Strain
Applez & Bananaz is an absolute pleasure to grow. Finding the seeds can be tough, but more on that later...
From germination, she ravenously absorbed nutrients and quickly grew taller. Throughout her Vegetative Cycle, there did not seem to be a limit to how much she could grow - she topped out at 4½', but only because I flipped her at close to this height. She responded well to Topping, though I regrettably neglected to do much of any LST (to which, I'd imagine, she'd have responded very well). This plant even began to exude the smell of sweet fruit during her Late Vegetative Cycle!
But the fun doesn’t stop during this plant's Vegetative Cycle. She becomes even more odiferous upon hitting her Flowering Cycle, nearly reeking of fresh fruits with a hint of citrus. At times, I found myself wondering how it was even possible for cannabis to smell like this! She ultimately developed into a beautifully structured plant, showing off mostly shades of greens and purples. Her buds are resinous, appearing as if they're covered in snow.
During harvest, I was nearly changing out my vinyl gloves with every few branches. She's a frost monster, to say the least, and covered with sticky resin that does not easily cleave from the plant upon contact with one's hand.
The smoke is divine. Grinding her causes the user to pick up on odors of fruits and citrus plants. She delights in appearance while sitting in a bowl, waiting to be ignited. Upon ignition, she hits you with a one-two-punch of fruits and citrus... to an extent that makes you wonder whether you just filled your bowl with, well, apples and/or bananas (with some oranges, perhaps)! The high is smooth, beginning as a cerebral experience that quickly intensifies into relaxation of the body. Her smoke is smooth Upon exhalation and is not the least bit sour or acrid. A high-end experience, for sure!
Applez & Bananaz is a masterpiece of breeding brought to us by Compound Genetics... but these seeds did not come from Compound Genetics. I tried and tried to find seeds from the original breeder, but the least expensive seed pack I could find was from a broker who wanted .00 per seed!!! That wasn't going to happen. That's where Copycat Genetics comes in...
I took a flyer on Copycat Genetics because it was the only real alternative that I could find to spending a small fortune on seeds. A lot of people throw shade at Copycat online - and, to some extent, rightfully so - though everyone who's actually tried his product raves positively about it. Having sat down and considered the controversy, I must admit that I cautiously side with Copycat when it comes to his resale of exotic genetic lines because places like Compound Genetics artificially limit supply of their product to drive up hype and pricing. Cost democratizes the market by making product available where it would not otherwise be. To this extent, be fulfills an important function in this burgeoning market.
With this having been said, there are aspects of Copycat's practices that I do not support. For instance, ripping off products of companies that make their products widely available at a reasonable price is unacceptable. Similarly, ripping off brand new Genetics from hardworking breeders is, also, a practice that I do not respect and will not support.
With all this having been said, no company is all good or all bad. And perfection should not be the enemy of thee good. At the end of the day, Copycat Genetics does not exist without controversy but you cannot deprive credit where credit is due... Again, this strain is a masterpiece and highly recommended!