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.:History of Northern Lights:.

GT55

Member
NL is an very old strain which is loved by many people...

This is the Thread where you can write down what u know about and your experiences...

KeePitGreeN GT
 

Possum

Member
Some of the first, world-class weed i ever smoked. smell like a dead skunk that would linger in a room even if you just opened a bag and left. back in 89,90, and 91. THE Indica.

It was atleast as good and possibly better than some of the best columbian gold and afghan going around KY at that time.

there was other indoor grown weed going around at time but nothing compared the THE Indica. in 90 i was told the lot changed and we were actually getting a cross of some kind - but we didn't have all the names like we do now.......if it wasn't in cheech and chong or Northern Lights no body knew what.

i grew out a supposed NL seed some years after all that - they were absolutely nothing alike. all the stank, and potency, and magic was gone.
 

daddy fingaz

Active member
My thoughts.....one of the most famous strains, cross of Thai and Afghani made back in the 70's developed specifically for indoor growing, low odour etc. a lot of people get a skin reaction from touching NL so i hear.

Always remember hearing of it when i was younger almost mythical along with White widow and jack herer !

never actually grown straight NL myself, out of interest whos is the best !??

Peace.
 

DocLeaf

procreationist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
We heard it originally came from Washington State University :chin:
Hopefully someone will chime in if this is wrong :canabis:
 
B

blazesck

I go to WSU and I've never heard of NL originating here. It wouldn't surprise me though because the agriculture and horticulture programs here are very competitive. Give us a few years and there could be a strain that really did originate here...
 

biteme

Member
doc leaf, most often nl is said to have originated from the pacific northwest and i have heard the state of washington several times to be more precise, but wow, washington state? sort of like the old gainesville purple? college kids doing everything but studying, eh? foe20 did a fairly elaborate study of nl and its numbered versions but i need to look to see if it was at this site.

peace-biteme
 
My thoughts.....one of the most famous strains, cross of Thai and Afghani made back in the 70's developed specifically for indoor growing, low odour etc. a lot of people get a skin reaction from touching NL so i hear.

Always remember hearing of it when i was younger almost mythical along with White widow and jack herer !

never actually grown straight NL myself, out of interest whos is the best !??

Peace.

I would assume Sensi has the best in seed form available. A lot of breeders use crosses and sell it as there representation of NL. I've grown Sag`s NL9 and Nirvana's NL both are good but I would assume NL from Sensi is the real deal as I know sagmarthas nl is NL2.2 x there indica xxl or something like that and Nirvana's is some NL x afghan. Chimera's aurora is probably a nice offering but again it isn't a true NL representation AFAIK.

A lot of the NL x Afghans will likely be good representations because NL is a heavy indica from the afghan regions. As said NL is apparently a clone from Washington or at least the states somewhere so every bank should have a representation. I don't know what work each breeding has done but would this clone out of Washington be the NL#5 or is that further workings from breeders out in the dam or what?
 

GT55

Member
Yo,
i read that the NL#5 is the ibl line...it's absolute NL...but duno if its true.

CheeRz
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
What is the history of Northern Lights?

I got familiar with the Northern lights family (originally said to be from the Pacific Northwest) back in the 1980's when Nevil's Seed Bank offered the whole lineup. The original Northern Lights family is genetically diverse.

Northern Lights 1 was a single stalked, compact plant with a moderate Afghani smell. No one offers this classic version at this time. A strong plant and buzz.

Northern Lights 2 was a sturdy, pine tree shaped with a musty and piney odor. Dutch Passion (Oasis) and THSeeds (Closet Queen) currently offer versions.

Northern Lights 2 X 5 from The Seed Bank was very bushy and resinous with a strong juniper berry smell. A truly remarkable hybrid not offered by anyone.

Northern Lights 5 is available from BCSC for $75, a variety Nevil of The Seed Bank said was only available pure as a cutting. It is likely hybridized at one point.

Northern Lights 9 X 5 "disappeared" when Nevil sold his genetics to Sensi Seeds. This is the only original Northern Lights 9 genetics source to my knowledge.

