What are the Best Indoor Strains for Beginners ?

Key determinant factors to aid you in finding the perfect strain to suit your needs

One of the main aspects to consider is whether you prefer an Indica or a Sativa or, in layman’s terms: Stoned versus high.

Indica, which originates from the Hindu Kush mountains of India, is believed to have a relaxing effect on the user. Sativa has a more energizing effect, while the hybrid is a combination of the two. 

Indica’s are compact and chunky, with dense, heavy, fragrant buds. Indica buds tend to grow in clusters, with varying amounts of space (known as 'internode space') between each cluster. The effect of Indica is generally classified as a 'stone', meaning that it is more centered on the body. It may enhance physical sensations such as taste, touch, and sound. It has a relaxing effect - mentally and physically - and maybe soporific in larger doses.

Indica plants have a significantly shorter flowering time than Sativas.  This is because their original natural habitat forced them to flower more quickly to avoid bad weather and low temperatures when winter sets in. Because of this, they tend to flower faster in order to still complete their full life cycle.

Sativa strains tend to contain higher levels of THC, the primary psychoactive component in marijuana. Sativa-dominant strains are much more likely to promote energy and creative thinking.

Given the same conditions, Sativa’s grow taller than Indica’s and have a longer flowering period. Also, Sativa buds tend to grow larger than Indica, as they run along the length of a branch instead of clustering around the internodes. However, they will usually weigh less than Indica when dry, due to their lower density. 

Sativa plants have a longer flowering time; they originated from areas with higher temperatures and longer days. In the original climate, the change in light during the seasons was minimal, so these types of plants tend to bloom slowly, which normally takes more than 12 weeks.

Despite their lower weight and potentially longer flowering time, Sativa’s are valued by many growers for their 'high' effect. This high may be characterized as cerebral, energetic, creative, giggly, or even psychedelic. It is less overpowering than the Indica 'stone', and less likely to send the user to sleep. Sativa strains are especially popular for parties or social gatherings but that probably doesn’t require any further explanation *wink wink*

Hybrid strains contain a mix of Sativa and Indica genetics and, depending on their lineage, can take on characteristics from both strain families

While both species and their corresponding properties are represented in the hybrid strain, we often see that one of the parentages prevails in which case we will indicate the strain as Indica- or Sativa dominant.

And, last but not least: Autoflowering or Ruderalis. My personal favorite when it comes to indoor growing seeing that this variety is super easy to grow since it requires very little care and, as the name suggests, will start to flower automatically when the plants reach a certain level of maturity, rather than depending on any light cycle. 

Height is another crucial element to consider since “the sky is the limit” obviously doesn’t apply when growing indoors. Luckily there are various methods such as topping, fimming, pruning, scrogging, and Sogging you can use to control the height of your plants. However, not all strains will respond equally well to those treatments. But I will elaborate on this in a different post.

Yield Means the harvest per plant or per square meter. Every marijuana grower wants to know how they can get the best yield possible. After all, we grow not only for the love of growing but also for that sweet bud at the end of the growing season. It’s also in your best interests to be able to weigh the cost and return of growing before you spend a lot of dough. In other words, you want to see if you’re going to get your money’s worth. After all, when you’ve poured your heart and soul into this project you definitely want something (a not-so-little green bag perhaps?) to show for it.

When you’re growing indoors, Lighting is the name of the game. If your plants receive the proper amount of light, they will grow to their fullest extent. There are various light setups to choose from in various price ranges. Before investing a large chunk of your 401K, it would be wise to look at what you need. If you are just growing to support your own recreational use a 600W HPS will suffice. If you are planning to throw a Bob Marley themed party for the entire neighborhood, well, that’s a whole different story. 

THC/CBD

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the cannabinoid most associated with the psychoactive and intoxicating effects of cannabis. Understanding THC potency can be helpful in gauging the level of psychoactive sensation you may experience.

A product’s THC potency is expressed as a percentage. For instance, a product that is labeled 15% THC means that THC makes up 15% (or 150 milligrams per gram) of the total cannabis content.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another of the cannabis plant’s active cannabinoids. Consumed on its own, CBD generally has no intoxicating effect and might even counteract the workings of the THC.

Growing difficulty

If you are a newbie to marijuana cultivation you might want to start off with an easy strain. After all, you wouldn’t take on Everest on your first climb, would you? Strain difficulties are categorized as Easy, moderate, and difficult. Difficult strains, in comparison to easy/moderate strains, are strains that need more thorough care. They get stressed easier when exposed to irregular watering or when not placed in an entirely darkened space. 

They are sensitive to oscillations in ph. value and even more to mold and other illnesses. Yikes...

Also, they are to be fed highly conscientious. Beware of over-and undernourishment. 

Purpose (medicinal/recreational)

If you are growing marijuana for medicinal reasons, I would advise going with an Indica strain. Indica’s are effective in treating muscle cramps due to, for example, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and work well against chronic pain, arthritic and rheumatic stiffness and inflammation, insomnia, anxiety, and related conditions.

Sativa varieties have a higher THC content and a little less CBD. This provides a more energetic "high" effect that is perceived both mentally and physically. 

Sativa is considered the quintessential recreational weed variety for getting high as a kite on a night out on the town with your friends (or so I’ve heard ?).

However, this is not to say that they do not offer some unmistakable medical benefits. It can serve as an antiemetic and is a most effective way of treating nausea (for instance caused by chemotherapy or HIV / AIDS medication), lack of appetite, migraine, depression, chronic pain and other similar symptoms.

Hybrid cannabis strains are the best of both worlds and combine the effects of Indica and Sativa. This is advantageous for both patients and recreational users. Adding Sativa genetics to a strain that is primarily Indica can support mental clarity and reduce the calming effects. Adding Indica genes to a Sativa-dominant species reduces the tendency to nervousness, a trait that pure Sativas naturally have.

In short, the difference between medicinal and recreational cannabis strains depends entirely on the needs of the user. All cannabis can be used for medicinal and recreational purposes.

Setup

How will you be growing? It’s also important to remember that soil setups can vary greatly (in terms of yield expectations) from hydroponics setups. Soil growing has a lower potential yield, but the process is easier overall, so the chances of maximizing your yield are higher.

Growing hydroponically, in short, implies that you are growing on a soil-less setting such as peat moss, rock wool, or coco which you water with a nutrient solution. 

One of the main benefits of this set up is the explosive growth of your plants. However, Hydro growing has proven to be less forgiving. One small error in, let's say, the PH value of your water or a tiny miscalculation with the number of nutrients could easily ruin your entire crop in less than 8 hours.

Selecting the perfect strain for your needs

Now that you have completed your crash course “basic marijuana 101” you will probably have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for in a strain. So, let’s have a look at some of the strains I’ve picked out for your first indoor grow and how all the factors we just discussed apply to them.

I’ve put the focus on growing difficulty, the shortest flowering period, and the highest yield as well as my personal (not entirely) objective experience with them.