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Best Cannabis Strains to Grow in Colder Climates
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Growing Cannabis in Colder Climates
You can grow cannabis just about anywhere in the world. The trick is to ensure you choose strains that have proven to handle the conditions of your location.
Many breeders have crafted seeds to endure harsh outdoor climates, such as cool and damp conditions. This is usually matched with environment manipulation (i.e. improving soil, removing nearby foliage that blocks sunlight, etc.).
You may need to follow through with a few test harvests before finding what works best for your location. For example, some growers find it necessary to have an overhead shelter to protect their plants in the late season. Others may need to source more water as their area is in a drought.
Either way, it is possible to grow cannabis in colder climates. But what are the best strains for these conditions?
Best Cannabis Strains for Cold Climates
In our experience, we found the following strains to have the most effective harvests in colder climates:
1.) Frisian Dew
Frisian Dew has won cannabis cups time and time again for one simple reason: its outdoor performance is unmatched compared to other strains. In fact, Frisian Dew has such a hardy reputation that she’s one of the most popular strains among guerilla growers.
Frisian Dew is ready to harvest in the northern hemisphere in late September/early October. She provides fresh, fruity buds with a floral taste and aroma, and is popular for her stress-relieving effects.
2.) Passion #1
As a classic outdoor strain, Passion #1 is popular among cannabis enthusiasts for one simple reason: her potency. Each batch provides you with 20% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on par with highly potent indoor strains.
While the strain was created in California, it’s most popular in northern Europe (a salute to her cold climate abilities. As a Sativa strain, it creates an upbeat high that hits with a fresh tart and spicy lemon-lime aroma.
3.) Shaman
If you grow Shaman, the first thing you’ll notice is its thick and heavy blooms. Furthermore, this plant produces some of the most beautiful colors of any cannabis strain: decorating itself in vivid dark purple and delicate pink.
Shaman is popular among outdoor growers due to its track record of having highly effective harvests. Each of these produces Sativa buds that are euphoric and uplifting, and create produce a fruity and spicy smell.
4.) Durban Poison
While it originates from South Africa, Durban Poison is popular in northern England – a true sentiment to its ability to battle colder conditions. However, many outdoor growers around the world enjoy this strain because it’s adaptable to many outdoor conditions.
Each batch produces Sativa buds that have a spicy/hazy taste. Users will enjoy the flavor as it also comes with a touch of aniseed, licorice, lemon, and cloves.
5.) Frisian Duck
Frisian Duck is one of the most unique cannabis strains out there. The plants develop a webbed-leaf shape, where the leaf fingers fuse.
Such characteristics sometimes confuse people, making them not assume it’s a cannabis plant. Topping that with the fact that it creates minimum odor, this is a great option if you need your cannabis grow to remain incognito.
Frisian Duck is weather-resistant and produces heavy yields. While the buds will only contain medium-strength THC, it remains a popular choice among many growers, especially first-time harvesters.
Growing Cannabis Outdoors: Things to Consider
No matter how cold the climate of your location gets, most people have a window of time to produce high-quality cannabis plants. Even in places like Alaska and Scandinavia, where summers are very short, you still have a three- to four-month window of decent weather.
For these outdoor grows, autoflower seeds are your best bet. They’re the most resilient to colder and damp climates and, when grown correctly, will produce high-quality buds.
We recommend growing in large containers rather than on your land. This gives you more flexibility to transport plants in the event of extreme weather. However, they will need to be fed and watered regularly.
Those who have access to polytunnels or greenhouses have the best bet at growing high-quality cannabis in colder conditions. This helps mitigate early/late season weather and provides you with a higher chance for stronger yields.
