Grow report – Silver Widow

In the exciting world of cannabis growing, each marijuana strain has its own set of characteristics that make it unique. On this occasion, we invite you to immerse yourself in the grow report of an exceptional strain: Silver Widow. Join us on a step-by-step journey through all the secrets of growing this beauty outdoors, where you’ll discover the keys to obtaining huge crops, thanks to the explosive yielding capacity of one of the best genetics of our catalogue.

When a White Widow is crossed with another White Widow, the magic of cannabis materialises in the form of a majestic and perfectly stabilised hybrid: This is Silver Widow, the ‘made in Kannabia’ daughter of one of the old school genetics that’s a favourite of growers and users alike, thanks to her high level of potency and absolutely stunning looks.

Thanks to this blood union blessed by the seal of the Widow lineage, anyone who dares to grow this strain can expect a huge amount of striking mint green buds, aerated and large in size, with thick light orange pistils and a super frosty layer of tiny silver white crystal trichomes.

As you separate each little bright flower, aromas of spicy citrus fruits and rich woody soil are released… A really skunky smell that is as recognisable as it is piercing. And as you would expect, the taste is also very sweet and fruity, with a hint of wood and acidic citrus fruits.

Silver Widow’s effect is equally delicious, with relaxing and uplifting nuances that will make you feel incredible from head to toe. You’ll notice that a light touch of creativity accompanies this feeling of elevation, with a vibrant euphoria that sets your mental gears in motion. Your body will remain totally calm and relaxed as your mind flies high, keeping you anchored to the world below.

Silver Widow also stands out for her high resistance to pests and diseases, but especially for her easy cultivation and remarkable growth speed. All of these features make this strain the ideal choice for novice growers or for those looking for a reliable plant (one of those that always performs well). With an indoor flowering cycle of just 65 days, her yield can reach up to 600 g/m². When grown outdoors, she can easily reach a height of 2 metres, and is ready for harvest in late September/early October in the northern hemisphere, with an equally impressive yield of 700 g/plant.

Having said that, the following grow report shows how Silver Widow can easily go beyond that number, proving that she can still deliver her best even in a northern environment, with only a few months of decent weather.

Silver Widow’s step-by-step grow guide

This grow is located in the garden of a Canadian country house in northern Ontario, at a latitude of about 50º N. It is on the edge of a lake, where a small south-facing 10-m² plot has been especially conditioned for marijuana cultivation. Companion plants will be added to the grow, including hostas and lupins ― these plant species are known for not only being very attractive to beneficial insects, but also for giving the whole grow a truly decorative look. In addition, we’ll learn how the grower expertly handles the outdoor nutrition plan to finally obtain a truly impressive plant.

• Grow type: Outdoor
• Lighting: HID / 630W (seedling) / Sunlight (vegetative and flowering)
• Grower: GMSgrows
• Number of plants: 1
• Nutrients: Terra Aquatica / Green Planet Nutrients
• Irrigation: Manual
• Growing medium: Promix HP substrate
• Vegetative phase: 16 weeks
• Flowering phase: 8 weeks

Germination and seedling phase

On 1st May, one Silver Widow seed is planted in a 5-litre pot, which is placed in an indoor grow tent. The seed isn’t soaked at all in advance, but simply planted directly in the substrate so it doesn’t need to be transplanted as it grows. “Kannabia has excellent genetics. 100% success rate every time I plant their seeds”, says the grower. Two rounded bright green leaves start to move apart to form the first true leaves of the plant. This lady will be moved outside in late May; and she will hopefully become a monstrous outdoor plant.

During the second week, Silver Widow receives her first feeding session, with 400 ppm Floranova Grow and Floranova Bloom (50/50). The following feed will include 500 ppm 1.0 EC, dropping to 400 ppm Floranova Grow and 100 ppm Floranova Boom, with a pH of 5.5. The cotyledons give way to the first pair of bright green true leaves, which anticipate optimal growth from day one. The seedling is placed 50 cm below the 630W HID lamp, where it’s exposed to a photoperiod of 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. In the third week, Silver Widow has reached a height of 12 cm and has started developing leaves with wide fingers, and multiple nodes with short internodal spacing ― a clear indication of her hybrid nature.

