Brix Levels And What It Means To Cannabis

[jumpincactus]

It has been a few years since I 1st learned of Brix levels and what it means to my plants.

There used to be a lot of awesome discussions here at the farm on what brix is and what it means to the overall terpene and taste profile of well grown organic living soil grown cannabis.

How many of you are familiar with Brix levels?, how many are measuring your brix with a refractometer and what methods do you use to increase your Brix levels? Do you take the time to determine your Brix levels during harvest?

I invite all that are interested in this science to participate and share your knowledge with the Farm. And even more so those farmers who don't have a clue what brix is or how to get there, follow along and learn!!!

Peace,

 

[leadsled]

Excellent topic. I test brix with a refractometer. In addition to brix levels, also test for calcium, potassium, and ph. Helps get a better picture of what is going down. I use soil testing along with sap testing to determine if what you are doing is working or not.

For example: Test brix of one plant. Do a foliar spray or drench. Then re-test the brix again 2 hours later. Did you get a positive plant response or not?
If you got a positive response than apply to entire crop.

 

[jumpincactus]

Excellent topic. I test brix with a refractometer. In addition to brix levels, also test for calcium, potassium, and ph. Helps get a better picture of what is going down. I use soil testing along with sap testing to determine if what you are doing is working or not.

For example: Test brix of one plant. Do a foliar spray or drench. Then re-test the brix again 2 hours later. Did you get a positive plant response or not?
If you got a positive response than apply to entire crop.

Now thats what I'm talking about. Good to c u sled :)

There are a lot of reasons to maintain hi brix in all plants not just cannabis. For the obvious reasons is taste and terp profiles. But often overlooked or undervalued is there is evidence that hi brix goes a long way to overall health and vigor and boosting the plants immune system and defending against pests. Seems they dont like hi brix sap as much a a plant suffering from low brix levels.

 

[jumpincactus]

Here is a link for those farmers not yet familiar with Brix and what it menas to your food /plants.

https://highbrixgardens.com/what-is-brix.html

 

[jumpincactus]

And here is another link to help you understand the steps to take to getting to a hi brix garden!!!

https://highbrixgardens.com/victory-gardens/the-path-to-high-brix.html

 

[jumpincactus]

A link for a brix level refractometer,

http://www.milwaukeeinstruments.com/site/products-183/digital-refractometers

 

[MamaBear]

I don't actually test for brix levels but I keep an eye on fall colors. I know that fall colors (especially red) are due to high brix levels so I look for those plants. It takes a lot of sugar to make the color red.
I don't DO anything except keep my N in check. I give them just enough to keep them green. Nothing kills brix levels faster than too much nitrates.

 

[jumpincactus]

I don't actually test for brix levels but I keep an eye on fall colors. I know that fall colors (especially red) are due to high brix levels so I look for those plants. It takes a lot of sugar to make the color red.
I don't DO anything except keep my N in check. I give them just enough to keep them green. Nothing kills brix levels faster than too much nitrates.

Hey Mama I'm not sure I agree completely with your take on cannabis fade i.e. autumn colors. More of what determines fade or autumn colors is a compound called "anthocyanins" and is found in most c3 plants however it is a genetic thing and that's why some strains purported to be granddaddy purps show some green phenos with no purple due to the level of anthocyanin in the gene pool. Not all cannabis strains or phenos contain enough anthocyanin to give us that gorgeous autumn fade.

Anthocyanins (also anthocyans; from Greek: ἄνθος (anthos) "flower" and κυάνεος/κυανοῦς kyaneos/kyanous "dark blue") are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, or blue. Food plants rich in anthocyanins include the blueberry, raspberry, black rice, and black soybean, among many others that are red, blue, purple, or black. Some of the colors of autumn leaves are derived from anthocyanins.[1][2]

Anthocyanins belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway. They occur in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Anthocyanins are derived from anthocyanidins by adding sugars.[3] They are odorless and moderately astringent. Although approved to color foods and beverages in the European Union, anthocyanins are not approved for use as a food additive because they have not been verified as safe when used as food or supplement ingredients.[4] There is no high-quality evidence anthocyanins have any effect on human biology or diseases.

Did you know you can control to some degree coloration by adjusting your soils Ph in the rhizosphere?

Heres a great article explaining the process.

http://www.growweedeasy.com/how-to-grow-purple-buds

Enjoy and pass that knowledge on. :D

upon rereading my response being anthocyanin is a flavonoid!u may be right when you were speaking to sugars causing the coloration in fall. Mhhhhhh let me get back to you. A toke and a journey and will be back!!!

 

[jumpincactus]

Yup I stand on my belief, sugar really doesn't have anything to do with coloration.

Anthocyanins are a very large group of red-blue plant pigments. Anthocyanins occur in all higher plants, mostly in flowers and fruits but also in leaves, stems, and roots. In these parts they are found predominantly in outer cell layers. The amounts are relatively large: one kilogram of blackberry for example contains approximately 1.15 gram, and red and black legumes can contain 20 mg per gram.

The colour of anthocyanins depends on the structure, but also on the acidity of the fruit. Many antocyanins are red at acidic conditions and turn blue at less acid conditions.

