5 Entry-Level Plants for the Aspiring Indoor Grower

Cannabis is becoming legal in more states yearly, whether medical or adult-use (recreational). But that doesn’t necessarily mean a retail store is nearby.

Some states have passed legislation, but have yet to roll out a retail plan (as of this writing, Mississippi, Alabama, and Virginia, among others, fall into that camp). 

That has some thinking about home grows. Growing the plant can be a rewarding experience, and growers pride themselves on their ability to provide flower for themselves and their friends.

But which cannabis strains are best for at-home grows? Let’s take a look.

First, be warned that not every legal cannabis state allows for home grows. Before attempting to grow your own weed, know your state’s rules surrounding that activity. For example, Alabama has legalized a medical marijuana program, but possession is still a jailable offense!

But once you know you’re in the clear, here are five of the best cannabis strains to grow indoors—you’ll pick up on some themes quickly.

Blue Dream

One of the most popular strains period, sativa-dominant hybrid Blue Dream also happens to be an excellent plant to grow indoors. One reason? It’s fast grow time. This is a common refrain among the strains we’ll look at today. A fast-growing time means less time for you from setup to harvest, and it allows for a quick turnaround. Blue Dream’s harvest time is barely three months at nine to 10 weeks.

The plant is also tough, meaning you can screw up and still succeed. If you’re experimenting with different nutrients or nitrogen levels, you can go a little overboard, and still have a good, consumable plant.

Blue Cheese

Talk about a fast flowering cycle! Indica-dominant hybrid Blue Cheese has one—and some say it even has actual blue cheese flavor! If you do things right, you can harvest flowers from a Blue Cheese plant in under two months. Fifty days is said to be the average.

Like Blue Dream, the plant is tough and has a lot of foliage, so you can have a heavy hand when it comes to nitrogen and not screw things up too badly. Another plus? The plant is known for its affinity to LED lights, which use less electricity.

Northern Lights

Perhaps the most legendary strain of them all is also one of the best for growing indoors. It has a Blue Cheese-like flowering period of six-to-seven weeks. And another common theme is emerging: Northern Lights likes nitrogen, so it’s hard to mess up the feedings.

Gorilla Glue No. 4

This extremely sativa-dominant cannabis strain is best for growing indoors because of its yield. The CenturianPro experts say you can get up to 21 ounces of flower from one plant. The average is about 17, depending on who you ask. It also has a relatively short flowering cycle, just about two months from planting.

But beware: This strain is known for being extra sticky, making for difficult harvesting.

Green Crack

You can likely tell by its name, but Green Crack is a sativa-dominant strain with an eight-week flowering cycle. It is sensitive to every plant’s nemesis: powdery mildew. So, make sure you’re growing it in a generally dry climate. And again, it is a plant that can handle little mistakes regarding feeding.

So whether you’re the DIY type or just can’t yet buy cannabis over the counter, these five plants should get you well on your way to your own harvest—and within months. Enjoy!