Vegetative phase

Week 4 starts and Silver Widow is fed with 640 ppm, with a pH of 6.2. The runoff water comes out at 680 ppm, so the nutrients will be removed from the following watering session, keeping the pH at 5.5 to try to keep it from rising. It is time to move the plant outdoors, to a terrace with a glazed railing to avoid wind stress. Silver Widow has grown many sets of wide lime green fan leaves, and the internodal spacing remains compact, developing axillary shoots on each node, and reaching a height of 45 cm at the beginning of week 5, when the plant is transplanted to her definitive growing place out in the open. The substrate used is Promix HP, which is ideal for low light and high humidity conditions as it allows for faster drainage between watering cycles, when compared to the more commonly used peat-based mix.

Grow parameters:

• Daily temperature: 23ºC
• Height: 12 – 45 cm
• Substrate temperature: 22ºC
• Night temperature: 20ºC
• Hours of light: 18
• Air humidity: 60%
• Total dissolved solids: 640 ppm / 1.28 EC
• Irrigation volume: 3.79 L per plant per 24 hrs
• pH: 5.8

In the sixth week (first week in its definitive outdoor location), Silver Widow needs feeding because some of her leaves look a little pale. She’s given her first nutrient solution at 1000 ppm, 2.0 EC and 6.5 pH. Wooden stakes are placed around the plant to help weave a trellis to hold the branches in the future. In week 7, the plant starts to get greener. She wanted nutrients from the very beginning and seems to be a hungrier strain than usual. “Nothing more than smoke from wildfires, clouds of chemical traces, and now simply clouds. In 2 weeks outdoors, this girl has literally only seen 2 days of sunshine, just here and there”, states the grower.

In week 8, this lady starts being fed at 1240 ppm (220 ppm Calmag and 1020 ppm Floranova Grow). Silver Widow performs well in the face of the mostly smoky Canadian summer skies. Let’s remember that Canada has never experienced a wildfire season as destructive as this summer of 2023, with about 6,000 fires that have burned an area equivalent to the sum of Guatemala and Costa Rica. But things seem to improve in week 9 ― thanks to a greater amount of light, the leaves of Silver Widow keep on getting bigger and bigger. And the plant begins to show her sex.

In week 10, Silver Widow is growing quickly, so the nutrient solution is increased approximately 100 ppm, up to a total of 1320 ppm of only Floranova Grow. “Really effective and super concentrated”, claims the grower. The plant is already 1.37 m high, and the apical meristem has thickened substantially, so she’ll be able to withstand the high yield that we’re hoping for. Many small shoots protrude from the nodes, developing small shoots of their own at the same time. By week 11, Silver Widow is getting taller and wider, with an extremely healthy rich green colour; and the first branches begin to embrace the support stakes.

In week 12, Silver Widow is becoming so big that she’s almost as wide as she is tall. It’s a good week for her, mainly sunny and with some rain in the last few days. The nutrient solution is increased to 1400 ppm 2.8 EC. This girl continues to keep her pretty green colour and has no scratches anywhere at all. The only issue is that some original-looking beetles are trying to mate on the plants. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. I guess it’s another Asian invasion”, wonders the grower. In week 13, Silver Widow keeps growing lush, with leaves that are just as green as they should be.

In week 14, Silver Widow is growing vigorously with a nutrient solution of 1500 ppm 3.0 EC, almost the maximum to grow outdoors on the ground. “What a stunning and proud lady, and what a great example of Kannabia’s genetics”, praises the grower. This girl is beginning to expand, forming a beautiful bush. In week 15, with 14 and a half hours of daylight, the female hormones start to change. It won’t be long before she starts flowering. Silver Widow has grown a mutation near the top of one of the lower branches. Just under 3 cm wide. It’s a mutation typical of polyploid marijuana. “I had the same mutation in another plant, and she grew a record-breaking bud. I hope this one does the same thing”.

