One thing that the pandemic lockdown experience has taught us is that time goes by quicker if you have a hobby! Of course your hobby doesn’t have to be something traditional – like stamp collecting or quilting – and Paradise Seeds has seen the growth of the cannabis hobbyist in recent years!
Ok, so what’s a cannabis hobbyist? Well these are growers who are looking to bring something a little different to their grow room, by searching out cannabis strains with unique features to push the growing experience to new frontiers. Paradise Seeds has been included in the new Ask Ed book by master cannabis cultivator, Ed Rosenthal, in a section focusing on hobbyist cannabis strains.
This got us discussing the topic in the Paradise Seeds office and, as a result, here are our Top 5 strain recommendations for cannabis hobbyists:
1) Mendocino Skunk (Hybrid)
From the Tommy Chong’s Collection, this is the strain which started the debate, after it was chosen for the Ed Rosenthal book. The criteria was: “a plant that was easy to grow, adapted easily to different environments and had a distinct personality.” Well Mendocino Skunk ticks all those boxes! Hobbyists will enjoy the growth pattern, with its thick central cola and rather diminished size which nevertheless supports a substantial yield. The reward for the hobbyist is a Skunky terpene profile rich in Myrcene, Caryophyllene and Limonene and an effect that is uplifting and positive and carries the consumer through the day!
2) Sensi Star (Indica)
This was a stand-out strain when it was first released thanks to its unique cannabis growth characteristics, not to mention its awesome potency. To start with there’s the frosty coating, which has captivated cannabis cup judges over the years because it is just so darn thick! The other unique cannabis growth characteristic is its size. This plant won’t exceed 1 metre in height (usually topping out at about 60 – 70 cm). Despite the short stature, multi branches hang heavy with thick, resinous buds. The taste is distinctive too, once described by breeder, Luc Paradise; “Her bouquet is strong and somehow fresh like mint, metal and oxygen combined, crazy, hard to explain!” Sensi Star has been a hit with hobbyist cannabis growers for over 20 years!
3) Dutch Dragon (Sativa)
Popular with the sativa enthusiast because this sweet and citrusy strain has the potential to take on Jack and the beanstalk like proportions given the right outdoor conditions. This plant has registered a beastly 3 meters in height in the Mediterranean basin. This is one plant that likes to run for the sun, and we include it here because some cannabis hobbyist growers enjoy a challenge on route to the reward. A Dutch Dragon grow report from an indoor grow mentions this plant’s compact and bushy form, with its multiple side branches, the reviewer declaring, “it has proven to be a friendly THC monster with a very high yield potential”.
Another member of the Tommy Chong’s cannabis collection, L.A. Amnesia is an interesting strain for the cannabis hobbyist, who will appreciate the distinctive growth pattern with its thick central cola striking an impressive pose with a satellite of bud clusters radiating around the sides. Thick, chunky resinous buds, wrapped in citrus haze coating and the effect is so energizing that you could end up with a new hobby, or five, by the end of the experience!
This Paradise Seeds strain (named for its exotic quality – think the chic perfume rather than the Class A opiate!), is also known as the ‘Queen of Plants’ and here are several reasons to recommend her for a cannabis hobbyist. In the grow room this translates as huge colas - one specimen presented itself at a massive 80cm! – and a versatility that sees it as equally at home as a stand-alone plant or in a Sea of Green project. Distinctive all the way – from the vaguely alcoholic creamy fruit punch aroma to an exceedingly creamy taste. For the grower who wants a unique growing experience, the Queen will oblige!