Strainly

California preps for its best clone release weekend ever

Strainly — Mon, 04 May 2026 15:53:00 GMT

California preps for its best clone release weekend ever

Cuttings are selling for up to $1,566 each. A genetics race is on for global profits.

BY STAFF Report

The cannabis genetics arms race has gotten spring fever this May.

At least three events in California are drawing international growers big and small for the top-tier strains they need to stay competitive in the legal cannabis era.

Hendrx Nursery releases 100 clones of Tire Fire OG for $1,566 each at the first Clonetopia, a CANNA nutrients-powered clone release festival May 16-17 at 7 Stars dispensary in Richmond, California, and Solful on Irving Street in San Francisco.

Joining Hendrx—Purple City Genetics will release their closely held Habibi (Z x Moroccan Peaches) for $500. Plus, a fast-flowering sativa called Lemon Cherry Gongo (Red Congo x Lemon Cherry Gelato x Z).

PCG Habibi. (Courtesy PCG)

Also, Haze Valley Nursery releases a $1,000 Tom Hill Haze 3-pack for vintage sativa breeders and lovers. Plus, $32 cuts of Grape Lobster, Hash Burger, Modified Mule, and Bodhi’s Strawberry Headband.

Down in Southern California on May 17, Green Dragon releases the most hype strain of 2026, Toad Venom for $1,000 for three cuttings.

And Green Dragon's former collaborator turned rival Ronin Seeds preempts Green Dragon with a May 9 drop of (alleged) Toad Venom cuts at GOAT Global for $500 each.

The events evoke memories of Seed Junky’s $1,000 Cap Junky clone drop at the 2021 Emerald Cup. Why the hype?

Because elite clones are blueprints for money trees in the $60 billion U.S. cannabis market, as well as globally. New international markets like Germany and Czechia are forecast to add $9 billion in revenue in the coming years.

It’s like buying Prada patterns in Milan, Italy, to go make your own new bag.

Buying a ‘golden ticket’

New genetics are a capital expense for a large cannabis business. Businesses are spending $1,500 on one plant to make their money back many times over. They turn the clone into a mother plant, then make more clones, grow those out, and sell the bud. And they use them in new breeding projects.

“I spent $10,000 on a tray of OG back in the day,” said Green Dragon’s co-owner and operator Glen. “They put me on something that gave people something different than what was out there. I didn’t know how else to get it, and that’s what you did. I never regretted it because I made more than my money back. That’s for sure,” said Glen.

Grabbing an elite clone is way cheaper than a licensing deal from a nursery, or popping packs, and finding and testing a pheno.

Daniel Hendricks for Hendrx Nursery said he is fueling the next big OG Kush wave. Tire Fire OG is (OG Kush x Triangle Kush) x SFV OG. It combines selections from CSI Humboldt, CHA Genetics, Kevn Jodrey, and Hendrx Nursery.

Tire Fire OG (Courtesy Hendrx Nursery)

“It’s got all the legends of the game,” said Hendricks. “This thing stood up against all the other OGs I could find.”

“OG is a fucking huge market. Everybody needs an OG that can commercially produce and then is going to keep its nose.”

The 100 buyers of the Tire Fire OG get exclusive access to further work on the line, he said.

“It’s an invitation to sit down at the big table,” he said. “Everybody at the table is a professional commercial farmer who buys clones and understands commodities and is jumping at the opportunity.”

“This is like a business-to-business golden ticket.”

Dropping in on the Peach and Lemon Cherry Gelato waves

PCG’s Habibi release (Z x Moroccan Peaches) puts buyers in the middle of the 2026 peach strain wave. Moroccan Peaches is a flower and hash all-star right now, and the current center of a lineup of new seed crosses from PCG for 2026.

Still, PCG has held back Habibi for their own use, and the strain predates the rest of the Moroccan Peaches work. “It’s a really beautiful one. We run it for in-house consumption,” said Auryn McCafferty.

“Hashmakers are going to win with this,” said McCafferty. “It’s mixing two kings of the hash market. This is the all-star of our El Krem work, one of our favorites personally, and the community is going to be like, ‘Wow.’”

Big things start from small clones. (PCG)

PCG’s other release Lemon Cherry Congo takes the current top flavor in weed, LCG, into sativa country, with a super-fast 8-week finish. It’s candy for the young adults who’ve never had a sativa, let alone one that finishes in eight weeks.

“The Congolese is an amazing Mount Rushmore strain for effect. This is landrace work but more palatable for the consumer and grower,” said McCafferty.

Hash Burger. (Courtesy Haze Valley Nursery)

Accessing vintage highs and breeding tools

The $1,000 three-pack of Tom Hill Haze cuts from Haze Valley Nursery are akin to buying the same gear used to record The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” or Nirvana’s “Nevermind.”

Haze Valley Nursery’s Sjoerd Broeks obtained the three phenos from the legendary, reclusive Humboldt breeder Tom Hill himself. Tom Hill has rabid fans of his pure Haze sativa work.

“It’s really about the power of that high,” Broeks said.

The Tom Hill Hazes are a straight, pure, original Haze from Dave Watson, refined for the last three years by Tom Hill. They’re tall, but manageable, with 11- to 13-week flowering times as opposed to 16-20 weeks. You’re going to taste vintage Thai, southern India, and Colombia weed with notes of pepper or metal.

Tom Hill Hazes three ways. (Via Tom Hill on IG)

You can mom them, take cuts, flower some pure Hazes, plus mess around and make something else. Remake a Blue Dream—the best-selling strain ever. The drop allows you to own a benchmark reference standard for what we mean when we say “Haze.”

“If you’re working with the original Haze, you’ll be making similar seeds that I was making in the late ’90s,” Broeks said.

Broeks said the Tom Hill Hazes are pretty stable and true-breeding. “If you cross them to something else that’s pretty stable, and [the cross] works, the stuff is going to be pretty close to an F1 already.”

Authentic access in an era of ‘cutfishing’

Frugal home growers might get some heartburn at the steep price for such rarities. The average clone price in California is about $25.

Both Clonetopia powered by CANNA nutrients and the Green Dragon event will have plenty of regular-priced clones for the masses. Talking Trees | Rootimentrees offers $47 GDP x Urkles, and Strawberry Pops with a dealer’s choice, buy one get one plant deal.

And Glen said $1,000 for three Toad Venom cuts is drawing customers from as far as Spain who want to avoid getting “cutfished.” That’s a term for being sold a counterfeited strain variety in clone form. (Ronin Seeds has said in a podcast that they’ve muddied Toad’s waters once before with a fake Toad release.)

Similarly, you can meet all the actual nursery operators at Clonetopia to get grow help.

“It’s so easy to get cutfished,” said Green Dragon’s Glen. “To get it from the person where it’s 100%, never been out of their facility, never been a mix-up—it's worth it.”

Green Dragon flyer

There are so many online nurseries these days selling unverified cuts, said PCG’s McCafferty.

“We’ll really validate the genetics. We’ll grow them out. This is what we say it is,” said McCafferty. “You could try to get those trays for that high price online but are you sure it is what they say it is?”

After this raft of genetics events this spring, get ready for a terpy fall full of Toad Venom, Tire Fire, peaches, Haze, Hash Burger, and more.

Where to upgrade your garden

Clonetopia powered by CANNA nutrients NorCal Clone Release Festival, May 16-17, 7 Stars, Richmond, California, 3219 Pierce St. and Solful, 900 Irving St., San Francisco,

Green Dragon Toad Venom Release, May 17, 7235 Fulton Ave., North Hollywood.

