Melonade Runtz 120g indoor harvest by the Artist

Melonade Runtz lab test results

The lab testing (Sativanalisis) came back with THC levels around 19% with a total terpene content just over 1%. Any strain with around 20% THC hits hard.

It’s worth noting that the average THC level in Dutch coffee shop weed is around 15% (Dutch coffeeshop weed is tested annually by the Dutch government who usually buy samples from dozens of shops to establish an average THC level).

With a juicy terpene content exceeding 1% you know you are in for some premium, tasty buds. Usually, lab reports show average strains with around 0.5%-0.75% terpenes.

Melonade Runtz week-by-week indoor grow diary

Two Melonade Runtz feminised seeds were germinated and given 4 weeks of vegetative growth  (20/4 cannabis light cycle, alongside two Auto Euforia seedlings) followed by 9 weeks of bloom (12/12) and then harvested. The two Melonade Runtz plants were bloomed indoors in March/April in a 120cm x 90cm (4ft x 3ft) tent with his cherished 250W Migro Aray LED grow light.

This beautiful LED light is highly effective, has a nice even spread, pleasant white light and is dimmable in steps of 20%. I really enjoy working with this light, since it is super easy to handle and performs very well.

The Artist recognises he could get boost yields with longer veg-growth periods, more lights & plants in his 120cm x 90cm (4ft x 3ft) tent. But he only needs to grow enough for his own recreational requirements with a focus on quality rather than quantity. Final dry yield was 60g (2oz) of dry bud from each plant, 120g/4 oz total.

I like to keep the grow as simple as possible. The BioTabs slow release tablets gradually dissolve releasing their organic nutrients to produce a steady stream of minerals and food for the plant. That simplifies feeding massively for me.

The BAC grow/bloom nutrients and PK boosts do the rest. BioRhiztonic root stimulator helps root health, as do the airpots and aerated grow medium.

There were no fancy or special grow techniques, this was all natural, simple growing. A few low hanging leaves and tiny branches were removed during the final few weeks, but apart from that this was a maintenance free grow.

I have grown lots of feminised seeds before but Melonade Runtz was one of the easiest, despite it giving such high-end results.

Here are the weekly pictures and comments from The Artist.

Melonade Runtz week 1

Two Melonade Runtz feminised seeds were germinated using the damp cotton pad method.

Melonade Runtz week 2

Compared to my usual grows (often these are with autoflower seeds), this Melonade Runtz photoperiod seedling seemed to develop & grow leaves faster. She looks very healthy and the first set of leaves grew pretty big. It’s been a good start.

Melonade Runtz week 3

That main stem looks super cool. Already the stem is pretty thick with new leaves shooting out fast. I noticed that despite this being a hybrid, there was a clear Indica dominant appearance at this early stage. Very broad leaves.

Melonade Runtz week 4

The Melonade Runtz is already fairly large compared to the autoflowers I’m growing in the same tent. The leaves have this very ridged look – which looks very nice. This will be the last week of the vegetative phase. I could certainly veg her for a longer period, which would probably increase the final size and yield. But for the purpose of the time-lapse video, my personal weed requirements and this grow report, 4 weeks will be fine.

Melonade Runtz week 5

The Melonade Runtz was moved to a different tent and is now growing on a 12/12 light schedule. The cannabis flowering phase has begun. She is still growing well, her size continues to increase. The overall look is still very Indica dominant.

Melonade Runtz week 6

After 2 weeks on the 12/12 cannabis light cycle you can see that flowering is starting. The leaves still have that beautiful, ridged look – especially in the newer leaf growth.

Melonade Runtz week 7

Side branches have shot up from the main stem which is now quite a size. The impressive overall structure of the plant is starting to show. Flowers and new leaves are looking a different shade in comparison to the older leaves. This makes for some very beautiful pictures.

Melonade Runtz week 8

Something I always hope for when growing cannabis plants is early trichome development, or ‘sugar leaves’ showing during early flowering. This was clearly the case with Melonade Runtz. A white coat of trichomes forming on the leaves, which often indicates a very potent and frosty end result. I am getting hopeful that this will be one of those special harvests, but still there are a few weeks left.

Melonade Runtz week 9

5 weeks into flowering, and the blooms are looking very nice! There could have been more side branches, but for just 4 weeks of vegetative growth she seems to be doing just fine. Those side blooms underneath the main cola are already looking super frosty!  A few orange pistils (hairs) can also be spotted.

Melonade Runtz week 10

I’m also very happy with the overall health of the Melonade Runtz. She hasn’t shown any signs of leaf discolouration and the large fan leaves are often pointing up firmly, the sign of a plant thriving. Upward pointing leaves are often referred to as ‘praying leaves’ and indicates that the plant environment is in the sweet spot. I feel increasingly confident that the conditions, genetics and the Migro LED are contributing to one of my better grows in recent years.

Melonade Runtz week 11

I had a short vacation at this point, so I skipped a week of making photos. But my camera kept filming for the time-lapse video of course. The main change this week is probably the increased sized of the flowers, the buds have all swollen nicely and continue to ooze resin.

Melonade Runtz week 12

As expected, all the buds have become generously sized and the aroma has stepped up a level, delicious! Resin is all over the flowers and the leaves surrounding them. There is a good mix of orange and white pistils. I’m still happy to see that all the leaves are looking super healthy. Impressive genetics all the way through without any dramas at all.

Melonade Runtz week 13

We’re now 9 weeks into flowering, and it looks like the plant is ready for harvest. The flowers are now big and frosty. Crazy, stinky yet hugely appealing smells are now penetrating throughout the house.

It’s definitely time to replace my carbon filters. No complaints from the neighbours though. Apart from the biggest fan leaves, the plant is covered in sugar leaves from top to bottom.  

This made her very easy and fast to trim and harvest as well. The icing on the cake after a straightforward grow!

Melonade Runtz smoke review by the Artist & the Terp Inspectors

After a 1-week dry and a 4-week cure I was excited to try the buds. The jars smelled as good as they ever have, with a ripe tropical fruit gelato pungency that I haven’t had before. I invited a few friends the ‘Terp Inspectors’ over to get a few opinions and help empty the first jar.

My personal growing philosophy prioritises quality over quantity every time. The aroma from this crop surpassed those from most of my previous favourite grows. Melonade Runtz got full marks for taste & aroma, with no dissenting voices from the team.

In the end we gave Melonade Runtz a near-perfect score of 4½/5. I will reserve my perfect 5/5 score for the future! A 9-week bloom is on the fast side of average, but the powerful effects and loud terpy taste are anything but average. I wanted a high-THC feminised seed variety with special taste/aroma and wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.