Insider’s Grow: Six Tips for Growing Super Sativas

If you are new to growing indoors you may be advised to steer clear of sativa-dominant selections due to their less obedient growth habits and longer budding times versus more indica- and kush-dominant strain selections.

So where CAN you grow some of these headier, more cerebral selections? Most outdoor growing latitudes prohibit the cultivation of late-maturing exotic sativa-dominant selections to full maturity and a heated greenhouse may not be practical for everybody.

That brings back indoors. By following a few simple principles and tips, the experience can be made easier and more rewarding.

Sativa-dominant genetics may be more effective for treating specific conditions versus indica and kush selections. For recreational tokers, the highly psychoactive with no-ceiling-to keep-you-down experience is fun and giddy stuff; especially for summer time social fun.

There are also some other advantages that sativa strains have. Firstly, they don’t require much time in veg, when you pay the most for powering your lights and cooling. Sativas can produce a LOT of growth in the early budding phase. For example, a 12-inch tall sativa plant entering the bud lighting cycle (12/12) can easily finish at four feet tall with lots of branches that support full buds of glistening calyx. Sativas tend to have less leaf at maturity versus indicas, although they are typically not as dense when dried and cured.

Sativa-dominant strains tend to tolerate warmer temperatures and higher humidity levels versus indica strains during budding, making them a suitable choice for growing indoors during summer months when cooling capabilities become more intensive using grow lights.

Want to go sativa for a cycle? Here’s some points that will help take you from sowing to sativa success:

1. There are faster finishing sativas that have been selected as more suitable for indoor growing — you don’t necessarily need an indica heritage in the mix. Good breeders will make careful selections that are intended for indoor growing.

2. When started from seed, sativa strains will seemingly stay rather squat in veg. Don’t get fooled and run out of vertical space later on. A lot of sativa growth will explode when the light cycle changes to budding. More root space will stimulate more growth potential, so choose your container size appropriately. Five or ten gallon sizes support healthy growth rates through budding.

3. Sativas like LOTS of light intensity. The more you give, the better they respond, so long as temperatures don’t exceed past 85 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is maintained at 55-65 percent RH.

4. Even though they grow like crazy, sativas typically respond better to light-fertilizer levels and less-frequent feedings. Water regularly, but careful not to over fertilizer: sativas have a delicate bouquet that can be diminished with fertilizer build up.

5. Sativas tend to do most of their essential oil production at ripening. To help bring your strains to maturity quicker, try shortening the day lengths to eight hours ON during the final weeks before harvest is anticipated.

6. Finally, while sativas can be good producers and the buds may look HUGE, they can sometimes yield a little on the light side once dried and cured.