Hello dear cannabis growers. It is always with great pleasure that I share grow reports with the magnificent strains from the Sweet Seeds® genetic collection.

Every time I grow them I always get outstanding results, while the quality of the fruits is absolutely great in terms of aromas, yielding and bag appeal. Not to mention how easy they are to grow since they’ve all been very well tested by their breeders before being released to the market. With this, it is possible to know how they perform under different growing techniques, in order to check their adaptability and stability. Then, when the cannabis growers get these seeds in our hands, we appreciate that time and effort previously devoted so that our closet, garden or balcony is full of health and color.

In this case I’m going to talk about a wonderful strain that will leave your flowering areas full of beauty. I will talk about one of the most recent Sweet Seeds® releases: Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® (SWS85), a new genetic for this year 2020 which is part of the now legendary ‘Red Family’: cannabis plants that show purple, blue and red tones in their flowers. And on top of that, it’s Fast Version® so we’ll have the flowers ready to harvest in a record time of 6/7 weeks after changing the photoperiod to flowering. Outdoors they can be ready to harvest before the arrival of autumn.

Among my hobbies, the one I enjoy the most is growing cannabis, but I also enjoy the complex world of mycology and that’s why I think I can perfectly compare the degree of surprise and admiration you feel when you go for a walk in the forest and find a mushroom, with the majesty you feel when you see a cannabis plant flowering like the beautiful Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® by Sweet Seeds®. This unleashes a primal instinct that makes you drool when you see its white pistils emerging from their deep red calyxes, with the glow of its trichomes… It is a wonder of nature. This plant is medicinal and satisfying in equal parts.

The red, blue and/or purple colours are not a whim of nature as it is caused by anthocyanins, pigments that colour certain plants in their leaves, stems, flowers or fruits, in order to protect them from the cold, UV radiation or even to attract pollinating insects that help them to procreate. As we can see, they have multiple functions and, as scientific studies show, their consumption is beneficial to humans as it is a powerful antioxidant and prevents the production of free radicals, which cause various diseases that affect humans, such as cancer. It also has positive effects on neurological functions, obesity and enhances the immune system. In short, it is not only aesthetic, but also very functional for the plant and the human being. So, if cannabis has multiple medicinal uses, we can add another one to the list of benefits with marijuana plants that have these pigments, such as Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® or any other strain of the Red Family collection from Sweet Seeds®.

Behind this extraordinarily beautiful plant there are two wonderful ancestors. The first is one of the “Super Strong” strains of the most famous Cookies family in the USA, the Tropicanna Cookies (Girl Scout Cookies x Tangie), and the other one is the mythical and awarded red-flowered autoflowering strain Red Poison Auto® (SWS39), which provides more colour, sweetness and extremely fast flowering.

Here is the technical data sheet:

Indica: 60% / Sativa: 40%

THC: 16-24% · CBD: 0,1%

Indoor Yield: 450-600 g/m2

Outdoor Yield: 400-650 g/plant

Indoor Blooming: 6-7 weeks

Outdoor Harvest: late August, early September

At first glance you can get well impressed with its high percentage of THC of up to 24%, more than enough for any experienced consumer. It is also very clear that its fast flowering coupled with its high yielding, making it one of the most demanded strains in growshops and seed shops. It is especially valued in rainy areas and northern Europe as it was previously impossible to harvest photoperiod-dependent plants without running the risk of having them attacked by botrytis. Now with the F1 Fast Version® range from the Sweet Seeds® genetic collection you can safely harvest your plants before the harsh weather arrives.

As we can see, this plant has everything to be one of our favorite strains, but now I’m going to tell you in detail how to get its red and juicy flowers with information about a simple grow operation with organic fertilizers. I will also talk about its wide range of flavors and aromas. Oh… and a doubt that always arises with the Red Family strains of Sweet Seeds® like this one I’m showing you today: they don’t get coloured because of cold temperatures. It is genetic! You don’t have to do anything and about 80% of the plants will show the gorgeous purple or reddish colours.

How to extend the qualities of this precious plant with organic growing, adequate drying and optimal curing.

