In this customer grow review BoB grew some Auto Xtreme Haze (autoflower seeds) in a standard 1.2m x 1.2m (4ft x 4ft) indoor grow tent with a 400W LED in a lightmix soil. The grow was made easier by the use of the self-watering, gravity-fed AutoPot system. Slow-release organic nutrients meant that BoB simply left the AutoPot to automatically supply water from the tank. Not only did BoB describe this as his best grow yet, but it was also his simplest. Bud potency was excellent, so much so that BoB got a terpene profile and cannabinoid analysis from an independent lab which showed 19% THC in the Auto Xtreme Haze buds.
Auto Xtreme harvest with 19% THC (lab tested)
Auto Xtreme Haze lab-results returns 19% THC
Most home-grown cannabis is around 15% THC. Professional licensed growers can consistently achieve higher levels with the best cannabis seeds, but that is often down to the full-time, highly experienced staff who ensure that all aspects of the grow, lighting, nutrients and environment are fully optimised from start to finish. So, a home grown THC level of 19% alongside a delicious and rich terpene profile represents results that are well above average.
For reference, annual Dutch Government surveys show an average of around 15% THC in bud samples bought from dozens of coffee shops. Even premium priced coffee shop strains tend to average out at 18% THC.
The impressive terpene content and very high THC levels are quite typical for Auto Xtreme Haze, which is an XL yielding autoflowering Haze created from the best Amnesia x Super Haze genetics in the Dutch Passion gene bank. BoB has only completed a few grows but rates this as his most potent harvest and with a little more experience feels that he could exceed 20% THC levels.
Related:
What’s a high amount of THC for cannabis – official Dutch govt research data
Auto Xtreme Haze grow report by BoB
BoB germinated his Auto Xtreme seeds and kept them in a propagator with a lid for the first 2 weeks. Low power LED light came from the adjustable Solar System 1100 light. This can deliver up to 800W but was never used at more than half power (i.e. 400W) due to the size of the grow tent.
This was my laziest grow by a long way. I grew my autoflower seeds in light mix soil which contained BioTabs slow-release nutrients. These provided a steady stream of nutrients as the plants grew. I occasionally added some BioTab Orgatrex supplement. The Auto Pots automatically deliver more water as the light-mix soil started to dry. All I had to do was raise the light from time to time and increase power as the plants grew. I was surprised to hit almost 20% THC from a grow room which I rarely spent any time in.
Bloom began after 5 weeks with a 20/4 light cycle used throughout (20 hours of daily light from autoflower seed to harvest). During bloom my indoor de-humidifier kept humidity at 40% – due to the size of the blooms I feared mould could be a potential issue, but the Auto Xtreme breezed through the growth cycle leaving me with nothing really to do. The water which was collected from my dehumidifier drained into the Auto Pot reservoir.
There were 2 phenotypes to be seen, a narrow-leaf and a broad-leaf/hybrid plant. The bud structure was also clearly different. The broad-lead/hybrid plant had a lot more leaves (including between the buds themselves) and stayed a bit smaller – both were epic smoke quality.
I harvested after 13 weeks under a 20/4 light cycle. I know some autos can finish a week or two earlier, but the Auto Xtreme was packing on weight and resin, and I knew I had a very special crop.
Auto Xtreme Haze smoke report by BoB
Most growers choose Haze strains for the quality of the high, the potent effects and the satisfyingly enjoyable smoke. But the 300g harvest showed that even growers with typical home grow set-ups are able to produce substantial yields with little effort:
I got around 300g of dry bud from this harvest, the blooms were typical sativa – long and chunky. The up-high is powerful and euphoric to say the least! My best quality buds by quite some distance. The fresh Haze taste is excellent – the terpene profile showed a wide range of terpenes and I was pleased to see a strain that was embarrassingly easy to grow delivered so heavily with THC levels around 20%.
The smell of the dried buds is a typical crisp haze aroma. I smell pine, pepper, something fresh. No fruity scents. Taste completely matches the smell. Smokes well, not sharp in the throat. High is energetic, creative. Typical Haze head high. With vaping, the fresh taste in particular comes out even more. Due to the lower temperature used by vapes, the high is even more energetic and clear in a vape compared to smoking. Effect is strong and comes on quickly. Clearly high in THC and terpenes.
In hindsight, I could have increased the yield with a flatter canopy – perhaps some training. But as a relatively recent grower I am genuinely surprised at the results possible from the best auto strains. I have no complaints at all and have to give Auto Xtreme a 10/10 rating.
Auto Xtreme Haze expert tips for indoor growers
As BoB shows, the best autoflower seeds don’t need a great deal of attention. Simply left to grow in the natural way with no training techniques allows XL harvests and THC levels nudging 20%. More experienced growers might find 20%+ THC levels are possible with some extra TLC.
Use of large, aerated grow containers (e.g. felt sacks or air pots) alongside quality LED is a recipe used by many serious growers. But one good example set by BoB was the ‘minimum maintenance’ approach, where the grow room is occasionally re-adjusted to optimised conditions and not constantly meddled with.
Even with little maintenance, his grow room thrived. BoB’s use of slow-release BioTabs meant that he could avoid the yo-yo effect between under-feeding and over-feeding with bottled nutrients. This often causes issues, especially for less experienced growers. And use of the AutoPot system meant that over-watering (another common error from less experienced growers) was also avoided.
Props to BoB for another great result and a well-controlled and simple grow!