Kush is a Sanskrit word for the way a mother holds her baby, and refers to the mountains that “cradle” the Hindu religion. The Hindu Kush strain is named after this mountain range and emerged in the mid-1970s, becoming an instant favorite. It has been admired for decades for its distinctive traits.

Hindu Kush is the quintessential example of an easy-to-grow Indica. Evolved to thrive in harsh mountain conditions, Hindu Kush is particularly robust. The Hindu Kush region is located at a similar latitude to southern Spain. But its altitude means short springs, very sunny summers, short autumns and long, snowy winters. These conditions have given Hindu Kush traits highly coveted by marijuana growers. It is robust and produces huge amounts of resin in large, dense flowers, probably as protection from its original habitat; it is undemanding in terms of nutrients, water, fungi and pesticides, and responds well to manipulation with contemporary techniques.

Hindu Kush is photosensitive, so her photoperiod can be extended to boost plant volume in a ScrOG setup, or simply to get bigger plants. Outdoors in a Mediterranean climate, a well-maintained Hindu Kush will grow into a monster plant. Long summers encourage higher yields, and long, mild autumns encourage fantastic amounts of resin.

Unlike many Sativas with an extravagant aroma that covers a wide area outdoors, Hindu Kush is discreet in its fragrance, the expression of which must be encouraged with a delicate squeeze. Its main terpenes are those that give off the scent of cloves, rosemary, hops, pine and black pepper. Rosemary and black pepper are especially noticeable in the aroma of Hindu Kush. Indoors, where its aromatic juices have not been subjected to turbulent aging, the aroma is more intense, but not immediately associated with marijuana. The atmosphere they create is hoppy, very different from that of species rich in limonene and geraniol.

Hindu Kush can be compared to the pain therapy of other marijuana strains; it outperforms opiate-based painkillers. A clear mind and a nondescript effect on the body is the holy grail that every fa is looking for, and Hindu Kush offers all of that: well-relieved pain without the brain fog, forgetfulness, and dangerous addiction of synthetic alternatives.