Flavonoids are phytochemical compounds found throughout flowers, fruits, and vegetables. They’re not exclusive to cannabis and are responsible for colour pigmentations, odour, and flavour within nature’s flora.
Flavonoids are the least-researched but are way more influential than you could believe! Both terpenes and flavonoids are directly responsible for the flavour and aroma, but what separates them is the vibrant colours expressed by flavonoids.
What are flavonoids?
The name flavonoid is derived from the Latin word for yellow, flavus, referring to their colour pigmentation. They are comprised of polyphenolic compounds. The general chemical structure is a carbon skeleton made from 15 water-soluble carbon atoms, with two benzene rings connected by a three-linking carbon chain. Researchers have found over 10,000 flavonoids which have been identified and isolated.
Six main flavonoid subcategories
After identifying and isolating the individual flavonoids, they can be categorised into six significant subcategories:
1. Chalcones
The word chalcone is derived from the Latin word chalcos. These flavonoids are representative of the brown shades throughout nature. Tomatoes and apples are prime examples of fruits and vegetables with an abundant concentration of chalcones.
2. Flavones
Flavones are one of the essential subcategories of flavonoids and are accountable for the soft shades of yellow in nature. They can commonly be found in celery, chamomile, parsley and mint.
3. Isoflavonoids
Isoflavonoids are a very large sub-group of flavonoids and, as such, span a diverse colour spectrum from white to dark purples. In nature, soya beans and legume seeds are among the best sources of Isoflavonoids.
4. Flavanones
Flavanones are renowned for their orange hues, and in nature, high concentrations of flavanones can be found within the fruits of the citrus family. They have several potential health benefits, like their free radical-scavenging properties.
5. Anthoxanthins
Anthoxanthins produce creamy white and yellow colours, often visible in the petals of plants, cauliflower, mushrooms or potatoes. They are occasionally used as food additives.
6. Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are responsible for the darker hues of colour visible throughout flowering. Deep shades of purple to vivid reds and brilliant blues. High concentrations of anthocyanins include blueberries, plums and aubergines. They are also renowned for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
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Minor flavonoids
These six subcategories can be broken down further, and research has shown there are over 20 flavonoids which are commonly found within cannabis and the plant kingdom. So let’s run through the top eight.
1. β-sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol is closely related to cholesterol and can be found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and seeds. White Haze and Tangerine Sugar are cultivars with high levels of beta-sitosterol in their flavour profiles; get ready for a slightly bitter aftertaste when vaporising.
2. Vitexin
Vitexin can be detected within the leaves of bamboo plants and passion flowers. It is known for its potential therapeutic properties, with increased medicinal research.
3. Luteolin
Renowned for its high concentrations of luteolin, the yellow petals of the Dyer’s Rocket plant have been used to produce natural yellow dyes for centuries. Luteolin is also a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine and can be found in carrots, peppers, and chrysanthemum flowers.
4. Isovitexin
Isovitexin is an isotype of vitexin, and it occurs naturally in buckwheat, grain, flax and cannabis.
5. Apigenin
Apigenin is one of the most common flavonoids in nature and can be found in onions, parsley and celery. Its vivid yellow colour can produce cosmetics, fabric and hair dye.
6. Kaempferol
Kaempferol is present in many cruciferous vegetables, including kale, sprouts and spinach. It can also be found in Northern Lights.
7. Quercetin
High concentrations of quercetin can be found in red onions, grains, blueberries, broccoli and tomatoes. It is amongst the ten most common flavonoids found in cannabis.
8. Orientin
Orientin has been identified in the basil plant leaves and has been studied extensively for its potential therapeutic properties.
Cannflavin C was identified in 2008 by Mahmoud A. ElSohly, and ongoing research into its anti-inflammatory properties continues. High levels of Cannflavins can be identified in many of the Sensi Seeds varieties, including; Skunk #1, Black Domina, and Silver Haze. There are also numerous hemp varieties bred explicitly with high levels of Cannflavins.
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What do flavonoids do?
Flavonoids have multiple functions throughout nature and are found in high concentrations in plant cells. Primarily, they are essential for producing the vivid colour pigmentation needed to attract pollinating insects, but they also help to shield the plant from UV light and disease.
