Cannabis Breeder's Insights: Bubbawhip

Cultivar Details:

Plant Physiology: Bubbawhip has a moderately sturdy structure reminiscent of traditional broadleaf Hindu Kush and Afghani-type plants. During the flowering stage, Bubbawhip does not stretch much but boasts lush growth spread evenly throughout the plant, culminating in a solid structure. Bubbawhip has dark, broad, green leaves with occasional purple expressions in the flower stages. Breeder Twenty20 Mendocino used The Whip in the cross to improve the bud structure, terpene profile and resin production contributed by the Pre-98 parent.

Average Yield: Bubbawhip has reasonably high yields for the seasoned grower. Due to its broadleaf-type Bubba Kush ancestry, thoughtful crop spacing, targeted pruning and careful environmental control around and inside the canopy are necessary to bring out the best representation of this cultivar. With these techniques, yields of 50 to 60 grams per square foot can be expected for greenhouse and indoor growers. Outdoors, Bubbawhip produces above-average yields compared to most broadleaf varieties. Bubbawhip also produces high-quality hash and rosin with yields about 4.5% finished rosin.

Flowering Time: Recommended flowering time for indoor and light-deprivation greenhouses is 56 to 63 days. Outdoors, full-term harvests can be expected in mid-October.

Environmental Conditions: Bubbawhip was bred in coastal Mendocino County and was tested throughout Northern California in many climates and altitudes. This variety performs equally well in outdoor, greenhouse and indoor settings. It is recommended that growers establish the plant architecture and root system during the early growth stage by not letting the substrate dry down too much between waterings. This allows for stress-free, lush growth and an expansive root system. As the plants head into mid to late flower, the irrigation strategy can shift to a more generative design (more aggressive dry downs) to counteract the high leaf-to-calyx ratio common in broadleaf-type cannabis plants.

Recommended Input Conditions: Bubbawhip thrives in all crop systems tested so far. Like many broadleaf-type plants originating from arid mountainous regions, Bubbawhip is extremely efficient at storing nitrogen for later use, so careful management of N levels from mid to late flower is recommended.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Notes: A mild susceptibility to powdery mildew has been reported. Careful crop management and preventative measures will mitigate serious issues in more challenging environments.

Cannabinoid Profile: Testing between 27% and 34% THCA, Bubbawhip has a very diverse cannabinoid profile that boasts significant levels of CBG (+2%) as well as trace amounts of CBD, THCV and CBC.

Terpene Profile: Behind the extremely hashy gas nose of Bubbawhip, there lies a deeper Kush earth tone, highlighted by candy notes.

Quality of High: Due to its extremely high resin content, smoking Bubbawhip has been compared to smoking hashish or concentrates. Extremely potent, Bubbawhip is not a daytime smoke. Rather, it’s a special occasion flower with some reporting medicinal value in part thanks to its Bubba origins.

Eva Erickson is CEO/co-founder and Sjoerd Broeks is managing partner/head of R&D at Haze Valley Nursery in Santa Cruz, Calif.