Chemically anthocyanins are subdivided into the sugar-free anthocyanidine aglycons and the anthocyanin glycosides. They are used as food additive with E number E163.

http://www.food-info.net/uk/colour/anthocyanin.htm

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

My time would be better spent running around Afghanistan naked screaming "Infidel" at anyone I met while on my search for the elusive purple unicorn.

Reams is a quack. Look into this man's background. Most of Albrechts' work has been disproven or marginalized as well.

Sulfur is largely responsible for terpene production, and by default, flavor. A well built and cared for soil mix is enough to take care of all three.

A grower should be able to use visual indicators such as plant color and praying leaves to determine if a foliar or soil drench is effective.

I will not be spending my time and money on a refractometer, nor would I recommend it to anyone.

RD

 

[MidwestToker]

From my understanding of Anthocyanin, a glucose molecule is required for production of anthocyanin. So why wouldn't brix levels have direct correlation with anthocyanin production.

 

[MamaBear]

Jumpin Cactus is right, it has to have the genetics to allow color production in the first place. And genetics can have "levels" of more or less color.

MidwestToker is also right, a glucose molecule is required for production of anthocyanin. Plants with more glucose will produce more red/purple pigment.

Hey Rancho, I'm working on a purple unicorn myself. I've locked down the purple leaves, purple calyxes and I just found some with purple pistils. Gotta get it all together in 1 plant. Maybe 2-3 more generations should do it.

 

[MidwestToker]

Jumpin Cactus is right, it has to have the genetics to allow color production in the first place. And genetics can have "levels" of more or less color.

MidwestToker is also right, a glucose molecule is required for production of anthocyanin. Plants with more glucose will produce more red/purple pigment.

Hey Rancho, I'm working on a purple unicorn myself. I've locked down the purple leaves, purple calyxes and I just found some with purple pistils. Gotta get it all together in 1 plant. Maybe 2-3 more generations should do it.

I guess what I was trying to say was , that as brix is the measure of sugar content, at what point is the optimal range for cannabis and is there a point where it can be detrimental to our plant ? Could too high a brix level have the consequences of though yielding great, reducing quality ?

 

[newh]

Heres a good example of green plant/purple plant.These 2 are sisters grown right next to each other they are pretty much the same,height,branching,flower size,smell fed the same things one faded in colors one didnt.The green one has purple stems thats it the other is loaded with colors

 

[jumpincactus]

From my understanding of Anthocyanin, a glucose molecule is required for production of anthocyanin. So why wouldn't brix levels have direct correlation with anthocyanin production.

that is a good question, of which I am not qualified to answer.

 

[jumpincactus]

Jumpin Cactus is right, it has to have the genetics to allow color production in the first place. And genetics can have "levels" of more or less color.

MidwestToker is also right, a glucose molecule is required for production of anthocyanin. Plants with more glucose will produce more red/purple pigment.

Hey Rancho, I'm working on a purple unicorn myself. I've locked down the purple leaves, purple calyxes and I just found some with purple pistils. Gotta get it all together in 1 plant. Maybe 2-3 more generations should do it.

I stand corrected @MamaBear and @MidwestToker a glucose molecule is required for anthocyanin production...... My apologies folks




When anthocyanidins are coupled to sugars, anthocyanins are formed. As sugars can be coupled at different places and many different sugars are present in plants, it is clear that a very large range of anthocyanins can be formed.

For example in strawberries the main anthocyanins are Cyanindin-3-glucoside and Pelargonidin-3-glucoside, two relatively simple structures. In grapes on the other hand Cyanidin-, Pelargonidin-, Delphinidin-, Petunidin- and Malvidin-glucosides and di-glucosides as well as non glucosylated anthocyanidins can be found.

 

[MamaBear]

Cool! I knew there were different kinds of antho's but not that many!

We all learned something new today :joyful: TY

As for our cannabis plants, I have no idea. In the end, it all comes down to effect for me. I love purples but the best smoke gets grown again no matter what color it is. Do you want PURPLE buds or TOP SHELF buds? I been working on this for years - not so easy. If it were, every breeder out there would already have purple unicorn seeds available.
​

The only way I know to increase Brix levels is good healthy organic soil with mycorrhizae.
Also heard structured water is supposed to increase it too but I've never played with it.

 

[MidwestToker]

that is a good question, of which I am not qualified to answer.

I'm not qualified either ! I just go by the 40+ years of growing experience and the few purple strains that I've grown or created. Although they have bag appeal, I feel they are lacking in something.

 

[MidwestToker]

Heres a good example of green plant/purple plant.These 2 are sisters grown right next to each other they are pretty much the same,height,branching,flower size,smell fed the same things one faded in colors one didnt.The green one has purple stems thats it the other is loaded with colors

Here is some of my collection.

 

[jumpincactus]

I'm not qualified either ! I just go by the 40+ years of growing experience and the few purple strains that I've grown or created. Although they have bag appeal, I feel they are lacking in something.

I would have to agree as I have found that as you said purps are pretty with awesome bag appeal at times the purps can lack in potency when compared to the greener phenos from the same runs. Seems the greens always dominate in the potency side. Would be nice to know and understand why that would be......???