All About Cannabis: Growing Indica in Canada

While many choose to buy weed online in Canada, others opt to grow it themselves. If you decide to try your hand at growing weed outdoors, then our northerly latitudes in Canada can sometimes make it difficult to obtain a bumper yield of any old strain. 

Indica varieties of cannabis often thrive in places like Canada that are far from the prime sativa-growing equatorial climes. Indica varieties of cannabis first evolved in harsh outdoor conditions in the mountains of Central Asia. The resilient properties that developed in such places mean that indica varieties are ideally suited to outdoor cultivation in countries that cover far-northern latitudes like Canada. Here’s what you need to know about growing this bushy variety of cannabis in places where other varieties of the plant simply never thrive.

Why Choose To Grow an Indica Strain?

Growing cannabis outdoors in northerly places like Canada can be challenging. The longer, cooler winters in some parts mean that growing seasons become shorter the further north you go. Add to this the threat of early or late-season frost, and growers in such places often find themselves needing to plant and harvest a crop within a very short growing window.

Cannabis varieties can be broadly divided into two categories — namely, indica and sativa. Where sativa plants thrive in equatorial climates with long, hot summers and plentiful sunshine, indica plants tend to do much better in less hospitable conditions. Frost and cold weather are the two single biggest threats to cannabis cultivation, and it’s the innate ability of indica varieties to withstand the cooler weather that often makes them the ideal choice in many parts of Canada.

Indica varieties of cannabis have their genetic roots in the mountains and steppes of central Asia, with several well-known kush varieties stemming from the inhospitable mountains of northern India.

Selecting the Right Indica Strain

If you’re growing outdoors in less-than-ideal climates, then strain selection is of critical importance. Outdoor seasons can be short in many parts of Canada, and it’s this that limits the choice available to many outdoor cultivators.

While indica strains generally offer sedating and soothing benefits, individual indica strains tend to differ widely. Some provide better yields, while others have shorter flowering times. Either way, it’s important to carry out your own research before starting, in order to match the genetic potential of a particular indica strain to the growing conditions in your area.

 Sourcing Seeds

For those who’d rather get busy in the garden rather than buy weed online in Canada, seeds are a major consideration. Seeds come in various types and are an important consideration when growing outdoors in northern climates. 

Autoflowering seeds are often the best choice for growing outdoors in Canada. These seeds flower automatically after a specific time period, rather than relying on light cycles. This ability is due to a unique genetic adaptation that comes from a subspecies of cannabis known as cannabis ruderalis — a subspecies that first evolved across Central Asia and Eastern Europe where summers are short and cool with less light available. Over the years, these unique ruderalis genetics have made their way into many popular indica strains.

The Top 4 Indica Strains for Northern Climates

Thanks to a diverse range of genetics and careful breeding, cultivators can now grow cannabis in a wide variety of locations. If you’re looking to cultivate cannabis across parts of Canada where cooler conditions prevail, then here are the top four indica strains with the genetic armour to thrive where others can’t.

Polar Express

Polar Express is an auto-flowering strain that generally thrives up north. Bred from a combination of quality strains that include California Kush, Northern lights, and Lowryder genetics, Polar Express exhibits very sedating indica properties. As is the case with many other indica varieties that thrive in less-than-ideal outdoor conditions, Polar Express yields THC content averaging at 15 percent. It grows short at only 30-80 cm and is ideal for conspicuous outdoor grows. Expected flowering times for the strain are in the region of 10-11 weeks.

Candy Kush Express

Candy Kush Express is a cross between OG Kush and Sweet Special. Many outdoor growers located in northern latitudes benefit from its uncharacteristic fast-flowering time that can be as little as seven weeks.

This means that it’s often an ideal option for anyone constrained by a short growing season or the threat of early or late frost. Candy Kush is also renowned for its high yields, with plants often producing approximately 450-500 g per plant. The THC content of the harvested buds generally approaches 18 percent.

While the strain does have some sativa genetics, the indica qualities of Candy Kush reliably shine through, with consumers consistently reporting a deep body relaxation.

Hindu Kush

Hindu Kush is a famous landrace indica strain that has its origins in the harsh conditions of the Hindu Kush mountains on the Afghani-Pakistani border. Having evolved in a suboptimal climate, Hindu Kush is one of the most adaptable and hardy strains around and can grow very well in cooler climates such as those found across much of Canada.

Hindu Kush has a seven-week flowering time. This allows those growers in northerly locations to harvest within the short window provided by a cool summer. In addition to providing a sedating high, Hindu Kush is widely regarded within cannabis circles, with its strong indica properties being particularly helpful at treating chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and nausea.

Early Skunk

Early Skunk is known for reliably producing bountiful outdoor harvests. It’s ideally suited to colder climates and has a short flowering cycle that takes eight to nine weeks, meaning it’s ideal for sun-deprived northern latitudes. 

Early Skunk also has a unique genetic profile that makes it resistant to falling temperatures come the end of summer. This adaptation also makes it an ideal option for growers who want to squeeze in a second harvest that extends into the fall, without fear of lower fall temperatures destroying the crop.

Buy Weed Online in Canada

Whether you buy weed online in Canada or you choose to grow it yourself, there are no shortage of quality indicas to enjoy. Indica strains are often resilient and offer up potent sedating effects, coupled with a unique genetic adaptation that allows novice growers to try their hand at home cultivation, even in the less-than-ideal outdoor climates of northern Canada.