Flavonoids are potent antioxidants and can potentially reduce plant tissue damage. They help protect and regenerate the plant from oxidative stress caused by an imbalance in oxygen due to fluctuating environmental changes. During the Autumn and as the nights grow longer and colder, chlorophyll levels are at their lowest, and as the green hues fade, anthocyanins can be seen throughout the foliage. Similar to the final weeks of flowering, where cannabis cultivars have visible shades of purple.
However, it is not only a stress mechanism; these vivid colours help attract pollinating insects and are crucial for reproducing. This range of colours also helps protect the plant from dangerous UV lights, which can cause grievous cellular damage over long periods. Flavonoids are also responsible for the aroma, and different colour pigments influence the aroma.
When cultivating cannabis, anthocyanins express a broad range of colours throughout the cannabis flowers during flowering, and each pigment produces a distinctive aroma. An excellent example would be how the indica-dominant cultivar Purple Cookie Kush expresses purple hues throughout flowering. Whereas, the sweet and uplifting sativa Tangerine Sugar has deep shades of yellow.
In humans, flavonoids play a vital role in perceiving the plant with your senses. They work synergistically to enhance the effects of other phytocannabinoids within the endocannabinoid system, known as the entourage effect.
Cannabis flavonoids and the endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system is a diverse cell-signalling network comprising endocannabinoids, CB1 and CB2 receptors and corresponding enzymes. Its principal function is to help balance and regulate essential bodily functions by maintaining homeostasis.
Endocannabinoid receptors can be found all over the body, with the highest concentration of CB1 receptors located in the central nervous system, including the neocortex, cerebellum and spinal cords. In contrast, CB2 receptors are primarily located in the peripheral immune system. Flavonoids work synergistically with these cannabinoid receptors and cannabis compounds to enhance the effects of minor phytocannabinoids.
The endocannabinoid system plays an essential part in how we react to cannabis and, subsequently, can help mediate the effects of phytocannabinoids. It can also regulate and control a myriad of functions, including; sleep, appetite, inflammatory and immune responses.
All cannabis strains contain different ratios of cannabinoid compounds, so whereas one strain might be uplifting, the other could be incredibly relaxing. It is the terpene and flavonoids within cannabis that help define your experience.
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If you’re looking to increase the concentration of cannabis compounds, it is crucial to make sure you have access to top-quality genetics. Always guarantee adequate ventilation, do not overwater, and give them tender love and care!
Throughout each stage of the growing cycle, cannabis plants need varying amounts of carbohydrates to ensure healthy growth, dense bud structures and heavy trichome coverage. High-quality soil can maximise nutrient uptake, and ensuring your medium has the correct pH is advised, as incorrect levels can cause nutrient deficiencies. Before harvesting, flushing helps remove the nutrient buildup in the root zone, eliminating any residue solvents in the flowers and boosting their flavour profiles.
Ensure plants are growing optimally before changing any environmental conditions or defoliating. By trimming the lower fan leaves, defoliation can help increase sugar production by directing energy to the flowering bud. However, be careful not to remove too much lower foliage, which could shunt growth.
As a natural response to environmental stress, cannabis increases the production of flavonoids to protect the plant. For example, many growers recommend decreasing the temperature during the last weeks of flowering to increase the concentration of anthocyanins. This could cause the plant to defend itself against shifting environmental conditions, subsequently increasing flavonoid production.
Pushing the boundaries
Although many scientific studies are based on the most prolific phytocannabinoids, THC and CBD, more research is still needed on minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. With a growing interest in the bioactive properties of cannabis and increased medicinal research into the beneficial properties of flavonoids, we can hope to access their potential therapeutic values better.
Disclaimer:
Laws and regulations regarding cannabis cultivation differ from country to country. Sensi Seeds therefore strongly advises you to check your local laws and regulations. Do not act in conflict with the law.
ILGM and Leafly are coming to a city near you to celebrate the passion we all share for growing cannabis.