These are the original Northern Lights breeding lines from which today's versions arose. Sensi Seed Bank sells Northern Lights with no number attached. Having access to Nevil's original genetics, my guess is that they crossed an Northern Lights 1 male to their Northern Lights 5 mother and stabilized the results. Northern Lights Special is a hybrid from KC Brains in Holland of Sensi's Northern Lights crossed to a Haze female. Northern Lights 9 was only sold in seed form as a hybrid to the Northern Lights 5 mother plant by Nevil at The Seed Bank during the late 1980's. Sagarmatha receives a lot of their strains delivered to them as a finished product from outside breeders. It is possible that someone produced these seeds. The known fact of a Northern Lights 9 male existing meant purebred seed should have been possible to produce, unless it was a male only strain. Trichome Technologies has a strain named Northern Lights 6, another related family member.
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
Northern Lights (cannabis)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Jump to: navigation, search
Northern Lights
Northern Lights in flower
Scientific classificationKingdom:Plantae
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Rosales
Family:Cannabaceae
Genus:Cannabis
L'Hér.SpeciesA hybrid of:
Cannabis sativa
Cannabis indica

Northern Lights is a strain of cannabis. It is one of the first successful hybrids of Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. [1]
Contents


[hide]
[edit] Development

Northern Lights was first developed in the 1970s in Washington State and since the initial hybridization has developed numerous sub-strains with varying qualities and features.[2] A notable sub-strain is Northern Lights #1, which was the original strain developed. It is composed of one quarter C. indica ssp. indica (from Thailand) and three quarters C. indica ssp. afghanica.[citation needed] It was considered remarkably potent at the time, but since then other more potent sub-strains have emerged. Northern Lights is considered to be among the easiest strains to grow, being quite hardy and forgiving to the novice indoor grower with a typical flowering time of 6-7 weeks, often described as growing like "weeds".[3] [4] Northern Lights #5 in particular is renowned for this trait of growing very easily. The strain's reputation as a compact, high-yield plant, with a high potency also makes it popular among marijuana users. [5] The Northern Lights #5 strain has been critically acclaimed by many cannabis enthusiasts and has been a winner in competitions such as the Cannabis Cup.

[edit] Impacts

Northern Lights along with other hybrid strains has received much attention in the scientific community, as it is often the subject of experiments testing the viability of medicinal marijuana.[6] The hybridization of cannabis is also notable in the botany community as Northern Lights in particular has been studied for its female and male genetic characteristics.[7][8] The Northern Lights strain has been praised in scientific and hemp communities, where the cannabis industry has been blooming. Because Northern Lights is so easy to grow and is a high yielding, potent plant, many "grow houses" have popped up all over Canada. There, Northern Lights is typically grown in tanks, using hydroponic techniques, under high-powered lights because of the unproductive Canadian climate. According to Ontario police, between 2001 and 2005 the number of indoor grow operations rose by 250%.

[edit] Notes
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
if memory serves me right...it was....some dude....named "IndianJoe".....in PNW......who originated the strain....breed the plant and sold the cutt's to sensi seed bank...in the 80's......sumthang like that.....
I know he numbered he'z plants ....which lead to the nowfamous......
NL#2.....NL#5.......and NL#9........and so on.......

northernlight didnt come from UofW............
BUT.......
UBC Chemo..........came from the university of british columbia.......in vancouver........now...know az......CHEMO
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
ps........get w/ BENJI......he knowz he'z NL......he'll set it straight.........
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
to answer the question.....best...available now aday'z in seed......
1. BCSC...NL#5
2. Dr. Atomics
2. Joey Weeds
:2cents:
 

GT55

Member
Yo m8s,

yeah im thinkin too that Sensi Seeds hav the best NL...thats Neville's Genetics...

CheeRz
 

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
bumpity...bump...bump
Yo....Benj....set this story straight for me..............
I know U know.......whatz ...what
 

BENJI

Between the Devil and the deep blue sea...
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I love Northern lights and will be working my own NL line as i have tried sensi's, nirvanas, dutch passions oasis and a few others so far i havent found what i beleive to be a true representation of northern lights,,, a strain i have deep deep passion about ever since i first tried it in the early 90's..

I have joey weeds, DR Atomics and femaleseeds Northern lights sitting in my fridge but my real gems are the Original Brothers Grimm Aurora Borealis i was gifted i got 7/8 to germ but 1 died so ive got 6 i have a feeling these will be some of the best northern lights as The Brothers Grimm guys had an eye for choosing parents but only time will tell they are 3 days old...

