Himalaya Blue Diesel by Short Stuff Seeds

Short Stuff Seeds, breeder Stitch, Spain

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Lowyrder #2 x Blueberry x Auto Nepalese Kush x NYC Diesel

Potency: THC 18%

www.shortstuffseeds.com

Himalaya Blue Diesel comes from the veritable hive of cannabis activity, Spain. Short Stuff Seeds is a collective of breeders committed to providing high-grade seeds at affordable prices. The company specializes in auto-flowering plants, so Himalaya Blue Diesel will flower without changing the light cycle. This is thanks to a parentage that is part Diesel Ryder, which itself is NYC Diesel crossed with the Joint Doctor’s Lowryder #2, and part Blue Himalaya—an auto strain created by introducing a big Nepalese Kush to an Auto Blueberry.

The breeders have done well to stabilize this strain and you should see fairly consistent short plants with a hell of a lot of resin. These plants do not require a ton of space to grow to potential and are great indoors in small spaces like closet grow operations. They also do well in the simplest of soil grows with organic fertilizers. They will usually only grow to around 20 to 30 inches at the very most. A plant of this size will give you around 30 grams of harvested bud. If you notice any drooping of the leaves during the early weeks of the flowering stage, a good dose of molasses can do wonders and perk your plant up greatly. Plan to harvest at around 10 weeks from seeding, as the extra couple of weeks can really make a difference and you will have the chance to enjoy the beautiful colors of this great plant. It has also been reported that if chopped too early, before properly ripe, these buds can give a very racy kind of high instead of the slow, relaxing stone that they’re most known and coveted for.

Like a lot of indica-dominant strains, Himalaya Blue Diesel bud will have both fruity and spicy elements when smoked and will pack an aromatic kick when you open your stash. The Blue family comes out slightly in the aroma as a nice hint of berries, but the biggest pleasure comes in the smoke. This is a fun bit of bud, very happy and giggly as well as a total knockout that’s likely to leave you couch locked for a good few hours. Taste it and see why it’s the favorite of so many smokers out there!

Taleggio by AlphaKronik Genes

Alphakronik Genes, USA

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Exodus Cheese x Space Queen

www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk

www.tksauctions.net

www.rollitup.org

America’s Alphakronik Genes already has some fantastic strains to its name and this brand new indica-dominant plant won’t let down its already stellar reputation. Released to the public on St Patrick’s day in 2011, Taleggio is named after a particularly pungent and fruity type of Italian cheese in order to give a cheeky nod to its Exodus Cheese parent plant. Exodus Cheese is a UK strain known for its strong, creeping high, and is paired with the phenomenal Space Queen in this great new strain.

The guys at Alphakronik Genes must have some obsession with smells, as they’ve already released one ultra-stinky Cheese cross, Cheddarwurst, and Taleggio is said to surpass even this most aromatic of strains. This means that odor control must be your biggest priority when growing this lady, especially when she enters the flowering stage. There are a couple of phenotypes that vary slightly, but Taleggio plants will not have much stretch, being predominantly short and bushy. Finishing in 55 to 65 days, she’s a medium yielder, but with Taleggio it’s is all about taste and potency.

Prepare yourself for a deliciously overwhelming attack on the taste buds when you light up a Taleggio bowl! An abundance of flavors from blueberry and vanilla to strawberries and cream will ease you into the super strong high, and the couch lock is the only thing that will stop you from finishing the rest of your stash.

Mt. Cook by Kiwi Seeds

Kiwi Seeds, Holland

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Afghani/Thai x Northern Lights/Hash Plant

Potency: THC 18%

www.kiwiseeds.com

It doesn’t take a genius, or for that matter, a DEA detective, to figure out where Kiwi Seeds are based, even if they do operate from Holland. For this strain they’ve gone back to their roots, naming this mainly-indica hybrid after the highest mountain in New Zealand, Mount Cook – or Aoraki as the Maoris would call it. It’s not exclusively a Kiwi strain because it has an Afghani/Thai mother and a father that’s half Northern Lights and half Hash Plant, but as that gene pool sounds so promising, we won’t hold it against them!

As is typical for such an indica-influenced hybrid, Mt. Cook plants grow beautiful dark green leaves on sturdy, thick branches, and give heavy buds when flowering rolls around at about the 50 day mark. However, these flowers are often so heavy that you will need to lend some extra support to the top branches and the cola. A stake will work just fine, or some growers like to use supportive netting to make their Mt. Cook plants really secure. Though there are a couple of phenotypes, the only real difference is that one exhibits slightly more Thai traits and one shows slightly stronger Northern Lights traits; both grow well in the same situations. Mt. Cook is well suited to indoor grow rooms, and if you favor the SOG technique this makes a good choice, though it does take a little longer than some indicas to finish. Flowering should occur in 58 days or less. It also takes fantastically to a hydroponic or aeroponic set up, so if your budget is large enough to accommodate the higher start up costs of a hydroponic grow, you could try an ebb and flow system with grow rocks as a medium. Mt. Cook plants can withstand relatively large doses of nutrients without succumbing to nutrient burn, but as ever, be careful that you don’t get too carried away or all your hard work will be ruined. In hydroponic set ups especially, the need to ensure proper environmental temperatures and nutrient levels is high. Your yield should be enhanced by a more technical set up, but even in a soil grow, yield should be along the lines of 450 grams per square yard.

When smoked, these buds have a very earthy taste, crammed with rich flavor. It’s somewhat reminiscent of real Hash with a little more depth. The stone is just as serious as the taste, with the high hitting heavily and immediately before mellowing out to a beautiful body stone with a heavy feeling appreciated most by those who enjoy a few hours of couch lock!

Starbud by HortiLab Seed Company

HortiLab Seed Company, Holland

Indica-Dominant

Genetics: Unknown Midwest Strain

Potency: THC 14-20%

www.hortilab.nl

Another small but serious young seed company based in the Netherlands, HortiLab uses primarily European and North American cannabis genetics to breed new-school strains, with the main goals of premium flavor, potency and yield. As yet they have four original breeds available, and of these four, two have won notable awards, indicating an up-and-coming company with a big future. One of these award-winners is their most prominent indica-heavy strain, StarBud, which was an underground legend in the US. The present-day StarBud is a clone from a private grower’s seed line, coming from the U.S. midwest.

Named for its buds, so covered in resin that they “sparkle like stars”, StarBud plants have an average indica stretch, and though indoors is the best situation for this plant, it can thrive well in outdoor grows in California and similar climates. However, high humidity should be avoided when grown inside, as the compact buds can give way to mold if the air is too wet. Be sure to keep the trim after harvest, as it can make great hash. StarBud seeds are fairly new to the market, so you might struggle to find grow reports to help you along with your crop. It will, however, make you as popular as that kid in the playground who has all the weird, limited-edition Pokémon stuff from Japan.

Still, you’ll know if you’re on the right track when you get a whiff of the sweet dankness that comes with the ripe buds, followed by the hashy taste of the smoke. Be ready for a heavy body stone with a pleasant head buzz. StarBud is a recent Cannabis Cup winner, and for good reason – this plant is fantastic!