Zu den Trichomen, die er auf der Super Silver Haze gesehen hat, sagt Leech: "Die Trichomenentwicklung ist insgesamt stark, da wir überwiegend kapitatgestielte Trichome und dichte Formationen sehen."
Trichomes are tiny, resin-producing hairlike appendages that spring from the surface of plants. Mention that at a dinner party and, depending on who you hang out with, you may receive some puzzled looks. However, if one of the guests were Fluence consultant Ryley Leech, he’d jump right in with a dozen fascinating facts about these tiny spindles.
Leech recently put his trichome-loving brain — and camera; check out the beautiful images accompanying this article — to work on an analysis of a variety of cannabis genetics growing in a controlled environment in southern California. As one of the first Fluence SPYDRx PLUS clients was approaching day 47 of flower and seeing abnormally early maturation of trichomes, Leech was brought in to analyze the development and spectral impact compared to previous cycles under high-pressure sodium (HPS).
Hier, an der Blackberry Kush, sehen wir sowohl Trichome mit Anthocyanen als auch neu gebildete, orangefarbene Trichome.
As he got into his studies of these California cannabis plants, one of Ryley’s most interesting discoveries was that the trichomes were all unusually uniform. “In strains grown under HPS, I usually see a lot of irregularity as well as lanky, spindly trichomes,” Instead, here he was seeing a surprisingly high number of capitate stalks and dense formations — very good things, he says.
At this facility, he looked at several strains, including Super Silver Haze, THC Bomb, J1, Blackberry Kush and Dr. Who.
“Across the board, the strains had uniform capitate stalks,” says Leech. “These trichomes have nice structure with no signs of weakness.”
Leech likes to see uniform trichome production because without uniform stalk or heads, the trichomes lose potency, he says. “The uniformity I’m seeing points to more potency,” adds Leech, who has spent much of his career focusing on medicinal cannabis strains to treat seizures in children. “I pay close attention to trichome production because I’ve learned that trichome types play an important role in developing medicines for various ailments.” And then of course there’s the THC thing.
Leech ist beeindruckt von der Trichombildung, die er bei THC Bomb gesehen hat. "Großartig aussehende Blüten und Trichom-Produktion. Die meisten haben eine perfekte Struktur", sagt er.
Leech sagt, dass er drei Faktoren berücksichtigt, wenn er die Trichombildung analysiert:
- Verfügbarkeit von Nährstoffen
- Genetik
- Qualität des Lichts
Leech untersuchte diese Kriterien bei der Analyse des kalifornischen Anbaus sorgfältig. Die von ihm untersuchten Pflanzen wurden nach der Methode der lebenden organischen Erde angebaut und nur mit Wasser und Komposttees versorgt. "Ich bin der Meinung, dass diese Methode aufgrund der komplexen Rhizosphäre die größte Nährstoffbewegung ermöglicht und außerdem eine große Bandbreite an Genetik in einem ähnlichen Boden und mit demselben Wasser/Tee angebaut werden kann", sagt Leech.
Trichombildung an J1 am 47. Tag: Starke kapitatgestielte Trichome und Einheitlichkeit.
The second factor he considers when evaluating trichome development involves geographical regions and lineage. Certain genetics — from particular parts of the world — behave in predictable ways, he says. And years of experience have led him to expect particular results from particular growing scenarios, such as growing outdoors, or growing under typical HPS lights.
In terms of light quality, Leech says, not much has been studied regarding actual trichome formation under various lighting types. “However, I have studied many flowering plants — under many lighting types — for many years and have a wealth of anecdotal and photographic evidence to rely on in terms of comparison,” he adds.
But much of what he saw in terms of trichome development under the Fluence LED lighting was new and surprising.
“I saw a good, solid density of trichomes per square centimeter.“
When looking at a macro view of the plant, it’s important to notice how the trichome is progressing. Does trichome development continually push out? The further the resin gets from the flower, the more potent it is,” says Leech.
Overall, Leech said he was very impressed at the trichome production on these cannabis strains.
“I need to do more studies, but I think that light intensity seems to drive overall potency, and the specific spectrum being delivered by the Fluence lights help the plants synthesize the cannabinoids,” he says.
We’ll keep you posted on what his next studies reveal, and be sure to check out an article we’ll be publishing soon that explores Leech’s thoughts on anthocyanin formation. You’ll have to tune in to that article to find out what that’s all about and whether you should bring it up at your next dinner party.
