Top 5 Most Popular Weed Strains in the UK

The UK has a thriving cannabis culture, and the country has given rise to some legendary genetics over the past few decades. While most cultivators raise plants indoors, the five strains below have become the most popular in the UK for outdoor operations thanks to their hardiness and massive yields. Check out growing reviews for each variety and learn why you should add them to your genetic arsenal.

Cookies Gelato

Cookies Gelato quickly became one of the most popular UK weed strains following her release. Why? Well, outrageous levels of THC and excellent yields certainly played a role. These seeds germinate best in the safety and warmth of cell trays indoors.

Seedlings will reach a height of around 5cm one week after sprouting. Select a sunny growing location, prepare the ground with plenty of organic matter, and rake to a fine tilth (alternatively, fill a container with a high-quality growing medium). Transplant outdoors once the risk of frost has passed, which can be as late as May 10th in many regions of the UK. Expect plants to settle in quickly and reach a height of up to 20cm by the third week of the growing cycle. By this point, Cookies Gelato will put her indica-leaning morphology on display with short internodes and a bushy canopy. Defoliate well before bloom to enhance canopy aeration and light penetration.

During the first weeks of bloom, expect your plants to stretch up to 180cm and gradually emit an increasingly pungent smell of fruit and skunk. Prepare to stake particularly flower-laden branches, especially in areas that experience strong winds. Flush this strain during the last two weeks of growth and prepare to harvest up to 650g/plant during the middle of October.

Cookies Gelato offers a massive THC concentration of 28% alongside sweet and fruity terpenes. Prepare for a long-lasting high accompanied by creative thoughts and giggles.

Cookies Gelato

Cookies Gelato

	Girl Scout Cookie X Gelato 33
	19 to 21 oz/m²
	3 to 4 feet
	8 - 9 weeks
	THC: 28%

	Sativa 50% Indica 50%
	21 to 23 oz/plant
	5 to 6 feet
	Middle of October
	Balanced, Calming, Physically Relaxing

Buy Cookies Gelato

Northern Light Auto

Northern Light Auto ranks as one of the most revered weed strains in the UK thanks to her rapid growth and general hardiness. Her compact size makes her ideal for stealthy growing, whereas her brief cultivation time makes her compatible with the relatively short growing season. Sow seeds directly into their final spot when all risk of frost has passed.

Feed with nitrogen-heavy fertiliser during her 4-week vegetative phase, and watch her grow to around 80cm and produce a dense canopy. Defoliate well, and apply LST if you’re looking to keep your plant even smaller and more discreet.

Northern Light Auto will start stretching to a height of 160cm if left untrained. Over a flowering time of just 6–8 weeks, this cultivar will develop dense and relatively large colas that are coated with trichomes. Provide good amounts of phosphorus and potassium for optimal bud development, and get enough stash jars together to harvest up to 220g/plant in as little as 10 weeks after sprouting.

With a modest THC content of 14%, Northern Light Auto delivers a relaxing and balanced high perfect for any time of day. Complex flavors of citrus, earth, fruit, and pine make joints hard to put down.

Northern Light Auto

Northern Light Auto

	Northern Light x Ruderalis
	18 to 19 oz/m²
	3 to 4 feet
	6 - 8 weeks
	THC: 14%

	Sativa 0% Indica 80% Ruderalis 20%
	6 to 8 oz/plant
	4 to 5 feet
	10 - 12 weeks after sprouting
	Clear, Uplifting

Buy Northern Light Auto

Epsilon F1

As one of the first true cannabis F1 hybrids, Epsilon F1 descends from highly pure genetic lines created using Blue Dream, Blueberry, Amnesia Lemon Haze, and Black Domina genetics. Sow seeds of this hardy strain directly into their final growing location (11l fabric pots work perfectly).

Seedlings will reach a height of around 3cm during the first week of veg, and thrive at a temperature of 26°C during this time. By the end of week four, your plant will already start putting out pre-flowers.