Leafly and ILGM have teamed up to bring you a one-of-a-kind road trip across America, designed to bring cannabis enthusiasts together for unforgettable experiences and valuable learning opportunities. We’re hitting the road in ILGM’s revamped Airstream Bambi—the “home on the road”—to celebrate home growing and their refreshed identity.
“At ILGM, we call our online community the ‘Home of the Growers’ for a reason. Growing cannabis is in our DNA. It’s what makes our green hearts beat faster.”
Trekking from the West Coast to the East Coast, ILGM is bringing the Home Grow Tour to six iconic cities along the way, each with its own unique cannabis culture and stories to tell.
They’ve curated each stop to reflect the many perspectives that enrich our community, creating a space to celebrate as we continue writing the broader narrative of cannabis with one another. During the tour, the Airstream will act as ILGM’s mobile hub for Grow Workshops, cultivation Q&A’s, podcasts, exclusive seed deals, and, most of all, to connect with you, our fellow growers.
Let’s come together face to face, learn from each other, have fun, and celebrate the art of cultivation on the 2025 ILGM Home Grow Tour.
Find ILGM here
You won’t want to miss this! Take a look below to see if the Home Grow Tour is stopping in your city. Expect unique experiences tailored to the local vibe and culture at every stop.
March 15 & 16, 2025
The six-week-long journey across the country begins in Los Angeles at Rolling Loud, as an homage to music, hip-hop culture, and cannabis.
March 22 & 23, 2025
ILGM’s “State of U.S. Home Growing Market” report published last year pointed out the increasingly important position of women in the cannabis home growing community. As we leave the big city, we head to Palm Springs for a refreshing weekend retreat highlighting and celebrating the women who push our cannabis community forward.
Join us for a series of curated events at Arrive Hotel as ILGM provides starter grow workshops for women, and we explore the relationship between cannabis and mindfulness and enjoy the artistic contributions of female artists.
Get ready for the ultimate cannabis road trip, powered by Leafly
Power up your cannabis experience: shop deals near you, find new strains, and order weed for pickup or delivery—all at your fingertips—download the Leafly app today! Plus, sign up for the Leafly newsletter to receive exclusive offers from ILGM and more trusted brand partners, expert advice, and the latest strain info—all at your fingertips.
Phoenix: Surprise details to be announced
March 29 & 30, 2025
As the Home Grow Tour continues through the desert, Phoenix provides the ideal backdrop to recognize all of the ways we “grow” as cannabis enthusiasts. With its active community of home growers, Phoenix is the ideal place to settle down for a weekend dedicated to cannabis home cultivation.
What we’ll be doing is still a surprise but rest assured—ILGM is cooking up something special for their Phoenix visit. Stay tuned to find out what’s in store for this special community get-together. More information to be announced soon!
April 5 & 6, 2025
As the Airstream makes its way through Colorful Colorado, ILGM is getting acquainted with the great outdoors with a weekend of camping at Boulder’s Adventure Lodge. Do we know anything better than the combination of enjoying the best cannabis and the outdoors have to offer? We don’t think so!
From growing workshops and sunrise salutations to fun outdoor activities like hiking and sitting beside the campfire, escape into the wilderness and inspire a deeper appreciation for nature, cannabis, and our community. An event specially designed for the ILGM community: their loyal customers and ILGM forum users, and those who think a weekend socializing with like-minded cannabis connoisseurs is the best it can get.
April 12 & 13, 2025
Chicago is a city all its own, but its rich culinary scene has remained a defining element throughout history. We can’t think of a better place to explore the connection between cuisine and cannabis!
Find ILGM at a soon-to-be-announced location for an experience blending education and indulgence, with delectable infused cocktails and meals to try out for yourself along the way.
April 19 & 20, 2025
The Home Grow Tour is hitting New York City on the weekend of 4/20 as the final stop. NYC is a famous melting pot and the perfect city to celebrate the diversity of cannabis culture.
The first stop is the MARY Fest in Brooklyn to check out the many intersections of cannabis in our cultural landscape. On 4/20, our community’s biggest day of the year, ILGM will finally settle down for a local celebration of cannabis culture at a surprise location, so stay tuned for more details.
ILGM wants to share their passion for home growing with existing and new generations of home cultivators. Join Leafly and ILGM in this shared passion, learn with us, explore with us, and express your love for cannabis with us.
