This article was updated on 6/23/2022.
With so many reasons to grow cannabis at home—more cost efficient than buying from a dispensary, greater strain variety to choose from, and the ability to control inputs to name a few—it’s no wonder why more people are finding a passion for cultivating at home. Savvy homegrowers know that seed-grown plants, which form strong taproots, are a way better choice than clones that can be disease-ridden and finicky. And, with changes to regulations in the United States, there are now more seed banks available nationwide producing for growers than ever before.
Homegrowers know that a few key factors are crucial to achieving a great finished product, namely starting off with strong genetics—strains that will knock your socks off from breeders you can trust. But ordering seeds online can be a gamble. Lucky for us, one of Europe’s premier seed companies, Kannabia, has finally launched stateside.
Started almost 15 years ago, Kannabia pioneered the seed market in Spain before taking over the continent. But don’t be fooled by their size—Kannabia clearly values homegrowers, putting their needs front and center in every breeding decision.
Superior breeding makes superior seeds
The secret to their amazing genetics? Kannabia works passionately and tirelessly to create systems that ensure the optimal performance of each strain. First and foremost, they use only the strongest and highest-quality genetics on the market. Next, they are laser-focused on stabilizing those genetics, making certain that your plants will grow a uniform, reliable harvest. After years of refinement and experimentation, Kannabia can boast a line-up of top-quality strains due to its rigorous commitment to research and development. Centering the needs of growers, Kannabia optimizes for high-yield, quick-finishing, and mold and pest resistance.
The combination of listening to their customers along with a highly-refined breeding program has resulted in Kannabia offering some of the best seeds around. The proof is in their catalogue—an ever-expanding selection of seeds that includes those for both indoor and outdoor cultivation, feminized varieties, autoflowering types, and even CBD and other rare cannabinoid-rich varieties.
Meet some standout strains
Though it’s hard to choose favorites from such a deep catalogue of heavy-hitters, here are three unique strains from Kannabia that you should definitely consider including in your grow.
Mataró Blue
What happens when you cross a Blueberry, a Mazar-i-Sharif—the original ancient Afghani—and Kannabia’s own Black Domina? These three parents birth Kannabia’s crown jewel—Mataró Blue, the brand’s most desired strain. With multiple awards under its belt—1st Prize, Resin Award in the 2016 Lift & Co. Expo in Toronto, Canada and 1st Prize, Medical Indica in the 2012 Treating Yourself Expo also in Toronto—it’s not hard to see why. Mataró Blue is a connoisseur-favorite, hash-producing powerhouse, beloved for its deep berry flavors and for its uplifting, floaty mind and body high. Thanks to the high resin content, this variety is exceptionally well suited to hash and concentrates.
Grower notes:
Mataró Blue is a winner in the home garden—heavy-yielding, fast-flowering, and resistant to mold and pests. Expect a big, bushy plant that can grow taller than six feet. Be sure to offer support, as the flowers get weighty. Expect a thick cover of shiny resin and a strong smell as you approach harvest—good ventilation is advised for indoors. For the drying and curing of this strain, consider using cedar boxes to enhance and preserve its extremely distinctive terpenes profile. Expect over a pound indoors, and 1lb, 11oz. if grown under optimal conditions outdoors.
Colombian Jack
Boasting the highest THC level—29%—in Kannabia’s catalogue, meet Colombian Jack. With Black Jack and Nébula as its parents, this sativa-dominant hybrid really showcases the best of each. Expect lime-dominant fragrance with umami base notes and get ready to enjoy the uplifting and creative high after just a few puffs.
Grower notes:
Colombian Jack does not react well to an excess of fertilizers during the first weeks of vegetative growth and may result in buds that are harsh on the throat when smoked, so go easy. Reaching over six feet outdoors, be sure to give plants enough room. Extensive colas show off the sativa heritage while indica genes are responsible for them fattening nicely. You can expect plants to ripen around the end of October outdoors, and after 64 to 71 days of flowering indoors. Expect a yield of well over a pound outdoors and just over a pound indoors.
Swiss Dream CBD
With a CBD content of 7% and essentially no THC, Swiss Dream CBD can be used any time to relieve all sorts of symptoms without any risk of getting high. Producing impressive CBD:THC ratios between 28:1 and 35:1, you might think that hemp was included in the breeding, but you’d be wrong. Kannabia spent several years perfecting this strain making careful crosses until the desired concentration was achieved. Expect a complex and aromatic flavor, blending spice, flowers, diesel, and a touch of ginger.
Grower notes:
This sativa grows large, vigorous branches packed with buds. Swiss Dream CBD responds extremely well to apical pruning or topping during the vegetative stage, boosting growth and reproduction of side and lower branches. This is particularly useful information when growing indoors, where you may want to control growth. This strain also grows taller than six feet and is incredibly resistant to pests. Indoors, you can expect yields as high as over a pound, while you can look forward to a harvest of up to 1lb, 11oz. outdoors. Swiss Dream CBD is ready for harvest 70-75 days after flowering.
