Mazar-I-Sharif by Bomba Seeds

Bomba Seeds, Ukraine

Pure Indica

Genetics: Landrace Mazar-i-Sharif

Potency: THC 17%

www.bombaseeds.com

Bomba Seeds are an independent seed company based in the Ukraine. Their Mazar-i-Sharif plant is a pure, landrace indica that was discovered by a soldier who fought during the Soviet War in Afghanistan. This nameless soldier had strong anti-war sentiments, but had to fight regardless, and found solace in one interest he shared with some of the Afghan civilians he met – a love of good hashish. Before returning to the former USSR he made sure to collect seeds from his favorite plants in the region and brought them home. These seeds were passed on to Bomba Seeds who now offer them to the public.

If grown outdoors, as nature intended, these plants become indica giants that reach heights of 10 to 13 feet with a classic wide leaf shape. A yield of 50 to 70 ounces per plant isn’t uncommon, and harvest time is early December to early January. The buds are heavy and the yield is large, so be prepared to stake your garden. Mazar likes the cold weather and is hardy, so growers can plant them outside and harvest them in December despite the cold weather. These plants have been known to grow in the snow and can survive even very brutal winter weather.

Mazar-i-Sharif has a pungent, intense aroma with some classic hard Afghan sweetness thrown in for good measure. The high is spaced out and mellow, but over-indulgence can produce a mind-warping couch lock effect, so be careful.

Blue Mistic by Royal Queen Seeds

Royal Queen Seeds, Holland

Indica-Dominant

Potency: THC 20%

www.royalqueenseeds.com

After numerous years growing in the Netherlands, the team behind Royal Queen Seeds decided that the time had come to exercise 20 year’s worth of knowledge and produce their own varieties of cannabis. The aim was to create a range of plants suitable for all growers, from the absolute beginner to the connoisseur breeder. Since inception, Royal Queen Seeds has won many accolades for its products and its focus remains on producing quality seeds for those who love to grow. Blue Mistic is one of the company’s most enigmatic strains, and though both its name and growing pattern suggest that DJ Short’s famous Blueberry strain might be found somewhere in its family tree, we can only be sure that its roots lie in the fantastic surroundings of the California hills.

As with most indica-dominant hybrids, Blue Mistic is a compact plant that doesn’t need a lot of space to grow to its potential. Due to this, it makes a fantastic indoor plant, but will also thrive outdoors in most climates, though its favorite environment is one similar to that of its native Northern Cali. Indoors or in greenhouses, Blue Mistic can grow a little larger than other indicas, but should never grow beyond 5 feet, making it suitable for a variety of growing situations. They do, however, tend to prefer growing in small groups of similar plants, and seem to encourage each other in the growing process!

These hardy plants will finish in just over 9 weeks, but the most exciting part of the growing process will come a few weeks before that. Half way through their flowering cycle, the flowers will start to show a stunning blue hue, beginning fairly pale and moving through to a deeper, more sensual tone when harvest nears. The fabulous-looking buds will grow denser and more resinous right before your eyes, and such is the beauty of the plant that you’ll barely even notice how much bud she’s carrying. A good harvest should give you about 450 grams of dried bud, which is a fantastic rate of production for such a small plant. She also has the added bonus of barely giving off any aromas in the flowering stage, which negates the need for excessive venting and protects you from the noses of any snitch neighbors.

The buds of all Blue strains enjoy a longer-than-average curing time to really enhance their already fantastic flavor and smell, so if you can keep your hands off your stash you’ll be rewarded well in the end. Fruity and sweet, the smoke is light and smooth but carries with it a knock out stone that will leave you feeling like you’ve been run over with a padded, furry blue truck. And I mean that in the best possible way.

L.A. Ultra by Resin Seeds

Resin Seeds, Spain

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: MK Ultra x L.A. Confidential

Potency: THC 19-23%

www.resinseeds.net

Founded in 2008, Resin Seeds is part of the set of young, ambitious seed companies springing up in Western Europe – in this case, Spain. The head breeder has been active in the scene since the previous decade when he ran a grow shop in Barcelona and became an authority on cannabis genetics. Resin Seeds breeds, engineers and supplies product for medical marijuana users, as well as seed buyers looking for stability in their gardens. L.A. Ultra contains genetics from L.A. Confidential as well as MK Ultra, making it a very reliable all-rounder plant that has earned accolades worldwide.

