Sativa (Sativa).
Sativa, indica, and ruderalis. This species comes from Asia, America, and Africa. Naturally, its place of origin determines certain features, but there are also common traits. Sativa is distinguished by the great height and slenderness of its plants, with internodes set far apart, large and narrow leaves, and rather scattered buds, provided it is grown with sufficient light. Unlike indica, sativa grows more slowly and flowers several weeks or even months later. Pure sativa is not very suitable for indoor cultivation, since a mature, well-developed plant can reach 4.5 meters in height outdoors. Under a roof, it will hit the ceiling within three months, no matter how high it is. In addition, artificial lighting becomes a problem, since a tall plant requires a great deal of light.
Sativa from Mexico, Colombia, Jamaica, and Thailand can be very potent and have an excellent ratio of cannabinol to cannabidiol. However, poor cultivation conditions, improper drying, and packaging often lead to a rapid decrease in the THC content of the final product.
African sativa is famous for varieties such as Congolese and Durban Poison. The first was originally grown in the central part of the continent, had a tall and slender structure, and resembled Colombian varieties. The second, the best-known African type, differs from the others with its light-green early flowers.
Asian varieties differ greatly in their appearance and effectiveness. For example, the Nepalese type can produce a lot of THC, takes up little space as it matures, and has large leaves, but it ripens late. There are also other types in this region that are small in size and flower early. Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Thai sativa are prone to hermaphroditism. The Thai variety is distinguished by large spreading branches and a long flowering period, but it is worth it: the light, pale buds of this type of cannabis contain a lot of THC. All Thai varieties are quite difficult to grow indoors.
Indica (Cannabis Indica).
The homeland of this type of cannabis is Pakistan and India, which is clear from the name itself. It is especially good for indoor cultivation because of its relatively short stature, strong root system, and dense branching. It produces large, resinous buds with a high THC content. It has broad, dark-green leaves. In some varieties, the buds become covered with reddish or purple foliage, which looks especially exotic.
There are also indica varieties with pale-green narrow leaves and thin white pistils, in which the THC and CBD content is consistently high.
The difference from sativa when used is also quite noticeable. Indica can cause a heavy, stuporous, “stoned” state, while sativa, on the contrary, more often gives a feeling of emotional uplift and euphoria. Again, everything depends on the strain. Indica has long been crossed with all kinds of types, including Afghanica, ruderalis, and sativa, to achieve a wide variety of results.
It is worth noting that Indian and Pakistani hashish is made specifically from this type.
Sativa and indica.
The picture clearly shows the differences in the leaf shape of sativa on the left and indica on the right.
Ruderalis (Cannabis Ruderalis).
On its own, this type of cannabis is completely unsuitable for growing and cultivation. Very widespread in the temperate climate zones of America, Europe, and Asia, ruderalis contains almost no THC or CBD. Though it looks similar to indica, this type of cannabis is more likely to cause a headache than euphoria. In essence, it is a street plant, a wild variety. However, because it comes from latitudes where daylight hours are shorter and there is less sun and heat, ruderalis has adapted and flowers several times a year, with the first cycle beginning just a few weeks after growth starts.
In essence, this type of cannabis is used only for breeding and creating cannabis types known as autoflowering marijuana strains. When crossed with sativa or indica, ruderalis can produce several harvests per year with a decent THC and CBD content. Of course, the harvest volume will not be as impressive, because the bushes are usually quite short and small. But this can also be a major advantage for indoor cultivation.
Cannabis hybrids.
What is hybridization? It is the process of crossing two or more plants of different types. Hybrid seeds have essentially flooded the market. The most popular cannabis strains were obtained precisely through crossing over many years, by trial and error, thanks to experts and professional breeders.
Different types of cannabis cross with one another without any problems. Indica, sativa, and ruderalis can be present in any strain of seeds sold in a wide range of percentages. Depending on which type is more dominant in a particular seed line, quite unexpected and pleasant results can be obtained. For example, a predominance of indica combined with a small percentage of sativa can produce a powerful medical and relaxing effect. Conversely, sativa dominance in a hybrid guarantees more euphoria and lively energy.
Hybrid plants differ from standard varieties in two ways: yield and number of seeds. When growing a hybrid strain, you are guaranteed to receive a large and effective harvest, but the number of seeds, on the contrary, will be smaller. These features are what make hybrid seeds more expensive compared with standard varieties. By the way, here is a link to hybrid cannabis seeds in our store catalog.
What are hybrid generations F1, F2, and so on?
There is nothing complicated here. The number next to the letter F indicates the generation of the hybrid. In essence, it is the equivalent of a quality mark. The F1 generation is obtained by crossing two strains, and these are the highest-quality and highest-yielding seeds. F2 is the result of trying to produce seeds from the F1 generation on your own. The mechanism is very simple: buy first-generation cannabis seeds, grow them, and obtain the next generation of seeds from them. It seems that everything is simple. However, there is one noticeable difference: the quality, yield, and survival rate of a plant grown from an F2 seed will be exactly half that of the parent F1.
Some seed sellers may claim that F2 quality is no different from F1 in an attempt to sell their product. You should not trust such information. It is a complete lie.
If you want to get:
an abundant harvest;
a strong and resilient plant;
a high content of effective substances;
uniform, fast plant growth and flowering,
then you should not save money on second-generation seeds.
@SexySeedsCom
