8 Tips for Growing Chocolope Weed [Complete Guide]

If you happen to live in Colorado, you’ve probably heard about the Chocolope craze. It is unquestionably one of the most popular marijuana strains in the state, with a long and proud lineage. It is a cross of Chocolate Thai and Cannalope Haze that DNA Genetics created in the Netherlands in the 1980s.

It is a heavily sativa-dominant (over 90%) strain with approximately 19% THC. Its potent and energizing effects mean Chocolope is one of the most popular morning strains in the USA. But Chocolope doesn’t just provide you with coffee-like effects. It also offers a roasted chocolate back-end taste to complement the fruitiness that’s a feature of its Thai genetics.

One of the main effects of Chocolope is the uplifting high, which makes it a popular medicinal strain. It is typically recommended for individuals with depression or stress.

If Chocolope is your favorite strain, you’re in luck! This growing guide shows you 8 important tips and tricks to produce potent and plentiful buds.

1 – Should You Grow Chocolope Indoors or Outdoors?

You can easily grow Chocolope inside. However, as it is prone to mildew and mold, it requires a well-ventilated space.

If you’re seeking enormous yields, consider growing Chocolope outdoors. Ideally, you will plant seedlings of Chocolope outdoors when there is no longer any risk of frost.

Chocolope can produce 35 ounces per plant when grown outdoors. It is usually ready to harvest in late October. If you grow it indoors, its flowering time is 8-9 weeks, and it can yield up to 21 ounces per square meter.

It can deal with excess humidity. However, it is best to lower the percentage if you can. Otherwise, mold could grow and ruin your crop. This strain provides the best yield when kept at temperatures of between 68- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit.

2 – Consider Greenhouse Growing (If You Have Space)

If you have access to a greenhouse, you could benefit from Chocolope’s capacity to produce gigantic yields. Although it grows well inside, it needs lots of space because it becomes huge without plant training. When you use a greenhouse, you offer as much space as your plants need. You can use either soil or a hydro system.

The ‘greenhouse effect’ is a process that keeps the interior of the building warm even when it is cold outside.

The ‘greenhouse effect’ is a process that keeps the interior of the building warm even when it is cold outside. The sun’s energy passes through the walls of the greenhouse and heats the plants and soil. Your Chocolope plants will release the energy as infrared radiation, which is unable to escape. As a result, the heat gets trapped, and the temperature of the air increases.

Thanks to the greenhouse effect, you can grow marijuana 12 months a year. However, please note that your Chocolope plants need sunlight for more than 12 hours a day to remain in the vegetative stage. Once you expose your plants to 12+ hours of continuous darkness a day, they will begin to flower.

Outside of the summer months, the sun remains lower on the horizon. This event reduces the amount of energy your crop takes in. To adhere to the normal growth cycle of cannabis, put your plants into the ground in June. They should remain in the vegetative stage during the summer and start to flower in the early fall.

3 – Ventilating Your Grow Room

Excess humidity could cause mold to grow on your precious Chocolope. Therefore, it is important to invest in a good ventilation system for your grow room. This system helps maintain the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in your indoor space. All of the above atmospheric conditions impact photosynthesis.

If you have a small grow room, you need little more than a couple of reliable motorized fans. If the grow space is really small, a single fan is possibly enough. Using a fan is one of the easiest ways to keep the temperature below 80 degrees. However, it can become a few degrees warmer if the air is enriched with carbon dioxide.

You could also invest in an exhaust fan, which will remove excess heat and draw in the fresh air. In a mid-sized grow space, use both motorized and exhaust fans. There are also atmospheric controllers on the market, which have built-in humidistats and thermostats. These handy gadgets allow you to automate your fans and ensure your plants enjoy consistent conditions.

4 – Feeding Your Chocolope

As a general rule, the Chocolope plant prefers light to moderate feeding. If you overdo it, your plants could suffer from nutrient burn. One of the main symptoms is a discoloration of leaves, and we look at various leaf-related problems in #8. The rate of feeding varies according to the growth stage of your crop.

If you purchase high-quality pre-fertilized soil, it is relatively easy to feed your plants. During the vegetative stage, focus on providing your plants with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), with an emphasis on N. Additional nutrients of significant importance include:

• Iron
• Calcium
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Sulfur

One mistake that novice growers make is to reduce nitrogen intake during the first week of flowering. The first flowers will not appear for a few more weeks. In the meantime, your plants still require a high level of nitrogen.

By around the fourth week of flowering, you should start to notice small buds all over the plants. This is a sign to switch to a ‘Bloom’ fertilizer, which contains a high phosphorus level. It is at this point that you begin to reduce your crop’s N intake.

Once your plants are around two weeks from harvest, you can start to reduce nutrient intake gradually. Check the Electrical Conductivity (EC) level. If it is above 1.0 in the final week, perform a flush of the soil to remove all fertilizer traces. Otherwise, your buds will have a foul chemical taste.

5 – What Is Electrical Conductivity?

Electrical Conductivity (EC) is a method of measuring the total dissolved solids (TDS) in water. You can purchase a special EC meter to measure the level of dissolved salts in the water. The number is converted into a value in parts per million (ppm).

The minutiae of EC measurements are complex because several factors impact the reading.

The minutiae of EC measurements are complex because several factors impact the reading. For example, EC values depend on the temperature of the room where they are taken. A 1.8-degree Fahrenheit difference will change the reading by approximately 2.5%.

