Dutch pilot experiment: LEGALLY growing organic female hemp flowers high in CBD

[offthehook]

@Rinse & @DutchhempCBC > Sorry friends, but I am affraid my camera and I are too shitty to make macro shots.

The purpose is to search for the best pheno's to posses vigor, budding power, and mold resistance.
After that I will dust the selected few with my best auto flowering medicinal-variety pollen.

Some of these crosses I made last year are already up and blooming elsewhere at my own GG plots, as well as on other peoples plots and who are having the same vision and dedication as I have with them.
Ofcourse the end result after an untold number of years would be to add some of the auto Finola qualities into our medicinal auto flowering varieties.

The surplus sensi bud to remain non pollinated will be used as a replacement for tobacco and be smoked.
We noticed it is much the same in effect as nicotine free E-sigarettes, and will help a lot in dealing with tobacco with drawls for those who are trying to quit.
There are also lots of ppl who just like to smoke it, or drink it as a tea for it's somewhat calming effects, stomach dis functions and general health improving qualities.

The majority of seeds from the resulting stock will be up for share on an other site as IC, though only to be shared with ppl who are very well informed about the project, and who will vow to not let stray pollen pollute any other proven medicinal gear as only those who are to belong to their project.

 

[oldchuck]

Go Finland!

 

[karl.uk]

Dutch,
Great info on your CBD experiment with Finola.
We are looking at planting 1 acre next season 2015, we are in the UK Latitude 53'.
Do you think this will be the correct strain for our climate ?
Also is it possible to get a feminized strain of the Finola seeds, or one with a reduced number of males (saves labour when taking them out)
Also as some of your previous discussions, is it legal to press, CBD oil (less than 0.2%thc) and what in your experience is the % CBD content ?
Any info would be usefull and much appreciated.

Thanks
Karl...

 

[gaiusmarius]

nice thread DutchHemp, thanks for sharing, hope to see more pics and read about the harvesting and further processing.

@ karl.uk

i'm pretty sure these are EU approved hemp seeds, you don't get feminized as far as i know, but if you google the list of EU approved hemp you will see what exactly is available and what it's good for, i.e. long straight stems are best for fiber production, bushy ones are better for seeds.

 

[Only Ornamental]

Dutch,
...
We are looking at planting 1 acre next season 2015, we are in the UK Latitude 53'.
Do you think this will be the correct strain for our climate ?
Also is it possible to get a feminized strain of the Finola seeds, or one with a reduced number of males (saves labour when taking them out)
...

...
i'm pretty sure these are EU approved hemp seeds, you don't get feminized as far as i know, but if you google the list of EU approved hemp you will see what exactly is available and what it's good for, i.e. long straight stems are best for fiber production, bushy ones are better for seeds.

Finola is a normal dioecious hemp variety and you don't get neither monoecious seeds (obviously) nor, like with ALL hemp seed varieties, feminised ones (those only exist for some drug type cultivars). Finola is likely the best EU approved variety for northern Europe but other short-flowering ones may fit your bill as well.
Before you start googling, have a look at THE HEMP SEED HUB and the links in there. I've done most of the work already, there's unfortunately not too much more concrete infos on the net about specific varieties. There's another thread about Finola HERE.

 

[karl.uk]

Finola is a normal dioecious hemp variety and you don't get neither monoecious seeds (obviously) nor, like with ALL hemp seed varieties, feminised ones (those only exist for some drug type cultivars). Finola is likely the best EU approved variety for northern Europe but other short-flowering ones may fit your bill as well.
Before you start googling, have a look at THE HEMP SEED HUB and the links in there. I've done most of the work already, there's unfortunately not too much more concrete infos on the net about specific varieties. There's another thread about Finola HERE.

Ornamental,
Thankyou for the info.
Do you have any information of the %THC & %CBD of all the strains which would suit our climate ?
Also is it a case of culling all the male plants when they show themselves at about 20 days or so. To stop them pollinating the females, and the fems producting seeds ?
Is it not possible to use a all fem, mother stock and take of cuttings ? thus ensuring all female plants ??

Thanks
Karl...