GOAT Global Westwood Toad Venom Drop, May 9, 2299 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles.

Lemon Cherry Congo (Courtesy PCG)

The Problem with Selecting Based on Genetics

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:40:39 GMT

At Strainly we believe in transparency. We also think terpenes are the most important components of the plant and that testing is key to assess the quality of your harvest. In this article, our friends from ConfidentCannabis explain why testing and knowing the chemotypic profile of your harverst matters.

One of the most reported issues we hear from consumers is that it’s incredibly hard to find the perfect strain, whether it’s indica or sativa, for their body chemistry that provides a predictable, consistent effect each time they use it.

The current dispensary experience has us buying based on the strain name and maybe a description of the genetics, which has little to do with the compounds of the plant or intended effect when you analyze the chemistry data. Consumers see products with all sorts of branded names, and then the word indica, sativa, or hybrid, but this doesn’t explain how the plant will perform within your particular body chemistry.

Consumers are left to figure out on their own how they react to different strains (once they have already purchased it), or they must rely on the opinions of others describing how that strain affected them.

This unreliable system causes distrust among consumers that a strain which worked well the first time will do so the next. Things are not made easier by growers who give less marketable genetics a more popular strain name to move product. Someone might grow an “Alien OG” strain but call it “Blue Dream” because they know it will fly off the shelves.

However, even when we look at a plant from the same base genetic material, each batch is still going to come out differently based on the way it was cultivated—climate, length of cure, transportation, and storage all play a role in the makeup of a final product.

So, what are we trying to say? It is nearly impossible to predict the outcome of using a particular strain, even with reliable genetics, which is why we need to get away from the productization of genetics based on strain name and indica/sativa. Instead, we need to build an understanding of the individual chemical output of these plants.

The good news is that lab testing has done this work for us; we just need to make that information available to the consumer so they can make purchasing decisions based on the unique chemical makeup of each plant.

A Spectrum of Highly Personal Effects

Any given cultivar (commonly called a strain) can produce a variety of effects that happen within the body. The same plant might make one person feel enlightened, while another is meditative. One could feel energetic, while someone else interprets the feelings as anxiety. One person could feel sedated while another gets silly. This spectrum of effects is due to the varying proportions of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant’s chemistry, and the differences in the way our bodies process those chemicals. We know this delicate balancing act as the Entourage Effect.

Cannabinoids work to help us find balance within the chemistry of our brains, called homeostasis; however, we all have different states of brain chemistry, which means that people will always have altering responses to consumption as we each need a different proportion of cannabinoids and terpenes to find that sweet spot. This is why it’s nearly impossible to tell anyone how they will feel from the current information provided by growers about a cultivar.

Look at the Chemistry, Not the Genetics

When a person consumes a strain, they should expect the same effects the next time they encounter that same plant name; but genetics don’t provide consistent results. Why? For starters, there is still so much work to do in human trials before we can fully understand the effects of various cannabinoids and terpenes on different body types.

Even after we have thoroughly studied the human experience, you can still give the same plant genetics to two different farmers and they will use two different processes for growing that plant—so it’s ill-advised to expect the exact same chemical output every time from a process as intricate as farming a plant.

Genetics are not reliable to the consumer, so we need to adopt a new way of thinking about chemistry other than by strain name. We believe the only accurate way to know what’s in a strain is to look at the final chemistry at the last point of testing.

The Buying Experience Contributes to the Problem

The buying experience is fraught with problems; for instance, we’re told that we can understand a strain’s effects based on whether the plant is listed as an indica or sativa; but, as mentioned above, one person’s elation could be another’s panic attack.

This is the information that consumers need to evaluate when deciding if a strain is good for them. Right now, the potency of cannabinoids is most often shown as the % of cannabinoids found in the plant, these being the most active compounds that make you feel something—but what if you respond well to the terpene Limonene, while Terpinolene sends you into a fear-fueled spasm?

These would be good things to know about the strain you are about to buy. Unfortunately, not all states require terpene tests, and not all cultivators opt for these tests. This is becoming more frequent as more people expect it and demand it, and as more retailers decide to differentiate themselves and lead in their vertical.

How to Find the Right strain for You

While testing results are the most accurate info you can use, we still can’t tell you how it will make you feel in particular. As a consumer, you need to know the chemistry of the strains you enjoy most. This happens not by talking to the local budtender, or the guy behind you in line at the dispensary, but by experimenting with buds and journaling the effects that you experience.

Start with low-potency to ease your way into recognizing the effects for you. Jot down what you purchased and from where. Also note, when applicable, which farm, care-giver or company produced that product.

Smell is also an incredibly important factor that can give you information on the specific set of terpenes and cannabinoids working together within the plant. We believe the nose knows.

This will help you base product purchases in the future on smell and taste to deduce that a strain has the same chemistry as something you previously enjoyed. If you find a Grape Soda strain in Oregon that you like, then the same smell and taste of another strain should also be pleasant for you—in addition to plants with similar cannabinoid ratios.

How Does Bitcoin Empower You?

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:56:08 GMT

The world witnessed unprecedented power grabs and supply chains disruptions since 2020. The almost perfect alignment between big government, big banks and big pharma should be a serious cause for concern across our entire community, and beyond. These moves massively concentrated wealth while threatening our freedom and survival as businesses, probably even as individuals. Strainly stands for decentralization, resilience and biodiversity, hence why bitcoin has always been a natural fit. Bitcoin ultimately protects biodiversity.

Concentration of power and money had started long before the COVID hysteria took over the world. Corporate takeover has been our main concern even before legalization happened. We all knew, deep inside that this space had this potential of becoming the ugliest manifestation of big ag, big tobacco and big pharma, all at once. It's happening right before our very eyes and a lot of us feel helpless about this trend. While many in the industry have struggled to obtain the most basic financial services any legal business is entitled to, a parallel financial system emerged and is now representing a serious alternative to the broken legacy system. Let's dissect a bit what are our options and how they support our dream vision for the community and medicinal plants.

The broken legacy system

The legacy system is the fiat system. A central bank-managed, credit-based scheme that creates money out of thin air, unfairly distributed across the economy, mainly towards insiders (those who sit right next to the money printer), while the pleb receives crumbles to survive on and pays interests to its masters. The purchasing power of the dollar has drastically decreased since the end of the gold standard in 1971. That's the case for all other fiat currencies (EUR, CAD, GBP, AUD, etc.). Consumers and businesses alike take ever more credit to get ahead and acquire the assets they need to prosper or sometimes, sadly, to simply satisfy advertising-induced cravings. Sustaining a grow-op in these conditions is a real challenge. Add the regulatory burden and you've got a perfect recipe for family businesses destruction.

You may be wondering how monetary policy, plant breeding and plant patent relate. Well, this fiat system fosters an annuitant (i.e. rent seeker) system, where concentration of power and resources becomes the norm and where artificial moats prevent any new competitor from entering the market to provide better options to society. The fiat system goes hand in hand with the proprietary logic. In order to pay their debt back or deliver expected returns to investors, innovators need to acquire exclusive rights over biology (e.g. plant varieties) to grab unjustified and unreasonable margins for long periods of time over a newly bred varietal. At scale, this rent-seeking system incentivizes breeders to limit access to their cultivars, prevent any other breeder from improving the genetic pool and ultimately destroys biodiversity by creating single points of failure in the preservation effort. It also fosters predatory practices on farmers and growers who face hefty fines and penalties for inadvertently breaching patents when being cross-pollinated by such proprietary varietals. Ask corn and cotton farmers.

