Cannabis strains exist in different colors. Many of them are shades of green. But strains tend to have a different color due to their resin and pistils. That is why some strains are purple, red, or blue. In fact, most seed banks these days offer a range of purple Indica seeds for sale.
Purple cannabis strains are a few of the most prized and loved strains on earth. Those plants that grew outdoors are more likely to have purple shades. These plants will remain exposed to low temperatures which will encourage to develop a purple color.
Surprising Facts about Purple Indica Seeds
Wondering how and why some strains turn into purple? Here are some facts you should learn about the purple Indica seeds:
#1. Oxygen Deprivation Doesn’t Turn Weed into Purple.
Surely, you’ll turn blue if you hold your breath for several minutes. But it is not the case for purple buds. These marijuana plants are purple not because they are not getting enough oxygen. Like other living things, marijuana plants need oxygen to thrive. If they are not getting enough oxygen, this will affect only their ability to grow, not their color.
#2. Insufficient Carbon Dioxide Makes Weed Unhealthy, Not Purple.
Aside from oxygen, weeds also need carbon dioxide to grow healthy. If they don’t get enough carbon dioxide, they will not grow properly. Insufficient carbon dioxide is just one factor that causes unhealthy weeds. It has no connection with their color.
#3. Too Much Nitrogen Turns Weeds into Brown, Not Purple.
Although it sounds counterintuitive, giving them more nitrogen is never good. Marijuana plants need nitrogen to develop. Giving them more than what they need will change their natural color into brown, not purple.
#4. Changing the Light Cycle Doesn’t Make Cannabis Plants Purple.
Marijuana plants do not change in color when you change the lighting cycle. Light is important for their growth and health. If you change it, your plants will become unhealthy, not purple.
#5. Changing Your Growing Medium Doesn’t Help in Turning Your Plants into Purple.
It’s not going to make your plants purple. Marijuana plants use nutrients to grow. Thus, changing the quantity or composition of the nutrients they need is not a trick to change their color.
#6. Changing the Amount of Water for Your Plants Don’t Make Them Purple.
All types of plants including weed can easily adapt to varying volumes of water. They can get how much water they need from the air and soil even if you don’t water them much. In fact, some marijuana plants can live without water for days to weeks.
Marijuana plants don’t become purple whether you give them water or not, less or more. This will never give you a miraculous result. Just like the light, oxygen, nutrients, and other things your marijuana plants need, giving them too much or less water can only harm them.
#7. Marijuana Plants Become Purple Because of Flavonoids.
Flavonoids are a type of plant pigments. They work together with other substances to provide marijuana plants a different and varied color. Common flavonoids that exist in marijuana plants are carotenoid, quercetin, and kaempferol. Flavonoids got their name from a Latin word “flavus” or yellow in English because flavonoids are often yellow. While they affect the strains’ color, flavonoids don’t change the taste. Most purple Indica seeds for sale have the flavonoids called anthocyanin.
#8. Anthocyanin Can Turn Weed into Different Colors, Like Purple.
Anthocyanin is the flavonoid that exists in cannabis. It gives the marijuana plants a different color like red, blue, or purple. The color-changing ability of this flavonoid depends on the pH level. If it is more acidic, the marijuana plants will turn into red. If the pH level is alkaline, then the plants will be blue. Marijuana plants become purple only when the pH level is more neutral.
The greener and stronger chlorophyll overpower anthocyanin in most parts of the growing period. It is why most cannabis plants are green in the summer and spring, which are those times when chlorophyll becomes more prevalent.
But chlorophyll will break down when the weather changes and the fall season kicks in. That is when anthocyanin can start working and turning your marijuana plants into yellow, red, orange, and even purple. Purple buds are purple throughout the winter season.
#9. Purple Cannabis Strains are Beneficial.
Purple weed has no any other difference from multi-colored or green weed. They work just the way the strains of other colors do. Any other benefits that one can get from using purple weed is more likely because of altered perceptions. It doesn’t have a connection with the color.
Thus, anthocyanin is a great antioxidant which develops in foods such as blueberries, raspberries, and grapes. If your marijuana plants have more anthocyanin, they can become an effective remedy for inflammation. Thus, purple weed can be helpful if you have arthritis, fibromyalgia, or any other inflammatory problems.
The scientists are not yet conducting a research that can support and prove this hypothesis. But, based on the amount of anthocyanin present in the purple marijuana plants, there’s a high possibility that such plants can give more benefits to health.
#10. Purple Marijuana Strains are As Strong as the Green Strains.
They may be visually appealing. That is one reason why many people think purple buds are better than their green counterparts. The science disagrees, though.
Anthocyanin contains a higher concentration of antioxidants, but nothing can prove their effectiveness on diseases. Anthocyanins can work as anti-inflammatory agents, but they may become more active when ingested. To be sure, choose purple weed strains with high CBD content as they are a better source of anti-inflammatory effects.
Generally, purple cannabis strains tend to have low THC contents compared to green strains. But it does not mean they cannot produce more THC. It is because many purple strains today are due to crossing different genetics.
Some experienced cannabis growers out there believe purple weeds exist because of good genetics and good breeding. Purple cannabis strains are memorable. When the purple buds you use have a great high, it will stand out. If you are a cannabis grower who likes to reinforce the genetics you want will propagate themselves from there.
Steps for Growing Purple Marijuana
For some cannabis users, turning purple is a chance of throwing a good party trick. For others, it’s the extra income or a more potent smoke. Whatever the case, this step-by-step guide will help you achieve success.
The benefits of growing purple strains are worth your hard work. Ensuring that the pot you cultivate will take the unique color you want. Just follow these steps:
Step#1: Choose the Right Marijuana Seeds
The first thing you should do is to choose the right seed. To have purple-colored buds, you must encourage the production of anthocyanin. It is the pigment that also makes blueberries and eggplant purple. When it comes to purple strains, your best choices are Blue Mystic, Purple Queen, Blue Cheese, Northern Light Automatic, Haze Berry, and Bluematic.
Step #2: Check and Maintain the Ideal Temperature
The succeeding step is to form the ideal temperature. Chlorophyll is more powerful than anthocyanin but will break down when the summer and spring ends. When that happens, anthocyanin will grab this as an opportunity to come out and turn weeds into purple. Sometimes, anthocyanins cause some cannabis strains to change their colors into yellow, blue, orange, or red.
Throughout the flowering phase, reduce the temperature throughout the evening cycle. The temperature must stay between less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius. The growing buds must start to look purple for the last two weeks before the harvesting period.
Other Strategies for Growing Purple Cannabis
According to MarijuanaBreak.com, there are more techniques or methods for cultivating purple weed aside from exposing the cannabis plants to a colder temperature. But these things typically include nutrient deficiency or limiting the dose of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. That is a silly idea for your plants to have a healthy, abundant crop.
For instance, if you pour nutrients manually instead of using a super oil, you can supposedly limit the amount of phosphorus you give to your plants until the leaves and buds begin to show pigments of purple. Again, it is not a highly recommended trick. Don’t sacrifice the health of your marijuana plants for the sake of having your plants in nice purple shade.
If you want to grow purple cannabis, the best thing to do is to expose them to 30-degree temperature fluctuations.
Want to Buy Purple Indica seeds for Sale?
Is buying purple Indica seeds a better option for your case? If you don’t want to grow cannabis, get your seeds from a reputable seed company to be sure of their quality. A good seed bank will offer you different strains to choose from.
Do your homework first. Find out more about your preferred purple buds before purchasing. Also, pay more attention to their needs for nutrients and lighting. That’s the secret of having a healthy crop.