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9 Best Strains for Outdoor Cultivation

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If you’re an outdoor grower, spring is the season to get those seeds germinated, and into the ground. However, knowing which strains will flourish in outdoor climates can be challenging. There are plenty of excellent options, and the good news is that you can grow many of them with limited expertise.

If you reside in a colder area with shorter summers, you might be inclined towards a fast-flowering strain. This ensures the harvest will be ready before fall and reduces the risk of botrytis in late flowering.

In Mediterranean climates with high humidity, indica strains with a dense bud structure might not be ideal. Whereas sativas with an open bud structure and more significant internodal gaps will allow sufficient air flow and reduce the probability of botrytis. If you are closer to the equator, then long-flowering sativas would flourish under the 12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours and darkness.

When searching for the perfect genetics, look for heavy-yielding cultivars resistant to mildew, mold, and other outdoor threats. Outdoor strains need to be robust and deal with fluctuating environmental conditions. These qualities are usually created by years of genetic selection and stabilization. With over 35 years as Europe’s largest seedbank, here at Sensi Seeds, we have you covered.

So, join us as we highlight 9 of the best strains for outdoor cultivation!

1. Early Girl

Early Girl was created by crossing landraces from Afghanistan, India and Mexico and was explicitly bred for outdoor cultivation. It is a classic indica that has been around since the early 1980s, and four decades later, it is still one of the best strains for outdoor cultivation.

Expect heavy notes of fresh lemon, with undertones of earth and spicy pine. These aromas and flavors come from an eccentric terpene profile made up of pinene, myrcene, and caryophyllene. It is known for its potent, relaxing, and long-lasting high.

Early Girl will finish early September with a short flowering period of 45 to 55 days. It is a robust and resilient strain with the potential to reach substantial heights in loose soil. Its dark, broad fan leaves and short internodal gaps are reminiscent of the Afghani in its genetics.

Growers love Early Girl for her robustness and natural resistance to pests in the garden.

She can also withstand substantial temperature fluctuations and colder weather conditions.

Under the sun, this strain can produce an exceptional yield of over 600 grams per plant – It is an excellent addition to any garden!

2. Ruderalis Indica

Ruderalis Indica is a semi-autoflowering strain created by crossing an unknown ruderalis from eastern Europe with our California Indica. Ruderalis plants are characterized by their flowering cycle that starts with age rather than a change in the light cycle and has been used as the foundation for autoflowering seeds. A semi-autoflowering strain will mean that some plants are autoflowering and others are not.

Expect earthy and floral notes with a unique terpene profile made-up of primarily myrcene and caryophyllales with subtle hints of spice. Ruderalis Indica is a low THC, high CBD strain with minimal psychotropic effects, including a light, uplifting and soothing high. 

Ruderalis Indica is a robust strain that is naturally resistant to pests and mold, making it great for outdoor cultivation. It has a short and stocky structure with large lateral branches and heavy lower foliage. This strain can thrive outdoors in variable conditions, and continental cultivators should have no problems with a short flowering period of 40 to 50 days. It is an ideal strain for those short summers!

3. Guerrilla’s Gusto

Live in a cold climate? No problem. Guerrilla’s Gusto flourishes in a cool, continental climate. It is a fast-flowering, indica-dominant strain best suited for outdoor cultivation.

With a terpene profile made of a combination of myrcene, caryophyllene, and limonene, this cultivar has sweet earthy notes with undertones of licorice and hashish. The high is reminiscent of a classic indica, with a light sense of euphoria that dissipates into a soothing full-body stone.

This strain will flourish outside in loose soil, potentially growing to over 3 meters tall! It is a robust and resilient strain that thrives in continental and Mediterranean climates. With an average flowering time of between 50 and 65 days, the harvest will fall at the end of September.

Both experienced, and novice growers love this low-maintenance strain for its capability to produce extraordinary yields with minimal effort. Guerilla’s Gusto is a tough, robust strain that thrives in all climates.

4. Mexican Sativa

Mexican Sativa is a 70% sativa-dominant strain created by crossing an unknown Oaxaca strain from Mexico with the African powerhouse Durban and then with HasPlant for its fast-flowering traits and natural resilience to colder temperatures.

This strain is renowned for its extravagant spicy flavor profile; put your nose to a freshly cured Mexican Sativa jar and experience sweet earthy notes with undertones of sandalwood and licorice. It is an ideal strain for daytime consumption, with an uplifting cerebral high that leaves people feeling energized with a relaxed sense of euphoria.

This strain has a tall and slender structure, and outdoors in a Mediterranean climate, plants can reach more than 2.5 meters. They have a dense bud structure, with thick, elongated flowers and sizeable thin fan leaves. Harvest will fall in mid-October, and cultivators can expect yields of more than 550 grams per plant. Mexican Sativa is an ideal sativa-dominant cultivar that can thrive in most climates worldwide.