It seems the more central banks print money, the more concentrated markets become and the least innovation hits the market. In the context of plant breeding, biodiversity is inversely correlated to money supply. In such a context, breeders who manage to navigate this space and get paid in USD or any other fiat currency, see their purchasing power melt like an ice cube in the sun. Moreover, despite these prevalent predatory proprietary practices, debt levels are at an all-time high, balance sheets are historically out-of-balance. Our governments, most zombie corporations and many households will never repay debt. The house of cards will harm many in its fall, mostly the most humble players, such as family businesses.

The industry has been consolidating at a concerning pace in the past few years. Canada and California are far from the legalization dream many of us had. Debt-ridden corporations, in bed with politicians are pushing legacy farms out of the market while low quality corporate boof floods the market. This is what happens in a fiat-based market: a race to the bottom.

We believe there should be room for high quality craft products. Such products are difficult to bring to market in a fiat-based system that requires ever more economies of scales. Instead of consolidating the industry based on capital expenditure into artificial moats such as plant patents, a bitcoin-centric industry would fairly reward craft producers for the quality they bring to market, not their moats.

If you are a human-scale player and want to make a living from your passion for the plant, what are the best tools at hand? You should already know that open-source breeding is the most suited IP strategy for small breeders and farmers. You don't want to fight the patent war with your limited means; they'll wipe you out at their deep-pocket game. But how can you win the open-source game using unfit fiat money? Well, you no longer have to use their fiat money.

The new paradigm: sound money

Sound money is salable across space, time and scale. It adequately stores value for their hard-working holders, and it protects their anonymity. Sound money is the opposite of fiat money. It's not created out of thin air. It's workers' money, not rent seekers'. It's a fair reward for creating value for others. It's the adequate money for rewarding breeders who improve and maintain the genetic pool that benefits patients and consumers. It's scarce money that preserves value and creates the conditions of abundance and biodiversity. But how?

Imagine being paid for your work in a currency that appreciates in time and preserves the value of your work, in other words, of the energy you expanded to grow plants, select phenotypes, breed new seeds, select and package them. Imagine that this currency protects your identity while allowing you to transact with people anywhere in the world, without asking permission to anyone. That's quite a revolution for growers and breeders who have been denied banking services and had to rely on cash to settle transactions, with all the risks pertaining to it.

Bitcoin is trustless, permissionless and instant transaction settlement between parties. Bitcoin is limited in quantity. It's an open-source protocol, enforced by the distributed community of bitcoin users. There will never be more than 21 million bitcoin, for the entire world, ever. In that respect, it's the opposite of fiat money. Instead of "bank-centrally" creating inflation that you need to keep up with, bitcoin deflates prices as it appreciates in time. While fiat money (i.e. dollars, euros...) encourages you to spend instead of saving, because your savings will buy less next year than they buy this year, sound money rewards your patience and frugality. Fiat money fosters high time preference, in other words craving for immediate gratification, while sound money fosters low time preference by rewarding hard working breeders or growers with delayed gratification. Bitcoin is the antidote to programmable Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Bitcoin allows you to effectively save to make your dreams come true, instead of settling for cravings.

It becomes clear that using such sound money allows breeders and growers to live off of their passion, what they do best. Breeders shouldn’t have to play the litigation game to enforce patents and defend their annuities to keep up with inflation. Those who resorted to do so usually regret it when they realize they can't win at Big Ag's game. The rules of the intellectual property game are written by and for corporate America (or corporate Canada...). Small and medium size businesses cannot win this game in the long run because patent enforcement requires substantial cash-flows. Engaging in the plant patent game is a sure way to sell out down the road, or simply being pushed out of the market by bigger fishes.

Any entrepreneur thriving for financial autonomy and ultimately for freedom wants to convert their expanded energy into the most durable storage medium: bitcoin. With bitcoin, the incentive to confiscate biodiversity to maximize annuities in order to compensate for the loss of value of fiat money disappears. With bitcoin, breeders and growers can focus on their craft and generate revenue based on the desirability of their genetics instead of defending intellectual property to collect perpetual rents. Bitcoin therefore allows for many players of different sizes to compose the industry. It doesn't entirely prevent consolidation but it certainly doesn't accelerate it like fiat money does.

This is not the only problem bitcoins solves for the industry. Transaction settlement has been a central issue. Excluded from the traditional banking system, too many legally operating businesses have had to rely on cash to settle transactions. Sitting on piles of cash in today's world is impractical and dangerous. Meanwhile these same businesses are paying taxes like any other. Taxation without financial representation. Bitcoin fixes this. By its trustless non-intermediated nature, bitcoin allows businesses to settle transactions in a more secured way, while not relying on banks or payment processors. Who wants to pay processing fees and beg for financial services to financial institutions that have despised our industry for years? We don't have to give them our business now that we have the technology to be self-reliant. Let's turn this hurdle into a competitive advantage. Instead of jumping through hoops to be accepted into the dying legacy system, the entire industry should migrate to bitcoin and get ahead of the game, period.

Conclusion

As big believers in decentralized anti-fragility, biodiversity defenders and freedom fighters, bitcoin is the natural fit for Strainly and probably, for the entire industry. Bitcoin, as a sound money system, is the third pillar of a healthy and vibrant hemp industry, the first and second being the community of breeders and preservationists as well as open-source breeding.

Learn How to Pay With Bitcoin on Strainly

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:53:38 GMT

Strainly stands for decentralization, resilience and biodiversity, hence why bitcoin has always been a natural fit. While Bitcoin has been somewhat intimidating to some of you, showing apparent complexity and inconvenience, it is actually the most performant and safest payment system ever created. This article intends to demystify Bitcoin and its daily use, providing easy tools and simple guidance. You can even pay in BTC without ever touching BTC!

We previously explained how Bitcoin empowers breeders by putting the incentives in the right place.

Below are key benefits of using Bitcoin:

Bitcoin is safe. It is technically impossible to take bitcoins out of your wallet unless you intentionally push the payment to someone.
Bitcoin does not depend on central entities and intermediaries such as banks or payment processors. No one can prevent you from spending your bitcoin. No one can freeze your bitcoin like Paypal does with your -fiat- money.
Bitcoin, when used correctly, respects your privacy. Strainly integrates bitcoin payments using best practices that preserve your privacy.
Our Bitcoin system channels all payments <$200 through the Lightning Network, to reduce fees to 1 or 2 cents (NO mining fee!)

Strainly integrates bitcoin payments using best practices without relying on third-party processors. The below guidance is meant to hold your hand during your Bitcoin journey, by giving solutions for each phase of this journey.

1 BTC = 100 million satoshis (also called "sats"), just like 1 USD = 100 cents.

"I have never used bitcoin and I just want to pay my order"

You are new to bitcoin and you just want to pay for your order. Below are some options for you:

Strike is to Strainly what Paypal was to eBay. It is by far the most convenient option (no fees when signing up using code RFXZKY once you downloaded the app). The beauty of Strike is that they handle all the "Bitcoin stuff" behind the scenes. You never have to buy BTC to pay on Strainly. It will pay any Strainly invoices using your USD cash balance with almost no fees (as low as 1 cent). If you earn BTC on Strainly, you can instantly send your BTC back from your Strainly wallet to your Strike USD cash balance. The conversion is immediate and automatic. Now available in Europe.

