Left: Cannabis Sativa, Right: Cannabis Indica


Cannabis Indica

Grow guide for marijuana beginners.

Relative size of varieties of Cannabis

Relative size of varieties of Cannabis

Cannabis Indica (pure landrace strain) is native to hash producing regions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, etc. Indica plants are generally short in height and robust in stature with wide fingered leaves, rarely exceeding 3-4 meters in height. Though shorter than its Sativa siblings, Indica buds tend to be denser & more profuse and often will yield more in a smaller area, thus making them very popular for commercial growers. Indica plants mature faster than Sativas, sometimes by weeks. After flowering starts they will be mature in 6 to 8 weeks and thus are better for indoor growing because they don’t get as tall. The buds are usually thick and dense, with flavors and aromas ranging from acrid/skunk to oily sweet and fruity.

Indica buds tend to be proportionally higher in CBD and lower in THC than Sativa plants. This means (generally) medication grown from a pure  strain or predominantly Indica hybrid will produce a heavier, sleepy type of stone, a body effect. (when compared with marijuana from a Cannabis Sativa plant). Of the pure Indica strains, Afghan (or Afghani) is by far the most prevalent and influential strain with many modern strains incorporating its genetics. The effect from Indica plants are more of a  sedating, body stone with pain blocking qualities making theme highly coveted by medical patients with any sort of pain. As a result of their higher CBD levels they are also helpful as a sleeping aid for those suffering with insomnia. The most common Indica’s are Afghani, Pakistani, Hashplant, Herijuana, Hindu Kush and G-13.

Our 3 Favorite Indica/Indica Dominant Strains

Aurora Indica is an Afghan crossed with Northern Light. Aurora is a short plant but produces heavy colas more than making up for its shorter statue. This plant has exceptional resin production and the buds are dense. Aurora produces a deep, near black hash, aroma and a heavy indica buzz. This strain is probably our most potent indica.

Blue Mystic is one of the most popular strains of blue from Nirvana. This mostly Indica strain with some origins in California, produces heavy buds with a velvet blue hue in the latter stages of bloom under good growing conditions. Blue Mystic has an earthy smooth somewhat fruity berry flavor with good shelf life. Try Blue Mystic it’s our special Nirvana mix.

First called High-Rise, an exclusive tetraploid cannabis strain, Master Kush is a strong plant of medium height and bushiness. Master Kush is a heavy producer with soil, hydro, and has great greenhouse results. The earthy smell of Master Kush is strong and the smoke is smooth.

Cannabis Sativa

Visually, Sativas are quite the opposite when compared to its relative, Cannabis Indica. Sativa are tall, lean plants, with lighter green, narrow or thin leaves and generally have a neutral to fruity scent in vegetative growth and fruity and/or floral buds. They grow very quickly and can reach heights of 6 meters within thew growing season. They originally come from more equatorial regions, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Southeast Asia, but also grows in more northern climates.

Humans have long used the plant as a drug, as medicine, and as a spiritual tool, beyond that, humans have cultivated this plant for millennia, as a source of  fibre, seed oil, food. Each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use.

Because of the potential size of Sativa plants, they are most often grown outdoors or in a green house environment. (This isn’t to say you can’t grow fine Sativa indoors, there are strains of Sativa bred specifically for growing indoors. If you decide on growing a Sativa plant indoors, look for an average or high yield indoor strain, and beware of potential height requirements and extra time for maturation, generally 2-4 weeks longer than Indica strains.)

Nirvana seeds, staight from the source!

Sativa buds are long and thin, far less densely populated than the Indica, although longer in length, sometimes  stretching  3ft  in  or  more  along  the  branch. The calyxes of the Sativa may turn purple in cooler climates and sometimes red/orange in other climate extremes. Maturation time varies considerably, but 10 – 13 weeks is not uncommon in tropical strains. Because cannabis Sativa plants are not as bushy as cannabis Indica plants, you can grow them closer together, allowing more plants to grow in a given area.  There are a Sativa strains that lend themselves well to indoor SCROG methods.

Nirvana Auto Flowering Marijuana Seeds

The marijuana produced by Sativa plants is generally higher in THC and lower in CBD than Indica plants. This means marijuana from a pure cannabis Sativa strain will produce a more clear headed, energetic type of high (when compared with marijuana from a cannabis Indica plant), but there are also a FEW Sativa dominant medical strains. The Sativa high is sometimes associated with “paranoia” but these same qualities may help with depression and/or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Original Cash Crop: bushy, tasty, frosty!

It’s good to note that while Cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc) play an important part in the way you feel after consuming cannabis, THC is the primary (but not solitary) active chemical. Just the same, as variety will play a roll in the type of high, so will harvest times. Plants harvested earlier, when trichomes are primarily a mix of clear and cloudy will have a more head/energetic effect, and as the trichomes become amber the effect becomes more body/sleepy/couch lock.

Our 3 Favorite Sativa/Sativa Dominant Strains

Hawaiian Maui Waui is a lanky tropical sativa (think Thai genetics)), long a main attraction of the Hawaiian Islands. This strain has a citrus aroma and smooth fruity herbal flavour. The buzz from Hawaii Maui Waui is “No Ka Oi” (the best). These are old school genetics and not too overpowering like modern indoor strains tend to be. Through years of inbreeding we have captured that taste of the Valley Isle.

Eldorado is a remarkable Cannabis Sativa from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Then this landrace marijuana strain was selectively backcrossed for at least a dozen generations. Eldorado provides a crisp, sharp and inspiring high that is rarely found in other cannabis strains. Its buds are thin and airy, which means yields are not of particular commercial interest, but fortunately, the quality of Eldorado smoke is the stuff of marijuana legends!

how to grow weed

Pure Power Plant is a strong mostly sativa variety developed in the late 90’s from South African strains. The tremendous growth potential of this plant is a prime example of hybrid vigor. PPP is the latest trend among Dutch and American growers because of its high commercial yields of the highest priced buds. Pure Power Plant has a pleasant, almost pine, after taste and a powerful social buzz.