 

[karl.uk]

Ornamental,
Thankyou for the info.
Do you have any information of the %THC & %CBD of all the strains which would suit our climate ?
Also is it a case of culling all the male plants when they show themselves at about 20 days or so. To stop them pollinating the females, and the fems producting seeds ?
Is it not possible to use a all fem, mother stock and take of cuttings ? thus ensuring all female plants ??

Thanks
Karl...

Ornamental,
In your experience, is Finola the correct strain for ourselves to plant in the 2015 season ? its legallity in the UK, as I understand is ok, as it has less than 0.2%THC. We will obvioulsy need a license from the Home Office to grow this crop. Are you aware of any other type of hemp (UK legal) which has been previously grown in the UK and what the results were ?

Thanks
Karl...

 

[Only Ornamental]

Hi Karl,

You're free to use cuttings but I don't see how you're managing that for a full acre... thousands upon thousands... Anyway, taking cuttings from Finola may prove impossible as it is 'functionally autoflowering'; that is, it flowers spontaneously under most culture conditions. Then again, you'd have to check with the UK law if it's permitted to use cuttings and have all female or unseeded crops. Some countries allow only the sowing of approved, unadulterated seeds from one of the official agencies or prohibit seedless crops.

Culling works, it has been done, but it's a pain in the arse. Besides, there are no EU approved all female varieties nor male sterile ones. You can choose between dioecious varieties (males and females at a 1:1 ratio), monoecious ones ('full-hermie females'), and female predominant ones (mostly females with a few 'hermies' and/or males). More to the latter is explained in my link above (and in my signature).

THC concentration of all approved hemp cultivars (EU, Canada, Russia, China) is well below 0.2% (often below 0.03%), CBD in most older varieties is around 2 to 5% whereas modern ones are often lower and certainly not higher (usually, THC to CBD ratio is 1:10-20). The general rule for all EFTA/EU countries where hemp is principally legal (with or without licence) states that it doesn't matter what hemp variety you sow as long as it's approved by the EU. Most European hemp varieties which have an approval in their country of origin also have the EU approval (There's a link in above mentioned Hemp Seed Hub to the European Seed Crop Database or some name like that). PLEASE, read the first post in said link thoroughly and also look at the embedded links (below the chapter 'Legend', small font size), there's a lot of information you're currently asking about .

 

[oldchuck]

Also is it a case of culling all the male plants when they show themselves at about 20 days or so. To stop them pollinating the females, and the fems producting seeds ?

Thanks
Karl...

In my (limited) experience growing Finola if you look at a female with lust in your eye she will produce seeds.

I do not believe you can possibly get all the males out of a one acre crop. But so what? I like seeds and I don't think seeds will affect the cannabinoid content much. If you are after CBD, which I am, then you will need to do testing or find some EU data. I haven't had much luck with that yet.

My Finola are all very small, planted in hard infertile soil. I picked some yesterday at 57 days from seed. The males are pretty much dead and the females, all less than a foot tall, are full of seeds, perhaps 50% nice ripe ones. The crop Dutch is growing is a week or two ahead of me and far better looking. Kinda wish I had his farm.

Finola matures very fast and should do well in the UK growing season if planted in favorable ground and well cultivated.

Finola stems seem weak and puny compared to other Cannabis I have grown and probably no good for fiber.

I did inadvertently make a cross between Finola and (drug type with a very study stem) Satori and am growing out a few of the F1s. They are a very interesting combination.

 

[karl.uk]

Guys,
Thanks for ths replys. I am a novice at growing hemp, so please bare with me .....
Lets say we order 25kg of Finola seeds, says on the website enought to do 1 hectare or approx 2 acres. Would i be right to presume 50% male 50% female ? If this is the case, the female will produce flowering buds later than the male's, the male plants will die away (do the male plants produce seeds and buds ? ) what amount of seed to bud ratio will you get from the female plants ?
Also what time of year is best to plnat in UK Lat 53', End of May ?
Does soil need to be high in Nitrogen ?

Thanks
Karl...

 

[Only Ornamental]

Yes, 50% females and 50% males. Only the females produce seeds and 'buds', the males produce loose clusters of male flowers which soon fall off.
Like most dioecious varieties, the Finola males die somewhere before full seed maturation. How to cultivate Finola and a lot of other information on the official Finola homepage by the official Finola breeder: www.finola.com and www.finola.fi.
Seed to bud ratio?? Whatsdat?

