If you’re ready to start a home cannabis garden but aren’t sure which strains yield the most flower, you’ve come to the right place.  Exclusively buying cannabis at a dispensary can get expensive. Still, growing weed that doesn’t produce enough flower defeats the purpose — you just end up spending money at the dispensary and the garden store.  Keep reading to learn more about five of the highest-yielding weed strains, plus four tips for maximizing your harvest. 

1. Blue Dream 

This hybrid strain is a child of Blueberry and Haze, but its origins are mysterious. No one’s quite sure who first cultivated Blue Dream, but we do know the strain has a reputation for yielding a satisfying harvest full of flavorful buds.      Most Blue Dream flowers contain upwards of 25% THC and 2% CBD, so expect potent effects from the two most abundant cannabinoids housed in the plant. Many medical marijuana patients report pain-relieving results after a hit of Blue Dream.  Blue Dream is a sativa dominant hybrid, so plant your seeds or clones with a trellis to support their height (and the weight of all the buds you’ll harvest). 

2. White Widow 

Another sativa dominant strain, White Widow is known for producing sticky buds packed with cannabinoids. The Greenhouse Seeds creation is a cross between two rare landrace strains: Brazilian (indica) and South Indian (sativa).  White Widow is commonly used to boost creativity and relieve anxiety and depression. Its energetic effects and moderate THC content (an average of 20%) make it suitable for daytime use.  White Widow is an easy-to-grow strain, doing well in both hydroponic setups and soil.    

3. Northern Lights  

Northern Lights is an award-winning strain people love to grow. That’s not too surprising given its genetic titans for parents, Thai and Afghani.   Northern Lights is not for the THC-sensitive consumer. Containing around 30% THC, this indica dominant strain produces some of the most potent (and prolific) flowers you can find. Northern Lights fans report a heavy body high that lulls them into a deep sleep.    When grown indoors, Northern Lights can flower multiple times a year. It’s an excellent choice for consumers who expect to use cannabis daily. For best results, grow Northern Lights in a hydroponic system.  

4. Sour Diesel 

Built with the genetics of Chemdawg and an unknown sativa (possibly Super Skunk), Sour Diesel flowers contain an average of 26% THC, 2% CBD,  and up to 4% CBN. While its THC content isn’t extraordinary, the CBD and CBN it contains adds an unusual therapeutic kick.     A strain known for producing a focused and energizing high, Sour Diesel fans recommend it for daytime use. It’s commonly consumed to channel creativity, reduce anxiety, and relieve symptoms of PTSD.  Sour Diesel isn’t the easiest strain to grow but does well when subjected to low-stress training (LST). Simply put, you gently bend the shoots away from the main stem to encourage the growth of multiple colas: the more colas, the more buds. 

5. Super Silver Haze 

The award-winning Super Silver Haze is the creation of renowned cannabis breeders of Greenhouse seeds, Shantibaba and Neville. This strain is a sativa dominant cross between Original Haze, Northern Lights, and Skunk #1. In other words, it’s got impressive genetics.      Super Silver Haze produces potent effects. It’s a great choice for cannabis users who medicate during the day, but we recommend you take it low and slow. Users report occasional bouts of paranoia when consuming this strain.   Like many sativas, Super Silver Haze likes it humid. You can create adequately humid conditions by misting your plants and keeping the temperature in your grow room between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  

4 Tips for Maximizing Your Cannabis Yield

You can throw cannabis seeds in a ditch and come back later to find a field of skunk (hello, ditch weed). But if you’re intentionally cultivating bud at home, why not create growing conditions that lead to prolific flowering?  We think these four tips are simple and useful enough for the novice to accomplish and the veteran to add to their toolbox:   

• Use strains with solid genetics. The older the strain, the more proof you have of its resilience. Strains that have been around for hundreds (or thousands) of years have figured out how to survive. Starting with landrace strains like Hindu Kush, Thai, Durban Poison, or Afghani sets you up for a pest, disease, and climate-resistant cannabis garden.
• Avoid male plants. Make sure that you’re using feminized seeds or female clones. Male cannabis plants can be useful, but accidentally pollinating your females will drastically diminish your flower production. You’ll get lots of seeds, though! Once pollinated, a female cannabis plant will divert its energy to seed development instead of flower growth.
• Give your plants a teensy bit more phosphorous during the flowering phase. Teensy is the operative word. Phosphorous assists with root and flower production, so adding a minimal amount (like 1 ml per liter of water) once your plants form calyxes can help fatten up your buds. Don’t overdo the phosphorous, though — too much can kill your plant.  

• Upsize your cannabis pots. Cannabis plants can develop monstrous root systems if you let them, but they’ll survive in smaller root zones. If you’ve got the space for it, use a 20-gallon pot for each plant. Yes, that might sound crazy. You’ll also end up with a crazy huge plant (and harvest). The larger the root system, the healthier and more productive your cannabis plants will be.  

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grow weed, but starting your garden equipped with valuable tips is a great way to avoid common cannabis growing pitfalls. If you want a deeper dive, click the link to learn more about growing cannabis indoors.