Growing indica weed starts by picking out weed seeds. There are an awful lot of indica strains for both indoor and outdoor growing. Then there are indica-dominant autoflowers. Which one are you going to grow? To get you started we have listed the best indica strains to grow yourself. We also explain what indica is, where it comes from and what effects you can expect.
Indica vs Sativa
Traditionally, weed strains have been divided into two types. Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. Sativa strains were found in China, Africa, Japan and South America. They grow in places where the sun shines a lot. Indica species come from the mountainous regions of the Middle East to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. So they are used to colder climates. The strains are very different from each other when it comes to the build of the plant, the effect of the weed and the conditions in which they thrive. Read more about the differences in our blog “Indica VS. Sativa - Stoned or High?”.
Growing Indica Strains
In this article we are going to talk about indica weed. If you want to grow this weed yourself, you've come to the right place. We'll show you the best indica weed strains and tell you what to pay attention to when growing indica strains.
- You should know that indica plants usually remain smaller than sativa plants. Furthermore, you can recognize indica strains by their wide weed leaves. The leaves of sativa strains look like long fingers, those of indicas like wide maple leaves.
- An indica weed plant grows bushy and compact. Sativas, on the other hand, are tall and elongated. A compact plant can provide more yield per square meter. Especially in smaller indoor growing spaces.
- Indica strains usually have a shorter flowering period. This is an advantage for outdoor growers whowant to finish early in the year. Indoor growers who want a short life cycle are also more likely to choose indica strains.
- Strains with more indica genetics tend to be more resistant to weather, moulds and pests. This is mainly due to the harsh place they originate from.
- Indica weed gives off a penetrating scent. Think of an OG Kush or a strong-smelling skunk.
Important: weed strains have been crossed with each other for decades. Most strains contain both indica and sativa genetics (hybrid weed strains). This means that it's not certain whether your sativa weed plant will actually grow tall and elongated. Or whether your indica strain will stay really small and won't grow into a two meter high plant. Therefore you should always look at the specifications of each variety, listed on the product page of each weed seed.
A weed leaf with broad fingers is typical of the cannabis indica
Effects of Indica Weed
Sativa and indica strains have different effects. It is often said that sativa strains make you mentally high and indica strains physically stoned. However, this is a bit more complicated. The fact that more and more crossbreeds are appearing on the market does not only mean that the characteristics of sativa and indica strains are no longer defined. The effects also go through the proverbial blender. In order to make things a little easier, we've listed the traditional indica effects for you. However, please check the specifications of the weed seeds to see if the weed you want to grow really causes those effects.
Indica Effects:
- The effect is mainly noticeable in the body
- Happy and euphoric stoned
- Relaxing, calming and sometimes narcotic
- Relieves pain, nausea and stress
- Induces sleep and stimulates appetite
Kush Weed
Before we start serving you the best indica strains, we want to focus on a specific type of indica weed. It is, of course, the well-known kush. There are dozens, if not hundreds of different types of kush weed. The best known is of course the American OG Kush. In Europe, too, kush is extremely popular. In Dutch coffeeshops bags of Master Kush, Critical Kush and OG Kush are flying over the counter. It will not surprise you that our selection of the best indica strains also includes some kush strains.
Kush strains come from the Hindu Kush mountains. That area extends across Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The land strain Hindu Kush is one of the most traditional strains. In the 1970s, the strain was brought to the United States. Kush weed was crossed by growers and so many new strains were created. For example, OG Kush was created from a cross between ChemDawg, Lemon Thai and Pakistan Kush. OG is supposed to stand for Ocean Grown, because the strain originated in California.
Best Indica Strains to grow indoors
Are you convinced and want to start growing indica weed yourself? Then check out the following 15 indica weed strains. We have five indoor varieties, five outdoor varieties and five autoflowers for you. They stand out in terms of, for example, yield, ease of cultivation, THC or CBD percentages. Let's start with the best indoor indica varieties!
Do you prefer to browse through hundreds of indica strains? Check out this page and/or take a look at our Weed seeds Wizard.
Master Kush
We obviously start this list with a pure indica. And that is the Master Kush of our private label. A cross between the land strain Hindu Kush and a Skunk with 100% indica genetics. The characteristics of the Master Kush are very similar to how an indica should be. These compact plants will not grow taller than one meter indoors and will remain below 150 cm outdoors. Ideal for small grow spaces. The flowering period is very short: 7 to 8 weeks. The weed contains 15 to 18% THC. The effect is mainly relaxing and narcotic, although this kush also offers an activating and social head buzz.
