Happy Valley Genetics x ILGM

Sitting down with Dan Nelson, Director of Genetics at Happy Valley, felt like a trip to the museum of autoflower cannabis in the future. Dan gave us the lowdown on Happy Valley’s approach and shared some exciting new tips for anyone looking to grow their amazing genetics to their full potential.

Legacy Growers with Data-Driven Genetics

When you mix the determination, courage, and know-how of legacy growers with a data-driven approach and a fully vertically integrated cannabis operation, magic things happen. Happy Valley's mission is simple and bold:

Be good at everything in cannabis.

And they do mean everything: from seeds to flower, extracts, and edibles to pre-rolls; you name it, they produce it, and the best part, they do it all in-house. Happy Valley’s ultimate goal? To crush it in every category, and they’re well on their way. 

In their facility, they are using data-driven strategies combined with their legacy days' know-how to develop genetics that ooze quality and reliability. An enjoyable experience from seed to harvest:

We are legacy growers, sure. But, type-A nerdy legacy growers.

Hunting for Stable and Terpy Genetics, a Homegrower’s Dream

When Happy Valley opened their doors, they did so with a combination of clones and seeds. After a few runs it became clear that seeds were more vigorous and provided potential for new and exciting flavor profiles not currently available on the market. That’s when they made the switch to seeds and running pheno hunts, which was a game-changer. Ultimately, it was a partnership with Colin Gordon of Ethos Genetics that provided Happy Valley with the stable, top-notch lines that set them apart.

With Colin’s gear in-house, we started winning High Times awards and getting a lot more success in the space. After about two or three years of running, we purchased 30,000 seeds a year from Colin and kind of established the stallions of our stable.

Even though Happy Valley prides itself on offering stable genetics, they are happy to take risks and grow some flowers in-house that might be less stable in search of unique traits. This is because their team can keep a close eye and dial them all in. Having access to a  55,000 sq foot facility with 10 grow rooms, 15,000 square feet of canopy and an on-site hash lab also helps. At the end of the day, however, they only release seeds that prove stable and vigorous - they don't want home growers going through that disappointment.  

Some of the best flowers don't ever make it to seed form. If we see any sign of instability or herming out, we won't let it out before we’ve stabilized them. Why? What is the point of handing you the keys to a sports car with flat tires?

Pineapple Runtz Autoflowering Crosses

Oh My Thai, Pineapple Daddy, and Pineapple Diesel are Pineapple Runtz crosses. Shortcut being Pineapple Runtz crossed back to itself. We were curious about what made this cultivar oh-so-special. Why had they selected this specific strain as the basis for their autoflowers? 

It's a beautiful plant, and it's easy to grow; it stabilizes everything crossed with it, with added cannabinoids and potency in the mix.

Dan highlighted that Pineapple Runtz was one of Ethos Genetics' masterpieces: It had been stabilized by Colin through over a dozen generations over the past decade. With beautiful structure and consistent growth patterns, dazzling terp profile, up to 30% THC tests, and it was a piece of cake to grow, making it a no-brainer.

On a 700-plant run in-house, we only saw male pollen sacs on two to three plants, and it wasn't viable pollen. Minimal sexual instability. That was huge for us. Everything that we hit it with, we were seeing 30% THC test results across the board.

Dan’s Pro Tips for Growing the Best Autoflower Plants

If you’re just starting with autoflowers, Dan recommends starting with lightly amended soil for their strains, and once you feel confident moving to other mediums:

Go with a specialized canna-soil mix like BuildASoil 3.0. Never make your soil too hot, especially for autoflowers. Once you get comfortable, move to more advanced mediums like coco or rockwool.

Autoflowering cannabis plants grow fast, real fast. Like a race car speeding down the track. When you're moving that quickly, even the slightest adjustment can have a big impact and leave you stranded in the safety barrier. That’s why most people recommend just letting them do their thing. Any "steering" or training could leave your plant without time to recover:

I don’t want them in repair mode; I want them in thrive mode. Don’t make them have to recover. Let them grow!”

In other words, keep it simple. Don't stress yourself out, and especially don’t stress them out.

Dan also shared a golden nugget of wisdom about harvest times: 

The biggest thing to understand is that I can take our most sativa-leaning strain and let it mature longer, resulting in a heavier effect and less fruity, more earthy aroma. Or I can take a more indica-leaning variety and harvest it way early, say day 70, and get a very sharp, fruity, and functional high! This completely blurs the lines between sativa and indica effects as we know them!

He also mentioned that many autoflowers do not develop amber trichomes, which can lead to growers mistakenly waiting too long for that visual cue:

...another thing to keep in mind with Autos is you're not necessarily looking to push them until you have amber trichomes. There are a lot of autos that won't show amber trichomes. It’s the biggest pitfall that I see a lot of growers running into, especially at home. Don't be afraid to cut before you see amber.

Instead, he encourages growers to cut before they see amber trichomes, following their nose and gut instead. Happy Valley’s mission with autoflowering genetics is to craft growing experiences that work for everyone: you might be growing for the first time, or you’re an advanced grower looking to perfect your craft and achieve high terpy yields. Whatever the case, Happy Valley’s strains got you covered.

We don’t just grow weed; we grow what we want to smoke.

That’s the kind of ethos every grower can respect.