Banana Blaze

According to Dutch Passion, the strong banana scent of Banana Blaze only comes through toward the end of flowering; when smoked, it carries over into the taste, most clearly on the exhale. The indica-dominant strain starts from a Banana Indica from the 1990s that was kept in the breeder's gene bank. Dutch Passion places it in the Afghani Kush family, which the breeder also considers to include Master Kush and Mazar.

Aroma and Flavor:

Sweet and fruity, with a creamy side and a musky undertone: this is how Dutch Passion sums up the banana aroma. According to the breeder, individual phenotypes additionally show notes of pine and flowers. Other strain descriptions add tropical fruit, vanilla, citrus as well as earthy and spicy tones, and one also mentions black pepper and herbs.

In user reports, brown sugar appears alongside banana. One report found the smell more intense than the taste, another describes a mix of banana and chemical notes. With the autoflower variant, one grower missed the pronounced banana aroma, and another was reminded of Lemon Haze.

Genetics and Origin:

Dutch Passion does not publish a full lineage. Strain descriptions list the strain as a cross of Banana and an unknown indica or as a phenotype of the Banana Indica; for the indica share they give 80 % in some cases and 90 % in others.

For the autoflowering variant Auto Banana Blaze, Dutch Passion crossed Banana Blaze with Auto Mazar, whereas a strain overview names an unspecified ruderalis as the second parent. Other breeders have also used the strain: Smoke One Genetics combined it with Monkey Snax for Stoned Monkey, Let's Grow WNY with Wowza from Heart & Soil Seeds for Banana Laffy Taffy.

THC Content:

Dutch Passion gives no percentage and only rates the THC content as very high. Strain descriptions state 21 to 24 %, while a retailer's figure of 14 % is considerably lower.

Effects:

The breeder describes a predominantly physical, relaxing effect with a slight effect in the head. User reports on the photoperiod version and on the autoflower variant partly speak of a heavy, almost narcotic body stone. Others paint a more alert picture, with relaxation without tiredness, talkativeness and a lifted mood, occasionally also with energy and focus. A single report mentions sleepiness. Strain descriptions list dry mouth and dizziness as side effects.

Cultivation:

According to current information from Dutch Passion, the feminized, photoperiod original version flowers indoors in 8 to 10 weeks, 9 on average. An older description from the breeder gave about 8 weeks and a height of up to 1.50 m; today Dutch Passion states 2 to 2.5 m for outdoor plants. During the first 2.5 to at most 3 weeks of flowering the plant stretches and roughly doubles in size. With strong branches, thick leaves and short internodes, it grows in a fir-tree shape. The buds become full and dense and are very sticky early in flowering; for the main flower the breeder gives 15 to 30 g dry weight as the usual figure. Dutch Passion puts the yield at 400 to 450 g/m² indoors and 500 to 1000 g per plant outdoors.

Because of the large buds, the strain is prone to mold and bud rot. Dutch Passion advises a maximum of 50 % humidity, preferably lower, and good air movement. The breeder advises against bending and kinking the branches because they break quickly; natural growth or Sea of Green are suitable, while the leaf structure does not suit SCROG. According to the current breeder statement, the plant needs no special feeding schedule, while the older description recommends sparing feeding. Dutch Passion rates cultivation as easy, a retailer's figure as medium difficulty.

According to Dutch Passion, Auto Banana Blaze needs 11 to 13 weeks from seed to harvest. The plants reach 1 m at most, with most phenotypes staying around 75 cm, and are expected to yield 400 to 500 g/m² indoors and 50 to 100 g per plant outdoors. Here too the breeder calls for humidity below 50 %; the variant tolerates cooler temperatures. One grow report describes bushy growth with tight internodes and 72 days from seedling to harvest, another about 70 g per plant and susceptibility to mold in damp weather.

Community Experiences:

Grow reports mention reliable germination, dense, resinous buds with abundant trichome coverage and a strong banana smell. One report described a mutated plant whose buds processed well into rosin.