Grow parameters:

• Daily temperature: 26ºC
• Height: 208 cm
• Substrate temperature: 22ºC
• Night temperature: 20ºC
• Hours of light: 15
• Air humidity: 50%
• Total dissolved solids: 1200 ppm / 2.4 EC
• Irrigation volume: 18.93 L per plant per 24 hrs
• pH: 6.5

Flowering phase

In week 16, Silver Widow has become a beautifully structured and hardy plant. The aromas she gives off are something worth enjoying, especially in the morning and at night. “Sometimes you can’t smell another thing in the whole garden. Every time I look at this girl, she makes me smile”. Flowering time is coming soon, in week 17. The calyxes begin to pile up, and the pistils appear everywhere. She is given the first dose of flowering booster: 400 ppm 0.8 EC Massive Bloom Formulation, 400 ppm 0.8 EC Floranova Bloom, and 400 ppm 0.8 EC Floranova Grow for the grand total of 1200 ppm 2.4 EC.

In week 18, the flowers of Silver Widow start to pile up as the internodal spacing is filled. The scent is incredible, and she’s become a large and healthy bush. Week 19 is particularly good for Silver Widow because it’s been roasting hot… Definitely a site worth seeing in Canada! The leaves take on a deep green colour with a rich and piercing aroma, eagerly filling the nostrils with an unmistakable and irresistible smell.

Grow parameters:

• Daily temperature: 26ºC
• Height: 243 cm
• Substrate temperature: 22ºC
• Night temperature: 7ºC
• Hours of light: 14
• Air humidity: 50%
• Total dissolved solids: 1200 ppm / 2.4 EC
• Irrigation volume: 18.93 L per plant per 24 hrs
• pH: 6.5

Ripening stage

In week 20, the nutrient solution is kept at 1200 ppm, but is changed to 400 ppm Massive Bloom Formulation and 800 ppm Floranova Bloom. Silver Widow is starting to gain volume now, and the swollen calyxes are completely covered with pistils and trichomes. In week 21, the thick and resinous buds in the lower nodes have grown together to form an enormous group of dense flowers. In addition, the small sugar leaves around the main colas are now beginning to fade to a lighter green.

In week 22, Silver Widow looks stunning, brimming with hard buds and bulking up extremely well. Most white pistils have turned into a vibrant mix of orange and red. The top buds of the lower branches have become decent-sized colas, and smaller but still decent buds group together around each node, filling the remaining internodal space with a frosty trichome layer. In week 23, Silver Widow has matured very well. The flowers aren’t huge but have become tight, hard and heavy. As the plant reaches the end of the flowering phase, the earthy and piney aroma becomes even more prominent, adding subtle notes of berries to the bouquet. After checking the trichomes with a magnifying glass, it’s time to cut!

Harvest

In preparation for harvest, the largest fan leaves are removed and the branches of the main stem are separated in three rounds. Afterwards, all the branches are manicured to obtain buds which look totally frosty, honouring the name of this strain. After the manicuring of the flowers, the weight of Silver Widow’s wet buds amounts to the staggering number of 3244 grams. Therefore, if we estimate a 75% humidity content, the weight of the dry buds amounts to around 1851 grams… Almost 2 kilos of buds from just one plant!

So that’s Silver Widow, a strain that practically grows every time you look at her. And all this thanks to her outstanding hybrid vigour, which is accentuated by the ample space that the roots have to grow in, and a thorough nutrient plan (since this plant is an insatiable glutton!). Kannabia has managed to take this cannabis classic to a completely new level, where Silver Widow shines like the next-generation version of the legendary White Widow, but with a more remarkable yielding capacity and unrivalled ease of cultivation. Even those who live in regions colder than the Mediterranean can get amazing results with very little effort, as shown in this grow report with its astounding returns.