Coming together with one another, each with our own unique knowledge and experience: This is how the cannabis community has always grown. Different cultures, histories, and communities shape every journey that makes up this larger family.
Check here for more information on the ILGM Home Grow Tour 2025. To keep updated on all things ILGM, you can head to their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also head to their YouTube channel for high-quality home-growing videos. Happy growing and see you on the road!
Sure, it’s the cold winter of our discontent, but take heart— the Earth has begun tracking back toward the sun, and the days grow longer again.
Start dreaming today of a dank pound or two come Thanksgiving, then start sourcing your seeds and clones, sketching a gardening plan, and calendaring your harvest.
I know I am. As Leafly News’ senior editor and co-author of the best-selling book ‘Marijuana Harvest,’ I pop beans, soak up strain trends, as well as judge and report on award-winners.
Now it’s again time to wring out all that knowledge to help you plant some winners. Here are over 50 sick genetics picks in 6 categories that we’d be stoked to garden with you.
Jump to a strain category
Candies
Exotic Genetix Bluezy. (Courtesy Exotic Genetix)
We lead off with the flavor that controls the market coast to coast—dubbed ‘candies’ for their candy sweetness, but also their full-bodied dankness often referred to as ‘gas’. Based around Lemon Cherry Gelato and kin, these indica hybrids sell themselves, and keep the commercial market humming.
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Compound Genetics
Chrome Dome (Lemonheadz x Eye Candy). Compound Genetics adds more flavor to its blingiest buds. “The nose leans towards sweet lemon zest and lemon scented cleaning products with an effervescence akin to sprite.”
Chrome Dome takes its bling from Eye Candy and adds more lemon. (Courtesy Compound Genetics)
Exotic Genetix
Bluezy (Zoap x Blueberry Bang Bang). Washington breeder Exotic Genetix has worked the hot strain Zoap with the hot flavor trend blueberry. Exotic Genetix writes: “One of my absolute favorite looks on a flower! The colas get so dark in places that they begin to take on a crazy blue sheen. … These juicy goodies make you think you are inhaling a complex basket of different fuels, even somewhat reminiscent of very aromatic soaps to the nose.”
Purple City Genetics
G-Runtz (Pre-64 Runtz x Gush Mints). All the hype of Runtz with a much bigger yield, from the Oakland cloning powerhouse.
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Tiki Madman
Jelly Rain (Jealousy x Candy Rain); Party Boy (Zoap x Z Rain). Tiki Madman dominates the sweets game and these crosses of Leafly Strain of the Year 2022 Jealousy, or 2025 Leafly Buzz Strain Zoap will make ‘em go crazy.
Oakland Runtz #25 (Don Merfo LCG#7 x Lemon Cherry Gelato); K-Whip (Pineapple Dolomite x Shady Apples). The Sacramento clone kings at Phinest keep farmers fed with their candy selections this year.
Oakland Runtz #25. (Courtesy Phinest)
Cannarado Genetics
Lemon Zawtz (Lemon Tree x Zawtz x Zawtz Bx1). Colorado’s biggest breeder writes “Lemon candy chem best describes this hybrid. Good yields with mouth-staining terps!”
Ethos Genetics
Lemon Cherry Pie R1 (Candy Store #25 x Cherry Pie). Colorado breeder Ethos sells this ‘reversal’ strain that has “sharp lemon upfront. Sweet cherry tones. Muted pine.”
James Loud Genetics
Permanent Midnight (Permanent Marker x Double Lemon Cherry) from this Hayward, CA breeder includes Leafly Strain of the Year 2023.
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Crockett Family Farms
Tap into the Trop Cherry wave that helped power Super Boof to Leafly Strain of the Year 2024. Get Crockett’s Blood Cherry (Blood Orange x Trop Cherry) crosses like Cherry Clem (Clementine x Blood Cherry), and Fruity Loopz (Clementine x Blood Cherry).
Happy Dreams
Cherrilicious (Cherry Frosting x Cherry GAS). The masses love cherries and award-winning Happy Dreams contributes to filling that need.
