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How cold is too cold for cannabis to grow?
Have you considered cultivating indoor or outdoor winter strains? Planting cannabis during colder weather can be straightforward and rewarding, provided you create the ideal environment and use marijuana seeds with robust genetics.
Autoflower variants have the advantage of speed, while feminized strains tend to produce a larger crop while still resisting the cold. These cultivars offer different tastes, effects, and characteristics but share one critical thing: hassle-free growing and impressive returns.
Keep reading to discover the ten best marijuana strains to grow in winter and learn the benefits and drawbacks of each choice.
Let’s get started!
Can you grow weed in winter?
Cannabis plants usually thrive in a warmer climate with moderate humidity and ample sunlight. However, it’s possible to cultivate marijuana in cooler environments if you keep the roots warm.
Generally, you have a better chance of a successful harvest if you germinate and grow your weed indoors during colder months. It’s especially true in regions that experience frigid temperatures and frost.
If you cultivate your plants outdoors, you may require additional protection, like a canopy or greenhouse. These structures allow you to control humidity and light exposure while maintaining a more consistent temperature.
While tunnels, greenhouses, hotbeds, and insulating mulches may help, selecting winter strains with hardy genetics remains the key to success.
Here are some tips for growing weed in winter:
- Build your plant’s resilience to the cold by germinating the seeds indoors and keeping them under artificial lights until the frost passes.
- Look up your area’s last forecasted frost date and gradually start acclimatizing your plants to the cold weather. Putting your plants outside when it’s still frosty can pose a severe risk to their survival.
- Many cultivators check the last frost date for their region and plant their seedlings outdoors after that time. If the roots are damaged by the cold, you may need to harvest earlier to avoid losing the entire crop.
- Use heat mats to keep the roots warm when cultivating in containers. Crops planted directly in the ground should be able to retrieve heat from the soil.
- Remember that certain plants are still susceptible to fungi and mold even if they can deal with low temperatures.
- Most outdoor cultivators opt for autoflower winter weed strains, as they’re hardier and thrive throughout the year, provided there’s no frost.
How cold is too cold for cannabis to grow?
Cannabis crops thrive in temperatures ranging between 65–85°F. The exact range will vary, depending on the strain.
Weed crops can handle slightly cooler temperatures of around 59°F, but soil temperatures below 55°F pose a severe risk to your plant’s health.
Cold roots hinder the plant’s ability to absorb water, air, and nutrients, essentially starving it. Although the impact isn’t visible immediately, your crops may show signs of stunted growth before wilting.
The best strains to cultivate in winter are durable and don’t depend on specific light cycles for growth.
Top 10 winter strains
The genetic composition of cold-weather cannabis strains is essential to consider when selecting a suitable cultivar for winter cultivation.
While some photoperiod strains may flourish in cooler climates, choosing an autoflower variant is usually safer. Non-photoperiod weed seeds are typically feminized, too.
Here are the top ten marijuana strains to grow in cold weather:
1. Blue Cheese feminized
Blue Cheese is a vigorous grower with robust genetics that resists mold and infections, making it a suitable choice for novice cultivators.
This indica-heavy strain is a hybrid between UK Cheese and Blueberry, resulting in a rich and creamy flavor that resembles the classic cheese.
This variant is a potent medical strain with an average THC level of 19% that aids pain management and insomnia. Each Blue Cheese feminized seed can yield up to 2 ounces per plant outdoors.
Blue Cheese feminized has a short flowering time of 7–8 weeks, which is ideal for regions with extreme temperatures. Because of its vigorous growth, it needs plenty of nutrients but is difficult to overfeed.
2. Critical autoflower
As an indica-dominant hybrid, Critical autoflower is one of the most resilient strains on the market. It also delivers a beautifully balanced high with a THC content of around 18%.
Critical autoflower is the perfect weed strain to grow in cold weather indoors. It has a short flowering time of seven weeks and produces generous yields of up to 20 ounces per square meter and about 5 ounces per plant outdoors.
Cultivators and tokers can enjoy this auto’s loud flavor profile that’s sweet, fruity, and slightly spicy.
3. Skunk #1 feminized
The exclusively female Skunk #1 feminized strain combines the energetic high of a sativa with the relaxing effects of an indica.
Cultivators with limited experience can still enjoy a successful cannabis harvest with this robust and uniformly growing strain. Expect to harvest up to 21 ounces per square meter indoors or 19 ounces per plant outdoors.
Skunk #1 is suitable for planting outside in moderate climates. This strain also flourishes under lamps, making it a good choice for indoor cultivation during winter frost.
Sit back and enjoy Skunk #1’s earthy aroma with sweet-tasting undertones.
4. Critical x Northern Lights autoflower
This robust indica-dominant hybrid combines the ever-popular Northern Lights strain with Critical Mass to provide a strong sedative effect. Its THC levels average 20%.
Critical x Northern Lights autoflower was designed to thrive in a controlled environment, making it an excellent choice for indoor winter growing. It rarely exceeds 3.3 feet and yields about 14 ounces per square meter indoors and up to 5 ounces per plant outdoors.
It’s essential to provide your crop with trellis support as it may have difficulty supporting its dense buds.
