What Is Limonene and what does this cannabis terpene do?

With a delicious zesty citrus aroma, Limonene is a cannabis terpene produced in the trichome resin glands. Limonene is also found in citrus plants, especially in the rind (skin) of the fruit. Oranges, lemons and limes contain limonene in the rind. Limonene is also found in peppermint, rosemary and juniper. Herbalists have recommended limonene for those with anxiety, depression, inflammation, and pain. It is said to give a mood lift and relieve stress. Because it’s a naturally occurring terpene, limonene is used to add a fresh orange citrus fragrance to many different type of household products. This includes air fresheners, kitchen/bathroom cleaning products, washing up liquids, cosmetics, shampoo etc.

Limonene in cannabis

Limonene boils at 176ºC. It is a clear and colorless liquid. It is safe for humans, but sometimes used as an insecticide, or as a repellant for cats and dogs. Limonene is one of many cannabis terpenes. Many believe that terpenes modulate, or help steer, the type of cannabis high. Different varieties of cannabis have different aromas. And they have different types of terpene profile too. The complicated mixture of many terpenes is responsible for the characteristic cannabis aroma.

Limonene and the Dutch Passion Orange family of seeds

Ever since Dutch Passion began in the 1980’s, some of the most popular cannabis seed varieties were the limonene-rich Orange family of seeds. This includes original classic feminized seeds such as Orange Bud, as well as new autoflowering seed varieties such as the THC-rich Auto Critical Orange Punch, which made the High Times Top-10 strains list of 2018. The feminized seed version, Critical Orange Punch has a sweet skunky citrus flavor with a blissful euphoric high. If you enjoy the extra citrus taste and aroma that comes from a limonene rich variety there are plenty of great options.

Orange Bud feminized seeds. Taste the limonene!

Orange Bud is available in feminized seeds, autoflowering seeds or regular seeds. Orange Bud was created from exceptional Orange Skunk genetics in the 1980s. It’s a THC rich smoke, intensely strong and uplifting with a sweet citrus taste and aroma. Orange Hill Special is another THC rich feminized seed with a strong citrus limonene flavor and a powerfully relaxing effect. Passion Fruit is a feminized seed variety with a taste of sweet pink grapefruit. Californian Orange is a USA West Coast classic from 1980 with a delicious orange taste and a powerful anti-anxiety high.

Blue light treatment before harvest to enhance limonene and terpenes in general

Terpene connoisseurs have found that they can increase the terpene profile of cannabis by using blue light treatment in the days before harvest. The emergence of spectrum-adjustable LED grow lights has allowed some novel approaches towards growing. The California Lightworks SolarSystem series, and the Growspec Sunray lights both have adjustable spectrum control. With blue light treatment, the red light is removed from the spectrum for the last 2-4 days. Just blue light given to the plants. This results in a significant increase in terpene production.

There are different ideas about how and why blue light treatment works. But growers have noticed that it definitely does. Red light is important for bloom and bud growth. Bud growth reaches it’s maximum just before harvest, this allows you the option of turning off the red LED spectrum 3-4 days before harvest. This does not significantly affecting final harvest quantity. By offering only blue light, the theory is that the plant switches photosynthetic focus from biomass production to terpene production.