Auto Melonade Runtz Grow Report by The Artist | Dutch Passion (2024)

Auto Melonade Runtz is an outstanding new autoflower seed variety which has been in development for several years. Pre-release testing by independent analytical labs showed 24% THC levels, making Auto Melonade Runtz one of the most powerful autoflowers yet seen. Hybrid genetics from the award-winning USA slammer ‘Melonade’ were crossed with an exceptional resin-dripping Runtz pro-mother plant.

With THC levels around 25% and particularly heavy all-white blooms, Auto Melonade Runtz is the most eagerly awaited new autoflower in many years. Some seeds were given to the experienced Dutch Passion grower known as ‘The Artist’. Below is the grow review, in his own words.

This Auto Melonade Runtz grow took place indoors from September – November 2023. Temperatures were perfect initially with cooler conditions experienced towards the end.

I was excited to hear that these were some of the best new auto genetics seen by Dutch Passion for a few years and bought a new LED to celebrate, my previous one was several years old. I grew them under my new MIGRO Aray 4 (250W). This beautiful LED light is highly effective, has a nice even spread of pleasant white light and is dimmable in steps of 20%. It helped bring the best out of these genetics.

The damp cotton pad cannabis seed germination method is the method that the Dutch Passion team often recommend. But I germinated 2 x Auto Melonade Runtz seeds directly in the soil and both germinated.

The seedlings grew as normal. No special grow techniques were used, I like to allow natural autoflower growth. This also makes it an easy, low maintenance, grow.

Nice steady growth from both seedlings. The miniature structure looked great. I chose the more photogenic of the two seedlings for onward photography and video. But I grew both under the 250W LED.

Beautiful healthy growth is immediately obvious. The leaves have a healthy colour and eye-catching ridges. I love growing in the autumn/fall. Temperatures are perfect around this time of year, no nasty heat spikes, few worries about extreme cold weather. The lights do give off a little bit of heat, which helps keep the conditions within the ideal range for growing.

Healthy development! The Auto Melonade Runtz has really taken off. The numerous side branches are growing well. Already there are some signs of flowering too. Pistils are showing here and there. The leaves really look especially healthy. Dutch Passion were stoked with these genetics and so far, so am I.

As usual with Dutch Passion autoflowers, from around weeks 4 to 5 you see explosive growth with both the main cola and side branches – lots of stretch. Bloom is clearly underway and the aroma kicked up a little more. The shape of the buds is showing nicely.

I also noticed a good internode distance between buds and branches with no work or effort from me. It’s impressively easy to grow such a healthy-looking plant. Again, the genetics look on point and the BioTabs slow-release organics make plant maintenance nice and easy. They minimise the need to add mineral nutrients.

At this stage I noted that I had had to do very little so far other than watch-and-admire on this grow. Something I did for quite a few hours in total. Allowing the plant to grow naturally with no interference seems to agree with Auto Melonade Runtz.

I love the shape of this autoflower, with a very nice structure and more side blooms than I am used to. One other nice feature – there were not too many leaves, making the eventual harvest a fast and pleasant job. Trichome development is also kicking in at this stage with buds starting to swell everywhere.

She seems to be very happy so far. Trichomes and pistils are all over the place. The buds are swelling up nicely. I love to see the perfect shape of the buds, it reminds me of my Auto MAC #1 grow review, which also had these perfect sized buds at the end. So far, this grow has been a breeze and there isn’t long to go. Again, little to do this week other than add a touch of mineral nutrients.

The buds are swelling up even more. The first pistils are just starting to turn brown already – maybe harvest isn’t too far away. The overall plant shape is great with the usual Dutch Passion auto shape – a fat central bloom surrounded by a ring of chunky side blooms. Hints of some autumnal colours are just starting to show. This plant is loving life underneath the Migro Aray 4 LED.

It looks like this one will be ready on time. Harvest somewhere between weeks 10 & 11 should be about right based on the current looks. The buds now look super frosty already. And the shape of them is great too. Nice dense nuggets almost ready for picking like apples on a tree. At this point, I stopped feeding with mineral nutrients and only gave water for the last 2 weeks. This flushes out any excess nutrients but might also cause some leaves to turn a more yellow / brown colour.

Wow what a beauty she has become! The buds look darker even though there are more white trichomes covering them. She has a silver shimmer with a certain dankness to her.

We’re almost at the end of this grow, and I’m excited about the the great final appearance. Temperatures in the attic are dropping a bit now that it’s November, you can see the darker colours showing in the leaves and buds. This combined with a very frosty overall appearance makes the Auto Melonade Runtz look special!

The trichomes are getting too that sweet spot – milky with a few amber ones thrown in. Some trichomes are still clear. I’ll let her grow for 1 more week and then it’s harvest time. We’re pretty excited for the first toke. Trichomes like these don’t lie, I already know she will be a top smoke.

I’ve harvested the plant, trimming and cutting was very easy and pleasant. Good bud structure, minimal leaves and frosty buds make this one a quick and easy harvest. Just the way I like them.

The smell is something else, a beautiful deep & rich aroma with a sour touch and a slight tropical vibe. This autoflower seems to be genuinely special and a really nice addition to the Dutch Passion collection. The buds look frosty and smell amazing, nice and firm.

The final dry yield of 110g in my attic set-up was in line with some of the best yielding autoflowers I have grown. Despite not being the largest auto I have ever grown she still yielded a generous amount of buds. Without doubt these are some of my best looking buds to date – I rarely see such a thick velvety coating of trichomes.

Potency was pure top shelf on this one, definitely one of my best ever grows from Dutch Passion autoflower seeds and I will be growing this one again without any doubt. My friends ensured the harvest was quickly distributed and they all raved about her, asking when would I grow her again of course.

The second Auto Melonade Runtz was a bit smaller and grown in a 20 litre container yielding around 60g. The total yield of both plants was 170g under a 250W LED. I give this strain top marks for quality, and to get 170g of buds from two plants with such little effort is a really good result for me.

Congratulations to The Artist on another quality grow. Growing autoflower seeds in air pots (or similar highly aerated grow media) with quality LED lights and slow-release BioTabs organics is one of the most popular/proven ways to optimise your harvest potency and maximise ease-of-growth.

Use of aerated grow mixtures, as used here (light mix soil & coco fibre) allows rapid root growth. Generously sized grow containers (20-30 litres or more) always allows the autoflower genetic potential to be pushed to the max. Of course, those growing in hydroponics will see even faster growth and can expect to target several hundred grams per plant in e.g. DWC (Deep Water Culture) with powerful lights.

Auto Melonade Runtz can also be grown well outdoors, just select a sunny and warm 3-month grow period. The Dutch Passion team are particularly proud of the multi-year efforts to create Auto Melonade Runtz. You will find she’s a great looking, easy-to-grow (and harvest!) auto that yields way above average and packs a serious punch (around 25% THC) with a grow cycle of about 75 days. What more could you want in an auto?

The Artist

36 posts

For ‘The Artist’, the best autoflower seeds mean the easiest possible grow experience, using little to no special grow techniques but still ending up with high quality, easy to trim flowers. The aim is to get super high bud quality that is easily on a par with the best photoperiod feminised strains he has grown over the years. His aim is not only to grow high quality cannabis, but to document and photograph every step during the process, from seedling to finished dried product. Giving you (the reader) a complete view from beginning to end.