The most challenging cannabis strains to grow.

Growing cannabis is not entirely challenging or such a complex thing to do. If you have the ample required to grow space, experience, and the needed resources with a reliable budget, patience, and determination, then you are bound to reap significantly from growing cannabis. However, some strains are more demanding than others. This makes them somewhat tricky to grow. Therefore, before choosing a strain to invest your time and resources in, you must consider whether you can fulfill its demands. You also need to consider factors like climate if you are an outdoor grower; your grow space should consider how big the plants will get and how challenging a strain is to develop.

The last factor is significant and should probably come first. The most complicated strains to grow are the landrace strains of cannabis. A landrace is a word from the Danish language, meaning origin. This means landrace strains are the original and unaltered strains of cannabis. These are the mother strains of various hybrids. They have extravagantly long flowering periods and call for composure and patience if you are to pull these off. These strains are so rare because they are hard to grow, and many hybrids on the market.

Suppose you are a new or experimental grower looking to gain some experience in the business. You need to start with more straightforward strains and avoid the hard ones since they will most likely frustrate you. So don’t look to tackle or start with the trickiest strains. However, if you are an experienced grower looking for a more significant challenge, some of the more problematic strains to grow are listed below.

Headband

The headband is one of the few indica strains that are tough to grow. It is an indica dominant hybrid made after crossing OG Kush and Sour Diesel. It has a high THC content and is associated with calming and relaxing effects. It is, however, sensitive, and many inexperienced growers fail to make the best of it. In addition, it is susceptible to high humidity levels and cold conditions.

It is famous for having tiny buds, making it relatively low-yielding. You need to ask yourself if it is worth it when purchasing these seeds. It flowers after almost 70 days.

Maui Wowie

This strain has roots in the Hawaiian Islands and is highly associated with creativity and relaxation. It is, however, prone to bud rot, which often starts to happen during its flowering stage. This bud rot is hard to detect without proper inspection. It is usually seen when it is nearly impossible to do anything about it.

ACDC

This is a hybrid, although it is Sativa dominant. It is a stubborn strain that is very particular on which growing conditions it requires. It needs temperature levels between 68 and 80 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. It is also susceptible to amounts of water, nutrients, and light. This strain demands that only half the required nutrients be fed in the vegetative stage. If these conditions are not met, it will not grow and waste your time.

If these conditions are met, however, this strain promises thick buds. It has thin, weak stems that might collapse under the weight of these heavy buds. This is why it is advisable to provide support during flowering. Put up proper roping and vertical supports to help the plant grow better. Indoor growing is recommended with this strain so you can adequately monitor it.

Trainwreck

This is another purely Sativa strain which means it grows tall and thin. It is better grown indoors with a lot of space, especially vertically. If not monitored and controlled, it will grow tall towards growth lights, leading to a light burn. A high maintenance strain is bound to fail if its demands are not met. 

It is a potent strain associated with an intense and satisfying high because of its high THC levels. However, it is challenging to grow because it grows very tall and has relatively thick stems that hinder low-stress training.

Thai

Another pure Sativa, Thai, has roots in Thailand. It is, however, rare on the market because it has been cross-bred a lot over the years. This strain thrives best in hot tropical climates and yields a lot if grown outdoors. Suppose you specialize in this particular strain; you must tend to it regularly. It requires pruning, topping, and training. It also requires organic soils as a growing medium.

Its flowering period is unpredictable and varies but is believed to be between 65 to 100 days

Malawi Gold

Malawi Gold is one of the oldest and rarest strains of cannabis. It is pure Sativa and can grow up to two feet or sixty centimeters. This strain’s origin is unclear, but it is believed it was brought into circulation by Arab traders around the 15^th century. However, it isn’t easy to grow because it has a relatively long flowering period. It flowers within 84 to 120 days. Another factor that makes it difficult to succeed is that it cannot be grown outside its natural or native environment.

It thrives best in tropically hot climates. In cold temperatures, it either fails to grow (stunted) or takes its time and will be less than a foot long. However, you can expand it anywhere if you use indoor growing but ensure you give it ample growing space. With this strain, ditch the idea of hydroponics or any other growing medium that is not organic soils. 

Dr. Grinspoon

This is also a pure Sativa, named after a Harvard professor and advocate for cannabis, Dr. Grinspoon. It has delicate stems that are sometimes considered brittle or wispy. Like other sativas, it grows tall and therefore requires height training.

It isn’t easy to grow because of its bud structure, height, and long flowering. It also has weak and brittle stems that might break under its weight. You are advised to use support, especially in its vegetative stage, where there’s a lot of physical growth. It has a flowering period of 90 to 100 days.

Colombian Gold

This is also a pure Sativa that is believed to have come from the Santa Marta mountains of Colombia initially. It is a landrace strain crafted by mother nature and not somewhere in a lab. It thrives only in hot tropical climates, and being grown in anything divergent from this means it will miserably fail.

Like other sativas, it grows rather tall, although larger than ordinary sativas. If you are to grow it indoors, you need to tend to it often by pruning. Otherwise, it will overrun your grow space. It has a flowering period of 70 to 90 days which is relatively less than many other sativas.

Super Lemon Haze

This Sativa dominant strain is challenging to grow because of its odd individualities. Amon these are nutrient-sensitive, and the problem many growers face with this strain is nutrient burn. It demands a specific amount of the different nutrients at different growth stages. For this strain and others mentioned above, expertise is needed.