Here is a good read about Northern Lights...
Northern Lights

By

JessE

You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone! - Rod Serling

Described as a “state of the art indoor indica”, Northern Lights became a house hold name after making its way from the Pacific North West to the Netherlands, where it arrived in the possession of Nevil Schoenmakers, owner of The Seed Bank, Holland’s first cannabis seed company and the original “King of Cannabis”. According to Jorge Cervantes, a long time writer for High Times magazine, Northern Lights was originally bred by a man known as “The Indian” on an Island near Seattle, Washington in the United States of America. In Jorge’s version of events detailing the history of Northern Lights there were a total of eleven seeds held by “The Indian” that were labeled Northern Lights #1 through Northern Lights # 11. Among the eleven Northern Lights plants, Northern Lights #5 is said to have been the best of the group with Northern Lights #8 and #1 said to have been of above average quality as well. Described as a 70 day variety indoors which finishes by October in the Northern Hemisphere outdoors, Cervantes’ description of Northern Lights states that is primarily an Afghani Indica which was hybridized with a Thai sativa. Described as very stable, with a piney taste and a THC percentage of over 15% this description has become synonymous with reports of Northern Lights the world over. With a very favorable flower to leaf ratio, it is described as having a purple tinge to the leaves late in the flowering cycle.

According to Sam the Skunk Man, Northern Lights originated near Seattle, Washington (with origins said to be ultimately out of California according to Sam) and arrived in the Netherlands in clone form only in 1985. Available exclusively from Nevil at The Seed Bank, it was quickly hybridized with many outstanding varieties in their own right and marketed to customers across the globe. Said to be the most resinated variety known at the time, by some accounts at least 70 varieties of cannabis were hybridized with Northern Lights or Northern Light derivatives by the mid 1990’s alone. Northern Light hybrids quickly dominated the High Times Cannabis Cup (HTCC) festivals, taking first place in the 2nd, 6th and 7th annual HTCC competitions respectively. With the pure F1 Northern Lights #5 cut winning the 3rd annual HTCC competition. The Seed Banks 1987 catalogue listed several Northern Lights varieties, including (Northern Lights #1 x Big Bud) x Big Bud, Hash Plant x Northern Lights #1, G13 x Northern Lights #2 F-1 hybrid, Northern Lights #1, Haze x Northern Lights #1 F- 1 hybrid, (Hash Plant x Northern Lights #1) x Swazi, Northern Lights #5 x Skunk #1 F-1 hybrid and a wonderful photograph by ganja guru Ed Rosenthal of the original Northern Lights #5 cutting. The Northern Lights #1 variety is described as a “true breeding Afghani, with extreme indica characteristics. These are short, stocky plants, with leathery, dark green, extremely broad leaves. The stems are very strong, and it is easy to clone.” Indoors, the yield was approximated at 1000 grams per 100 days. Outdoors, two pounds was not out of the question. This variety is described as having an approximate finishing time of 55 days, while indoors reaching heights approaching 50 inches, outdoors one could expect five to seven feet by the end of the season. The description went on to state the Northern Lights #1 is “very vigorous and cold resistant,” being “resinous, potent, and sweet, not nasty and acrid like some Afghanis.” The very first Big Bud hybrids were also marketed in Nevils 1987 The Seed Bank catalog. A three fourths Big Bud variety, (Northern Lights #1 x Big Bud) x Big Bud, the hybridization with the Northern Lights line was expected to create “super plants” that increased both the yield and overall quality of the original Big Bud line. Interestingly, the mention of subsequent Big Bud hybrids to follow, including Big Bud x Northern Lights #2 (Hindu Kush) as well as “a 4-way hybrid of (Big Bud x NL#1) x (Skunk #1 x Early Girl) was mentioned as well. The G13 x Northern Lights #2 F-1 hybrid was described as a variety that “really fizzed, producing an excellent yield of fat, sweet buds. The pungent sweetness of the NL #2 really came through in this blend, adding a touch of Thai fruitiness to the full-bodied Indica aroma.” The Hash Plant x Northern Lights #1 F-1 hybrid was developed using “the best Northern Lights #1 males,” which was said to attribute to this varieties particular unique characteristics. Described as producing among the strongest narcotic effects known from cannabis varieties at the time, this variety finished remarkably fast in approximately 45 days. The Haze x Northern Lights #1 F-1 hybrid was described as, “the most reliable haze hybrid so far, and is our favorite smoke. It is a bit stretchy and difficult to grow, but well worth it.” The Haze is described as being a Sativa variety from the United States, which was quite popular and common in the 1970s. The Seed Bank is said to have “managed to salvage a few viable seeds from the last crop grown in America, and we have used them to produce some remarkable hybrids.” The (Hash Plant x Northern Lights #1) x Swazi is a three way hybrid in which, “the sweet, fresh, piney taste of Swazi” was combined with the powerful and high yielding Hash Plant x Northern Lights #1 variety. This variety is described as growing quite tall, at approximately seven to nine feet outdoors and yielding nearly two pounds come harvest time. The Northern Lights #5 x Skunk #1 variety is of course a legendary variety in its own right, a High Times Cannabis Cup winner described as being the plant recommended above all others. This variety has a “high-calyx-to-leaf ratio, (with) very little manicuring required.” This variety finished within a 55 day flowering period, with an estimated yield of one and a half to three pounds possible outdoors. In 1989, Nevil’s varieties found success in all five categories in route to putting on a truly dominant performance. The Seed Banks 1990 cannabis seed catalog is a treasure trove of information for the Northern Lights enthusiast.