Ayahuasca Purple
Another 100% pure indica that is excellent for growing indoors. The Ayahuasca Purple from Barney's Farm. It is a cross between Red River Delta and yes: Master Kush! This indica weed has a typical indica effect. You get incredibly physically stoned. Because of the 24% THC you feel relaxed and euphoric. The plant remains very small (50-100 cm), making it very suitable for indoor growing. If you take good care of her, a yield of up to 650 grams per square meter is possible. She is also a beautiful purple plant that only needs 8 to 9 weeks to flower!
CBD Kush
If you want to grow indoor indica weed that is rich in CBD, CBD Kush from Dutch Passion is a great choice. This kush weed contains 8% THC and 8% CBD. The effect is therefore nicely balanced. The narcotic body stone is very suitable for medicinal users. The plant remains small and therefore fits easily into a small grow box or grow tent. She only needs 9 weeks to flower and can give you 400 grams per square meter. Medicinal indica weed to perfection.
Girl Scout Cookies
Indica strains that are rich in THC are certainly not rare. Still, Girl Scout Cookies with 28% THC stands out. It is a cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison. An indica-dominant hybrid with a sativa-like effect. This strong weed gives you a banging, mental high. Almost narcotic. The plants like a warm climate and remain quite small. Therefore it is best to grow them indoors. She only needs 9 weeks to flower and can produce 450 grams per square meter of weed. This THC stunner has a chocolate, mint and citrus flavour. Are the lights in your grow room already on?
Fatkid’s Cake
We'll stay with indica weed strains with a high THC percentage for a while. This Fatkid’s Cake contains a staggering 30% THC. It is a cross between Girl Scout Cookies and Cherry Pie. An indica-dominant hybrid with a short flowering period that lasts 8 to 9 weeks. She is very suitable for beginners because she is extremely easy to grow. High THC, short flowering period, easy to grow... what more could you ask for? Fatkid's Cake is perhaps even more suitable for outdoors. One plant will easily give you 800 grams of weed. But since we know that in a grow room you can keep the quality and the THC percentage of your weed the highest, we still put it among the best indica strains for indoor growing.
Best Indica Strains to grow outdoors
Indica weed strains are often great for growing outdoors. This is because they are used to cold climates. After all, in the mountains they also had to put up with cold temperatures and little sunshine. Western European growers therefore often choose indica strains that are resistant to mould and pests. The short flowering period means that you will be ready before autumn. Curious which strains we have in store for you? Keep reading!
Hollands Hope
We start with an indica strain that is more than suitable to grow outdoors. This Hollands Hope from Dutch Passion belongs outdoors. That is where she thrives. She is very mould resistant. She can deal with cold and humid conditions like no other. To make it even better, this indica strain has an exceptionally high yield of 1000 grams per square meter. The effect is cheerful and relaxed. You can also use Hollands Hope medicinally. She is known to work well against stress and depression. Great outdoor weed with an 8 week flowering period. Also suitable for beginners.
CBD Critical Mass
Similar to Hollands Hope, this strain can also be used medicinally. That's mainly because our private label CBD Critical Mass produces an extraordinary amount of CBD. About 20-24%! This indica strain also contains a little THC. The effect is nicely balanced. She has a very short flowering period that lasts only 7 to 8 weeks. When growing outdoors you can therefore finish nice and early in the year. Indica weed with interesting and complex flavours of flowers and herbs.
Mendocino Skunk
We have placed Mendocino Skunk among the best indica strains to grow outdoors because it is one of the few strains that are ready for harvest very early in the year. In late September / early October you can already take the scissors out. So you won't run into bad autumn weather. And that's a good thing, because this indica-dominant hybrid thrives when placed in the sun. After 7 to 8 weeks of flowering you can harvest up to a kilo of weed from one plant. The effect is happy and euphoric. It takes place mainly in your head. No typical indica body stone, but lots of indica benefits for outdoor growers!
