Are you ready to unleash the full potential of your cannabis harvest?
Get ready to maximize your yield and grow the biggest, most potent buds. With our expert tips and insider knowledge, you’ll be well on your way to creating a thriving cannabis garden.
Let’s dive in and unlock the secret to growing massive, trichome-rich buds every time.
Steps to Take For Growing and Harvesting Bigger Marijuana Buds
Choose High-Yield Cannabis Strains
Starting with high-yield genetics is the best way to grow big buds.
While indicas tend to grow shorter and bushier than sativas, this isn’t always the case. Research strain growing information (height, yield size, etc.) of indica, sativa, and hybrid varieties before committing to a strain.
Research reputable seed vendors and consider the following factors to choose the right genetics:
Availability of seeds or clones: Seeds are obtained from the pollination of a female plant by a male pant and are used to grow new plants. On the other hand, clones are cuttings taken from a mature “mother” plant and used to grow new plants with identical genetics.
Desired effects of the flowers: Different cannabis strains affect the human body differently. Some strains are known for their relaxing properties, while others are known for their energetic and uplifting effects.
Desired length of time from planting to harvest: The length of time from planting to harvest can vary between strains. Some strains have a shorter flowering period and are ready for harvest in as little as 8-9 weeks, while others may take longer.
Desired yield: Yield is a measure of the amount of buds produced by a cannabis plant. High-yield strains are known for producing large amounts of buds, but it’s important to keep in mind that yield also depends on growing conditions and the care given to the plants.
Growing environment: The growing environment can have a significant impact on the yield and quality of cannabis plants. Choose a strain that is well-suited to your growing conditions, including temperature, light, and humidity.
Space requirements: Some strains are more compact and better suited for small grow spaces, while others are larger and need more room to grow.
Pro tip: For new growers, we recommend starting with 1-2 indica clones, since indicas are usually easier and faster to grow than sativas. Autoflowering strains are also a good option but aren’t as high-yielding as traditional photoperiod strains.
Hydroponic cannabis grows can produce bigger yields than traditional grow systems. Many commercial growers rely on hydroponic systems like deep water culture (DWC), ebb and flow, and nutrient film technique (NFT), to grow bigger and better plants.
Deep Water Culture (DWC) System: The DWC system involves suspending the roots of the plants directly into a nutrient-rich solution. This system provides plants with a consistent water supply and nutrients, leading to rapid growth and high yields.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) System: The NFT system involves circulating a thin film of nutrient-rich water over the roots of the plants. This system requires careful monitoring to ensure the correct balance of water and nutrients but can result in fast growth and high yields.
Ebb and Flow System: The ebb and flow system involves periodically flooding the grow tray with nutrient-rich water, allowing the roots to soak up the nutrients and draining the water back into a reservoir. This system is easy to set up and maintain, making it a popular choice for home growers.
Aeroponic System: The aeroponic system involves misting the roots of the plants with a nutrient-rich solution. This system provides an oxygen-rich environment for the roots, leading to rapid growth and high yields.
Drip Irrigation System: The drip Irrigation system involves dripping a controlled amount of nutrient-rich water directly onto the roots of the plants. This system is efficient and can result in high yields, but requires careful monitoring to avoid over- or under-watering.
Generally, the idea of hydroponic systems is to provide plant roots with a nutrient-rich solution in a highly-oxygenated environment. Plant roots are supported by an inert medium like Rockwool or hydroton clay pebbles instead of soil. In this environment, plants can absorb nutrients and minerals more effectively.
Growing plants hydroponically can be difficult for first-time growers. However, as long you understand how to manage pH and provide plants with the right nutrient solution mix, you can grow big buds with minimal issues.
A major aspect of having a successful hydroponic garden is the cleanliness of the environment to reduce the risk of disease.
Give Plants Plenty of Light
Cannabis plants thrive in a well-lit environment, which promotes photosynthesis. Choosing the best grow lights for your cannabis garden depends on various factors, including your budget, the grow space, the stage of life of the plant, and your desired yield. The size of your harvest will depend on the amount of light your plants receive.
One of the main types of lighting used in cannabis cultivation is HID (High-Intensity Discharge) lighting. HID lighting comes in two forms, Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), and provides a strong, full-spectrum light that is ideal for the flowering stage of growth.
However, HID lighting is energy-intensive and can produce a significant amount of heat, making it important to choose the right size for your grow space and provide proper ventilation.
For HPS lights, consider these recommendations for HPS wattage and distance between lights and plants:
150 watts: 8-12 inches
250 watts: 10-14 inches
400 watts: 12-19 inches
600 watts: 14-25 inches
1000 watts: 16-31 inches
Another type of lighting that is becoming increasingly popular among cannabis growers is LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting. LED lighting is energy-efficient and generates very little heat, making it ideal for small grow spaces. LED lights come in various spectrum options and can be customized to provide light specific to the stage of growth.
When choosing lighting for your cannabis grow, it’s important to consider the lights’ wattage, spectrum, and coverage. You’ll want to provide enough light to cover your entire grow area, with a higher wattage being necessary for larger grow spaces. The light spectrum should match the growth stage, with different spectrums used during the vegetative and flowering stages.
Maintain Optimal Temperature and Humidity
Getting the temperature and humidity just right for your plants can make a big difference in yield, bud size, and trichome density. We recommend avoiding going over 80º F during the flowering phase.
For seedlings, the temperature should be around 77º F during the day and 70º at night with a 65-80% humidity. During the vegetative stage, temperatures can range between 71-82º F in the day and 64-75º F at night with a 55-70% humidity.
