Frisian Dew outdoor cannabis grow from Mackem66

Frisian Dew outdoor cannabis grow

This weeks grow from ‘Mackem66’ is a Frisian Dew outdoor cannabis grow. It’s one of Dutch Passion’s  toughest outdoor varieties, shows the kind of result you can expect in a tough northern European climate. 
All the words and pictures come from Mackem66.

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In spring 2015 I got 5 Frisian Dew (fem) from Dutch Passion, amongst a lot of other varieties,  to try to grow them in the ground.

The reason is obvious for any outdoor grower: no matter how good soil you use, and how big a pot – nothing beats plants grown directly in mother natures soil!!

Conditions in spring 2015 were very hard indeed in our area, with cold weather and lots of wind. Anyways I started out on May 15, germinating in 3 litre pots covered in cellophane in the south  window of the outhouse, and all 5 seeds germinated successfully. I  gradually moved the plants out in the pots to harden off under a net, to protect against birds.

Frisian Dew outdoor cannabis grow wether problems

This was where the problems started, because I wanted the plants in the ground before a vacation in mid June, and anyway, this is the way I’ve always done it. They went in the ground ok, still covered in nets, in well cultivated earth which had had a bit of limestone, a few slow release commercial fertilizer pellets but other than that nothing else. 

When we came back from our holiday 10 days later, maybe because of the continuing daytime temperatures of only 10-15 ºC, and a bit lower in night, only 2 of the plants were healthy. This was the same with all my other varieties, except for some Think Different autos, also from Dutch Passion, which seemed to take this weather much better, and all turned out real nice, but that’s another story .

2 Frisian Dew plants survived

Now it was almost a blessing that only 2 Frisian Dew plants had survived, because they grew so much, that there wouldn’t have been any room for 5 plants.  Flowering started about the end of August, and the good weather continued. I continually checked for hermies and signs of bud rot, but saw nothing.  The buds became longer and thicker each day, with a nice frosting of trichomes.

Then 2 weeks before harvest a strong easterly wind with rain came for some days, and there I must say that the Frisians took it well. I have made up a system of putting some wire fence horizontally on stakes, that the plants can grow through In 2 layers, so they have this support throughout the plant, and not only a stake at the main stem. 

Trichomes turned milky white

Since the trichomes had turned milky white, and we therefore were in the harvest window for sure, although a bit early – we decided to harvest on Oct. 10, almost 5 month after sowing. This is also because I prefer a more up high, and knowing from last year how good the Frisian Dew is, I was sure that it would be perfect for my taste. 

We harvested and trimmed the first Frisian Dew plant, taking maybe 10 hours of trimming in hand altogether, since there were more than 20 main buds with side branching. Then late on Sunday I decided I wouldn’t wait one more week to cut the other one down, so this was cut down to smaller branches which  with only the biggest fan leaves removed.

This harvest took only 20 minutes, but then the trimming of course will have to be done later. I have tried both techniques many times, and it doesn’t make that big a difference. You just have to make sure that the buds are not pressed too much together in the container you put them in to await trimming, because they will get flat and not so appealing 

Frisian Dew outdoor cannabis grow 10 Days of drying

After 10 days of drying in an outhouse, I put the trimmed ones in cardboard fruit boxes, and the larger branches in plastic buckets like bouquets of flowers to dry in a warm place.  After about 8-10 days they went in containers for final curing. 

By start of December the time had finally come to declare the whole process finished, at least for the already trimmed part, and enjoy the Christmas month with plenty of good smoke, and ideal presents for good friends to be enjoyed over the holidays.

Fruity/Lemony smell

The wonderful trademark fruity/lemony smell meets you from the curing jar 

The smoke itself Is really smooth, with a lemony taste, and with it’s Sativa heritage, combined with the relatively early harvest, has achieved what I had been hoping for: A really strong, but uplifting experience, that makes you able to enjoy the whole evening with friends and family, without too much couch-lock. 

However, beware:  smoke too much, and you will hit the sack before Santa comes climbing down the chimney 

Now is also a good time to plan and prepare for next years grow, and the whole thing starts over again with maybe some new strains to try out. One thing for sure – Frisian Dew will be in my garden for years to come, but I think next year, I will have even  more focus on bud development, and maybe try out some of the specialized fertilizers for this.