CashApp allows you to buy BTC in few simple steps and send directly via our bitcoin payment system. CashApp also allows you to receive BTC from external wallets and to convert back into USD. If you already use CashApp and do not want to use anything else, it is an option.

If you are in Canada, you are in luck, Bull Bitcoin is one of the most respected Bitcoin companies and they'll give you CAD $20 upon signing up with our link. Their fees are also among the most competitive. They allow you to buy and sell BTC easily and send to external wallet such as AQUA Wallet or to directly pay Strainly BTC invoices. They also have a bill payment feature that allows you to pay many types of invoices directly in BTC.

Amber is our favorite if you are in Australia. Use our link to get a AUD $10 reward upon signing up. Note that they recommend using EFT and PayID to be able to use your BTC immediately.

Next leg of the journey...

"I am familiar with bitcoin and I save a bit in bitcoin"

You have been using bitcoin (even for only a couple of months), you know you will keep using bitcoin and you want to securely store reasonable amounts of bitcoin for future use. You need to be in control of your private keys then, and not trust a third party to store your money for you. The below app cannot control the funds in your wallet, under any circumstances. It is a self-custodial wallet, meaning that you control your private keys and can backup/restore your wallet and its content on another device and using another app should you lose or break your mobile device or should the company providing the app go out of business.

AQUA Wallet is a simple to use wallet that seamlessly integrates on-chain BTC payments and Lightning (the second layer that is best suited for smaller amounts payments, with low fees and instant confirmation).

Let's move to the final leg of the journey...

"I have been stacking bitcoin for a while and am accumulating a bunch"

You need to secure your bitcoin stack! Anyone becoming serious about saving in bitcoin needs to take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from stealing those bitcoins. Currently, the most robust solution is what we call "cold storage", which means that the private key which signs your transactions is not connected to the internet unless you need to sign a transaction. To achieve this, we use what we call "hardware signers", also called "hardware wallets" or "cold wallets", which are devices storing the private keys that sign bitcoin transactions. They are not the most convenient for daily use with small amounts (though pretty intuitive) but are a MUST for securing larger amounts. The solutions we covered above are a bit like your wallet you carry in your back pocket, while a "cold wallet" is more like a vault.

We recommend using the Blockstream Jade device. Blockstream is a pioneer Bitcoin company from Canada. The Jade device secures your bitcoin with state-of-the-art security features and innovative air-gapped functionality. Unbelievably, it is the most affordable device on the market while probably being the best! Make sure to use our promo code L4IQqAfumdh1 upon checking out to get 10% off!

Coinkite devices, engineered and made in Canada by cybersecurity wizards, are a great alternative to Jade. You will need to download a wallet app on your computer such as Sparrow Wallet or Wasabi Wallet.

Conclusion

As big believers in decentralized anti-fragility, biodiversity defenders and freedom fighters, bitcoin is the natural fit for Strainly and we believe, for our entire community. While we appreciate it can feel overwhelming to begin using bitcoin, we can assure you that you will feel very comfortable sending and receiving bitcoin after only a couple of transactions. The above solutions meet different expectations and levels of knowledge as you move along your bitcoin journey.

How to Purchase on Strainly?

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:19:17 GMT

Strainly is a community marketplace that offers an optional Bitcoin payment system to safely transfer value on a peer-to-peer basis. SPOILER ALERT: you don't need BTC!

On a given listing, you can either send direct messages using the "Contact" button if you simply want to ask preliminary questions (e.g. availability), or hit the "Buy" button if you are ready to place your order. If you want to use our integrated payment system, learn how to pay on Strainly.

Note: you can combine multiple items in a single order by adding them to your wish list first. To add an item to your wish list, hit the heart icon on the wanted listing when browsing, or hit "Add to wish list" under the "Buy" button, within any listing. Then navigate to your wish list from the menu. From there, you can select multiple items from a same vendor and then hit the "Combine order" button.

If you are ready to buy:

1. Select the needed quantity, pay attention to the shipping fees and hit "Buy".

2. A summary of your order is presented to you. The Price corresponds to the total value of the order. Hit "Confirm".

3. Seller now needs to Accept or Decline your purchase request.

4. Once seller accepted the transaction, you need to pay the total amount to the seller using either:
a. the "Pay order" button to pay via our secure and anonymous Bitcoin system

b. an external payment method of your choice before hitting the "Mark as paid" button

5. If choosing to pay via our integrated system, a Bitcoin invoice pops up. You can either hit the "Pay in wallet" button to open your compatible wallet app from your device (e.g. CashApp, Strike...), OR tap the QR code to copy the address and paste it in your wallet app, OR scan the QR code with a wallet app and pay.

6. Once paid, you will be returned to the transaction...

And the status will now show "Purchase paid" to both Seller and Buyer. The seller will see the amount added to their wallet balance. Seller can now ship.

7. Wait until you receive your order, inspect your item(s) upon delivery and mark the transaction as "Completed" if/when you are satisfied. You can alternatively open a dispute (it happens rarely but the feature does exist). In the absence of any dispute, the transaction will automatically be marked as "Completed" after 30 days.

Note that opening a dispute will notify the Strainly team. Your case will be reviewed and we will communicate with both parties. If our integrated payment system was used, seller can issue a full refund, which can be redeemed immediately in bitcoin (sats) by the buyer.

8. Once you've marked the order as "Completed", both seller and buyer can give feedback to each other. You will receive reminders but you are indeed entitled to wait for as long as needed before giving feedback (e.g wait for germination, growth and even flowering).

How to Easily Sell on Strainly?

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:11:48 GMT

Strainly is a community marketplace that allows members to safely sell their genetics and equipment. SPOILER ALERT: it's really easy!

First things first, you need to get verified to start selling. We ask members to first complete 3 transactions/purchases and obtain 3 positive reviews from other verified members in order to start posting. Please see how to properly complete transactions. You also need to create your wallet and complete your profile, which should take a few minutes.

Finally, you will need to understand how to pay our small fee using Bitcoin, either using CashApp, Strike, Relai, Bull Bitcoin... We got some discounts for you with all of those apps.

Once you are ready to sell:

1. Post your listing.

2. A member will submit an offer to purchase your item. You will be prompted to "Accept". A summary of the order is presented to you.

3. Upon Accepting, you will be prompted to pay our small service fee, in Bitcoin (BTC or also expressed as "Sats"), using any of the method we recommend HERE (e.g. CashApp Bitcoin wallet, Strike, Phoenix Wallet...).
a. If you are using Strainly on your computer, pull out your phone, open your Bitcoin wallet (e.g. AQUA Wallet) and scan the QR code of the invoice on your computer screen, confirm the payment. You're done.
b. If using Strainly on your phone, hit the "Pay in wallet" button just below the QR code and your phone will prompt you to open a compatible wallet (e.g. Phoenix Wallet). Your wallet will recognize all the payment details and you simply need to confirm the payment. You're done.

4. You can now complete the transaction communicating directly with your buyer, and accept any of your preferred payment method, or use our optional integrated payment system. If the buyer does not pay you, simply hit the "Dispute" button after 5 days, to obtain a fee refund.

Here’s a message you can keep in your notes (or in your Strainly inbox) to make the transaction smooth. It will give all basic information about the ordering process to the buyer and will convert more requests by showing experience and clarity.

You can start from this template and adjust as needed:

“Hello !

Thanks for reaching out.

Orders over xxx$ before shipping, will receive a . We ship to using with tracking and guaranteed delivery.

Prices are per , and all prices on Strainly are listed in USD for clarity.

