How to Grow Ice Cream Cake?
The Ice Cream cannabis strain is a potent Indica-dominant hybrid that has seen tremendous success on the market over the last few years. In this article, we take a brief look at Ice Cream Cake weed strain’s genetics and qualities, and we continue with more elaborate growing tips and techniques to apply if you decide to cultivate this sweet-tasting cultivar at home.
Genetics: Ice Cream Cake cannabis is an Indica-dominant hybrid strain that originates from California, from the breeder Seed Junk Genetics. It’s widely agreed that ICC parent strains are two very popular choices on both sides of the Atlantic - Wedding Cake and Gelato#33. The Ice Cream Cake strain has inherited some pretty powerful traits from its parents, including the high THC levels that can climb up to 25% as well as the rich flavorful profile, among other things.
Taste and flavor: Sweet and creamy with a note of vanilla, citrus or a gassy kick. But there can be additional herbal or fruity undertones.
Terpenes: The dominant terpene is Limonene, found in the peels of citrus fruits and many other cannabis cultivars. If you sense a citrus-like aftertaste when smoking buds of Ice Cream Cake, it’s most probably because of this terpene. Another sweet and citrusy terpene found in ICC is Valencene, while any herby or earthy tads may owe to the presence of Myrcene, Camphene or Phellandrene.
Effects: Smoking Ice Cream Cake weed gives a cerebral rush and euphoric energy. It generates a feeling of happiness and deep relaxation as all muscle tension loosens up. There are also minimal amounts of CBD and CBG in this cultivar, which adds to a sleepy, sedative effect hours after smoking.
Medical uses: Can help with chronic pains, insomnia, restlessness at night, anxiety, stress, etc. The high THC potency combined with the other minor cannabinoids helps to fall asleep faster, and the sedative-like effect lasts for hours.
Side effects: If you are a novice or have little tolerance to THC, start with smaller doses of Ice Cream Cake, because this is one of the stronger marijuana strains out there. Some users may experience typical side effects like dry mouth or dry eyes, which are easily manageable with drinking water and using eye drops.
Growing Difficulty: It takes advanced grow skills to cultivate Ice Cream Cake flowers successfully. Plants tend to grow big, and need large area to spread their roots and branches. They also need a constantly warm environment with minimum levels of humidity. Caution for mold, mildew, fungus, mites, and other pests. This is a high maintenance flower.
Growing Ice Cream Cake Cannabis
Ice Cream Cake likes hot and warm climates. Like other indicas, it grows into beautiful thick bushes. The flowering period is between 8-9 weeks. One of the challenges is to produce larger yields; this is where growers need skills, patience, experience, and sound equipment to get good results.
When the setting is right, the plant will grow fast. First of all, you need sufficient space, as Ice Cream Cake demands to take more space, both in terms of width and height. You also need larger pots to accommodate the prominent roots that this cultivar will spread.
The next two most important things to consider are warm temperature and lower humidity levels. Regulating humidity is essential because Ice Cream Cake flowers are vulnerable to mold and mildew. The same warning goes for overwatering.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Cultivation of the Ice Cream Cake Strain
The Ice Cream Cake cannabis strain can be grown both indoors and outdoors. Perhaps the better option is to use a larger grow tent inside, where you can control all environmental factors, and constantly monitor crops for infestations.
If you are growing the crops indoors with limited room height, consider using a trellis system to help the plant stretch out. It will also promote the growth of the buds. Implementing the monster cropping training method will boost the yields in this case. But don’t attempt monster crop if you lack knowledge in advanced training techniques. In short, monster crop is reverting the flowering clones back to vegetation to get more dense and bushy plants.
In a hydroponic setting there is the risk of losing all the terpenes or the very compounds that make the Ice Cream Cake strain so unique. To avoid this, and with that the risk of harsh taste and flavor, run a clean flush with R/O (reverse osmosis) water in the later flowering stage.
If you are growing just one plant, consider choosing a spot near the window so that the plant can get fresh air and sunlight during the day. Still, turn on the grow light and the ventilation when the night falls.
Outdoor Ice Cream Cake plants can grow much taller because of the exposure to sunlight. They still need adequately prepared soil that is rich in nutrients. And they still need good airflow all around the stem to avoid moisture and other problems. Staking can help prevent bending and crashing of the plants under their own weight. The lack of control to all environment and weather factors can sometimes be a downside when you grow outside. But if all goes well, the yield of your Cream Cake flowers should be much bigger than what you’ll get if you grow inside.
How to Produce More and Bigger Buds?
Ice Cream Cake plants can take on completely different appearances depending on how long they remain in a vegetative stage. If you monster crop them, they will develop into prominent plants with hefty colas during flowering, producing bulky dense buds. After that, you should certainly implement the screen of green method to help the buds nearer to the bottom get an access to light and air. Installing a double layered trellis system will help maximize the harvest - this can help arrange all bud sites in a way that they have access to the needed life support.
Though many more factors are in play when it comes to good yields. It’s also important what kind of lights you use (LEDs or even HID can get decent yield results indoors), whether there’s a healthy airflow all of the time, and whether your Ice Cream Cakes receive all the nutrients they need.
How Should the End Product Look Like?
Standard Cream Cake buds produce plenty of beautiful orange and silver pistils. That is a sign that you’ve been growing an authentic Ice Cream Cake cannabis strain. Buds sold in dispensaries can also have deep purples hues, an indication of another cultivation technique that concerns decreasing the temperatures at the end of the flowering cycle (which may overcomplicate your grower life if you try it). Suppose you see fewer crystals on your buds and no colors with just green, then a warning that it might not be genuine Ice Cream Cake cannabis.
Happy growing!
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Stephen Andrews
