Granddaddy Purple Strain - The ultimate guide

While there are thousands of marijuana strains today, there are only a handful that are legendary. Granddaddy Purple, often called Granddaddy Purps or GDP, is one of them. With two Indica parents, the Granddaddy Purple strain does the job for anyone that needs help with anxiety and depression or insomnia. Or those that just want to lay on the couch for a couple of hours while they Netflix and chill.

So where did the strain come from, who produced it and what exactly makes it so great? In this article we will answer anything and everything you need to know about the strain and why we think Granddaddy Purple seeds should be next on your shopping list!

The history of the Granddaddy Purple strain

One of the original purple cannabis strains and certainly the most famous, the Granddaddy Purple strain was first produced in 2003 when “Medicine Man” Ken Estes developed it for Californian dispensaries.

Estes was simply looking for a safer alternative for pain management than pharmaceutical drugs. Little did he know that he was unleashing a strain that would do so much more and become one of the most loved medical cannabis strains.

Estes created Granddaddy Purple by crossing Purple Urkle, a potent Indica with Big Bud, a plant that’s known to give huge yields! Cross-breeding these two was a thing of pure genius, and the proof of that lies in how popular GDP still is today.

What are the effects of smoking Granddaddy Purple?

Open a jar of Granddaddy Purple and you’ll instantly notice its strong and potent aroma. Notes of incense and hash will hit you right away, but there will be a subtle berry smell lying in the background of it all. Upon tasting it though, those traits seem to work in reverse. At first users will notice a blast of sweet berry goodness, but that deepens into an earthy, skunky spice flavour. That spice nicely cuts through the sweetness of the smoke, allowing you to continue consuming it for hours on end without having a cloyingly sweet flavor on their taste buds.

Being a pure Indica and with THC levels of up to 24%, it’s not unusual for you to feel overtaken by a deep sense of relaxation that may leave you feeling slightly 'couch locked'. Meanwhile, the mind will be in a hazy, dreamy buzz. The perfect strain for an evening smoke, Granddaddy Purple will leave you in a heavily relaxed state that will almost certainly lead you into a deep sleep.

It’s these effects that make Granddaddy Purple so useful for so many medical conditions. Those seeking relief from stress, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, and even muscle spasms will find they get everything they need from GDP.

What are Granddaddy Purple seeds like to grow?

Looking at the strain’s heritage, it’s easy to guess how it’s going to grow. Being an Indica-dominant strain it will stay relatively short and bushy with big wide Indica fan leaves. Flowering normally begins in around 70 - 77 days where you will begin to see the first signs of the buds bulging out from the plants dense foliage.

Temperature wise it is best to keep the grow environment at a steady 70 degrees right the way through the grow, with relative humidity at the 50 - 55% mark. This will provide the ideal environment for the Granddaddy Purple plant to thrive.

While Granddaddy Purple will do very well no matter where she’s grown, this bushy plant structure makes it ideal for growing indoors, particularly for those that use tents. When grown indoors, a Granddaddy Purple plant will grow approximately three to four feet tall. When cultivated in the great outdoors however, she can reach up to eight feet high.

With Big Bud as one of its parents, it’s a safe assumption that when grown properly, GDP will provide huge yields. As many as three to six ounces per square foot. The plant will naturally develop lots of bud sites on its extensive branches, and tends not to respond well to a Sea of Green setup. Instead, just let her bloom and flourish in the way she naturally wants to go and use methods such as LST to get the most out of the plant.

Thanks to its Big Bud genetics its not uncommon for the size and weight of the buds to begin to weigh the branches down. It is advisable to provide support to some of the longer weightier branches a few weeks into flowering if you notice they are drooping.

As the plant nears the end of its growing season, the buds will start to deepen into that vibrant purple hue for which it gets its name. The colour is the perfect backdrop for the many trichomes that will appear on the buds. In fact, so many it will appear as if they’re actually glistening.

Granddaddy Purple is known to be a relatively easy strain to grow and is suitable for both experienced and novice growers. The biggest selling point to growing Granddaddy Purple seeds, is the vibrant purple color that the buds produce once harvested. Not only will you be left with heaps of great tasting bud, but it will have plenty of bag appeal making it an ideal strain for any cash croppers.

What are the primary Granddaddy Purple Terpenes?

All cannabis strains have their very own unique smell and taste profile, these aromas are created by the plants terpene profile.

Terpenes are naturally occurring compounds that are secreted inside the resin glands of cannabis buds.

The dominant terpenes found within the Granddaddy Purple strain are myrcene and caryophyllene. Together combined they give the bud aromas of incense, grapes and berry.

Strains like Granddaddy Purple are legendary for a reason. Known as one of the best by medicinal and recreational users alike, this is one strain everyone should try if given the chance.