Afghani Feminized Seeds

Afghani is a pure indica feminized strain from Afghan landrace stock, with an earthy, sweet and spicy nose and the heavy resin of a classic hash plant. Sensi Seeds calls this line Afghani #1, and Leafly also lists it as Afghan and Afghanistan; Leafly’s strain data puts its THC at around 18%. It is an easy grow that flowers in about 7 to 8 weeks.

History & lineage

Afghani comes from the mountains of Afghanistan, where these plants have long been grown for hashish. Sensi Seeds tells its origin this way: founder Ben Dronkers travelled to see where his favourite Afghan hash was made, and the farmers who grew it suggested he take some seeds. Afghani #1 appeared in Sensi’s first seed catalogue in 1985, and the regular version has been on sale ever since. Sensi describes it as pure landrace genetics from the Himalaya, with the best parent plants of its Afghan strains distilled into a single seed line.

Botanists McPartland and Small (2020) note that the broad-leaf Afghan type behind Afghani was grown for sieved hashish in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkestan, and only came to Western breeders’ attention in the early 1970s. Researchers also note that even Afghan landraces have been crossed with outside genetics since the 1970s. Sensi notes that SeedFinder lists Afghani #1 as the direct ancestor of at least 51 registered varieties, and Afghan genetics sit behind strains such as Northern Lights and Super Skunk.

Aroma & flavour

Sensi Seeds describes a resinous flavour with earthy, sweet and very spicy notes, and light notes of fruit and pepper. For Afghani as a strain, Leafly users most often report earthy, pungent and sweet flavours, followed by pine and woody. Leafly’s lab data lists terpinolene as its most abundant terpene, followed by myrcene and pinene; our guide to cannabis terpenes explains what each of them adds.

Effects, as users report them

These are Leafly users’ reports for Afghani as a strain, most common first. Sensi Seeds describes a long-lasting, deeply relaxing body effect that can leave you chained to the sofa, and notes that novices may find it soporific. The most reported downsides are dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness, and a few users report headaches or paranoia. THC is around 18%, and effects vary with the person and the dose, so if you are new to cannabis, start with a small amount.

Growing Afghani

Afghani is a feminized photoperiod plant: it stays in vegetative growth until the light drops to 12 hours a day indoors, or until the days shorten outdoors. Expect about 7 to 8 weeks of flowering; Sensi gives around seven to nine weeks for the regular version of the line, and says it’s time to harvest when the pistils turn from white to orange. Sensi says even novices can grow it, with very little effort, and that the plant roughly doubles in height during flowering, so leave room for the stretch.

The best results, Sensi says, come from a single main stem with side branches, ideally left unpruned, and a sea of green (SOG) can boost the harvest. Sensi rates the yield as heavy, though it may need a little extra care to reach its full potential. As a rough guide, expect up to about 500 g/m² (about 1.6 oz/ft²) indoors and up to about 500 g (about 18 oz) per plant outdoors, with plants around 120 cm (3.9 ft) indoors and 200 cm (6.6 ft) or more outdoors. Afghani was bred mainly for indoor growing; outdoors, Sensi says it needs a warm, sunny climate with a long summer, such as the Mediterranean.

Its dense buds can hold moisture, so keep humidity down late in flower to avoid bud rot. Botanists McPartland and Small (2020) describe the Afghan type as more susceptible to grey mould and powdery mildew than South Asian types. Its heavy resin suits hash making; Sensi calls it perfect for hashish production.

Is Afghani right for you?

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