Barney’s Farm is known for having the right touch for Californian West Coast genetics, already having bestowed a multitude of terrific strains of this kind on the cannabis world. With Runtz Layer Cake, the Barney’s breeders created an incredibly richly layered variety the genetic composition of which reads like a glorious line-up of an all-star team as the most illustrious names from the Californian dessert strain department are coming together here: Runtz, consisting of Zkittlez and Gelato, was blended into the four-way cross Layer Cake ([Wedding Cake x GMO Cookies] x [Cookies Kush x Skunk #1]) – according to Barney’s, the outcome is a “breathtaking” evenly 50% sativa and 50% indica balanced super-hybrid with hefty potency (up to 27% THC), high productivity (indoors up to 650g/m2), a moderately long flowering time (65-70 days) and a complex gourmet aroma reflecting the parental genetics’ best aspects, with zesty notes of citrus, gas and earthiness, but it doesn’t lack a generous amount of sweetness either of course. Its powerful buzz provides both sativa and indica elements – while on a physical level, there’s pleasant relaxation, it has a mentally stimulating and mood-lifting effect on the user. Runtz Layer Cake is an uncomplicated grow room companion, its robust and forgiving nature makes it a good choice for rookies, too. Plants are growing to heights of up to 120 cm inside. With maturity setting in quite early – during the first or second week of October – this strain is also a good candidate for outdoor cultivation. Under optimum conditions, phenomenal yields of up to 2.5 kilos per plant are potentially achievable, with plants growing about two meters tall.
Mr. Knolle had a spare place left for one plant in his grow cabinet when planning his next cycle, and as chance would have it, a friend offered him a feminized Runtz Layer Cake seed, which he happily accepted. He got started shortly afterward, and after a little less than three days, the RLC seedling was about to raise his head above the ground. The three weeks of veg growth given by Mr. Knolle the plant used to build a bushy compact scaffold of branches with medium wide green leaves. After these three weeks, Mr. Knolle drew a first conclusion: “This Runtz Layer Cake plant has exhibited excellent growth so far and arrived at a height of 28 cm. Now it’s off into flowering!”
Mr. Knolle’s RLC plant revealed quite some stretching temper, doubling its height already during the first three weeks of flowering. After that period of time, numerous chubby young flower clusters had emerged along the branches and during the following weeks pumped themselves up into sumptuous buds of amazing size. And surprisingly, plenty of colors came into play! The leaves and partly also calyxes of the topmost head and side buds took on a wonderfully pretty dark red to violet color. Nine weeks into flowering, Mr. Knolle reported: “I hadn’t expected that special coloration, the more so I’m flabbergasted now by this fantastic view. Also, these bulbous super fat buds as hard as concrete are covered in a massive blanket of trichome frost; this Best-of-West-Coast strain’s significant promise of resin abundance has been fulfilled! Against the contrasting dark leaves and flower surfaces, this opulent gush of crystals is glistening even stronger. And wherever you look, there’s nothing else than fat flower chunks – I’m confident I’ll break the 100 grams dry mark with this fabulous plant, something I’ve rarely achieved so far in my growing career. Visually, this strain, coming with particularly much premature praise by Barney’s Farm, has proven to be an absolute stunner. This dazzling, charismatic flower scent likewise makes me swoon, having it all that Barney’s has mentioned – notes of citrus, gas, and earthiness combined with a concentrated sweetness that this aroma blend is pasted over with.
Already at the beginning of the official harvest time window, Mr. Knolle’s Runtz Layer Cake plant was fully ripe – after 65 days, with the plant standing tall a final 70 cm, he got to work, pulled out his scissors, chopped it, cut the buds off and manicured them which was easy thanks to their low share of leaves.
