How to grow Critic Boom
What’s up, fellow cultivator! Are you ready to grow a strain that’s a real “critical hit” in any garden? A plant that delivers a perfectly balanced high and an explosion of delicious citrus and spice? Then let’s talk about the incredible Critic Boom. This is the hybrid you grow when you want the best of both worlds, an uplifting, creative head high that gently settles into a soothing, relaxing body stone.
This strain is a testament to modern breeding, offering a robust plant that’s a joy to cultivate and a final product that gets rave reviews. I’m here to educate you and help you nurture this beautiful plant from a tiny seed into a harvest of top-shelf, homegrown buds. Let’s get to it!
Recommended Strains
Critic Boom
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THC: 20% - 25% -
Type of seed: Feminized -
Phenotype: 60% Sativa / 40% Indica -
Flavor: Citrus, Earthy, Sweet -
Day to flower: 8 - 10 weeks
Critical 2.0
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THC: 18% - 22%
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Type of seed: Feminized
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Phenotype: 40% Sativa / 60% Indica
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Flavor: Citrus, Herbal, Pine
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Day to flower: 8 - 10 weeks
From Seed to a Booming Harvest: The Full Grow-Along
This plant is a joy to cultivate, rewarding your care with dense, frosty, and powerful flowers. Let’s break down its entire journey.
Germination: The First Spark
Every great plant starts with a single healthy seed. The paper towel method is my trusted technique.
- Soak: Give your seeds a 12 to 24-hour soak in a glass of room-temperature water.
- Wrap: Place the hydrated seeds between two paper towels that are damp, but not dripping wet.
- Keep it Warm & Dark: Put your paper towel setup inside a Ziploc bag or between two plates.
- Sprout!: In 2 to 7 days, a tiny white taproot will emerge. Game on! Carefully plant it about a half-inch deep in your starter pot, with the root pointing down.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Being too rough. That new little taproot is the most fragile part of the plant’s life. Use tweezers and a gentle touch when moving it to its new home.
The Vegetative Stage: Building a Strong Foundation
During the veg stage, your Critic Boom is focused on building a strong, bushy structure to support all those future dense, heavy buds.
- Light Cycle: You need long “days” to promote strong vegetative growth. An 18/6 light cycle (18 hours of light, 6 of darkness) is the gold standard.
- Nutrient Needs: Your plant is hungry for Nitrogen (N) during this phase to fuel all that leafy development. Use a well-balanced “grow” fertilizer.
- Train for Bigger Yields: This plant responds incredibly well to training. Techniques like Topping or Low-Stress Training (LST) will open up the canopy, allow more light to reach the lower branches, and dramatically increase your final yield.
The Flowering Stage: An Aromatic Explosion
This is where the magic really happens. To trigger flowering, you MUST switch your lights to a strict 12/12 cycle (12 hours of light, 12 hours of absolute darkness).
The flowering time for Critic Boom is typically a speedy 7-9 weeks. During this phase, the plant will stretch a bit, then focus its energy on producing incredibly dense and resinous buds. The aroma will be a beautiful and complex mix of sweet citrus, earthy notes, and a hint of spice.
When you flip your lights, switch to a “bloom” fertilizer that is higher in Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) to support this amazing flower production.
Common Mistake to Avoid: High Humidity. Those dense buds are a magnet for mold if your humidity is too high. It is CRITICAL to keep your humidity levels lower (around 40-50%) and ensure good airflow during the flowering stage.
Promos & Deals
Indoor vs. Outdoor: Choosing Your Grow Environment
This hybrid is adaptable, but a controlled environment will give you the best results.
Growing Indoors This is where you can create the perfect, controlled environment to produce connoisseur-quality buds.
- Height: This is a medium-to-tall plant. Expect a final height between 2.6 to 5 feet (80-150 cm). You will want to use training techniques to manage its height and create an even canopy.
- Climate Control: This strain is sensitive to big swings in temperature and humidity. Keeping your grow room stable is key to a happy plant and a high-quality harvest.
Growing Outdoors If you have the right climate, you can cultivate a beautiful outdoor Critic Boom.
- Height Potential: Unrestrained outdoors, this plant can stretch up to 6.5 to 10 feet (200-300 cm) or more!
Best U.S. Cities and Climates: This strain loves a warm, stable, Mediterranean-like climate.
- California (San Francisco): The consistent warmth and coastal breezes provide an ideal setting for this plant to thrive.
- Oregon (Portland): The temperate climate and long summer days are fantastic for this strain.
- Colorado (Denver): The intense sun is great for resin production, but you’ll need to be mindful of the dry air and temperature swings.
Pro-Level Playbook: Cloning and Powerful Extractions
Cloning: Preserve That Perfect Profile
Find a specific Critic Boom plant with that perfect effect? Don’t let those amazing genetics go!
- Select & Snip: Take a healthy 4-6 inch cutting from a lower branch of a mother plant in her vegetative stage. Use a sterile razor for a clean cut.
- Hormone Dip: Immediately dip the cut end in a rooting hormone to inspire vigorous root growth.
- Plant It: Place the cutting into a moist starter cube like Rockwool.
- Keep It Humid: Cover your new clones with a humidity dome to keep them from wilting.
- A New Generation: In about two weeks, you’ll have a new plant that is a perfect genetic copy of your prized mother!
What to Do With Your Trim? Make a Masterpiece!
A sustainable grower uses the whole plant! The frosty trim from your Critic Boom is a goldmine of flavor.
This is THE perfect strain for making high-quality, terpene-rich extracts like live resin, hash, or BHO (Butane Hash Oil). These methods capture the fresh, volatile terpenes that create that signature citrus and spice smell. It’s the ultimate way to experience what makes this plant so special.
The Grand Finale: Harvest, Dry & Cure
You’ve made it! Get a jeweler’s loupe and look at the trichomes. When they have changed from clear to mostly milky-white, with just a hint of amber, you’ve hit the sweet spot for a perfectly balanced high.
- The Chop: Cut your plants and trim away the large fan leaves.
- The Slow Dry: Hang the branches in a dark room with good airflow, a temperature around 60-70°F (15-21°C), and humidity around 45-55%. This usually takes 7-10 days.
- The Cure: This is the final step for a smooth and flavorful final product. Trim the buds and place them in airtight glass jars. “Burp” the jars daily for the first couple of weeks. A proper cure of at least 2 to 4 weeks will bring out that complex sweet and earthy flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the effects of Critic Boom really like?
It’s a beautifully balanced hybrid. It starts with a happy, euphoric, and uplifting cerebral rush that’s great for creativity and socializing. This is followed by a soothing and relaxing body high that melts away stress without being a total knockout.
Is this a good strain for beginners?
Yes! Its genetics make it a resilient and manageable plant. As long as a new grower pays attention to keeping the environment stable and doesn’t overwater, it’s a very forgiving and rewarding plant for our growing community.
What does it smell and taste like?
It has a very distinct, sweet citrus aroma that hits you first, followed by pleasant notes of earth and spice. The flavor is very similar, making for a really refreshing and complex experience.
What are the key challenges when growing Critic Boom?
The biggest challenges are maintaining a stable environment (temperature and humidity), managing its height (especially indoors), and preventing mold in its dense buds with good airflow.
How big will my yield be?
This strain is known for producing very generous yields. It grows into a solid, multi-branched plant, and if you use some basic training techniques, you can expect a very bountiful harvest of top-quality, potent buds.