No, Finola does not need a lot of nitrogen. It's actually the one approved hemp variety with the lowest nitrogen demand (but it's also the smallest and fastest maturing one).

 

[oldchuck]

I think what you mostly need, Karl, is deep loose soil with high organic content. All Cannabis, but maybe Finola especially, does best if the plant can drive deep roots in soft soil. Hard packed clay soil makes small plants.

 

[karl.uk]

Ornamental,
Thankyou for the info.
Any of you guys have any experience at growing Finola indoors under artifical light ? if so any results from same.
Thanks
Karl...

 

[Only Ornamental]

I did try indoors, but too small pots and low wattage gave tiny plants... you'll find some pictures in the last yogi cup challenge .

 

[DutchHempCBD]

I do not believe you can possibly get all the males out of a one acre crop. But so what? I like seeds and I don't think seeds will affect the cannabinoid content much.

I think you're incorrect there. Check out the link below referring to a research document which shows that:

'' The yields of essential oils gained from non-pollinated plants were more than twice as high as those pollinated (Table 3). The scent tests did not result in a significant difference between the two different oil types. On an ordinal ranking scale from bad to excellent, all tested oils from ‘Kompolti’ were rated "very good" or even "excellent". The scent of oils from non-pollinated plants was judged as being more intensive and more powerful. The scent originating from pollinated plants seemed to be more of a typical "hemp odor".'' and '' Hemp is known to build large amounts of new flowers as long as it does not become pollinated. Prevention of pollination leads to greater amounts of flowers and also to significant higher essential oil yields (Table 3). This strategy is also known by growers of drug Cannabis and is called the "sinsemilla" technique. Prevention of pollination in fields with a size of economical relevance is nearly impossible, but easy to carry out in a greenhouse.
The quality of oils was rated as "very good" or even "excellent", regardless if pollination took place or not.''

SOURCE: http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/hemp/iha/jiha5107.html

Yes, they didn't test the cannabinoid content of both pollinated and unpollinated. So theoretically they could still be the same... I just don't think so.

@karl.uk: there's a company in Ireland that also grows Finola and markets the juice. So I think your good with growing Finola in your place http://healing-with-hemp.com/hempjuice.php

 

[DutchHempCBD]

DAY 68

DAY 68

DAY 68 - The plants are doing great! Almost all the males have died and shed their leaves. No that big of a problem as 5 out of 6 cannabis trichomes can be found on the female plant. The females are doing great and are full of trichomes. Zoom in on the pictures and you'll see them.

I think females have way more then 5 out of 6, I would guess 99 out of 100.
-SamS


Expected harvest date around halfway August.

 

[oldchuck]

Very nice plants, Dutch. I am ten days behind you. Yours are much bigger and better but very much the same variety. Mine are sticky resinous with a sharp spicy smell.

I don't doubt that sinsemilla yields more flowers. My comment was directed more at the practical matter of removing all the males from a whole acre of plants. I guess offthehook does it but an acre's worth? All it takes is missing a couple and you have a seeded crop. I can live with the seeds and we'll see about the cannabinoid content. Have you had any luck with testing?

I am very much looking forward to seeing your harvest pictures.

 

[oldchuck]

Interesting article, Dutch. I took away a couple of nuggets for possible immediate application. 1) harvest a bit early. It says the best oil quality is obtained when seeds are 50-75% mature. 2) harvest in dry weather, maybe several days after the last rain.

I think I'm already nearly at 50% mature seed so I'm thinking I ought to harvest pretty quickly, maybe after the current rainy spell is over.

One thing I don't get from that study is the relationship between "essential oil" production and cannabinoids.

 

[Cannabliss420]

amazing thread. cant wait to see more. hemp is really a cool subject to learn about, especially its history with these strains (i.e FINOLA). keep up the good work and id love to see more. great plot of land for growing crops it seems, so lucky. i bet its alot of work! much respect

 

[karl.uk]

Hi Guys.
Applied for our Hemp License this morning from the Home Office : Will see how that goes.
How do you harvest your plants ? do you have any special equipment ?
Obviously harvesting would need to protect the flowers as much as possible ?
Have any of you got experince with Fedora 17 strain ? if so how does it compare to Finola for growing in the UK ?

Thanks

Karl.....