SELECTING THE BEST SEEDS FOR OUTDOOR CULTIVATION

One thing is for sure: cannabis loves to be grown outdoors—not that there is anything at all wrong with indoor-grown dank, of course. Outdoors, there can be challenges to producing the type of pristine quality that the contemporary connoisseur demands. There are a number of hostile vectors to be considered in the outdoor grow—bugs, a diverse range of hungry herbivores, and the vicissitudes of the weather, to name but a few. Yet, the rewarding hauls of terpene-rich psychoactive greenery are always worth it.

Outdoor success is largely dictated by informed species selection for a particular climate. Luckily, the cutting edge of hybrid cannabis breeding as presented by Zativo includes a wide and varied selection of genetics that will display optimal vigour for many growing climates and microclimates. Species selected for Northern European climates will need to have different characteristics to those chosen for growing in the south. In either location, and everywhere in between, cannabis will thrive in the outdoors.

Most cannabis strains available today are hybrids, ranging from pure sativa and predominantly sativa to pure indica and predominantly indica, with simple or complex lineages. There are also autoflowering strains, high-CBD seeds, and the increasingly popular 100% feminized cultivars to toss into the mix. Zativo has the lot. We want to recommend some brilliant examples of the cannabis breeding artform that will perform well in warm or cool climates.

 

STRAINS FOR A WARMER CLIMATE

Most plant species will grow well the warmer the weather gets and the longer the days become. Everything in the Zativo cannabis seed library will be sublimely content with plenty of sunshine, warm weather, and a good drink every now and then. Strains like photoperiod pure indicas don’t really start getting confused by autumnal day lengths until they are grown very close to the equator.

The Strait of Gibraltar is at 36°, so indicas can be grown all over Europe with mouth-watering success.

 

1. SATIVA OR SATIVA-DOMINANT

Eagle Bill is a sativa-dominant hybrid that is just as much a delight to behold as it is to enjoy. The classically sculpted long and luscious colas spiral around the stems in a beautiful display of hybrid vigour. This strain has a tropical sativa heritage including Thai, Jamaican, Colombian, and Haze genetics, which makes it thrive in the warmth. The excessive maturing times of these parent strains has been curbed by the subtle inclusion of indica genes, which also fatten the buds quite nicely.

Genetics - 70% sativa/30% indica
Lineage - Pure Haze, Colombian, Thai, Jamaican
Flowering time - 60–70 days
Height - Medium
Harvest time - October
Yield - Medium

 

2. INDICA OR INDICA-DOMINANT

Critical Skunk is an indica-dominant strain that will grow very well outdoors in warm climates. It matures quite quickly and will miss any of the mould-causing autumn rains by at least 4 weeks. With high potency and impressive weights, perhaps the best reason to grow Critical Skunk is for the freaky aesthetics: heaps of trichomes and hairs on warped, funky, fat indica chunks are simply captivating, as is the sweet Afghani and Skunk stench.

Genetics - Indica-dominant
Lineage - Skunk x Afghani
Flowering time - 6–8 weeks
Height - Medium
Harvest time - End of September/early October
Yield - High

 

3. AUTOFLOWERING

Auto Nefertiti is a sativa-dominant autoflowering strain that will reward the warm weather grower with compressed and resin-encrusted, stinky buds. This minty and Haze-flavoured strain grows to 1.5m and is ready to harvest at 70–75 days from germination. Depending on the skill of the grower, yields can be over 100g/plant. Ideal for those with little space outdoors or the guerrilla grower who needs results fast.

Genetics - Sativa-dominant auto
Lineage - Black Widow x White Widow x ruderalis
Flowering time - 10–11 weeks from germination to harvest
Height - Medium
Harvest time - Germination dependent
Yield - 30–150g/plant

 

4. MEDICINAL, HIGH-CBD

CBD MediHaze is a strain for those seeking the sweet succour of high-CBD medicinal cannabis in a warm climate. This strain is a sativa-dominant blend of Hazes crossed with a known CBD-rich cultivar. The resulting plant has a 9–10 week flowering time and produces purple and deep blue tinted buds. The resinous chunks are 1:1 CBD to THC, and can reach 2:1 when given the right conditions. This is great news for the medicinal cannabis user who wants relief without too much stone.

Genetics - 80% sativa/20% indica
Lineage - Super Silver Haze x Neville’s Haze x CBD secret
Flowering time - 9–10 weeks
Height - Medium
Harvest time - Mid-October
Yield - Medium

 

5. FEMINIZED

Golden Lemons is a feminized Kush hybrid with a full-on lemon meringue pie flavour and similarly intense aromas while growing. The feminisation process means there’s no need to worry about males, making each seed of great value. Golden Lemons produces copious resin and is a favourite for crafting intense, citrus-flavoured extracts. Ready at the end of September or early October, this strain thrives in the warmth and produces towers of blue-tinged and resin-caked calyxes.

