Ep 003: Harvesting 21 Strains Indoor Greenhouse Outdoor
· Dakota returns to the farm after a month away — including trips through California's Emerald Triangle, Amsterdam, and Morocco — to oversee harvest day for the Battle of the Breeders grow cycle at day 56 of flower. The episode documents phenotype selection and studio photography sessions with Paco from Mary Jane Shots, who shoots 360-degree bud photographs of the favorite phenos. A key experimental thread runs through the episode: a direct comparison of the same strains (Smackdown, Banana Biscotti) grown simultaneously outdoors on the patio, inside a greenhouse, and indoors, revealing that the fully outdoor plants outperformed greenhouse counterparts in both bud size, trichome production, and mold/powdery mildew resistance in Colombia's humid climate. The greenhouse autoflower run using Emerald Fire OG from The Humble Seed Company is also assessed, with most autos performing impressively despite a few individuals showing heavy powdery mildew, partly attributed to a nearby infected zucchini/squash plant. The episode closes with a teaser for the first fresh-frozen washing session, to be conducted the following day with Santi from Rosin Bogotá.
Topics
Day 56 flower harvest of 21 Battle of the Breeders strains · Phenotype selection and studio bud photography with Mary Jane Shots · 360-degree bud photography setup using MP 6X and Einstein flashes · Outdoor vs. greenhouse vs. indoor grow comparison on same strains · Smackdown (Seed Stalkers) mold and powdery mildew resistance outdoors · Banana Biscotti outdoor performance and terpene profile · Emerald Fire OG autoflower greenhouse run assessment · Powdery mildew source identification — infected zucchini plant in greenhouse · Fresh-frozen harvest destined for rosin washing · Colombia climate challenges: high humidity, rain, and mold pressure · IPM / IPW program using Athena — no dehumidifier or AC this cycle · Upcoming fresh-frozen washing session with Rosin Bogotá
Sections
Intro: Return to the Farm & Harvest Day Setup
Dakota returns after a month away including trips to California's Emerald Triangle, Amsterdam, and Morocco. He introduces the day's plan: harvest day at day 56 flower, phenotype selection, and studio photography for the Battle of the Breeders project.
Flower Room Inspection & Phenotype Selection
Dakota and Brian enter the 4x8 flower room to inspect all strains. Key observations: Lilac Diesel fading nicely, Banana Biscottis tipping up, Nerds Rot Baby Yoda crosses showing purple. The team notes no dehumidifier or AC was used this cycle. A phenotype hunting book is used to select ~20+ favorites for studio shooting.
Studio Day 1 — Video Photography Session Begins
Plants are moved to the studio for video documentation. Paco from Mary Jane Shots arrives to conduct simultaneous 360-degree bud photography using the MP 6X turntable and Einstein flash units. Smackdown is the first model. FX3 stands out visually. The session goes until late night.
Studio Day 2 Morning — Photo Review & Remaining Shoots
Day two of content. Paco has been shooting since the previous night. Remaining plants include Nerds Rope, Baby Yoda crosses, and homemade crosses. Paco discusses his favorites: Battle Royale (Colombian fruit terps), Lilac Diesel (old school Haze), Banana Biscotti (loud terps), and FX3 (best color). Scrooge #2 from Compound Genetics is identified as Dakota's personal favorite. Behind-the-scenes of Paco's two-flash studio setup is shown.
Outdoor Patio Check — Smackdown & Banana Biscotti
Dakota visits the outdoor patio plants for the first time in a month. Smackdown shows no powdery mildew, no bud rot, frosty purple and green phenos with excellent structure despite heavy Colombian rain and humidity. Banana Biscotti also impresses with only one tiny mold spot found after thorough inspection. Terpene checks confirm light fruity spice on Smackdown and creamy biscotti on Banana Biscotti. Dakota concludes outdoor may outperform greenhouse.
Greenhouse Inspection — Autoflowers & Big Mamas Comparison
The greenhouse is assessed. All previously grown plants have been harvested and frozen. The 50 Emerald Fire OG autoflowers show significant individual variation — most are frosty and impressive, but a few individuals are riddled with PM while neighbors are clean. A nearby infected zucchini/squash plant is identified as the likely PM source. Greenhouse Smackdown and Banana Biscotti comparison plants show smaller buds and more PM than their outdoor patio counterparts, attributed to reduced airflow and sunlight. Dakota concludes open-air outdoor growing may be viable in Colombia without a greenhouse.
Wrap-up & Fresh Frozen Teaser
Dakota wraps up the harvest assessment, plans to shoot some Emerald Fire OG auto buds with Paco, and announces Santi from Rosin Bogotá will arrive the next day for the first fresh-frozen washing session using the full freezer loads of harvested material.
Notable quotes
Dakota: "It's harvest day — we haven't been here for a total of 1 month, it's day 56 flower in the large flower room in the 4x8, everything Battle of the Breeders is going to be going into the studio."
Opening of the episode, setting the scene for the harvest and content day. → watch @ 0:09
Dakota: "This cycle we have not used the dehumidifier whatsoever or the air conditioning back there — total rough test on everything."
Explaining the deliberate stress-test setup before entering the grow room to inspect plants. → watch @ 2:43
Dakota: "That IPM IPW for those International Athena users it's proved itself to be really good dude."
After noticing the plants looked clean and mold-free at first inspection despite no dehumidifier being used. → watch @ 4:30
"It depends on what you're looking at right, because the plants we shoot last time were huge but this is just a different batch and all of them are amazing — it's hard to choose one."
Paco responding to Dakota asking what his thoughts were on the plants so far during the studio session. → watch @ 5:37
"The Lilac diesel has this old school Haze that we all love, oh my God amazing — amazing buds, huge buds."
Paco describing the Lilac Diesel as one of the standout plants from the first day of photography. → watch @ 11:17
"What I like the most was probably this Battle Royale because it stinks exactly how I like — it's like a fruta, it's a Colombian Suite I love that."
Paco naming Battle Royale from Copycat Genetics as his personal favorite plant of the entire shoot. → watch @ 10:52
"Banana Biscotti — I love this plant, the terpenes on this are super loud."
Paco commenting on Banana Biscotti's standout terpene profile during the photography review. → watch @ 11:44
Dakota: "Scrooge number two is loud — this smells like it's going to hit you like a train."
Describing the Scrooge #2 pheno from Compound Genetics as Dakota's personal favorite plant. → watch @ 13:57
Glossary terms from this episode
360-degree bud photography · 4x8 flower room · Autoflower (Auto) · Battle of the Breeders · Bud Rot (Botrytis) · Canopy airflow · Colombian outdoor growing · Colombiana Suite / fruity Colombian terpene profile · Compound Genetics · Copycat Genetics · Creamy / biscotti terpene profile · Curtain / cover for greenhouse opening · Day 56 flower · Dead bug mold trigger · Dehumidifier · Dry rack / drying rack · Emerald Triangle · Extra harvest / between-cycle harvest · Fade · Feno hunting book · Field-scale outdoor test · Fresh Frozen · Frosty (trichome density descriptor) · Halo light · Homemade crosses · IPM (Integrated Pest Management) · IPW (Athena IPW) · Key light · Main cola · OG terpene profile
Products mentioned
Athena IPM · Athena IPW · MP 6X · Einstein Flash · IONFRAME EVO3 LED · Pulse Pro