Homegrow: 421's Favorite Cannabis Genetics

Before we go over the cannabis strains that have given us the best results in our grows, a reminder that at 421 you can find:

• an outdoor growing guide for people who don't know how to take care of plants;

• a low-cost indoor growing guide to have weed all year round;

• and a cannabis harvesting tutorial, however you grew it.

Now then, let's go over 421's favorite genetics.

Super Lemon Haze (Green House) x Juan

The first time I smoked Super Lemon Haze, I thought there was no way I'd ever find better weed. It was 2010, and homegrowing wasn't at today's levels. Revista THC was around, the Haze was making the rounds, and information traveled faster than in the previous decade, but there were still no street-level grow shops, no local seed banks, and no Argentina-based websites selling them. The only way to get novel genetics -- if you weren't in the inner circle of homegrowing or didn't know the veterans who'd accumulated years of experience -- was to take a shot and order from abroad.

Chumajek was a Spanish grow shop based in the Canary Islands that shipped seeds to Argentina hidden inside books, cardboard boxes, and even magnets, to dodge customs, postal, and tax agency controls. A friend managed to get some seeds of the then two-time world champion created by GreenHouse: Super Lemon Haze (SLH), a cross of Silver Haze and Lemon Skunk. The result was incredible. The following year, in the summer of 2011-2012, I had my first grow and I chose it. The results were solid, and ever since, SLH has remained one of the plants I like to grow every now and then.

But time passed, genetics kept evolving, and the Argentine homegrowing scene had its big bang. What we once considered "old school" genetics (Northern Lights, Jack Herer, Silver Haze, Acapulco Gold) were forgotten. And the genetics that had once been the "new wave" became the "old school" themselves: White Widow, Tangie, and Silver Lemon Haze turned into the baseline for the new generation of genetics.

SLH is still grown and reproduced by seed banks like BSF and Silver River Seeds. The traits that made it a great plant are still there: a really good high -- in my experience an "uplifting" one --, a citrus flavor that's hard to find so clearly defined in other plants, and a fairly stabilized genetic that produces plants with consistent characteristics. All the right conditions to make it an old-new classic.

Critical Smog Auto (Gold Seeds) x Luis

It's become really hard to find, except through cloners, but this genetic was so beautiful it at least deserves this tribute. The easiest plants to grow, the tastiest, and the most generous in yield I've ever had. The autoflowering Critical Smog by Gold Seeds, a discontinued genetic from a seed bank that seems to have vanished, was spectacular.

Like every Critical, high-yielding (400g per m2) and drama-free when it comes to growing healthy, strong, and bushy. Super fast to harvest (65 days), great for small spaces or for those eager growers who need to have fresh weed all the time -- love you guys. Indica dominant, a cross of the classic Critical + with an auto. In looks, a short, thick lady.

With a sweet, fruity aroma -- the kind that makes you turn around when you catch a whiff at a concert or outdoors. On that note, an incredibly good high (16/18% THC) for doing stuff outside. And on the palate, like eating a bowl of ice cream with fruit and nuts, a dessert for your taste buds, for the heart, and for the mind.

That said, quite sedating (moderate CBD level), very couch-locking, and highly therapeutic. I'll miss you forever, autoflowering Critical Smog by Gold Seeds.

Black Kush 98 (Gea Seeds) x Luis

You might prefer a flavor that's more this or a high that's more that, but Black Kush 98, from the Collector's Seeds line by Gea Seeds, is close to perfection. It's a feminized strain with optimal broad-spectrum results, with near-total indica dominance and Afghan heritage: Black Domina x Black Domina 98, which in turn comes from crosses of Northern Lights and Afghani.

The plant produces a lot and grows fast with no issues: it's ready in two months. It has a solid amount of THC (20/23%) and high CBD, so it covers the therapeutic-recreational spectrum by easing pain, anxiety, and distress without neglecting the mental caresses and the boost to good vibes. It has a woody, unmistakable scent, and an intense flavor somewhere between sweet and peppery.

For indoor it's excellent -- fast, resilient, and capable of yielding up to half a kilo per square meter. But given enough time, outdoors it can produce robust trees with thick, heavy branches. Depending on nutrition and climate, its dark green leaves can turn that beautiful bruised purple that crowns them with elegance and gives them their name. When properly cared for, the buds come out dense and compact.

If you like weed, you're going to like Black Kush 98. But if you're also into narcotic, relaxing strains -- the kind of weed that stretches time -- then this ends up being a treat that hits hard.