If you want to enjoy the full qualities of Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® and its great terpene mix, the most important thing starts with the nutrition you give to your plants. This strain from the Sweet Seeds® genetic collection has been a challenge because, in order to balance its aromas, many crosses are needed to achieve a final product capable to satisfy the demanding team of breeders of this bank. To achieve the quality standards of Sweet Seeds® the strains must be very productive, easy to grow and very powerful in aromas and flavors. The achievement here is even greater since it is not only very tasty, but also very fast and of an outstanding beauty.

The aromas that we will find in the buds vary from sticky and dense sweet scents to ripe mango on a soft Skunk background. All mixed with tropical woods with a touch of humid earth that gives it its high index in myrcene, the famous terpene that helps so much in chronic pain or chemotherapy side effects, for example. It has an acidic point that helps a lot to taste everything as a whole, especially noticeable at the nose level after a good vaporization. It is great to be able to keep enjoying its complexity even more than 5 minutes after smoking or vaporizing the sweet flowers.

We, as cannabis growers for personal use, seeking to be self-sufficient, must try to notice the differences in each strain we grow. I have tried many samples from other growers where nothing in particular is distinguishable and all their stash tastes the same to me, without any nuances. Coarse flavors, some too neutral, others on the metallic side and basically featuring just green tones, uncured. All this is a common problem that has a very simple solution: use organic fertilizers and let your weed slowly dry as it deserves.

By using organic nutrients the aromas are greatly enhanced and it also becomes much more difficult to overfert your plants as usually happens with the use of mineral fertilizers and preparations that are all about promises that rarely are accomplished. In the end, we do not know if they work, but they are used anyway. And the bad thing is not only the money spent, but how our health can be negatively affected when we use cannabis coming from these types of growing. But, above all, we ruin the work of the breeders who work so hard to preserve certain mixtures of terpenes, aromas and flavors which are the main characteristics of their strains.

Personally, I love to have different strains in my stash and notice the differences between them. It’s more entertaining, more pleasant. That said, it doesn’t mean that mineral fertilizers don’t work, it’s just that it’s harder to find the balance without overdoing it. And then not everyone is careful enough to do an adequate flush at the end of the cycle, leaving the plants to end up with hardly any food. The plants must end up yellow. A plant that ends up dark green, will have a metallic bitter taste, like grass, and other terpenes will not be appreciated. With this strain you have to be very careful as it has a shorter flowering time and may not have time to assimilate all the food it is given. It is better to stay a little short than to overdo it.

Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® is a strain able to expand its taste with organic fertilizers. I recommend that you switch to the most organic you can get, or even that you dare to prepare your own fertilizers. There is a lot of information on the internet, in specialized forums. It can even be something as simple as using worm humus for growth and bat guano for flowering. Or using your home compost. Either of these things will make this beautiful strain show off its class and I can assure you it’s much more enjoyable.

Then we have the case of poorly dried flowers and buds that didn’t went through the curing process. It often happens because the grower is impatient to taste the end product. It is normal because when we see the red or purple buds, that tremendous amount of trichomes and when we perceive their aromas, our brain wants to try it as soon as possible. But we can not throw away all the previous work. My advice is to harvest the whole plant, without separating the buds or manicuring. You must remove the big leaves ant then, if your climate allows it, do not remove anything else. Hang the plant upside down, in a dark, ventilated place and not too hot or cold.

After a few days you must check it with your fingers. Try to crunch one of the intermediate branches. If it still bends, wait. If the branches break, it’s time to find a big table and use some scissors to separate the flowers. If possible you should place a mesh for extractions below the flowers, to collect those trichomes that otherwise would be wasted with the manipulation. Place the biggest flowers on one side and clean the leaves, without being extreme. This is because they protect the buds a little from rubbing and because they make the curing a little slower. Put the buds in a glass jar and leave about 15% of the space empty. Don’t squeeze them too tightly so they don’t get wet or lose resin.

Then you can also keep those little leaves with trichomes along with the smaller buds in another pile. This will be great raw material for extractions or to make some butter or cannabis oil. Make sure you open the jars for a while each day until you notice that your buds are crisp, but still retain some humidity. Don’t leave them in warm places and above all, keep them out of the light. I promise you that these buds will be extremely tasty for a long time.

I hope you will be encouraged to try out the wonderful Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version® by Sweet Seeds®. It is highly recommended!

Text: Jaypp

Photos: Sweet Seeds® and Tommy L. Gomez

Published and Written by Sweet Seeds in Weed World Magazine Issue 148