Epsilon F1 will start flowering at the stealthy height of 40cm. Plants prefer a lower humidity of around 40% during this time, alongside high temperatures. Expect your plant to peak at 70cm towards the middle of bloom. Once her 60-day growing cycle is up, grab your trimming scissors, approach the canopy loaded with uniform buds, and get to work harvesting a truly massive yield for a plant of this size.

Equipped with high levels of THC, Epsilon F1 lands a strong body high that’ll leave you feeling satisfyingly stoned. Large concentrations of the terpenes caryophyllene, farnesene, myrcene, and pinene leave notes of blueberry, lavender, and lime on the tongue with every inhalation.

Epsilon F1

Epsilon F1

	Blue Dream x Blueberry x Amnesia Lemon Haze x Black Domina
	30 - 40 days
	THC: Very high
	Calming, Long Lasting , Physically Relaxing
	60 days after germination

Buy Epsilon F1

Critical

As one of the most common weed strains in the UK, this award-winning variety puts her stellar genetics on full display throughout her growing cycle. Critical seeds quickly burst forth into seedlings that grow to 10cm within a single week of veg when exposed to strong sunlight. Plants maintain a stocky and bushy stature and develop a thick and sturdy main stem with short internodes.

Her large fan leaves with broad leaflets are a nod towards her indica-dominant nature. She’ll grow fast in outdoor areas with temperatures close to 26°C and a relative humidity that lingers around 60%. Expect plants to stand around 150cm at the end of veg.

Throughout the flowering phase, Critical will stretch to a height of 220cm depending on her height at the end of veg and how much light she’s exposed to, and the size of her pot. During the bloom phase, plants produce tall and dense colas adorned with frosty sugar leaves and vibrant pistils. Expect buds to take on an aesthetic purple hue as they approach the final few weeks of bloom. Get your gear together to harvest 600–650g/plant when harvest time arrives in late September.

As the progeny of Afghani and Skunk, Critical inherited a legendary flavor profile and pleasant high. Expect a heavy stoning effect to take hold as flavors of candy, earth, fruit, pine, and skunk target the taste buds.

Critical

Critical

	Afghani x Skunk
	19 to 21 oz/m²
	3 to 5 feet
	7 - 9 weeks
	THC: 18%

	Sativa 40% Indica 60%
	21 to 23 oz/plant
	6 to 7 feet
	Late September
	Heavy, Physically Relaxing, Stoned

Buy Critical

Royal Skywalker

Royal Skywalker seeds perform best when sown directly into their final position. Outdoors in the UK, this variety does best in a south-facing position, and ideally within the walls of a polytunnel or greenhouse to allow her to safely reach harvest with protection against seasonal rains and early frosts.

This strain cruises through the vegetative stage with no issue when provided with adequate nitrogen. Leave plants under the open sky to grow to 100cm by the end of veg. To prevent them from growing too tall during bloom, consider using LST early in the growing cycle.

As flowering begins, untrained Royal Skywalker plants will begin stretching to 200cm, whereas their trained counterparts will top out at 110–130cm. You’ll notice the smell of terpenes start to permeate the air as young flowers begin forming at the nodes. Defoliate where necessary to ensure each bud site receives adequate light exposure. Prepare to harvest up to 600g/plant in October.

Stemming from a cross between Blueberry and Mazar, Royal Skywalker possesses an impressive THC content of 25%. She inflicts a hard-hitting body high accompanied by pleasant flavors of blueberry, citrus, and pepper.

Royal Skywalker

Royal Skywalker

	Blueberry x Mazar
	19 to 21 oz/m²
	3 to 4 feet
	9 - 10 weeks
	THC: 25%

	Sativa 40% Indica 60%
	18 to 21 oz/plant
	5 to 7 feet
	October
	Clear, Physically Relaxing

Buy Royal Skywalker

Achieve Elite Outdoor Cannabis Yields in the UK

Many growers in the UK prefer to cultivate indoors because of the unreliable and often damp weather in the country. However, select the right genetics, and you’ll find yourself pulling in great yields every time you grow cannabis in your garden. Remember to defoliate well and use cover where necessary, and you’ll come to realize why these five strains are the most popular in the UK for outdoor cultivation.