Indoor Growth: Choosing Your Strain

When you’re picking out a strain for indoor growth, there are certain traits that you’ll generally look for. Usually, you’ll want a plant that is shorter, bushier and higher yielding; ergo, you’ll be looking into either a straight indica or an indica-sativa hybrid.

First and foremost is Northern Lights #5, more commonly known as NL#5 or simply NL, it is perhaps one of the most famous strains of all time. Having won the Cannabis Cup in 1989, 1990 and 1992, Northern Lights #5 has a well-deserved reputation and has been a go-to strain for more beginners than you could count. This hardy, resilient strain has seen many a first-time grower through their first round of cannabis cultivation, delivering consistent results and decent yields even under imperfect conditions.

As a predominantly indica strain, Northern Lights #5 is perfect for indoor grows with its compact size and bushy growth. Buds are generally dense and resinous, quite sticky to the touch, and scent is pleasing but not overwhelming. A good carbon filter will keep your smell to a minimum, and Northern Lights #5 is wonderfully disease, mold and pest resistant.

Indoor growth – Choosing the right strain to grow indoors could mean the difference between success and failure.

Fond of nutrients and capable of withstanding mild nutrient burn, this strain can also handle minor deficiencies with grace as well. To get the best yields, pay attention to your plants’ health and be sure to keep the lights high enough over the canopy to prevent burning.

Pay close attention to the top leaves of your plants, if they are curling at the tips you should raise your lights up a bit to cool the top of the plants. Northern Lights #5 will flower in 6 – 8 weeks under most circumstances, with some growers achieving faster results. An excellent strain for taking clones, a robust mother plant can be kept alive for many years producing healthy clones.

Up second, Mango Kush is a strain that you could practically grow blindfolded, that’s how resilient these great plants are. With that said, you’ll get the best results by putting as much time, effort and money into quality supplies as possible, and your plants will reward you amply as a result. Mango Kush is a hybrid strain with an authentic mango flavor and underlying kush taste.

Typically completing flowering within 9 – 12 weeks, Mango Kush produces dense buds that are drenched in resin and covered in trichomes. Plants generally reach 4 – 5 feet tall at maturity, but can be kept shorter with trimming, topping or proper training. This strain does excellently in a sea of green or under a screen of green, and can tolerate the minor mistakes new growers make.

Mango Kush is an indica-dominant strain, like most of the favored indoor-strains, with high THC levels, so it’s great for use as a pain killer and for nausea or chronic aches. Careful not to overdo it during the daytime, though, because you may end up glued to the couch or passed out in bed.