5. Durban

Durban is a world-renowned landrace-sativa from South Africa, and it’s a heavy resin producer that flourishes in hot, equatorial climates.

This strain has an exquisite terpene profile, with the most common terpenes being terpinolene, ocimene, linalool, and myrcene. It is renowned for its spicy palate with licorice notes and aniseed undertones. Those piney and spicy flavors come to the forefront, and users feel an uplifting high with increased creativity and happiness.

Unlike most sativas, this cultivar grows shorter than most. It has chunky buds with a dense structure and sturdy main stems with strong lateral branches. Outdoor growers can expect an exceptional harvest of around 600 grams per plant from mid-to-late October onwards. This strain should be cultivated outdoors in a Mediterranean climate for optimal yields.

Durban is a rugged and robust plant that can flourish in numerous climates. It is a great low-maintenance strain that is ideal for outdoor cultivation.

6. Holland’s Hope

Holland’s Hope was one of the first strains created specifically for outdoor cultivation in the Northern Hemisphere. Back in the 1980s, Sensi Seeds crossed Skunk and Afghan genetics to make this acclaimed indica. This strain got its name in the hope that it could survive the unpredictable Dutch summers.

This strain has a skunky, earthy, and piney aroma with a terpene profile consisting of terpinolene, caryophyllene, and pinene. Skunky notes and spicy undertones come out in the flavor, and its effects leave users feeling uplifted, giggly and relaxed. This strain has a short and stocky structure with dense buds, heavy foliage and many lateral branches. It is a high-yielding plant with a flowering period of 45 to 55 days.

Holland’s Hope is a tremendous outdoor strain due to its optimal resilience to a wide range of climates, thriving in Mediterranean and Continental climates. It is a low-maintenance, sturdy and resilient cultivar perfect for first-timers and experts alike.

7. White Widow

White Widow was created by crossing a Brazilian sativa with a South African indica. Bred in the early 1990s and has since gained global popularity amongst cannabis connoisseurs. It has been used to produce popular strains like White Russian, White Rhino, and White Gold. 

The initial high starts with an uplifting boost of euphoria and energy that makes users relaxed, calm and social before dissipating into a soothing body stone. It has a very earthy terpene profile, with high myrcene, caryophyllene, and pinene levels, so expect earthy flavors with subtle hints of sweet citrus!

This cultivar flourishes in Mediterranean climates with a flowering time of between 50 and 65 days. It can grow to more than two meters in loose soil with the potential to produce impressive yields of up to 550 grams per plant. Expect short internodal gaps with a robust stem and lateral branches to support the heavy buds during flowering. White Widow is an outstanding addition to any garden!

8. Skunk #1

Skunk #1 is one of the world’s most sought-after hybrids and has since been used as the backbone in some of the most sought-after indica-dominant hybrids, like Super Skunk and Shiva Skunk. It is a unique crossing of Afghan, Acapulco Gold, and Colombian Gold with 65% indica and 35% sativa genetics.

This cultivar is renowned for its loud, pungent, skunky aroma, reminiscent of the black and white critter! Skunk #1 is an excellent strain for cannabis connoisseurs with highly potent effects. The first onset of the high is uplifting and euphoric, which melts away into a soothing, full-body stone. 

It has a medium structure, with short internodal gaps filled by large buds and heavy foliage.

Outdoors, expect to yield more than 500 grams per plant. With a flowering time of between 45 and 50 days, Skunk #1 is an excellent strain for a mid-October harvest!

9. Northern Lights #5 x Haze

Northern Lights #5 x Haze crosses the iconic Northern Lights #5 with the classic Haze. The result is a sativa-dominant hybrid with an intense aroma and loud terpene profile.

It is one of the best outdoor cultivars with dense foliage and a significant yield! 

Sweet and earthy notes with spicy undertones, reminiscent of the terpenes; myrcene, pinene, and linalool. The high is potent, energizing, and long-lasting; it is a classic sativa!

Growers can expect plants to reach extremely tall heights with large internodal spacing and a long-flowering time of around 65 to 75 days, typical of a Haze. It is a sturdy, resilient strain that can thrive outdoors in the Mediterranean and colder continental climates.

Is outdoor growing for you?

As we have illustrated throughout this article, there are plenty of great choices for outdoor strains. However, it all depends on your climate.

In warmer climates with high humidity levels and long summers, opt for strains for an open bud structure, increasing airflow and reducing the probability of botrytis during flowering. If you’re looking for a strain in the colder continental climates, look for a resilient strain with a short flowering time.

If you think we have missed out on any of the most significant outdoor strains, please do not hesitate to leave us a message in the comments below! Don’t forget to check out our outdoors selection in the Sensi Seeds shop now!

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