The ancestry of Banana Kush boasts two sets of high quality Sativa genetics: a Skunk-Haze mix made from the all-time great Silver Haze crossed with Skunk Kush, as well as the famously flavourful, mostly-Sativa hybrid NYC Diesel. Similarly, strains of the top quality Afghan Indica known as Kush are present on both sides of the family tree. As mentioned, Skunk Kush forms an important building block on the paternal side, while the pride of Californian cannabis, OG Kush is the mother plant used to make White Label Banana Kush.
Plants grown from Banana Kush feminized cannabis seeds display typical Indica growth patterns. This strain’s Sativa influence is mostly seen in its flower structure and, later, in the effect of its dried flowers. Vegetative growth is vigorous and reliable, with most plants producing a thick, productive main stem and sturdy branches with short internodal gaps. During the blooming phase, Banana Kush can be expected to increase its vegetated height by 100% to 150%. As a general rule, plants grown from seed should be induced to flower at a little less than half their desired final size, while clones should be vegetated to about 60% of their intended size, then flowered.
In the first weeks of flowering, Banana Kush slows its upward growth as the first calyxes develop at its many budding sites. Before the midpoint of its 7 to 9 week flowering time, this strain will be devoting most of its energy to producing multitudes of small, solid, resinous calyxes at each node, which quickly build into thick knots of bud. Flower clusters often take on a conical or pyramidal shape with an extra wide base tapering to a blunt point. Due to the extra vigorous budding of Banana Kush, the terminal buds at the top of its main stem and branches often join with the flower clusters below them to form large colas, despite the calyxes’ tendency to cluster at nodes, rather than ‘run’ between them.
In the flowering phase, White Label Banana Kush is remarkably low-maintenance and plants in a properly set-up system can mostly be left to their own devices until harvest time. Humidity should be kept low in the second half of flowering, due to the size and tight formation of this strain’s buds. While its growing odour is not overpowering, growers should take note that it is likely to increase as harvest approaches. Like many heavy Indica strains Banana Kush can be a nutrient-hungry plant, especially for its most productive phenotypes to give their full yield.
After harvest, buds typically dry quickly while retaining much of their size. For larger harvests a dehumidifier or good air circulation is recommended in the drying area, as Banana Kush buds can release a large amount of water into the air in a short time. Manicuring is also a simple task, as plants produce minimal foliage in the flowering phase, and even the large flower clusters have relatively few single-bladed leaves growing from them.
The dried buds of White Label Banana Kush will delight any cannabis connoisseur. Fat, fruity and fragrant, sticky with resin glands, yet easy to crumble due to the comparatively small calyxes they’re composed of. Breaking buds up releases the full, complex aroma of this variety – sweet, ripe banana, brown sugar and a strong lemon-lime note from NYC Diesel, over a base of rich, spicy Indica from its Afghan Kush ancestry.
Like its growth and flowering pattern, the effects of White Label Banana Kush are mostly Indica, with enough Sativa to elevate its powerful body-high and make it stand out from other Kush strains. Banana Kush’s warm, relaxing euphoric effect is felt very quickly, almost as soon as it is exhaled. The Haze part of its cannabinoid profile may be felt a short time later, lifting the high and making it more conducive to conversation, laughter and creativity.
