What makes a good indica strain to grow? [answered]

Cannabis Indica, commonly known as "indica" is a species of the genus Cannabis (wiki). There are thousands of different varieties or "strains" of indica, so what makes an indica strain good to grow?

What are Indica Plants?

Indica plants are known for their stout, phat growth structure (compared to it's relative Cannabis Sativa). Indica strains typically grow like a bush with it's thick main stems, large-fingered leaves, and heavy resinous buds.

Historically, Cannabis Indica is the preferred species of cannabis for hash production. Areas of the world renowed for hash like Morocco, Afghanistan and Pakistan all have their own local, heirloom (or landrace) indica strains (read: Cannabis in Morocco).

Why?

The high resin production and fast flowering cycle of indica strains enables growers to yield a large amount of hashish from these plants. Plus, their quick flowering time let's these plants be ready to harvest by August-September (in the northern hemisphere), just before the weather turns sour.

Buds of the indica variety are sticky, and highly resinous. Breaking up this bud to roll a joint will show you how sticky this stuff is to work with.

Growing Indica Strains

Indica plants can be started from seed or clone. These relatively quick growing plants are a type of plant known as photoperiododic. This means that the indica plants respond to changes in the total number of light hours given to them per day. Cannabis indica will not flower in environments with over 16 hours of light a day.

Indoor cannabis growers typically start indica seedlings or clones at 18 hours of light per day (vegetative growth, or "veg"). This ensures fast, vigorous growth from the get go. Then, once the plants have reached their desired size (they will still grow more), they are changed to 12 hours of light per day until the plants have fully finished their growth cycle (flowering cycle, or "bud").

Best Indica Strains (examples)

Though the years, a number of great indica strains have become trusted by medical marijuana growers around the world. Of these, here's a few indica strains that perform well in terms of yield, quality, flavor, taste and "high".

• G13 x Hash Plant (Sensi Seeds)
• Afgooey (Strain Hunters Seeds)
• Bubba Kush (HSO)
• Northern Lights (Sensi Seeds)
• Big Bud (Sensi Seeds)
• Pakistan Kush (World of Seeds)
• Original Afghani #1 (Seedsman)
• Purple Kush (Medical Seeds)
• Aurora Indica (Nirvana Seeds)
• Kosher Kush (DNA Genetics)
• Dark Star (TH Seeds)

Source: https://moldresistantstrains.com/top-25-best-indica-strains/

Tips for Growing High Yielding Indica Plants Indoors and Outdoors

Indica strains typically respond well to a heavy diet of major, minor and micro nutrients. Growers like to pump up the nitrogen (N) levels during vegetative growth, and then transition into lower nitrogen (N) with higher Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) during flowering cycle.

These nutrients can be found at most garden stores, or online. Fertilizers show their nutrient rating on the bag (looks like 12-6-5, which is (N),(P),(K) respectively).

Topping, pinching, bending, supercropping, SCROG and SOG are all plant mutiliation techniques that growers use to milk higher yields per plant indoors or outdoors. Indoor growers who would rather have a lot of uniform, high yielding indica plants usually opt for a Screen-of-Green (SCROG) or Sea-of-Green (SOG) approach.

Indica strains are more prone to mold issues than other cannabis species. For this reason, it's ideal that these plants are able to finish flowering in a dry (lower than 80% humidity) climate.

Harvest indica plants when the cannabinoid crystals turn slightly amber. You can use a cheap handheld microscope to look at these directly on the cannabis buds during flowering.

Indica for Medical Marijuana

Disclaimer: this is not to be construed as medical advice.

Mecical Marijuana programs across the United States have built their base off of the effects obtained from indica varieties of cannabis. These include but are not limited to:

• narcotic, body-heavy effect
• sleepy, relaxed feeling (couchlock)
• red eyes
• appetite stimulation (munchies)
• laughter inducing
• dry mouth
• relief from pain

Remember, indica strains are known for their hashy, resinous buds and will often put you on couch-lock.