Northern Lights #13

The result is a perfect blending of both parents. Northern Light #13 is a 9 week hybrid that exhibits many of the classic characteristics of the old school Northern Lights strain but with a much more pungent aroma and rapid growth. While both the NL#5 and Romulan lines are known for being extremely short with minimal stretch, that is certainly not the case with this vigorous cultivar. The Hawaiian ancestry in the background of NL#5 reveals itself in a majority of the phenotypes with tall and rapidly expanding stems that fill out with resin laden buds. Be advised that branches will easily bend and snap under the weight of NL13’s heavy inflorescences if not properly buttressed. Staking and/or multiple layers of trellising is strongly recommended.

This is a very strong smelling strain so don’t expect to get away without carbon filtration. Fully ripened plants take on powerful aromas of skunk underlaid with lemon, pine cleaner, and cedar. A select few plants will produce an sulphurous burnt match stench that makes the eyes water. Even non-flowering plants will smell up a room by the time they reach 12 inches tall. We’ve received reports of customers nearly getting busted due to the powerful smell of Northern Lights #13 wafting through their neighbourhood, and there have been some close calls in our neck of the woods as well. Keep this in mind if you wish to remain anonymous and safe.

Effects of NL#13 are strong and very classic in character with squinty red eyes, munchies, giggles, and good times. If you like the weed of days gone by and aren’t afraid of the funk, then this one is for you. Most individuals will find Northern Lights #13 to feel extremely potent with little to no ceiling; with its sharp aromas blasting open the sinuses and dilating the bronchioles leading to rapid absorption of cannabinoids.

During the breeding process of this fresh generation of Northern Lights #13, special care and attention was paid to capturing all of the stand-out qualities of this hybrid. We started with a large selection pool of over 100 plants in order to ensure all of the exceptional qualities were carried forward, and nothing was lost. The F2 generation is a critical step in the evolution of a seed line and is where the truly unique expressions will be revealed. This current generation is therefore precisely where you want to look if you’re hunting for that one of a kind plant that will dazzle and amaze you. This happens due to the recessive traits of the first generation recombining in the second generation to produce a number of double recessive expressions that will be remarkable and rare. This can only happen if an adequate selection pool is utilized to ensure all of the genetic material is accounted for. If you’ve ever lamented the loss of a particular trait in a cannabis line, it can often be traced back to shoddy breeding practises at this stage. This is why lines such as Blueberry and Skunk no longer smell like their namesake.

With this in mind, an open pollination was carried out with 25 males and 50 females once all of the duds and undesirable expressions were culled. As such, expect more variation in this iteration of NL13, but with a greatly increased chance of landing something patently unique. The large majority of phenotypical expressions of this NL13 F2 line can be traced down two distinct characters; tall and slender and short and branchy. The taller phenotypes tend to dominate, and will produce the entire bevy of aromas available in the line. Buds are very large and resinous, with excellent internode spacing that allows for copious airflow and thus excellent resistance to mold and mildew. Fan leaves are large in size with extended petioles, but overall foliage is rather minimal leading to a very high bud-to-leaf ratio. Effects are very stoney, but with an active nature that inspires movement and creativity. Rarely, a very purple phenotype will reveal itself in these taller expressions. These should be considered a very lucky find and are of absolute connoisseur quality.

The second-most common phenotype is a stocky example that resembles the Romulan parent. Short in statue with a wide branching habit, this broad leaf Indica produces a rather more narcotic effect that is excellent for reducing pain and initiating sleep. Aromas trend towards the pungent, with some very exceptional skunk and burnt rubber examples popping up relatively frequently. Yields will be smaller owing to the slower growth rate, but this can easily be remedied with a longer vegetative period. Buds can grow to exceptional size even in these smaller examples if given adequate root space and canopy size.

To unlock the full potential of Northern Lights #13 we recommend growing in organic nutrient rich soil with large containers and lots of overhead space to allow for a doubling in height during the early flowering stretch. As with most heirloom genetics such as those that make up NL13, terpene production will be further enhanced if grown under HPS, CMH, or natural sunlight with tapering light intensity and temperatures after 6-7 weeks of flowering. LED growers should be advised to should keep temperatures warm and humidity in check at all times.