Picking the right strain can be a daunting task for new flower smokers. There are thousands of strains that vary tremendously in terms of effect, flavour, and desired medical benefits.
Decide if one wants a Sativa or Indica dominant strain
Strains (or chemotypes) are varieties of a species. Sativas will wake one up, and Sativa dominant strains will wake one up more. Indicas will calm one down, and Indica dominant strains will calm one down more. Finding the right strain for one depends on a combination of their physical state and their mental state.
If, for example, their best friend has just died, one probably wants something relaxing. But if their boss just gave one promotion, one probably wants something energizing. Indica strains will tend to relax one. Sativa strains will tend to wake one up. Indica-dominant strains will relax one more than Sativa-dominant strains. Sativa-dominant strains will wake one up more than Indica-dominant strains.
Indica-dominant strains are often used for daytime use. Sativa-dominant strains are often used for night-time use. Sativa strains are traditionally used for uplifting, Sativa-dominant strains for energizing, and Indica strains for relaxing. The first key decision is whether one wants Sativa or Indica dominant strains. Sativa strains typically deliver more energetic, motivating, and creative effects. They also tend to be more creative – scientists doing experiments in the laboratory, for example, often prefer Sativa strains.
Indica strains typically deliver more relaxing effects. People who try to sleep or work on creative projects that require deep concentration are also often preferred. The effects of Sativa and Indica strains vary, but they are generally complementary, so most people who take cannabis may find a combination that makes them feel good.
Pay attention to the size of the flowers
Our brains are good at detecting patterns. We tend to see order where there are none and order where there are patterns.
The flower world is full of patterns, and it is easy to fall into a pattern trap. Many flower breeders look not to the size of the flower but the shape of the seedpod. The buds of the cosmos and cornflower are round, while those of delphinium and gladiolus are square. Just as interesting, though, is the shape of the seedpod: if the seedpod is long and narrow, it means the plant will flower only once. If the seedpod is short and round, it means the plant will flower many times.
The breeder’s job is not to predict the future but to predict the future concerning the customer. If one wants a single flower, one wants a long and narrow seedpod. If one wants lots of flowers, one wants a short and round seedpod. Now, one might think breeders could breed round seedpods into square ones, but that’s not quite what happens to click to read more.