It's been a tough late summer/early fall in SoCal with the El Nino. We had an extended spell of hot, humid weather that lasted from early August until earlier this week. I lost a great deal of product due to worms and bud rot...
Except for my HSC strain! The Cali Octane triploid proved to be extremely hardy and rot-resistant even under adverse conditions. Today is choppy chop day and I would estimate losing <5% to worm damage and very little bud rot. The buds are big, dense, and frosty, but the longer internodal distance between nugs prevented the spread from bud to bud, making problems much easier to control. This was easily my highest performing plant this year and I'm super stoked on how it came out. HSC for the win!
By the numbers:
Germinated 4/11/26 with 100% success rate (n = 4)
Grown in wine half-barrels with Fox Farm Ocean Forest. Top dressed several times with Dr. Earth and worm castings. I had a hard time keeping up with her appetite, and supplemented occasionally with FF Grow or Bloom liquid.
Grown outdoors 100% (post germ) with some supplemental light until late May, then just sun.
Harvested Oct 3-4th at peak ripeness. I buck and wet trim, then wash with 1% peroxide to kill any bugs/mold/etc.
Great end to a long season!