Please check out our reviews in detail and do not hesitate if you still have questions.

Shipping is xx$ to . Other destinations, please advise, and we can check rates. Please check out our other listings if you want to combine ship items. Simply add such items to your wish list and make a combined order.

Payments accepted: .

Thank you!“

Note:

If you want to get paid via CashApp or Venmo, simply share your CashApp or Venmo handle in the conversation with your buyer. You can even do so by sharing a screenshot of the QR code provided by CashApp or Venmo as an attachment to your message sent to your buyer.

If you want to get paid via Paypal, the best practice is to create a Paypal.me ID in your Paypal account and share it like this = paypal.me/yourID (See how Paypal.me works).

That way, your buyer cannot send the money to the wrong paypal account. And you can share this paypal.me/yourID via direct messages ;)

How to Connect Your Bitcoin Wallet to Strainly

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:06:53 GMT

Strainly is Bitcoin-only and will always be. No shitcoinery, no Central Bank Digital Currency, no high-fees payment processors, no credit-card chargebacks, no PayPal disputes... True to our values, we have integrated a long awaited payment method inside the platform, thus simplifying transaction settlement, instantly, privately and with no intermediary. In this article, we explain what a non-custodial wallet is and how to simply create your own within your Strainly account.

Remember, 1 BTC = 100 million sats, just like 1 USD = 100 cents.

Connecting your AQUA wallet to Strainly

All members who sell on Strainly should complete these simple steps. Buyers can use wallets such as the ones presented in our previous article.

Download AQUA wallet if you haven't already done so.
ON A DIFFERENT DEVICE (e.g your computer or another phone) THAN THE ONE ON WHICH YOU HAVE AQUA WALLET INSTALLED, open Strainly and go to Settings and then Payments (if on mobile, tap "Profile info" to see the drop down menu and select "Payments")

3. Tap/click the "Connect BTC wallet" button. Pull your phone on which you installed AQUA wallet, OPEN AQUA WALLET AND HIT THE "SCAN" BUTTON (next to the "Receive" and "Send" buttons).

AQUA will detect the connection request, called "SamRock Setup". Hit "Confirm".

You will be prompted to either create a new wallet or connect to the existing AQUA wallet. It is really up to your preference! If you create a new wallet (default option), it will create a "SamRock Wallet". Leave "btc-chain" and "btc-ln" options checked. Then hit the "Complete Setup" button.

You can now see the "SamRock Wallet" at the top of your AQUA app. This is the wallet where your Strainly payments will land. Hit that to switch from the default wallet to the SamRock Wallet.

You can navigate from a wallet to another. We recommend that you rename the "SamRock Wallet" to something more intuitive like "Strainly Wallet" by hitting the "Edit" icon on the right.

On Strainly, hit the "Refresh Status" and you will see that your AQUA wallet is connected.

Congratulations! You can now access receive Bitcoin payments straight to your own AQUA wallet. The proceeds from your sales can be directly used to pay for our fees, from your AQUA wallet... or do whatever you want.

Are home-growers a dying breed?

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:47:10 GMT

As the global attitudes toward the plant continue to evolve, the rise of home cultivation has become an essential aspect of the industry. With the increasing legalization across the United States, Canada, and worldwide, let's analyze the current state of hemp home cultivation in 2023 and explore its future prospects.

The Growth of Home Growers:

First, because municipalities in some states can still ban dispensaries/retailers from their territories, and because 70% of municipalities did so in California, access to consumers can be very limited even post-legalization.

In 2021, sales have consistently declined, likely due to the limited access to retail stores for 68% of consumers in California combined with tax-inflated prices. Canada's legal market is not performing according to expectations either.

Meanwhile, home cultivation has experienced a significant surge in recent years, as growing numbers of enthusiasts embrace the art and science of growing their own plants. However, establishing the exact number of home growers globally is challenging due to the unregulated nature of this segment. Nevertheless, various studies and reports provide us with valuable insights into this burgeoning trend.

In the United States:

Home cultivation regulations for hemp vary widely among states that have legalized its recreational or medical use. As of 2023, a total of 19 states allow personal cultivation for recreational purposes, while 33 states permit it for medical use. It is estimated that millions of Americans engage in home growing, with an increasing number of states allowing citizens to cultivate their own hemp plants.

According to Drug Policy Alliance, the number of self-growers in the United States has steadily increased over the past decade , with an estimated 2.9 million individuals growing their own hemp plants for personal use in 2023. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years, highlighting the growing popularity of home cultivation among hemp enthusiasts.

In Canada:

Canada made history by becoming the first G7 country to legalize in 2018. With the legalization came the provision for individuals to grow their own hemp plants at home. According to Health Canada, as of 2021, there were over 36,000 individuals registered to cultivate hemp for personal use. Although specific data for 2023 is not yet available, it is safe to assume that the number of home growers has continued to rise as hemp culture becomes more deeply ingrained.

The Global Landscape:

Around the world, several countries have witnessed significant changes in their hemp laws, providing opportunities for home cultivation. In countries like Spain, Uruguay, and Jamaica, where recreational use is legal, citizens are allowed to cultivate their plants. Countries such as Germany, Australia, and Israel also allow medical patients to grow their own supply.

What the future holds?

The increasing number of legal jurisdictions allowing hemp home cultivation, combined with the growing interest among enthusiasts, suggests a promising future. However, accurately forecasting the number of the home growers is challenging due to the lack of complete data and varying regulations across regions.

However, experts in the hemp industry project a continued expansion of the home cultivation market. Many believe that as more states and countries legalize, the number of home growers will continue to rise. With advancements in technology, such as automated growing systems and improved genetics, cultivating at home has become more accessible and convenient for enthusiasts of all experience levels.

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global legal market is expected to reach a value of $73.6 billion by 2027, with home cultivation contributing to a significant portion of this growth.

Conclusion:

The landscape of home cultivation has evolved significantly in recent years, reflecting the increasing acceptance and legalization hemp. While precise numbers on the size of the home growers market remain elusive, it is evident that the trend is on the rise.

As more states in the United States, Canada, and countries worldwide continue to legalize hemp, the number of home growers is projected to grow steadily. Additionally, advancements in technology and increased accessibility to growing resources will contribute to the growth and success of home cultivation as a crucial segment of the industry.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on research and should not be considered as legal or professional advice. Hemp laws and regulations are subject to change and may vary by jurisdiction.

What are the most exclusive strains?

Strainly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:27:16 GMT

Growers and enthusiasts are constantly on the lookout for unique and exclusive strains that offer exceptional terpene profiles and bag appeal. We have come a long way from the days of limited availability and limited choices, there are still a few strains that stand out as truly exclusive and sought after by connoisseurs. But how do you distinguish noise from true signal?

Too much hype?

The hype around strains is real, and it's no wonder why. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, strains that offer unique and exceptional experiences are in high demand. Whether it's the high potency, distinct flavors, sought-after genetics, or limited availability, "exclusive" strains have become a proxy for quality and luxury in the hemp world.

The hype surrounding exclusive strains is not just about novelty or bragging rights. These sought-after varieties have become a symbol of quality and craftsmanship in the hemp industry. Growers and breeders put in countless hours of research, experimentation, and meticulous cultivation to create unique and exceptional strains that stand above the rest.

The exclusivity of these strains also adds to their appeal. Limited availability and small production quantities make them highly coveted among connoisseurs. Being able to experience a rare and exclusive strain can be a thrill for enthusiasts who enjoy exploring the different flavors, aromas, and effects that hemp has to offer.

