Spain is known for its sunny beaches, warm weather, and vibrant culture, and it's no secret that the Spanish climate is perfect for growing cannabis. But with so many strains available, how do you choose the best ones to grow in this Mediterranean paradise? In this article, we'll explore what makes a strain suited to the Spanish climate and recommend some of the best cultivars for growers to consider.
Understanding the Spanish Climate
First and foremost, it's important to understand the Spanish climate and what it means for cannabis cultivation. Spain has a warm, Mediterranean climate, which means hot summers and mild winters. The temperature typically ranges from 12°C to 30°C throughout the year, with high humidity levels in coastal areas. These conditions are ideal for cannabis cultivation, as the plants thrive in warm temperatures and high humidity. Spain is a country that is known for its beautiful beaches, warm weather, and vibrant culture. It's no surprise that the Spanish climate is perfect for growing cannabis. With so many strains available, it can be difficult to know which ones are best suited to the Spanish climate. In this article, we'll explore what makes a strain suited to the Spanish climate and recommend ten of the best cultivars for growers to consider.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Cannabis Strain
When choosing a cannabis strain to grow in the Spanish climate, there are several factors to consider. The first factor to consider is resistance to pests and disease. Pests and disease can quickly ruin a crop, so it's essential to choose a strain that can stand up to these issues. The second factor to consider is the strain's ability to handle high humidity levels. High humidity levels can lead to mold and mildew, so it's important to choose a strain that can handle these conditions. The third factor to consider is the strain's ability to handle intense sunlight. Spain has a lot of sunlight, so it's important to choose a strain that can handle the heat and the light.
Indica VS Sativa
Cannabis is a versatile plant that can grow in a wide range of conditions, including hot climates. However, different varieties of cannabis have varying characteristics that affect their suitability for different growing environments. Sativa and Indica strains are the two main types of cannabis plants that are widely cultivated.
Sativa cannabis strains originated in regions near the equator, where the climate is warm and humid. As such, they have adapted to these conditions and thrive in hot, tropical environments. They have a longer flowering period than Indica strains, and can take up to 14 weeks to mature.
One of the benefits of growing Sativa strains in hot climates is their resistance to heat and humidity. They can tolerate high temperatures and humidity levels that would often be detrimental to Indica strains. Sativa plants have a more open structure than Indica strains, which allows for better airflow and helps to prevent mold and mildew from forming in humid conditions. This makes Sativa strains a great choice for growers in hot and humid climates.
Another benefit of Sativa strains in hot climates is their ability to produce high yields. Sativa plants can grow very tall, reaching heights of up to 20 feet. This allows them to capture more sunlight and produce larger yields than Indica strains. Additionally, Sativa strains tend to have a higher THC content than Indica strains, making them a popular choice for recreational users.
The warm summers in Spain are perfect for cannabis plants, as they require temperatures between 20°C and 30°C to grow and flower. These temperatures allow the plants to photosynthesize efficiently and produce robust buds. Additionally, the warm temperatures allow growers to extend the growing season, as cannabis plants can continue to grow well into the autumn months.
Mild winters in Spain also make it an ideal location for growing cannabis. While some growers in colder climates may have to worry about frost and freezing temperatures, Spanish growers can focus on growing high-quality buds all year round. The mild winter temperatures also provide the plants with the opportunity to rest and recover, allowing them to produce even better yields in the following growing season.
Another factor that makes the Spanish climate ideal for growing cannabis is the high humidity levels in coastal areas. While humidity can be problematic in some regions, it is essential for cannabis growth. The plant requires a certain level of moisture in the air to prevent dehydration, and high humidity levels provide this necessary moisture. Additionally, the high humidity levels can help prevent pest infestations and mold growth, which can be a significant problem in other regions.
10 Cannabis Strains To Grow In Spanish Climates:
Blue Dream
Blue Dream is a popular hybrid that is well-suited to the Spanish climate. This strain is known for its uplifting effects and sweet, lemon and berry flavours. It has a high resistance to mold and pests and can handle high humidity levels. Blue Dream has a relatively short flowering time of 9-10 weeks, which means growers can harvest multiple crops per year - perfect for the long Spanish summers.
Blue Dream is an easy strain to grow, so it's ideal even for novice cultivators although be prepared for some huge plants in an outdoor setting. These sativa-dominant hybrids can stretch to as much as 350cm, and yields accordingly. It's not unheard of for an outdoor harvest to reach between 700-850gm per plant! With 20% THC, this elite cultivar has been touted for its therapeutic benefits thanks to its high concentrations of alpha-pinene.
Sugar Haze
Sugar Haze is a strain that is well-suited to the Spanish climate. It's known for its potent effects and sweet lemon, pine, and incense flavours. Sugar Haze's Colombian origins mean it can handle high temperatures and humidity levels with ease. With a relatively short flowering time of around 9 weeks, outdoor growers can harvest multiple crops per year.