Northern Light
The first Cannabis Cup Winner on our list is Royal Queen Seeds' Northern Light It is a 100% indica strain with a THC percentage of 18%. She is especially comfortable outdoors. She only needs 7 to 8 weeks to flower and can reach 2 meters in height. The yield is up to 650 grams per plant. The effect is typical of indica weed: strong stoned, relaxed and a chance of couch-lock. You will be so stoned that you can hardly get off the couch. Looking for an indica strain to grow outdoors? This Northern Light has won the High Life Cannabis Cup for a reason. Grow her and see for yourself.
Himalaya Gold
Another Cup Winner! Green House Seed Company's Himalaya Gold won the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1997. She owes this award to her exceptionally high yield. Outdoors, she can yield as much as 1350 grams per plant. That's bags of indica weed! Himalaya Gold contains about 13% THC. The effect is mainly stoned, relaxing and appetite inducing. With a short flowering period of 8 weeks, you can often harvest in late September. She can handle cold weather well. As you can hear, there are only advantages for outdoor growers!
Best Autoflower Indica Strains
We've shown you the best photoperiod strains with indica-dominant genetics. Now it's time for indica-dominant autoflowers. These weed plants will start flowering by themselves. They do not need a change in the number of light hours for that. So you can start from May to August with these indica weed varieties. They are usually easy to grow, so also suitable for beginners. These are the best autoflowering indica strains!
Big Bang Autoflower
We'll stay with Green House Seed Company for a moment. This Big Bang Autoflower obviously deserves a spot in this list. The strain contains about 80% indica genetics. The effect is therefore mainly felt in the body. This indica weed will give you a relaxing stoned. You can grow her within 8 to 9 weeks. That is incredibly fast, even for an autoflowering plant. Grow her indoors under a strong grow lamp and you can get a maximum yield of 900 grams per square meter. The weed has an earthy flavour with hints of tropical fruit and thyme. A must try!
Purplematic CBD
If you want to grow CBD-rich indica weed with an autoflowering strain, check out Purplematic CBD by Royal Queen Seeds. She contains a staggering 17% CBD and just a hint of THC. Top quality CBD weed that you can also use to make edibles. She is very easy to grow within 8 to 9 weeks. Although this beautiful plant carries almost exclusively indica genetics, the effect does not show. She gives you a clear, meditative high. The indica genes do come back when the muscle relaxant properties kick in. Grow her indoors and harvest up to 450 grams per square meter!
White Choco Autoflower
One of the autoflowering indica strains with a peculiar flavour and high yield is the White Choco Autoflower from Amsterdam Genetics. The weed is a bestseller in Amsterdam Coffeeshops. This is partly due to the unique but delicious flavour: a sweet but spicy taste of chocolate with earthy tones. The effect is what you would expect from a strain with 70% indica genetics. Initially cheerful and sometimes uplifting, but as you keep smoking you get stoned and deeply relaxed. With 18% THC, a yield of 500 grams per plant and a flowering period of 9 to 10 weeks, White Choco Autoflower is a jewel in the garden or grow room. She is also very easy to grow because she is very resistant to mould.
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Auto Night Queen
The Cup Winner from our list of best autoflowering indica strains comes from Dutch Passion. This one was absolutely not to be missed. Auto Night Queen actually won the 1st prize at the Highlife Cup in 2016 in the autoflowering category. Would that be because of 20% THC? A high yield of 500 grams per square meter? Or maybe the heavy and long-lasting body stone that makes indica lovers drool? Yes, the Auto Night Queen is a true all-round strain. You can grow her indoors or outdoors. Within 9 to 10 weeks from seed to harvest! Highly recommended.
Auto Wedding Cake
Auto Wedding Cake of our private label is the strain to grow when you want a flawless indica weed. This USA autoflowering strain contains up to 25% THC! That is unprecedentedly high for an autoflower. In addition, under ideal conditions you can harvest 750 grams per plant after 10 to 11 weeks. The effect of this autoflowering indica strain is mainly felt physically. She has a calming and cheerful stoned effect. She is suitable for beginner growers and the plant reaches a maximum height of 160 cm. However in most cases she stays below that. The strongest indica weed from an autoflowering plant? Go for Auto Wedding Cake!
Sativa Weed strains
Would you rather grow sativa weed? Then check out our selection of sativa weed strains. There you will find weed seeds that will allow you to grow tree-high weed plants. In the garden or in your grow room. Bring on the energetic high!