Due to the heavy indica influence, plants will be fairly short and stubby, lending themselves to both indoor and outdoor environments. L.A. Confidential is resistant to mildew, and L.A. Ultra has inherited this enviable characteristic, making it a great outdoor strain. If you work indoors, don’t be afraid to try this plant in an organic soil grow, as its hardiness makes it great for this sort of set up. Although a hydroponic set up isn’t necessary for such a simple and easy plant, if you choose to go down that route your plant will respond well and look amazingly healthy. Flowering begins to occur between 45 and 55 days but, due to the MK Ultra parentage, the period from here to harvest isn’t as short as it is for other indica strains. However, as early as 3 weeks into flowering, your plants should be covered in trichomes – patience will be necessary to wait for the right harvesting time! You’ll know that you are getting there when your plants start to give off a spicy stench that stings the nostrils, but hang in there for as long as possible to ensure the most potent and dense buds you could ever wish for. An outdoor grow can be harvested in September with expected yields of 100 to 250 grams per plant, and indoors, you should take away around 350 grams of premium L. A. Ultra bud from each square yard of grow space.

When flowering, the buds give off a slightly spicy and fruity aroma, and often display gorgeous crystal white buds. Both L.A. Confidential and MK Ultra are known to give energetic, hard-hitting highs, and the former has been reported to give a psychedelic experience if enough is inhaled or ingested. Expect a heady high that tokers in Spain are raving about. The ‘hypnotic’ stone of MK Ultra means that this is not a wake 'n bake strain – be sure to set aside some time to enjoy a decent trip.

X-18 Pure Pakistani by Reserva Privada

Reserva Privada, USA

Pure Indica

Genetics: Pakistani Indica

www.dnagenetics.com

Working out of the USA, Reserva Privada is a collective of West Coast breeders that strives to fashion fantastic and innovative strains for use in the community.  Although protected by medical growing laws in their home state, these breeders prefer to remain nameless. One of their great strains is a pure indica with Pakistani landrace genetics known as X-18 Pure Pakistani. This is testament to the workability of the true Pakistani line, and the quality of X-18 proves the strength of true Hindu Kush plants.

Though this plant is an indica through and through, the landrace influence means that its growing pattern may be much different than you’re used to with indica/sativa hybrids. You’ll definitely spot the fat, intensely green leaves to which you’ve become accustomed as an indica grower but once you reach the first few weeks of the flowering stage, you’ll see the typical Pakistani stretch that makes your plants look much different. With steady growth throughout its lifespan, this isn’t a particularly fast-flowering plant but it should be fully finished in 8 to 9 weeks. In flower, its aroma becomes especially pungent and when you get a whiff of the cheese and chorizo smell you’ll be looking around for your roommate’s leftover pizza, and might get a shock to find that that strangely delicious odor is actually emanating from your plants. This might also be an asset in the security of your crop, as no one in their right mind would associate weed growing with a meaty smell. Towards the end of flowering, however, your plants will take on a more vinegary, citric smell, and that’s when you’ll have to be extra careful to ventilate and extract the odor properly.

Your harvest from X-18 Pure Pakistani won’t be huge, but you will walk away with a decent stash of rock-hard, crusty, compact nugs that reek of quality. For each square yard of grow room indoors, you will most likely take away about 400 to 500 grams of dried, cured bud. These buds will be very easy to manicure as the calyx-to-leaf ratio is so high, and they’ll be literally crusted with that beautiful resin; just be sure not to touch your eyes before washing your hands.

The high point of growing this strain is when you finally get to roll your homegrown X-18 Pure Pakistani joint, and as you inhale the citrusy, acidy smoke that slides down your windpipe you’ll see why this is revered as such a fantastic strain. Then comes the head rush and the spinning feeling, and your personality and situation will decide what comes next: whether it’s the relaxing sleepiness or the brainstorming energy, be sure to enjoy it to its full potential.

Shiesel by Bong Guru Beans

Bonguru Beans, Holland

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Shiva x New York City Diesel

Potency: THC 18%

www.bonguruseeds.com

Bonguru Beans is a well-established Dutch seed company specializing in high quality niche genetics, such as their celebrated strain, Shiesel. By crossing a special cut of Shiva with a renowned New York City Diesel, the breeders at Bonguru Beans have created one hell of a plant. The Shiva adds a significant amount of potency to the NYC Diesel and the buds retain the floral bouquet with an extra hint of fruitiness from the Diesel parent. Shiesel is an F1 and subsequently shows the distinct differences of the parent strains in the phenotypes that are produced.

As with everything worthwhile in life, growing this strain can be a challenge, indoors and outdoors, so be prepared to devote a lot of time and attention to it. Beginners can find Shiesel to be a tough plant to grow, but advanced cultivators enjoy the challenge and love this beauty because the rewards are so sweet. Expect a flowering time of between 8 and 10 weeks and a decent yield if tended to properly. The breeder recommends that seeds be germinated by soaking overnight and then planted directly into small pots at a depth of ¼ inch. Be careful not to overwater and be sure to vegetate the plant until it has between 4 and 7 internodes.

Shiesel is a fruity, exotic-smelling plant with a firm, hashy taste. The stone is very indica-influenced, so you should expect to experience some extreme couch lock when smoking this plant. Chill out, put some tunes on, and get ready for a long relaxation session.