If you are seeking a potent Sativa high with a heavy citrus flavour than please consider this strain- The Sweet Seeds Cream Mandarine XL Auto. This is an easy strain to grow and it’s definitely lived up to it’s name with all four of the plants reaching over 48" or 4 feet in height. I did not top or train (LST) this strain but I am positive that it would have done well with either or both for that matter. Without topping or training these plants grew into the predictable xmas tree shape with a heavy, central cola surrounded by a ring of satellite buds. The majority of the lower buds were decent but not as heavy as I had originally hoped for. This strain has a low leaf to bud ratio which makes for easy trimming at harvest time with little to no defoliation needed throughout the grow. The buds are on the smaller side but they are quite dense and absolutely covered in sparkling trichomes! Definitely some of the frostiest pot I have ever grown. The smell throughout this grow is worth mentioning as this is a very strong smelling strain. It’s not a bad smell as most people enjoy a citrus scent but it’s definitely not easy to hide and I would not recommend for those seeking a stealthy strain. And now on to the smoke report… this is a Sativa lover’s dream. Although uncured- this pot when smoked or vaped tastes like a bag of oranges, lemons and limes. Pure citrus perfection! It’s super smooth and very hard hitting. You can feel it’s effects almost immediately upon inhalation (just a few tokes will do it) and the high lasts a really long time. This strain will leave you feeling energized and happy if you tolerate the sativa high well- If not, this strain will quicken your heart rate, leaving you sweaty and green if unlucky 🤢. Based on that, I would not recommend this strain for newbie smokers. This is a reliable strain for those looking to get super high from a small amount of product for long periods of time. The Sweet Seeds Cream Mandarine XL Autos are a great bang for your buck, probably best for daytime smoking by those seeking a hardcore sativa experience/high.
So first off, THANK YOU to the generous folks at Sweet Seeds for providing me with four Cream Mandarine XL Autoflowering seeds. I have really enjoyed being able to grow and showcase this strain for everyone on Grow Diaries and elsewhere in the world to see. This was an easy strain to grow from start to finish with only minor issues caused by an aggressive strain of Powdery Mildew accidentally brought in from an infected outdoor summer grow. All four plants were healthy and robust from day one with a massive pre-flower stretch accounting for a significant potion of their overall height and size. This strain would be ideal for topping or training and I will be doing both in future when I grow the Cream Mandarine XL again. The plants grew almost exactly as the breeder describes on their website and the final product (although still uncured) is excellent. The buds are dense, heavy and absolutely covered in trichomes. My only negative with this grow is the low final weight of all four plants. I know that I would have had a much heavier harvest had the Powdery Mildew not gotten into the tent. But the cross contamination was my fault as the genetics of this strain are pretty much perfect. This is a hardcore Sativa smokers dream- easy to grow, tastes like a smooth citrus explosion and it gets you really high for hours from just a few puffs. I have included a series of photos above showing the plants’ growth from Weeks 1-10 including the harvest for the last two plants. The final two plants were thoroughly flushed with PH’d, air bubbled water resulting in a final product that any grower would be proud of. Thank you to Sweet Seeds once again for the opportunity to grow and show your genetics to the Cannabis Community. I only give credit where credit is due and your Cream Mandarine XL Autoflowering strain has lived up to it’s legendary reputation in my opinion. Making Sweet Seeds a safe and reliable choice when choosing a seed breeder and spending your hard earned money. I gave this strain an 8 out of 10 only because I prefer an Indica high otherwise making the Sweet Seeds Cream Mandarine XL Auto’s a “must try” for all growers looking to get really wasted- in a good way! 🤪
I agree with your method for your lights I stopped using the dimmer on my sf2000s and just kept them at 100% and used the height for intensity adjustment and I noticed that my plants didn't become sensitive to light increase even when they got close to the lights once in flower.
Now I upgraded my lighting to ES300s and have to use the dimmer because they are more powerful but I just raised the one to 48" like you have yours. Come visit...
Good luck on your grow they look great 👍😍
Cyrus
@Cyrusdavirus, buds soon- yes! But I’m concerned about how full my little tent is going to be with so much growth in the past two weeks. Always an adventure!
![[coco]Mini Gorilla one liter pot](https://bucket.growdiaries.com/static/report/photo/9695/b1db706f4b62ab857a4a812c60e2de7d_450.webp)
