snip a small bud off during the grow and quick dry it and still get high as hell, then I dont think my cure not quite being done yet would affect potency that much.
 
Brimi

Brimi

Well-Known Member
I bet your strains are just not great strains. I have some different strains: Nemesis, Durban, Black Domina and Jack Herer. To be honest Nemesis and Durban are not worth growing compared to the two other strains. They are just so much more potent. I know those are expensive strains, but.. you only need to buy them once.
I don't know those strains of yours, but this is my best bid if plants looked that healthy and trichomes were not all clear ;O)
 
C

CrypticSteel

Member
Brimi said:
I bet your strains are just not great strains. I have some different strains: Nemesis, Durban, Black Domina and Jack Herer. To be honest Nemesis and Durban are not worth growing compared to the two other strains. They are just so much more potent. I know those are expensive strains, but.. you only need to buy them once.
I don't know those strains of yours, but this is my best bid if plants looked that healthy and trichomes were not all clear ;O)
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This does make alot of sense. I did get the seeds from a reputable source (Nirvana Seeds). Ive seen grow journals of others growing the Wonder Woman and they said it was pretty good. I started some LSD and AK-47, so we'll see in a couple months when these tried and true strains get to harvest.
 
Punk

Punk

Well-Known Member
Hi Fellas,

If you're doing everything you should and the potency isn't there, it almost certainly is a genetic disposition.

Regardless of the 'name' of the strain, it really boils down to quality of breeding. I know this is harsh to say, but it's my opinion that about 80% of the strains on the market are made by pollen chuckers, with no real selective engineering. Also, within even the best of strains can lurk some horrible phenos.

Another thing to consider, sometimes plants hermaphrodite (usually for genetic reasons out of your control), especially if you're newer to growing, as you indicated, might go by undetected. But if the plant has a nice danky smell and not grassy, this probably isn't the case. Even average pot will get you high before its done curing, so it's not anything your doing with the cure process.
 
racerboy71

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
yah, i'm leaning towards it being the genetics and nirvana are to take the blame for this one, which kinda sucks after so many months of your time to have an end product that you're not happy overall with for sure..
i'd say that the ak and the other strain that you're growing now should be far better than the stuff from nirvana imo.. i've never grown nirvana myself, but i do hear that some of their stuff can be really hit or miss.. some of it is supposed to be some good quality, while some others aren't so good..
i'd try switching strains and breeders, which it sounds like you're doing already and see if your luck doesn't turn around for you..
there are tons of good breeders out there that i'd recommend over nirvana anyday, like serious' ak, cali connection has some nice stuff, dr greenthumbs, every one is always talking so much about how good subcools stuff is, sannies has some fire for sure.. i loved th seeds mk ultra, canneseur has some really nice gear as well... there are bunches and bunches.. mr nice seeds, pretty much anything they put out is awesome..
people i'd recommend staying away from for differing reasons are greenhouse seeds, nirvana, which you've just found out why, barney's farm is very hit or miss as well.. i've heard horror stories over ministry of cannabis.. there are a few others as well, but that should point you in the right direction for awhile..
 
Dominathan

Dominathan

Well-Known Member
STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN

My first grow ever was horrible, but came out bomb. It's the strain that determines potency. The next biggest factor is sexing, and then whether it is pollinated. If you grew sensimilla from females, than BLAME THE STRAIN.

At least, that's what I'd do. :)
 
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CrypticSteel

Member
I was kinda leaning towards genetics, but being a noob grower I wanted to see if maybe I had missed something important before blaming other things. I did order the new seeds from a different place. The distributor was Attitude Seedbank, and the LSD seeds did come in a Barney's Farm package so now I'm gonna be worried about that one till harvest lmao.
 
oakley1984

oakley1984

Well-Known Member
they dont call it weed cause its hard to grow, genetic predisposition accounts for at least 80% of your grow. Poor genetics simple as that!
amazing pot grown in the worst of conditions most days will still be better than shitty pot grown in the best of conditions.
 
Dominathan

Dominathan

Well-Known Member
CrypticSteel said:
I was kinda leaning towards genetics, but being a noob grower I wanted to see if maybe I had missed something important before blaming other things. I did order the new seeds from a different place. The distributor was Attitude Seedbank, and the LSD seeds did come in a Barney's Farm package so now I'm gonna be worried about that one till harvest lmao.
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Barneys Farm is legit. They've been doing it for a while now. They usually win a ton of shit at the Cannabis Cup,but that doesn't really mean anything (The cannabis cup is basically just a huge advertising ploy).
 
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