Growing cannabis outdoors in a hot and dry climate comes with real challenges. You can’t expect all strains to cope equally well with such demanding conditions. But some cannabis genetics have what it takes to grow with greater adaptability than average in hot and dry climates. We have tested all our strains in a range of conditions. So, if you’re looking for some proven autoflower cannabis seeds or feminized cannabis seeds to grow in a hot and dry climate, check out this special selection!
How does a hot climate with low humidity affect cannabis?
Hot climates with low air humidity can have a harsh drying effect on plants. Some strains are particularly vulnerable to such conditions. Conversely, other strains can push through and produce good-quality harvests even when grown in hot, arid environments. Ensuring that your plants can handle prolonged periods of hot, dry, desert weather means starting with the best genetics for the conditions.
Nutrition can also be an issue in these conditions, especially if the soil is dry and sandy. The following strains can cope well with such challenges, though as always, do your best to optimize soil conditions whenever growing outdoors. Intense sunlight is often a constant factor in hot, dry climates.
Using tough, durable genetics that can thrive without wilting is a serious advantage for cannabis growers facing high heat and low humidity.
Best cannabis seeds to grow in a hot, dry climate
Many outdoor growers in hot and dry climates automatically assume that sativa cannabis seeds would be the natural choice. Indeed, many will be superb options and give great results.
But sativa strains are often best suited to their natural “jungle” climate of high temperatures, high humidity, and plenty of rainfall. If you’re looking to grow cannabis seeds in a hot, dry climate, then certain indica strains can be a great option. All the Dutch Passion strains recommended below are solid, reliable indicas. They are established best-sellers with outdoor growers in hot, dry climates and consistently deliver excellent results.
The following strains are all proven performers in hot and dry conditions. In many cases, you can choose between the autoflowering seed version or the photoperiod feminized seed. Both should deliver reliably high-quality results.
Mazar (& Auto Mazar), classic Afghani Kush cannabis cup winner
Mazar is one of the toughest heat resistant indica cannabis seeds available. These cannabis cup winning genetics are superb at coping with high temperatures in low humidity environments. This means that Mazar will handle outdoor conditions better in a European (or North American) heatwave better than she would in steamy, humid jungle conditions.
The tough, low maintenance Afghani Kush genetics also cope well with cool evening temperatures better than many other strains. If you’re an indoor grower with a hot climate, Mazar is also a perfect choice. Just ensure your RH (relative humidity) levels are kept as low as you can manage in later bloom.
Growers that love the speed, simplicity and convenience of autoflowering cannabis seeds should try Auto Mazar when looking for heat resistant strains. Auto Mazar is equally capable in both indoor and outdoor environments. The Mazar/Auto Mazar cannabis genetics are established, cannabis cup winners.
Fully proven over many years, these cannabis seeds are tough enough to cope with hot and dry grow environments. They also have very high THC levels, strong enough to satisfy the most demanding connoisseurs alongside a delicious deep hash taste/aroma.
Master Kush, stress-busting Kush with rich hash flavors
If you grow cannabis in a hot, dry climate and love the unbeatable relaxation and peace that comes from a quality Kush, then Master Kush feminized cannabis seeds are exactly what you need. Master Kush was the overall winner at the highly prestigious 2017 Highlife Cup.
She also took 1st place in the Kush category at the same cannabis cup event. The judges loved the unique, hashy terpene profile and the soothing, anti-anxiety effects.
Body and soul are calmed in equal measure by this blissfully pleasurable original Kush strain. If you enjoy the effects of a cannabis cup-winning Kush and face the challenge of a hot, dry climate, then Master Kush comes with the highest possible recommendation!
Banana Blaze (& Auto Banana Blaze), sweet and fruity old school indica
Growers with long, hot summers will love Banana Blaze. It’s an old-school, robust and tough indica strain with a sweet banana taste. Banana Blaze seeds are part of the Afghani Kush cannabis seed collection.
These stand for hardy and resilient genetics which are naturally equipped to grow in a wide range of conditions. Banana Blaze is well suited to hot/dry climates without high humidity levels. This is a genuinely forgiving indica with a wide growing latitude.
She can deliver a generous crop of highly potent cannabis in conditions where lesser strains would fail. She is straightforward to grow even in the hottest and driest of summers. Lovers of sweet indica strains with a fruity and distinctive banana taste will enjoy growing Banana Blaze.
Auto Banana Blaze is also very highly recommended as one of the best hot climate autoflowering cannabis seeds. She grows from autoflower seed to harvest in around 12 weeks with generous harvests and very high THC levels.
Auto Night Queen - compact, easy to grow with stunning potency
Auto Night Queen is one of the faster autoflower strains to grow. She is often ready to harvest just 10 weeks after germinating the autoflowering cannabis seed.
If you want a fast auto harvest with very high THC levels, Auto Night Queen seeds are a great choice. Part of the Afghani Kush cannabis seed collection, the genetics are naturally tough.
If you grow in a hot, dry climate, Auto Night Queen will deliver far better than the average strain! Another proven cannabis cup winner, Auto Night Queen took 1st place in the 2016 Highlife Cannabis Cup (Autoflower seed category).
Auto Blackberry Kush, fast growing with heavy yields and powerful effects
Beautiful to look at and amazing to smell, Auto Blackberry Kush has everything the quality-conscious grower in a hot, dry climate could want.
She is also one of the fastest autoflower seeds you can grow. Some phenotypes can be ready in as little as 9 weeks after seed germination.
Many of the plants will display dark blue/purple coloration in their buds, alongside delicious dark fruit and berry scents and aromas. Auto Blackberry Kush seeds are part of the Blue cannabis seed family, home to Blueberry and related strains.
Hot and dry climate cannabis growing basic tips
In hot and dry climates, you will need to do what you can to make growing as simple and stress-free as possible for your plants:
Regular watering will be essential.
In the hottest periods, you may need to shade your plant from the sun or move it to cooler conditions or a different location.
Avoid dark-colored plant containers, which get very hot in direct sunlight and can bake the root ball. Wrapping the container in white or reflective material can help.
Also avoid placing your plant outdoors in containers on hot surfaces, such as dark tiles.
If your plant wilts in strong heat, it will usually recover when moved to cooler conditions and watered. Many growers water in the morning and again at night. Avoid leaving your plants outdoors in containers over a scorching hot weekend—it could kill them.
Some cannabis growers in hot, dry climates root their plants directly into the ground rather than containers. If the soil is moist and nutritious, the roots can penetrate deeply, allowing your cannabis plant to cope better than it would in a small container. Using water-absorbing gel crystals in the soil allows large volumes of moisture to be locked away at root level for your plants.
Many successful outdoor growers also use slow-release organic nutrients such as those from BioTabs. This simplifies feeding further, meaning growers may only need to add a top feed of general-purpose bloom nutrients near the end of flowering.
Other high-quality indica strains, such as Blueberry and Auto Blueberry, are also highly recommended. These will deliver better-than-average results in hot and dry climates. Growing cannabis in a hot and dry climate is absolutely possible—especially with the right selection of cannabis seeds.
Good luck and enjoy your grow!