Genetics - 60% indica/40% sativa
Lineage - Jew Gold Cut x Lemon Skunk
Flowering time - 8–9 weeks
Height - Medium
Harvest time - End of September/early October
Yield - Medium

 

STRAINS FOR A COOLER CLIMATE

Cooler European climates are indelibly linked to shorter days, earlier autumn rains, and harsher winters. However, these extremes don’t have to get in the way of the keen cannabis grower. Choosing an appropriate species can mean some whopping buds and impressive yields for the grower in cooler climates, all while avoiding mould and less-than-satisfying resin production during the final phase.

 

1. SATIVA OR SATIVA-DOMINANT

It is advisable to stay away from pure sativas or sativa-dominant hybrids that require excessive maturing times when growing in cooler climates. That doesn’t mean that the cerebral intensity of the sativa is lost to cool climate growers. A number of hybrids are evenly indica/sativa and mature quickly, while still giving that sativa buzz.

Frisian Duck is such a plant. This strain has enough indica genes to mature quickly and enough sativa genes to keep a fine buzz going. The Frisian Dew parent lends a very appealing mauve colouring, and the sativa aspects mean an impressive 2.5 metre plant. The cooler weather as the season turns really brings out the exotic colouring. Ready for harvest after a short 8 week flowering period, Frisian Duck will make any cool climate grower totally stoked.

Genetics - Indica/sativa
Lineage - Frisian Dew x Ducksfoot
Flowering time - 8 weeks
Height - 2.5 metres
Harvest time - Early October
Yield - High

 

2. INDICA OR INDICA-DOMINANT

Cool weather vigour and post-harvest potency aside, this strain is a pleasure to grow simply for its freakish visual appeal. 7th Wave is a mould-resistant indica-dominant hybrid that matures at the end of September. The trichome-slathered calyxes fight each other for space and form bulging knuckles of tightly packed flowers. The leaf to flower ratio is stellar; if you don’t mind a bit of roughage in your mix, trimming isn’t even necessary.

Genetics - Indica-dominant
Lineage - 7th Wave, line bred
Flowering time - 60 days
Height - Varies
Harvest time - Early October
Yield - Varies

 

3. AUTOFLOWERING

Big Bang is an autoflowering cultivar that takes a mere 8 weeks from seed to harvest. It builds defined towers of calyxes that sprout thick, orange hairs. This medium-sized plant is predominantly indica, and the resin production provides ideal mould resistance to the chunky flowers. With some all-time global favourites in its genetic makeup, this quick-into-the-jar auto variety is even ideal for growers in the far north.

Genetics - Indica-dominant auto
Lineage - Skunk x NL x El Niño x ruderalis
Flowering time - 8 weeks
Height - Medium
Harvest time - Germination dependent
Yield - 45g/plant

 

4. MEDICINAL, HIGH-CBD

White Domina CBD is not only a high-CBD plant, but also matures nice and quick for total cool climate satisfaction. This strain has a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio, with both at an entourage effect-enhancing 10%. Indica-dominant and beautifully shaggy on the stalk, the buds are a pleasing pale lime green with lots of orange pistils. Maturing rapidly in a short 50–55 days means the northern grower can beat the seasonal rains and the cold by a healthy margin.

Genetics - Indica-dominant
Lineage - White Domina x CBD strain
Flowering time - 50–55 days
Height - 190–200cm
Harvest time - September
Yield - 700g/plant

 

5. FEMINIZED

Feminized seeds are pretty much becoming the seed type of choice, and it would be rare to not find a feminized version of any popular seed in the marketplace. In so saying, this recommendation for the northern grower, Auto Pounder, is a balanced autoflowering indica/sativa hybrid. It displays the features of cutting-edge cannabis breeding; it is feminized, autoflowering, hardy, and easy to grow, with great yields to look forward to come harvest. The mind-melting high is the icing on the cake. Auto Pounder delivers on all fronts in 70–80 days.

Genetics - Indica/sativa auto
Lineage - Auto #1 x Big Bud x Power Plant
Flowering time - 70–80 days
Height - 60–100cm
Harvest time - Germination dependant
Yield - Medium

That’s ten epic strains of weed! Zativo stocks the cannabis genetic solution to any growing climate. Search our catalogue for the ideal strain to suit your personal climatic requirements.