Enjoy the best of both flavor profiles with sweet and spicy notes from Northern Lights and the more dominant fruitiness of Critical Mass.
5. Durban Poison feminized
This hardy sativa originated in South Africa, where temperatures quickly fluctuate between 50–104°F.
Durban Poison feminized is an excellent winter cannabis strain as it grows tall in warm and cool climates. It yields up to 14 ounces per square meter indoors and up to 17 ounces per plant outdoors.
This cultivar is a good choice for beginners as it’s low-maintenance and yields dank buds with THC levels between 15–25%.
Enjoy Durban Poison’s complex aroma with a spicy, hazy taste and subtle undertones of aniseed, licorice, lemon, and cloves.
6. Mazar autoflower
Mazar autoflower is an indica-dominant autoflower that looks like a Christmas tree with thick buds and sticky flowers.
This strain takes 11 weeks from germination to harvest. Mazar’s short life cycle makes it incredibly well-suited to areas with short summers or frigid winters.
This strain is an excellent choice for beginners. The plant flourishes in most conditions, and its hardy genetics need little maintenance once established in a favorable location.
Known for its high yield potential and quality, Mazar autoflower yields up to 19 ounces per square meter indoors and up to 2 ounces per plant outdoors.
It produces a potent high with an earthy aroma that’s strong enough for experienced medicinal and recreational cannabis users. Expect an earthy kush aroma with spicy undertones and a hint of lime.
7. Fire OG feminized
This OG strain is named after the fiery red-orange hairs on its cured cannabis nugs.
In contrast to most of the other strains on this list, Fire OG feminized isn’t recommended for inexperienced users. It’s an intense medical-grade cannabis variant that aids insomnia and chronic pain.
Seasoned users enjoy Fire OG weed, as only one or two tokes provide the desired high. You may experience common side effects like dry mouth and eyes, easily correctable by drinking fluids during and after smoking.
Fire OG feminized isn’t well-suited to extreme cold, unlike other cold-weather strains. It flourishes indoors under highly controlled conditions.
These feminized seeds take up to ten weeks to produce flowers. Expect yields of up to 17 ounces per square meter indoors and up to 21 ounces per plant outdoors. THC levels range from 20–25%, resulting in some of the most potent buds currently available.
These nugs release a thick, smooth smoke with an unmistakable lemon and pine flavor with notes of oak wood and spice.
8. Northern Lights autoflower
While most strains on this list take about ten weeks to flower, Northern Lights autoflower is ready to be harvested within about eight weeks from germination.
Although it only yields about seven ounces per outdoor plant, its short life cycle is perfect for areas with extremely short growing seasons.
It’s also beginner-friendly, as the weed plants can handle some stress before showing signs of stunted growth. Indoor cultivators can expect a yield of up to 17 ounces per square meter, while outdoor crops generate about 2–5 ounces each.
Delight in a spicy pine fragrance with plenty of earthy notes. The 12–15% THC level provides a satisfying smoking session and is the perfect choice for inexperienced smokers.
9. White Widow autoflower
This classic indica-dominant strain is popular with veterans and perfect for beginners. It’s arguably the most famous strain to come out of Amsterdam.
White Widow autoflower boasts a compact structure and doesn’t require much maintenance. Its genetics guarantee it’s one of the best weed strains for cold weather.
This non-photoperiod strain takes about ten weeks to grow, ensuring you harvest your crops before the harsh winter frost sets in.
Expect a thick, white trichome coating and potent buds that yield up to 15 ounces per square meter indoors or up to 3 ounces per plant outdoors. THC levels can reach up to 20% when growing winter crops.
Enjoy White Widow’s pine fragrance and thick resin coating with herbal notes and hints of citrus.
10. Blue Dream feminized
Blue Dream feminized is a crowd-pleasing hybrid cross between Blueberry and Haze. Its popularity stems from its sweet berry fragrance and calming effects enjoyed by veteran smokers and first-time users alike.
A good choice for beginner cultivators, Blue Dream allows for a large margin of error. It consistently grows in cold weather and can take plenty of nutrients without burning the roots.
The plant’s sativa-dominant genetics ensure that your Blue Dream weed crops grow tall. Providing your crops with trellis support is essential, as the branches have difficulty supporting the heavy buds.
If grown in a high-quality substrate, Blue Dream flowers in about ten weeks and produces high-yielding plants that deliver up to 21 ounces per square meter indoors with 20–27% THC.
Keep warm this winter
It’s possible to select the best weed strains to grow in cold weather and cultivate a successful cannabis crop during the wintertime.
The quicker growth cycle of autoflower strains allows you to harvest your crop before the worst cold hits, minimizing the risk of losses. Contrary to popular belief, these cultivars still produce a reasonably potent stash with decent-sized yields.
Feminized variants allow for more buds with a slightly higher level of THC. As these variants tend to have a later flowering time, it’s essential to keep a closer eye on the weather and health of your plants.
If you grow marijuana outdoors during the winter, germinate your seeds inside and take precautionary steps to protect your plant’s roots. Use pots to bring your crops inside, or consider a greenhouse on days below 59°F.
Ready to start your cannabis crop this winter? Find autoflower and feminized seeds for sale at our online shop and begin your growth journey today.
