Kandahar by Ministry of Cannabis

Ministry of Cannabis, Holland

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Afghan Kandahari x Skunk

Potency: THC 19.5 %

www.ministryofcannabis.com

Ministry of Cannabis prides itself on creating exclusive strains for serious growers, and by crossing an enigmatic strain of the famous Skunk with Afghani genetics, they’ve achieved exactly that! The Skunk parentage was reportedly stabilized in the late 70s by Sam the Skunkman of Sacred Seeds, bringing together for the first time the taste of a sativa with the quick flowering and heavy yield of an indica. This brought together Afghani, Mexican and Colombian genetics to create a strain that was to become one of the most well-known in recent history. In crossing this plant with an Afghani indica, found on hillsides around the city of Kandahar which gives the strain its name, the team at Ministry of Cannabis created a strain with extremely high indica dominance (around 90%) and therefore a tendency towards dense flowering.

As would be expected from an Afghani offspring, especially when crossed with the robust Skunk, the Kandahar plant is a very consistent one to grow and is viable in a number of environments. Introducing Skunk to the equation also gives enhanced vigor. By week 8 or 9, you will have a short, bushy plant with a lot of branches, allowing you to harvest up to 500 grams from an indoor grow or 400 grams outdoors. It’s interesting to note that the leaves in particular can be extremely fat compared to other plants. Both this, and the branching, means that Kandahar can grow well in a ScrOG set up if properly looked after. The vegetative stage can sit at around the 4 week period, and once you switch to a 12 on/12 off light cycle you’ll notice some encouragingly steady growth. After the first 2 weeks of flowering, growth can be greatly accelerated for a week or so, but then will plateau to a steady pace to produce some fantastic buds with a lot of orange/brown hair. You can harvest anywhere from the 60 day mark.

Kandahar, when smoked, has a distinctive musky, woody smell. By the third or fourth puff you may notice an aroma of roasted walnuts. Kandahar stands apart from the majority of strains in terms of flavor alone. If your taste buds are a little more developed and you’ve had enough of the many fruity smokes out there, Kandahar has a great, mature taste. The high is said to be exceptionally powerful, with the ability to satisfy even the most dedicated stoner. Between the taste and the effects, Kandahar is definitely one for the serious pothead to enjoy.

Grubbycup's Stash by Grubbycup Stash Seeds

Grubbycup Stash Seeds, USA

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: (White Rhino x Blueberry) x (Blackberry x Purple Lady)

Potency: THC 17%

www.grubbycup.org

The name of this strain couldn’t be more telling if it tried; bred by marijuana author Grubbycup, it’s come to be a favorite of his, and therefore always a big part of his stash. Working out of the USA, Grubbycup used a cross between a White Rhino, of Indian and Afghani indica and Brazilian sativa genetics, and a Blueberry plant for the father, and romantically introduced this to a Blackberry / Purple Lady cross. These parents not only exhibited potency and fruit flavors, but the thick buds and strong plant structure that Grubbycup wanted to harness.

The way the plant grows is actually its most notable feature; in later generations of seeds, a trait known as whorled phyllotaxis is common. In layman’s terms, this means that there are three or four branches per node, instead of the usual two. If your seeds are of an earlier generation, this may not occur, but you definitely will see fat leaves and tight floral clusters that can be grown as a single cola or multiples, depending on how you choose to prune the plant. Due to the busy branches, and despite the strength of the plant’s structure, you might find that in the flowering stages it starts to drop its arms somewhat under the weight of all those buds. If this occurs, simply stake to the branches to support them and keep an eye on them for the rest of the grow period. Netting can also be used to this effect, though it’s a little more complicated. Primarily grown indoors, Grubbycup’s Stash finishes in around 10 weeks and has many traits that make it suitable for a less experienced grower, including a high tolerance to bud rot and over-feeding of nutrients. However, even a toker who’s been growing their own for 40 years will appreciate the unique look of these plants and the ease with which they can be brought to harvest. It’s not a coincidence that these plants are the breeder’s favorites, and as the buds grow to their full size in their last weeks of flowering it will probably become your plant of choice, too.

This strain has a very strong effect straight off, but fades somewhat and gives way to a much more long-lasting stone that creeps up on you when you think the high is almost over. The flavor is clean and tasty and the smoke is mild, and though the effects are strongly felt, it’s heady enough that you can smoke this guy all day, if the fancy takes you.

SDOGNesia by Ultimate Seeds

Ultimate Seeds

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Sour Diesel x OG Kush x Amnesia Haze

Potency: THC 21%

www.ultimateseeds.com

Ultimate Seeds is a fairly young seed bank offering the  top strains, including great originals. For this exclusive strain, Ultimate has raised the bar for great genetics. The previously popular Sour Diesel x OG Kush cross was brought back to life, and brought with it an expansive family tree that includes 1991 Chemdawg, Northern Lights, Super Skunk, Hawaiian, Diesel, OG Kush and Lemon Thai. That makes one mean family gathering even before you consider that this plant was then married to Ultimate Seeds’ favorite Amnesia Haze cut. The award-winning and exotic Amnesia Haze is of Laotian, Hawaiian and Jamaican heritage, and is known to give an intense, lingering body buzz that has made it the choice of many heavy smokers. Given this rich gene pool, it’s easy to see why SDOGnesia is regarded as such a high-quality strain.