Desserts
Tie Die (Jealousy x Sunset Sherbert). (Courtesy Cookies Seed Bank)
When we say ‘Desserts’ we mean Girl Scout Cookies-related strains, which continue to dominate year after year. No grow is complete without this powerful dynasty that includes Sherbert, Gelato, Runtz, and Gary Payton. Yes, ‘desserts’ cross over with candies, but they get more doughy, cookie, and cakey.
Karma Genetics
Pink Payton (Gary Payton x Pink Runtz). Gary Payton and Runtz is a combo that cannot miss among dessert fans.
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Umami Seeds
No Assist (Gary Payton x Zoda). This super-hot Southern California breeder is known for one-and-done strain releases. You’ll never see these back in stock from Umami when they sell out.
Seed Junky
Animal Tree (Lemon Tree x Animal Mints Bx1); Caribbean Breeze (Pineapple Fruz x (Biscotti x Sherb BX))
Cookies Seed Bank
(Courtesy Cookies)
Tie Die (Jealousy x Sunset Sherbet), Pink Runtz x Hollywood, Lemon Cherry Pop (Gastro Pop 5 X Double Lemon Cherry). You can’t talk about dessert strains without visiting Cookies’ very own seed bank.
Zs
Exemplary Z. Grown indoors in living soil by MOCA Humboldt, CA. Hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
The Original Z remains tough to beat on the contest circuit, but it’s just the beginning of the tropical candy taffy tastes this year.
Dying Breed Seeds
Rainboz V.S. (Rainbow Rayz x OZ Kush). These magic beans run $500 per pack, hot dayam, but they can boost you into the front of the global flavor chase spawned by the Z strain.
Hendrx Nursery
Blue Nerdz (Runtz x Zkittlez). Created by Global Genetics LA—the flavor makes up for the yield on this hype cross. See also: Gelo Belts (Gelonade x Rainbow Belts 3.0). “Has the potential to replace Gelonade for commercial farmers. Potency and yield will dictate. Great clone!”
Archive Seeds
Zsunami. (Courtesy Archive Seed Bank)
Zsunami (Zazul #5 x Moonbow 112 F2 #60). Archive Seeds’ Fletch writes, “Just give it a couple years, and you guys will be asking about it like the Rainbow Belts!”
Clearwater Genetics
Blue Nerds crosses; Cherry Chewbanger (Sherbanger 22 x Hi Chew 27) crosses. Clearwater cleared the field of competitors with their Mai Tai line. Don’t sleep on their Blue Nerds or Sherbanger work.
Biovortex
Cherry Lime Dogz. This cross is too long to name. And noted breeder Biovortex has been refining it for 8 years. He describes “a fermented cherry cola fizz with purple pixie stick and gas that smelled and tasted like some magical ambrosia reserved only for the gods.”
Are you longing for old-school OG Kushes and Sour Diesels? Start hunting for them—there are plenty of options.
Karma Genetics
Sour Fire Tahoe (Fire Tahoe x Karma Sour D bx2); Hayabusa OG (Race Fuel OG x Biker Kush). Karma Genetics has some of the best sours in the world.
Rebel Grown
Double OG Sour F5. Rebel Grown has won a ton of awards with this cross of OG and Sour, now in its fifth generation of selections.
Archive Seeds
Holy Roller (Big Sur Holy Weed x Face Off OG); Duct Tape (GG4 x Dosidos). Gas and sour fans, strap in for Archive’s undeniably elite crosses of Face Off OG, or GG4.
Hendrx Nursery
Tire Fire OG ((OG Kush X Triangle Kush) X San Fernando Valley OG)). Gas lovers rejoice, this one smells like ammonia, butter, chestnut, earth, fuel, garlic, kush, rubber, skunk, woody, asphalt, and burnt rubber. Hendrx writes: “Bred by Russell from ChaScience. Best OG I have seen in 15 years. So consistent. Very easy to hunt. Consistent Gas. Picked a few winners. Heavily narcotic high. This is the youngest new phenotype at HENDRX right now. Has the biggest potential.”
Ziplock Seeds
Gas Drop (Gas Face x Frosted Flakes) “Begins with strong gas notes that hit the palate with a pungent, cleaner-like aroma, followed by sharp diesel and sour undertones. … A crew favorite.”