This mostly-sativa hybrid carries a THC level around 23%, and has been selectively cross-bred to finish flowering quickly.
Lemonchello Haze
With its Sicilian origins, Lemonchello Haze has all the traits necessary to deliver the goods in a Meditteranean climate. A mostly staiva photoperiod variety, Lemonchello Haze is the result of crossbreeding Super Lemon Haze, Amnesia, and UK Cheese. In typical sativa fashion, expect tall plants and sizeable yields when grown outdoors in sunnier climes.
Lemonchello Haze has a flowering time of around 9 weeks, and can offer up yields of as much as 800gm/plant. Sumptuous aromas and flavours of sweet lemon abound, and THC content is between 15-20%. The hard, dense, buds are absolutely loaded with resin.
Gelat.OG
Although a mostly-indica hybrid, Gelat.OG's West Coast heritage makes it a superb choice for growing in a Spanish-type climate. With a backstory that begins in California, there's no doubt this strain was built to handle some serious rays!
With a flowering time of not much more than 60 days, this sugar-coated, sweet tasting thing of beauty has all you need to get multiple harvests in sunny climates. Gelat.OG will yield high. up to 600gm/plant for an outdoor grow, and offer the kind of potency that has tongues wagging up and down the Costa del Sol.
Panama Haze
Looking for something that's high-yielding and easy to grow? Panama Haze may be the answer. This powerful and vigorous cultivar from Ace Seeds checks all the boxes for a successful grow in a Meditteraneant-type environment.
Dry, Sunny climates are this beauty's favourite place to be, and with a high resistance to mold and pests, she'll stand up to most of what nature can throw at her and keep on yielding. Panama Haze has a longer flowering phase, but keep the fertilisers coming and you'll see the best of her come harvest times. Lemon, spicy, herbal flavours will delight you once you experience the best of those resinous buds.
Auto Mazar
Dutch Passion's Auto Mazar makes a perfect pick for an outdoor grow in a warm, dry climate. The superb genetics make for a robust strain of the highest quality, with excellent resistance to pests and diseases.
Taking just 10 weeks from germination to harvest, Auto Mazar is a winner all the way. Genetically, Auto Mazar combines the Cannabis Cup-winning Mazar with superb ruderalis genetics, meaning a high THC content above 20%, and yields good for up 500gm/plant when grown outdoors in the summer sun.
Sour Diesel
Humboldt Seed Co's Sour Diesel combines solid US genetics (Sour Diesel Bx4 and Humboldt Headband) to produce a strong, fast-finishing phenotype with thick, dense buds. Those buds are generously coated in superb resin, and you can expect THC content around the 25% mark.
Sour Diesel has a flowering time of around 65 days, and those excellent genetics provide great resistance to heat waves and dry spells alike, before producing a rewarding harvest of sour orange-tasting bounty with a cinammon edge. Sour Diesel is an easy strain to grow, and offers the reassurance of a good degree of mold resistance.
Cali Critical Mass
Seedsman's exciting new cultivar, Cali Critical Mass, is just the thing for Meditteranean climates. Crossing Critical Kush with Bubba's Gift led to this outstanding new indica/sativa hybrid, and those superb genetics were made to handle warmer temperatures.
Cali Critcial Mass is a fast-flowering phenom, taking between 56-63 days to produce the goods. If you want a high-yielding, resinous strain that can cope with the Spansih climate, your search is over. Cali Critical Mass is of average grow difficulty, and can produce between 700-900gm per plant when grown outdoors. This is a stunning plant with a snowy, trichome-covered appearance and a highly delightful flavour which is earthy and mossy, with notes of refreshing lemon.
Jack Herer
The Hemperor may have left us in 2010, but his legacy is never far away, thanks to the strain named in his honour. Better yet, this strain is pretty close to effortless to grow in a hot climate. Jack Herer provides a good level of resistance to pests, mold, and other diseases, and thrives in dry, hot, sunny weather.
Seedsman's tribute to the great man combines the genetics of Original Haze and Red Skunk, making for a highly resinous hybrid with a THC content around the 20% mark. The trademark peppery taste is present and correct, and flowering takes up to 9 weeks. Expect a tall plant with sticky buds, and respectable yields when grown outdoors in the Spanish heat.
Original Afghani#1
If you're expecting a hot summer in a Spanish-type climate, Afghani genetics will withstand the dry heat. Seedsman's Original Afghani#1 provides the kind of protection that will see your plants through baking temperatures, and still yield top-quality buds come harvest time.
This is a traditional landrace cannabis, a hardy indica that has the type of survival skill needed to navigate scorching heat and flower in just 6-7 weeks. The resinous nature of Original Afghani#1 makes it a big hit with producers of hashish, and this potent indica has a strong, luxurious scent. The strong genetics and hardy nature of this one make it a solid choice for a breeding programme, too.