Additionally, the hemp community has developed a culture around strain hunting and collecting. Like rare wine or aged whiskey, having a collection of unique strains has become a hobby and a way to showcase one's knowledge and appreciation for the plant. In this sense, the hype around strains serves as a driving force for innovation, pushing growers and breeders to constantly strive for new and exciting variations.

However, it is essential to approach the hype and exclusivity of strains with caution. While they can offer exceptional experiences, it is vital to remember that personal preferences and individual body chemistry play a significant role in how a strain affects each individual. What works well for one person may not have the same effects on another. It's important to approach strains with an open mind and to experiment responsibly, starting with low doses and gradually increasing as needed.

Finally this hype has become a distraction, where some industry players put names on unverified genetics, spray buds with artificial flavors and even use colorants to fake bag appeal. The hype is starting to have nefarious effects on the space.

Find true signal!

Aside from the sometimes unjustified and completely made up hype, growers and breeders manage to find signal, but one has to look hard and sift through all that noise. That's why we decide to release a unique tool in the industry: The Third Eye.

The Third Eye shows you sold items during all of Strainly’s history and allow you to compare prices. You can enter any strain name and it will show you how many times the genetics have been sold, under the form of seeds, clones or even pollen. It will tell you when those transactions took place and how much did the genetics sold for. All of that is indeed made anonymous and no one can see who was involved in those transactions.

So if you want to get an idea of whether a strain is being chased right now, or whether the hype is fading and other strains are becoming more popular with breeders and growers, Strainly's Third Eye feature helps sorting the noise from signal.

Here's the quick glance. Enjoy!

How to Inspect Hemp Clones for Pests and Pathogens?

Strainly — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 16:24:00 GMT

Clones are incredibly important to the facilitation of genetic preservation, but all too often they can also be a source vector for pests and pathogens. Because Strainly's goal is to foster the preservation of clean cultivars, we are pleased to have Russell Pace, President of the C.H.A, share his knowledge with our members in this article. Russell will try to cover the main pests and pathogens you should be aware of and also some symptoms associated with those diseases.

First, it’s important to note the subtle differences between clones and seed grown juvenile plants. Clones are taken off a mother plant and seed grown plants are simply propagated from seed. Seed plants are generally much more vigorous than clones and typically have significantly less possibilities of contracting diseases that mother plants might carry. Clearly this is also codependent on the growing room cleanliness, but in general seed starts can be considered healthier with fewer problems. In this article we will be addressing the problems associated with clones, but the same analysis can be applied for seed grown plants as well.

What to Look For

When looking at clones there are two areas to examine, the plants stems/leaves and the plants roots. On the leaf surface you're looking for signs of pathogens and damage from predators, and the same analysis will be conducted on the roots. Any reputable clone will have roots growing out of the bottom of its media. Seeing the roots is always an important aspect to this assay.

A healthy clone, vibrant, lush and green.

Sometimes you can tug lightly on the stalk and see if it pulls up or out. If it does pull up then that clone is not very well rooted and might be more likely to die in adverse conditions before fully rooted.

Pathogens

When looking for pathogens the most common fungal disease is powdery mildew. It grows on the outside of leaves, forming a white or grayish powder of spores and fungal strands. It’s important to study this pathogen because it is the most ubiquitous disease affecting hemp. Many times growers will spray sulfur and other fungicides that leave a white residue; many times that white residue will be misinterpreted as powdery mildew. The key to identification is to always have a microscope handy. A simple 30X magnification hand lens will suffice for ID. The key is to look for fungal hyphae or strands that rise above off the leaf surface. Fungicide residue is simply “painted” onto the leaf surface, but powdery mildew is actually 3-dimensional and has fungal spores that rise above the leaf surface.

Other plant pathogens like botrytis (grey mold) can occur if the humidity levels are too high and the plants are over crowded. Grey mold has some powdery mildew but typically affects stalks and leaves touching each other. Grey mold is grey to black and can typically be found at the base of the stalk on clones, where high humidity levels and overwatering cause this disease to proliferate. Leaf spot bacterial diseases are appreciably less common and usually not a concern for the home grower. We are studying these though as this industry progresses.

Grey mold on the stalk of a plant.

Root pathogens are significantly more common and are definitely very detrimental to the health of clones. Again, it’s important to note that there can be subtle differences between identifying a pathogen and other external factors that affect the appearance of the roots. Ideally, when you buy a clone, the roots will be bright white and look healthy and vigorous. Many times, external conditions change that and can give the roots the appearance of blackened tips or white root with brown edges. Some of these factors would be the heating mat gets too hot, or the clone dries out too much and the exposed roots die back. Sometimes growers over fertilize which can also lead to similar symptoms. These are generally acceptable and overall to do not detract from the health of the clone as long as proper care is taken. However, when root tips die back, that can cause infections to infiltrate those areas, and when the infected region loses its protective outer layer it can expose the inner root to other pathogens. It really all depends on the sterility and cleanliness of the environment the clones are raised in. You have to examine the entirety of the plants health and make your analysis.

Healthy roots emerging from a rock wool cube, notice mild browning on the left side from heat mats

Root pathogens to look for are things like pythium and fusarium. In seed starts and clones, they can cause a condition called damping off. When observing clones, roots may appear rotted or show a significant reduction in mass or root hair production. Pythium, when not properly treated, can rapidly spread in hydroponic systems and can still affect production in soil systems if all the clones are infected.

Pests

We will try to identify the most typical pests that infest cloning operations. They are spider mites, russet mites, broad mites, thrips and root aphids. When performing pest identification, it is imperative that you have a good understanding of what you’re looking at the right magnification microscope for the job. Spider mites and thrips are very easy to spot on the leaf surface with the naked eye and both leave tell tale stippling and spotting. It’s really easy to see the damage because the browned and dead leaf matter is what they are eating on. Spider mites typically leave sand like dots on a green leaf and thrips have larger white scars with black feces. A 30x magnification lens will be more than sufficient for spider and thrip ID.

Stippling on the leaf from spider mite damage.

Russet mites and broad mites need a much higher magnification microscope for proper ID. Typically you will need a magnification of at least 100x but preferably 300x. You can find various models at a reasonable prices on Strainly.

Close up of a spider mite.

The first step though, is to know how to look for the signs on the leaf surface that would indicate a problem. Russet mite damage will cause the leaves to begin curling upwards at the edges, like a taco. Russet mites themselves have an elongate body and are pale in color. Adult broad mites are pale white to almost translucent in color and they have hind legs that are somewhat threadlike in appearance. Broad mite damage may make the leaves appear to be strap-like or cup downward.

Upward curling from russet mite damage.

Broad and russet mites can cause the browning and blackening of the calyxes. On healthy clones the calyxes are typically white. However, browning of the calyxes can also be caused by hot root temperatures from the heat mats and over fertilization, so that is not always a good indicator. Broad and russet mites are very difficult to detect early and that’s why the important axiom of “know your grower” helps you feel better about where your plants are coming from. With broad and russet you want to scan all the clones and look for curling around the leaf edges. Ultimately a decent microscope and ID abilities will aid in you drastically on this quest.

Brown hairs caused by hot root zone temperatures.

Root aphids are another notorious pest being spread through clone propagation. In their case, they can easily be identified with the naked eye on the roots. They can be white, yellow, brown green or black in color. All you have to do is pull up a few clones out of a tray to get a representative sample and scan the root 360 degrees and look for little aphids. A 30x magnification lens might help but is not necessary. Root aphids are notorious causing much headache and confusion because they are underground and typically not identified. That is why it’s important to catch them on the clones first. Because they eat the roots, they leave openings for pathogens to infiltrate.