As is often the case with a young strain that hasn’t yet been fully stabilized, there are many phenotypes of SDOGnesia, exhibiting a variety of traits. However, all of these phenotypes produce plants that are extremely shiny, as if always wet. This is due to the huge trichome production and should be cause for celebration rather than concern! This also means that the plant is extremely sticky, so caution should be used when harvesting or trimming, as a massive and unpleasant contact high can result from overhandling. SDOGnesia is a relatively quick finisher, and flowers in 8 to 10 weeks depending on how and where you choose to grow your crop. Just before harvest you’ll be treated to a lingering, sweet aroma from your grow room. Once chopped, these buds will mature with an even more delicious smell. Your yield should be a heavy one, especially if the plant is grown outside where it has more room to spread its roots. Be aware of the risk of powdery mildew and make sure to take action at any sign of it taking hold.

The experience of smoking this strain has been likened to ‘talking to God’: a brave and bold claim, you might think. Parent plant Amnesia Haze is known to bring on a psychedelic, trippy high, and it could be this influence that leads the smoker into a state much like conversing with the ultimate deity. However we could also attribute this to the cerebral relaxation of the Sour Diesel, or the zombie-making super stone of OG Kush. Wherever it comes from, the high is a delightful one, leaving you positive, stimulated and chilled out all at the same time. The taste is layered and has both floral and oily undertones, and makes SDOGnesia a total joy to smoke.

Pinkbud by Secret Garden Seeds

Secret Garden Seeds, UK

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: LowAsis x M. JEMS x Diesel Ryder

www.secretgardenseeds.com 

Secret Garden Seeds has broken new ground with Pinkbud: an auto-flowering SOG-specific strain, something not seen regularly in the expansive cannabis market. This strain was the company’s first attempt at making a colorful variety that met these criteria, and to do so, they used a three-way hybrid of LowAsis, M. JEMS and Diesel Ryder. This crossing increased the flavor LowAsis and preserved the beautiful coloring traits that JEMS are known for. 

Pinkbud plants have it all: large colorful buds from JEMS, heavy resin production from Diesel Ryder, and the great flavor of LowAsis. Plants are very uniform, which is a must for any auto-flowering SOG system. The plants average at about 20 inches in height, have a distinct main cola dominance and limited branching. Planting at 4 plants per square foot yields an impressive canopy of large buds, with beautiful pink, purple, red, and green colors. Despite being formulated for a SOG set up, the plants also do well outdoors thanks to their resistance to mold and frost. 

The smoke of Pinkbud is light and pleasant, and the high is a mellow one but don’t expect to get much done if you smoke in the morning!

Montreal Chemo by Trichome Pharm

Trichome Pharm, Canada

Indica-Dominant

Potency: THC 23%

www.trichomepharm.com

Trichome Pharm, based in Canada, comprises a group of licensed medical marijuana growers and breeders keen to make access to both quality product and accurate information easier for those who need it. They are currently in the process of creating a research program with a view towards launching a database that plots different strains against the symptoms that they can help relieve. In the meantime, they have produced Montreal Chemo, which as the name suggests, is an original Canadian strain with very strong effects designed for medicinal users. Part of the celebrated Chemo family, Montreal Chemo has been popular in the Quebec cannabis community for almost 15 years. The strain is particularly noted for its pain management properties and strong appetite stimulation, and is one of the strains of choice for compassion societies.

The genetic indica dominance is easy to see as soon as the plant enters the vegetative stage and begins to exhibit heavy stalks, hollow stems and the particular strength in structure that is not seen in sativa-dominant hybrids. Though the robustness of the plant means that it is able to grow in almost any scenario, it does produce especially well when grown with the SOG technique. If this is not your own choice of technique, Montreal Chemo will also produce well when allowed to grow into a slightly larger plant, and as such, enjoys lots of room and a slightly heavier feeding regime. These crops do tend to need a little more love than other indicas, and if not taken care of properly can be susceptible to pests and diseases.

These plants respond very well to LST (low stress training), which tricks the plant into forming new growth along the flower stems to push new shoots out to reach the light. This basically involves pulling some of the more dominant shoots downwards, to make the plant forget that some of its tips are close to the light. To remedy this, it pushes other growth out towards the light, or creates new light-seeking stems. The mechanics of this technique are similar to that of topping, though the process is very different.

Near harvest time, your Montreal Chemo buds will be coated with thick and oily resin, making it a great crop to produce hash from. Your grow room will be full of pine forest aromas just before harvest, and though your growing method of choice will affect the taste, you should notice earthy and fruity tones within the smoke. The resulting high is both heavy and narcotic, while remaining mellow. A great one for connoisseurs and medical patients.