In the early flowering stage, the plant thrives in temperatures between 68-78º F in the day and 61-72º F at night with 40-50% humidity. In the late flowering stage, keep the temperatures between 64-I’m 75º F in the day and 61-68º F at night with 30-40% humidity.
The excess humidity and heat can increase the risk of bud rot and evaporate the heat-sensitive, aromatic terpenes. Extra chilly temperatures can slow down bud growth and create wispy nugs.
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To maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels, it is important to invest in a temperature and humidity control system. This can be as simple as a thermometer and hygrometer to monitor the temperature and humidity levels or as complex as a climate control system with automatic adjustment capabilities.
Remove Male Plants
Before growing marijuana buds to get them bigger, you need to understand that buds developduring the flowering stage. Because the buds have a higher level of THC content, it is essential to get them as big as you can. However, there are some differences between the male and female plants, which you need to know too.
Female marijuana plants produce buds with a higher level of THC than male plants. Male marijuana plants do not produce cannabis buds but can produce leaves and stems with minimal trichomes, although you can still smoke them.
Because the male buds have so much pollen, you have to be careful not to allow female plant pollination. If the female plant gets pollinated, then the marijuana plant will begin to produce seeds instead of buds and have a lower level of THC.
The marijuana buds of the female plant will start to show within two weeks after the buds of the male plant show up. You should focus your attention on the female buds as they are superior tomale pollen sacs.
Pruning cannabis plant leaves is an important part of growing and harvesting bigger marijuana buds. By removing yellow, damaged, or infected leaves, you can increase the overall health and vigor of your plants, leading to better yields and more potent buds.
Pruning cannabis plant leaves has several benefits. By removing damaged or yellow leaves, you can reduce the risk of mold and mildew and prevent the spread of disease or pests. Additionally, pruning can increase the amount of light and air reaching your plants’ lower parts, promoting better growth and leading to bigger buds.
Pruning can help your marijuana plant eliminate unnecessary foliage and focus on growing its most critical components.Start by getting rid of the dry leaves. Look for discoloration of the leaves so you know which ones to remove.
To properly prune your cannabis plants, you’ll need a sharp pair of pruning shears or scissors. Cut the leaves close to the stem, being careful not to damage the plant or leave any stubs. After pruning, dispose of the removed leaves and sanitize your pruning tools to prevent spreading disease or pests.
Even though you will remove those leaves, you don’t have to discard them, but you can keep the leaves for curing because the discolored leaves still have a sufficient level of THC content. You use them for recreational smoking while you wait for your bigger marijuana buds.
Train Your Marijuana Plants
Plant training allows you to manipulate how your cannabis plant grows. Plant training techniques range from low-stress training (LST) to high-stress techniques (HST). Plant training usually does not require expensive equipment or extensive training. Consider using LST and HST on your plant, including:
Super cropping
Screen of green (SCROG)
Topping
FIMing
Manifolding
Defoliation
For example, topping your female marijuana plants involves removing the top of the main stem of your vegetative plant. Topping a plant causes additional branches to grow and produce more buds. It also saves the plant energy and helps with pruning.
Another thing to consider is using the best nutrients for your marijuana plant throughout its vegetative and flowering stage. Nutrients should be chosen for each phase, the flowering phase. Be careful what nutrients you use during the flowering stage.
To get bigger marijuana buds, make sure the plant receives enough phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. Phosphorus is usually most of what your marijuana plant craves during this stage. To get enough phosphorus for your plant, you could mix water and wood ash and apply them to your plant.
Harvest During Peak Maturity of Trichomes
Harvesting your cannabis plants at the right time is crucial for getting the best yield and potency. One of the most important factors to consider is the maturity of the trichomes on the buds. Trichomes are the small, sticky, glandular structures that cover the buds and contain most of the plant’s cannabinoids, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds.
“
There are over 300,000 jobs in the cannabis industry. CTU trained me for one of them!
– Johanna Rose Makes $24.50 @ THC +
To determine the best time to harvest, you’ll need to examine the trichomes under a magnifying glass. When the trichomes are clear, the buds are not yet fully mature, and you’ll get a more energetic, uplifting high.
As the trichomes start to turn cloudy, the buds are reaching peak maturity, and you’ll get a more relaxing, sedative effect. When the trichomes turn amber, the buds are starting to degrade, and you’ll get a more couch-locking, sleep-inducing high.
It’s important to note that the desired effects will vary depending on personal preferences, so you’ll need to experiment to determine what works best for you. In general, most growers harvest when most trichomes are cloudy, providing a good balance between potency and taste.
When harvesting, handle the buds gently, as they’re delicate and can easily be damaged. You should also dry and cure the buds properly, as this will help to preserve the potency and improve the flavor of the buds.
Learn More About Growing and Harvesting Bigger Marijuana Buds at Cannabis Training University
If you want to learn more about growing and harvesting your plant for bigger marijuana buds visit the Cannabis Training University today. Since 2009, CTU has been the leading cannabis training institute for those who want to start a career or business in the industry.
Whether you are a new or experienced cannabis grower, our complete education guides you through every step of the cultivation process. It provides a wealth of resources, such as additional reading and HD videos, to teach you the latest techniques for growing big buds.
Enroll in Cannabis Training University’s online marijuana college today!
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.
Related
Leafly Buzz: 12 hot strains to smoke in 2025
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.
Related
Spark joy with Super Boof—Leafly Strain of the Year 2024
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.
Related
Sniff away, America—Permanent Marker wins Leafly Strain of the Year 2023
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.
Related
Spring into action with the MAC 1 strain—March’s Leafly HighLight
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.
Related
8 essential cannabis strains to grow at home
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!