Examining the roots on clones for root aphids.

Summary

When choosing clones and seeds, please spend some time asking the grower questions. You should be able to ask them, have you ever dealt with russet or broad mites? If they stutter or make up excuses like, you should be wary of dealing with them. You shouldn’t feel rushed or threatened to “hurry it up” when dealing with third party clones. The best advice is to find clones with lush green leaves and vibrant white roots. One final element to ask the grower is if they have sprayed their plants with banned or systemic pesticides or fungicides like eagle 20. Certain systemic chemicals can remain inside the plant tissue from a clone all the way through flowering!!! For commercial growers this can mean failed tests even if you’ve never sprayed anything. For home growers this means you might be smoking harmful pesticides unknowingly. The clone producer should always be willing to tell you what their using for pest and pathogen control.

Know your grower! If you can see their clones are uniformly healthy then you will have much less to worry about!

You should always consider having your clones quarantined for a few weeks from your other plants if you have any doubt as to the cleanliness of the clones. This will give you time to run the proper pest management protocols to clean them up. Whether it be inoculating with beneficial biology, introducing predator mites, or simply spraying heavily with organic controls, do your due diligence and properly treat your plants to prevent any spread of infection. Trading seeds and clones can be a fun way to facilitate the breeding of new genetics and proper ID and plant management can save you a lot of headaches in the long run. As always, KNOW YOUR GROWER!!

How do You Get the Most Out of Strainly?

Strainly — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 16:59:00 GMT

We built Strainly as a Progressive Web App (PWA) from the get go. A PWA is an app that works in your web browser. Building a PWA allows to give a great experience on Apple and Android devices. It's also immune to de-platforming/censorship by app stores... Finally, it does not take any space on your device, which allows people with old devices featuring limited storage and outdate operating systems to use Strainly anyway. This article gives you tips to get the most out of Strainly, just like any app you download from app stores.

Below are a 3 tips to get the full Strainly app experience from your mobile web browser:

Allow your web browser to remember your log in info, so that you don't have to log in every time you go on Strainly.
Install Strainly on your device following the below steps

Most importantly, make sure to accept our notifications, so that you never miss any new message

And receive app notifications like this...

On iOS:

Tap "Install app" in the menu and follow the instructions

On Android:

Then tap "Install"

Finally tap "Add to home screen"

And here you go... you can now access Strainly in one tap, with notifications, just like a native app!

How to Optimize Your Strainly Experience?

Strainly — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 16:57:00 GMT

Strainly can keep you busy as a provider. You may be so successful that you need to hire someone to answer and fulfill all requests from other members. In this article, we'll share a few tricks with you to improve your overall productivity.

Direct message template for when you receive a request

Here's a message you can keep in your notes (or in your Strainly inbox) for whenever another member submits a request to you. It will give all basic information about the ordering process to the other member and will convert more requests by showing experience and clarity.

You can start from this template and adjust as needed:

"Hello !

Thanks for reaching out.

Orders over xxx$ before shipping, will receive a . We ship to using with tracking and guaranteed delivery.

Prices are per , and all prices on Strainly are listed in USD for clarity.

Please check out our reviews in detail and do not hesitate if you still have questions.

Shipping is xx$ to . Other destinations, please advise, and we can check rates. Please check out our other listings if you want to combine ship items.

Payments accepted: .

Thank you!"

Inbox search bar

Within your inbox, at the very top of all messages and requests, you'll find a search bar.

Enter the name of a member and click the Search button to display only requests from this specific member. It will allow you to group orders and combine ship more conveniently.

Listings search bar

Within your Listings, at the very top of all listings, you'll find a search bar.

Enter a keyword in the search bar, select a listing status and click Search. You can do a quick edit by clicking the green icon to the right of each listing.

Manage email addresses linked to the account

When you go to your Account:

You will find a section where you can manage email addresses linked to your account:

You can add a new one. This is useful to allow a colleague/partner to use the account you created. When you add a new email address, it will send a confirmation request. Once the email address is confirmed, the new user is able to control the account the way you do.

Note that in order to log in, you will share the same password. It is therefore important to use one that is unique to your Strainly account and not used for... your other social and payment accounts, for example. You need to have a good relationship with someone to share an account.

All email addresses linked to an account will receive notifications. Users linked to the account can post on Strainly, access the inbox, and complete trades with others, using the account.

It is possible to remove a user/email address from an account, but you need to leave at least one.

Turn notifications ON

Still in your account settings, go to Notifications and check the boxes for the notifications you wish to receive. If you have open listings you should turn notifications ON. Otherwise you risk missing opportunities.

If you have other tricks to share, don't hesitate to put them in the comments below!

Growing your own: how to harvest?

Strainly — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:18:42 GMT

You made it through the flowering phase, the rewarding moment is around the corner! But before you enjoy the flowers of your hard work and dedication, harvesting is an important milestone you should remain focused on. This article should help you make your harvest a success.

Harvest time seems like an achievement. Your flowers have matured, and now is time to enjoy, ain’t it? Well, not so quick. This last phase is a demanding one. You’ll need to trim, dry, and cure your buds to maximise end product quality. The way you work your way through this phase will determine your smoking experience. It will also determine how long you’ll be able to store your harvest.

During this phase, timing is of essence. Cannabinoids and terpenes concentration will be impacted by timing. Managing humidity during curing is also very important.

We’ll cover below each step of the harvest process to ensure the best smoking experience and highest quality product.

When should you harvest?

You first need to remove flowers and branches from your plants. But when should you do this? Harvesting at different times will significantly impact the characteristics of your buds. Everything from taste to chemotype can be changed according to how early or late you choose to harvest.

Each strain has a different estimated flowering time. This data helps in preparing for harvest, but it’s not always exactly precise. Your growing environment can extend or shorten the flowering phase. Indica varietals usually mature faster and will bloom for 6–8 weeks, while their sativas typically take 8–12 weeks.

You should also pay attention to your plants anatomy, or phenotypic expression. As they ripen, some parts of the plants will change in appearance. Pay attention to these traits to make the right decisions. First, you’ll need to get familiar with certain tissues, glands, and organs, in order to know what to look out for.

Fan leaves change in color

Toward the end of flowering some leaves will start to turn yellow. This is not a sign of nutrient deficiency at this stage. Fan leaves are the large, broad leaves that emerge during the vegetative phase. These leaves will start to turn yellow and may even fall off when harvest time is close. This happens as your plants are directing all their energy towards the buds.

Trichomes change in appearance

Trichomes are the tiny, mushroom-shaped glands that you find on sugar leaves and flowers. These glands produce cannabinoids and terpenes in the form of a sticky resin. Plants produce this resin to protect against heat, mould, pests and bugs. As growers, that’s what we’re looking for.

Trichomes represent an accurate indicator of how close your flowers are to be fully ripe. You may decide to harvest more or less early according to your resin characteristics preference.

Trichomes are visible to the naked eye, though using a magnifying glass will prove useful to make a thorough assessment of maturity. You may also use your camera to take photos with a macro lens. More advance growers can use microscopes.

Trichomes are clear and translucent during the early stage of flowering. This indicates that they are still young and will only be producing low levels of cannabinoids. Buds are still small. It’s not time to harvest yet.