Massive Creations
Shiloh Massive has some intriguing OG/Sour work this year with 97 Super Sour (818 Headband F4 x 97 Sierra Sour); and Kobayashi (818 Headband F4 x Marion Berry). Part of Shiloh’s new Si Lo Sabes line.
DNA Genetics
Kosher Kush. A classic, storied OG Kush that’s ready to grow.
Hashers
MAC V2 from L.A. Made. (David Downs/Leafly)
More and more flower goes straight into hash this year all around the world in grows big and small.
Masonic Seeds
Step into the hash game with the market-rattling bangers from Compton, CA’s Masonic Seeds. The Wilson, Banana God, and Ego Clash Bundle are all winners that don’t come cheap.
Capulator
MACV2. Revisit MAC with Capulator’s improved version. A must-add to any collection.
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Biovortex
Banana Halo Halo ((Ice Cream Cake x Banana DOG) x Motor-G-nut). Selected by Yooper Crew for her extremely high hash yields. See also—Papaya Punch x G-Nut; Chemmy G.
Freeborn Selections
Turkey Bag (Animal Cookies x GMO x MeyerLemsky). Smells like turkey! “It sounds weird, but it’s so tasty. And it makes so much hash.”
Bodhi Seeds
Mule Fuel x 88G13HP. Stanky Mule Fuel and 1988 G-13 Hash Plant should yield some dank hashers.
3rd Coast Genetics
Investigate Michigan breeder’s hot ‘Black Truffle’ line with Solar Garlic (GMO x Black truffle); Rainbow in the Dark (Cadillac Rainbowz x Black Truffle); and Black Tar (Grease Monkey x Black Truffle).
Sativas
Blue Dream (David Downs/Leafly)
Lastly, we leave room for old-school strains that don’t yield a lot and take forever to finish. Sativas are perfect for home gardening where there’s no pressure of finishing early to make a payday.
Equilibrium Genetics
Panama Haze (Panama Red x Tom Hill Haze). A pine and floral 12-weeker that’ll warp you back to Woodstock. Panama Red is a sativa heirloom collected in Panama in the 1970s. Tom Hill Haze is a stable haze line bred in Mendocino by Tom Hill from Haze sourced in Amsterdam from Positronics Seeds in 1996.
Hendrx Nursery
XJ-13. Help bring back this big Jack variety, and put some pep in your step with XJ-13 from Northern California’s Henrdx Nursery.
Rebel Grown
Blue Dream. Grow a classic strain from a legendary breeder. Obviously not a pure sativa, but put in here with the hazes. DNA Genetics also has a Blue Dream.
TerpHogz
TerphogZ Geneticz seeds come in various elite flavors, for deliver in California. (Courtesy TerpHogz)
Red Skrrt-Banger (Skrrrt-Berry Zuava x Red Kachina 2.0). “Powerful gas, creamy citrus, and exotic funk.” This 60-40 sativa offers the latest from The Original Z crew.
And that’s my sickest genetics picks of 2025 for your weed garden, featuring over 50 flavors in 6 categories. Still, I’ve just scratched the surface, so let us know in the comments what you’re stoked to grow.
ILGM, aka I Love Growing Marijuana, are reintroducing themselves. They’ve been one of the leading sources for cannabis seeds and expert growing knowledge for years, but the team at ILGM just isn’t the type to rest on their laurels. They’ve been working hard—and they have a newly refined, streamlined seed shopping experience to show for it. Oh, and did we mention their brand-new, dripped-out look?
The new ILGM is a veritable treasure trove of expert knowledge that’ll help you find everything you need to help your seeds take root and grow strong.
Don’t get it twisted though, ILGM’s new vibe is way more than just a fresh coat of paint. It’s an entire reconceptualization of what an online home for cannabis growers should look like. The new ILGM is a veritable treasure trove of expert knowledge that’ll help you find everything you need to help your seeds take root and grow strong. Their commitment to helping newcomers embrace the craft of growing has never been more secure, and with their new look, more people than ever before can learn to love growing marijuana.