The EC balance of a solution also varies depending on irrigation, evaporation, and the nutrient uptake of the plant’s roots. For example, the EC measurement can double if the growing medium is too dry when more water is taken from the soil or solution. This is an indication of excess salt in the roots.

The EC level should remain at 1.0 towards the end of the vegetative stage. However, you can allow it to increase gradually throughout flowering. By week two of flowering, the ideal EC level is around 1.2. It should reach a level of 1.8 about a week or two before flowering. Then, you need to halt nutrient uptake, so the EC reading returns to 1.0 by the time you harvest.

6 – Hydroponic Growing Made Easy

When you use a hydroponic system, you can use an inert growing medium instead of soil. Popular options include Rockwool and coco coir. Here are some quick tips to get the most out of your hydro system.

Use Clean Water with a Neutral pH

Don’t start growing until the water circulating your system is at a pH of 7.0. If necessary, invest in a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system, which creates this pH-neutral water. You can use distilled water while waiting for your RO system to be delivered. You also need sterile equipment.

Temperature & Humidity

Make sure the water’s temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature for nutrient absorption and also keeps algae away. The air temperature in your room can be 75-80 degrees. Keep humidity at 60% during the early vegetative stage. Drop it to 40% by the middle of the flowering stage.

Lighting & Air Flow

Your budget and the size of your grow space will dictate the lights you purchase. For example, if you have a large grow room with good ventilation, High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lights are excellent.

If you have a small grow room and a low budget, try Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs). Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are also suitable for small rooms but are expensive.

As a rule of thumb, don’t purchase anything incapable of producing light in sufficient amounts from at least 400 nanometers.

As we mentioned in #3, airflow is crucial for the health of your plants. We recommend mounting the fans in locations capable of covering as much of the grow room as possible. If the room has poor ventilation, your plants’ lower leaves will retain moisture and become susceptible to mildew and mold.

7 – Should You Remove Fan Leaves?

Chocolope plants can grow extremely bushy, which is bad news if you leave them unattended. Low-stress training (LST) methods can help bend and shape the plant to encourage growth in the right areas. However, removing large fan leaves is also an effective method of boosting airflow to the rest of the plant. This process reduces the risk of mold and mildew.

Rather than wait until the mold problem appears, be proactive by getting rid of the fan leaves deep in the canopy. This action reduces the temperature and moisture of the deepest, darkest parts of the plant.

Spider mites are also attracted to warm and humid conditions. You need to be especially vigilant in the middle to late stages of the growth cycle. A simple method of removing fan leaves is to pick a spot deep in the plant that you can’t see. Next, remove all the fan leaves that are obscuring your view.

As you walk through your grow room, carefully analyze the space between each cola. If it is impossible to view the center of the canopy, begin plucking some leaves. However, don’t get rid of the sugar leaves in the vicinity. Next, look down on the plants from above. If there are colas blocked from the light by leaves, remove the excess to boost airflow and light intake.

8 – Quick Fixes for Common Marijuana Leaf Problems

Even the most experienced marijuana growers will face problems from pests and plant disease from time to time. As a beginner, it is crucial to learn more about your plants’ trials and tribulations. The more you know, the more you can prevent the likes of spider mites from ruining your crop. You also learn how to spot and eliminate these issues before they cause too much damage.

Although cannabis plants are durable, they are susceptible to a variety of conditions. One of the best ways to spot a problem is by checking the leaves. Here are five common issues with marijuana plants that are all noticeable due to the leaves’ reaction.

1 – Nutrient Burn

This occurs when you overfeed your plants. If this happens, the leaves’ edges show a brown color and look crispy and burned. Check the leaves’ tips first. If you see the problem, halt feeding for a couple of weeks. This gives the plants time to flush out the excess nutrients.

2 – Wrong pH Range

Marijuana prefers a pH range of 6.0 – 6.8 or 5.5 – 6.5 if using a hydroponics system. If your plant is exposed to the incorrect pH range, it can go into a nutrient lockout and stop taking in nutrients. This nutrient deficiency will cause the leaves to go bright yellow and die.

3 – Light Burn

If the tops of your Chocolope plants are too close to the grow lights, the leaves may turn yellow and will look burned. Check the leaves that are closest to the light first. If you uncover this problem, raise the lights by at least six inches. Also, closely monitor your plants to ensure they don’t get too close again.

4 – Overwatering or Underwatering

If you overwater your plants, the leaves curl downwards and will have a rigid appearance. This is because they are filled with water. Growth is also slowed to a halt. If your plants are under-watered, the leaves will begin to droop.

If you’re concerned about over-watering, check the soil. Alternatively, if it is saturated, cut down on watering. If your plants need more water, add it immediately. Within 30 minutes or so, the leaves will surprise you by perking back up.

5 – Spider Mite Infestation

If you don’t catch an infestation of spider mites early on, it will become incredibly hard to get rid of them. Like most pests, mites hide on leaves’ underside and are tricky to spot with the naked eye. As a result, we recommend investing in a magnifying glass. It can also help you spot if the crop is ready for harvest by looking at the trichomes.

Early signs of spider mites include light-colored spots on leaves. You can purchase commercial insecticides. However, introducing ladybugs to your garden is an organic method of removing mites. Ladybugs feast on spider mites and will eliminate your pest problem quickly and easily.