Towards the end of the flowering phase, trichomes become cloudy or milky, which means flowers produce cannabinoids. When over 50% of trichomes are cloudy, maximum THC production is reached. If you harvest now, flowers will provide a more intense high.

You can also wait for trichomes to become more amber in color if you prefer a more relaxing experience upon consumption. When amber, trichomes start degrading THC and producing more CBN.

Watch calyxes!

Calyxes are the first elements emerging from the nodes at the beginning of the flowering phase. They remain at the base of each bud. Calyxes are where you find the most resin in the plant. They hold buds together and host seeds upon pollination, which hopefully didn’t happen during flowering if you intend to harvest consumable buds.

Pistils will become orange and brown

Pistils are the sort of antennas or hairs at the top of calyxes. Their mission is to catch male pollen to allow calyxes to produce seeds. Again, unless you intend to breed seeds, you don’t want any pollen to touch your pistils. Pistils are indicators of maturity though. During the early stages of flowering, they’ll be white, before gradually turning orange and then brown. THC production peaks when around 70% of pistils are orange/brown. When 90% are colored, CBN production takes over.

You don’t have to harvest the entire plant at the same time

The buds at the canopy will usually mature earlier than those on the lower branches. If you want to have a consistent finished product you can do progressive (aka staggered) harvesting, meaning that you’ll harvest some buds before others and keep monitoring the less mature buds until they ripe. As you harvest the top buds, make sure to also cut off branches and leaves that could cover lower buds.

Trimming

Trimming (aka manicuring) is a demanding task which will require essentials such as a tray, some latex gloves, and a pair of scissors. You can do wet or dry trimming according to your preference.

Wet trimming consists in manicuring your buds right after harvesting, when the moisture is still high. This reduces the risk of mould formation because all of the sugar leaves are removed before drying, preventing moisture from becoming trapped. The inconvenience is that it’s a very sticky method. Gloves are required. The advantage is that you can make hash from the resin that sticks on your scissors.

Dry trimming consists in manicuring your flowers once they are dry. It’s a safe approach in a low humidity environment where risks of mould are unlikely. Dry trimming also results in buds being more tight and compact.

You may combine both methods but don’t waste the sugar leaves as they can be used to make hash or butter.

Drying your harvest

Drying cannabis is critical to prevent mould formation and to preserve terpenes, which define flavors. You will need a dedicated space to dry your harvest. You can either hang the branches inside your grow tent or use a dedicated drying rack.

For optimal results, you should dry slowly. Terpenes, the chemicals that give cannabis its flavor, are volatile and degrade at high temperatures. Keep your room temperature between 19°C and 22°C with a 50% humidity. Use a hygrometer to measure these elements. Use your climate control devices (fans, heating, dehumidifier…) to adjust your environment as needed.

It will take between 3 days and a week to complete drying. You should check your drying buds daily (moisture, mould formation, smell) to decide when to move your harvest to curing. A good indicator is to trying to snap a stem. If it breaks, your plants are dry. If it folds, you may want to wait another day.

Curing your harvest

Curing is critical to ensure a smooth taste. Insufficient curing usually results in a harsh experience for your throat. Curing consists in removing the moisture from the inside of the buds. You basically make the buds sweat. Curing enhances the taste of your finish product. This process also concentrates cannabinoids. In particular, in converts some THCA into THC, though most of this conversion happens during combustion.

You can use mason jars to cure your harvest, or buy a dedicated curing container. Don’t fill your jars entirely, but at 3/4 maximum capacity. Close them tight and put them in dark place for a week. You’ll notice your buds will sweat moisture out. Open the jars for a few minutes every day and let fresh air exchange happen.

During weeks 2 and 3, you may open the jars only once a day or every other day for a few minutes. At week 4, you should be good to taste your harvest. Some growers prolonge this process for 2 full months. Once done, close your jars tight, keep them in cool and dark place. You may also place humidity packs in the jars to control moisture.

Enjoy your harvest!

How to Get More Followers on Strainly?

Strainly — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 17:02:00 GMT

The number of members on Strainly has been steadily growing, making our follow feature increasingly useful in order to stay in touch with members of your community... or your favorite breeders! While Strainly allows you to connect with any registered member, you will probably want to build stronger relationships with growers and breeders from your county, state or country. This article explains why following each other on Strainly truly improves user experience...

There are thousands of members from many states as well as from Canada on Strainly. The main way to find and connect with other members is through their listed strains. As a member, you don't always want to browse the entire inventory before landing on the profile of someone you already know or want to connect with. The good news is, it takes one click to easily keep in touch with members you trust the most.

From any listing on Strainly, you can access the member's profile. Members' profiles show who they follow, the reviews they received as well as overall rating, and allow you to contact or follow them.

What are the benefits of following each other?

Easily connect with each other. When you want to send a private message to a certain member, go to your profile and find that member in the list of people you follow.
Stay up-to-date about each other. Whenever someone you follow posts a new strain (or is looking for a strain), you receive an email notification. Never miss a drop... or never miss an opportunity to help out someone you know.
Build communities. By following each other, we progressively build communities within the Strainly community. For instance, growers from Oregon may decide to create "a circle" within which they help out each other when it comes to hunting new cultivars. Same logic works for Mendocino growers and so on...

This is how a basic feature can truly help building communities within the larger community and enable various levels of cooperation between members, supporting local or broader breeding and growing initiatives!

Get Noticed! Strainly Makes Your Strains Even More Visible Now

Strainly — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:07:00 GMT

At Strainly, we believe diversity equals creativity and therefore new possibilities. When it comes to genetics, diversity of strains empowers patients, breeders and growers. The more we are, the more you want to stand out. This article introduces two new ways of getting your strains noticed by the Strainly community...

You don't have bitcoins yet? Learn how it works, it's really easy!

On each of your listings, you'll find 2 kinds of "exposure" features:

Bump your active listing(s) to the top of the list
Feature your listing(s) in our weekly email update to all our members

Wanna try it out?

Under the "Request" button, you'll notice 2 functionalities in addition of "Edit listing" and "Close listing". You can "Move to top of homepage", which will bump your listing in the first position when members browse on Strainly. You can also "Show in the next newsletter", which will feature your listing in our weekly update that is sent to all registered members.
At the top of the invoice, you'll find a "Pay with" option. By default, it's set on "Bitcoin". You can also chose to pay using Lightning, which is the second layer of payments on the Bitcoin blockchain. Lightning is a lot faster (immediate in fact) and with ridiculously low fees. See our other article on buy bitcoins and setting up a convenient bitcoin wallet to send your payments.
In order to pay, you can scan the QR code with your phone or tablet (convenient if using Strainly on your computer or different device). If using Strainly from your phone and trying to pay from this same phone, you can tap "Pay with wallet" which will automatically open any Bitcoin compatible app installed on your phone. Alternatively, you can also tap on "Copy" to copy the bitcoin address to send your payment to. Once copied, go to your bitcoin wallet app (e.g. Wallet of Satoshi or Blue Wallet) and paste the address in the destination of your payment.
From your bitcoin wallet, confirm payment and come back to Strainly invoice. If paying via bitcoin, it will take a few seconds to confirm payment. If paying via Lightning, it is confirmed immediately. Once payment is confirmed, you'll be redirected to Strainly automatically, and a message confirming that your listing was moved to the top or queued in the next newsletter will appear.

That's it! Your listing is now standing out of the crowd and you should expect more members to reach out soon!

If you want to enjoy these features in an automated way, while saving money, we have plans for you!