We were lucky enough to catch up with some of the visionaries guiding ILGM’s transformation, and we’ve got all the details on how they’re making ILGM the definitive home of the growers.
More than a seed bank
Image courtesy of ILGM.
2025 is set to be the year of the home grower, if ILGM’s new CEO Ernst Rustenhoven has anything to say about it. When he took the reigns of ILGM early last year, he came up with a plan to transform ILGM into a sleek, dynamic operation that better serves consumer needs.
“The cannabis industry is maturing, and so is the home-growing community. ILGM has been a pioneer in the online cannabis seed market for over a decade,” said Rustenhoven. “However, we realized we were not meeting changing consumer expectations and were stuck in the past.”
Holistic home-growing support for today’s grower
Rustenhoven and his expert team began to modernize ILGM by exploring what customers love about ILGM, and how they can do it even better. The home-growing community is larger than ever, but more isolated across different websites due to the social media terrain becoming more unfriendly to people looking to share photos, videos, and home-growing knowledge.
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“We are increasingly focused on being a platform that connects people and parties: Offering premium genetics from top-notch breeders to home-grow connoisseurs, providing content and resources from expert growers to beginners, and fostering connections among home growers both online and offline. We are here to serve our community and grow with it,” said Rustenhoven.
The best of the past, infused into a bright future
If you’re one of ILGM’s many devoted customers and all this talk of change is getting you a little nervous, relax. The new leadership at ILGM knows that one of their greatest resources is the accumulated knowledge of their robust home-growing community.
“Ensuring that ILGM offers access to a vibrant community of people that want to share their cannabis cultivation journey, and connect with fellow home growers, is a significant part of our mission going forward.” said the CEO.
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Rustenhoven and the team have taken incredible pains to keep the things that have earned ILGM their customer loyalty—like their famous germination guarantee, expert knowledge, and incredible deals—while jettisoning anything that wasn’t working.
Ernst isn’t alone in his efforts, of course. He’s assembled a top-tier team of industry experts including growers, researchers, designers, and writers to overhaul ILGM and make it one of the very best resources for cannabis growers of all experience levels. The entire ILGM team is unified in their desire to revolutionize the ILGM experience and spread the joy of cannabis wider than ever before.
A seed for every need
Image courtesy of ILGM.
ILGM has been one of the foremost sources of cannabis seeds globally for years, and the new ILGM has no plans to change that fact. What they are changing is basically everything else—how easy it is to buy seeds, get the expert knowledge you need to set your seeds up for success, and learn about strain genetics.
Seeds straight from the source
Before, researching a specific seed you had an eye on often sent cultivators to several different sites, but at the new ILGM, growers will have all the information they need to make an informed decision about your grow in one spot.
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The word is transparency—ILGM believes in being completely upfront about where your seeds are coming from, their genetic pedigree, and the type of results you can expect from a setup that resembles your own. As the cannabis industry has matured and growers of all stripes have become increasingly discerning, these sorts of details are increasingly demanded by the growing public, and ILGM loves giving the people what they want. Anything you could think of asking about these strains, you’ll find.
Craft cultivars from top breeders
ILGM focuses on supporting the breeders behind the genetics and the cultivators who depend on them.
Randy Hansen
When the team at ILGM says that they are the home of the growers, they mean it. ILGM features a wide range of seeds from stellar American growers in addition to their ever-reliable in-house brand. You’ll be able to find seeds from high-quality growers like Speedrun Seeds and Green Bodhi on the storefront, with offerings from Happy Valley Genetics and Certified Seeds coming soon. ILGM does the vetting to make sure these seeds are up to snuff, ensuring that every seed in their store is worthy of your grow by partnering with brands who meet their rigorous standards.
The man at the head of ILGM’s seed selection operations is Randy Hansen, an industry veteran with a passion for making connections with master cultivators. As the point person for ILGM’s US seed partnerships, his keen eye for quality cannabis ensures that only the finest seeds make it to ILGM’s store.
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“ILGM focuses on supporting the breeders behind the genetics and the cultivators who depend on them. We’re committed to elevating each breeder’s unique work, ensuring their genetics meet our high standards and that we, in turn, highlight the passion that goes into creating these craft cultivars,” said Hansen.
He and his team work diligently, examining terpene profiles, cannabinoid levels, and genetic stability to make ILGM’s seed selection one of the most robust and reliable in the industry.
It takes a village
Image courtesy of ILGM.
In ILGM’s opinion, growing cannabis should be accessible, easy, and fun for anyone who wants to try their hand. They’re using this rebrand as an opportunity to refocus their content towards making sure that anyone can find what they need to make their home grow successful.
Information for every experience level
ILGM’s new head of content, Robert Nijhout, is crafting an environment where knowledge flows freely and all growers feel supported. Said Nijhout: “We want to make sure that our grow guides are clear and user-friendly for people from all walks of life without leaving any information on the table or simplifying anything in favor of accuracy.”
No matter if this is your first time trying out your green thumb or your thousandth, ILGM wants you to feel at home. With Nijhout at the helm of the content department, ILGM will publish expert, high-level content for home growers with experience, but they will also take special care to expand the home-growing community by welcoming in first-time growers.
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“Starting out as a grower means facing a ton of questions—which strain to grow, where to set up, what soil or gear to use—it can feel overwhelming,” said Nijhout. “We get that because we’ve been there. That’s why we create content that answers those questions early, helping customers make informed choices from day one.”
One-on-one support
In addition to the incredible articles, grow guides, and videos outlining the art and science of cannabis cultivation that ILGM publishes now, they are almost ready to roll out a feature that will totally transform the online cannabis community.
Soon, ILGM customers will be able to set up direct one-on-one consultations with its in-house team of home grow success consultants,who can help diagnose and remedy ailments in even the most difficult of grows. These experts will be able to analyze your unique growing setup, taking into account things like climate and light conditions to troubleshoot your grow and get your plants back on track. This sort of personalized care just isn’t widely available to most growers, who will find ILGM to be an indispensable resource to increase yields and have more fun with their grow.
The road ahead
Image courtesy of ILGM.
While the new and improved ILGM is certainly very impressive, the team behind the reimagining isn’t even close to being finished. They have big plans to launch heaps of new features over the coming year in addition to the upcoming personalized consultation feature, making it even less stressful and more enjoyable to grow cannabis.
“We believe these initiatives, which are just the tip of the iceberg, will not only strengthen our existing community but also attract new members to the home-growing movement,” said Rustenhoven.
AI-powered growing assistant
So, what does the team have in store? One of the first features that ILGM will be launching in the near future is the world’s first custom-built AI-powered growing assistant. This AI was developed in-house by the team at ILGM, who trained the bot on decades of expert growing knowledge accumulated on the ILGM website. This AI will be fully integrated into the ILGM website, providing helpful, easy-to-follow advice 24/7 so you’re never alone in facing a growing emergency.
Culture-driven content
ILGM will also be delivering even more quality content in the year ahead. “In the coming period, we’re excited to create content that sets up our home growers for success,” said Nijhout. They’ll be producing community-driven stories to get the pulse of the culture, in-depth cultivation podcasts that get granular on how to maximize your yields, and Q&As with master growers seeking to share their knowledge.
Home Grow Tour
To top it all off, they’re taking the show on the road and going on tour. Leading up to 4/20, weed’s biggest day, ILGM will be launching their nationwide Home Grow Tour, a massive jamboree to celebrate the love and care that the home-growing community brings to their hobby.
The tour will feature events designed to bring growers together with product launches, influencer meetups, grow classes, and much, much more. The itinerary featuring the specifics will launch soon, so keep an eye out on social media to see if one of the biggest tours cannabis has ever seen will make it to your neck of the woods.
With all of these exciting changes, ILGM is poised to completely revolutionize the seed-buying experience for home growers all over America. But don’t just take our word for it—head to the new ILGM website today and experience the transformation for yourself. With a renewed focus on community engagement and some incredible seeds from vetted partners on the shelves, ILGM is proud to be the Home of the Growers.
Image courtesy of ILGM.
To keep updated on new features, strains, and events, you can head to ILGM’s website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also head to their YouTube channel for high-quality home-growing videos. Happy growing!