Northern Lights #1 F3 is described as “one of the purest, most potent, most extreme Indica varieties in the world.” Described as a 40-45 variety with very broad, dark green leaves and an extremely resinated appearance, Northern Lights #1 F3 is a must for the amateur breeder and hobbyist. Northern Lights #2 F3 is a Hindu Kush dominant variety being “wonderfully potent but not devastating” with a pungency and sweetness found to be very intoxicating. Northern Lights #2 of course also being known as Oasis, a variety today offered by the Dutch Passion seed company, said to originally consist of a union between Northern Lights #1 and Hindu Kush. A description which would seem to match up with The Seed Banks 1990 description of their Northern Lights #2 F3. Said to be “surprisingly vigorous” despite its inbred status, also a 40-45 day variety, they weren’t kidding when they mentioned this was an absolute must for the connoisseur or collector. Northern Lights #5 x 2 was a hybrid made between the now infamous Northern Lights #5 cut and Northern Lights #2 (Northern Lights #1 x Hindu Kush). Said to be a variety ready in approximately 50 days, with a “juniper berry taste” and favorable resin production. Hashplant x Northern Lights #1 is said to have been one of the most powerful varieties ever encountered, with the Hashplant itself having origins in the Pacific North West of the United States. Coming in at around 45 days itself, this variety is said to have challenged even the most experienced smokers in Holland at the time at finishing a joint. G13 x Northern Lights #2 was also offered in The Seed Banks 1990 cannabis seed catalog and was described as carrying the pungency and sweetness of the Northern Lights #2 variety, with a typically higher yield with commercial potential. The potency was described and superb with equal resin production with a flowering time right around 50-55 days. Perhaps among the most famous of all Northern Lights hybrids, is the world renowned Northern Lights #5 x Haze. Quite possible the first variety with a warning label attached to the breeders’ description, “side effects may include nausea, dizziness, fainting, and loss of bowel and bladder control.” Whether through pranksters who wanted to humiliate their friends or hardcore stoners whose tolerance had reached epic proportions, Northern Lights #5 x Haze quickly became the talk of the town and won Cannabis Cups and praise from all corners of the globe.

The Haze in Northern Lights # 5 x haze was actually said to have been salvaged from the last Haze crop grown in the United States, and according to Sam the Skunk Man the general vicinity of which was Santa Cruz, California to be exact. The actual pedigree of Haze is somewhat of a debate, with Sam the Skunk Man claiming the Original Haze was a Mexican x Columbian variety, with Thai and south Indian lines added later in the Hazes development and the Mr. Nice Camp, who possess the earliest known examples of Haze in the world, which are said tobe Columbian x Thai primarily in origin dating back to 1969. Where even in the ideal conditions of the Californian climate the Haze was said to require green houses to finish, and in some cases never truly finished at all. Northern Lights x Haze is described as being at least a 75 day variety that usually translated into a 9-10 week flowering schedule roughly. Northern Lights #5 x Skunk # 1, also known as Shiva Skunk is said to have been one of the most reliable indoor hybrids possessed by Nevil’s The Seed Bank. Touted as a variety that is “a snap to grow” and one of the first varieties the novice grower should consider, scissors were said to not be required with this variety come harvest time with an expected flowering time right around 55 days. A more obscure Northern Lights variety listed in the 1990 The Seed Bank catalog was the Hash plant/Northern Lights #1 x Swazi, described as an indoor/outdoor cultivar that which was originally intended to be an outdoor strain only. This multiple hybrid variety is described as yielding sweet and chunky flowers, with a harvest time right around mid September. The Northern Lights #5 pedigree actually consists of Northern Lights #1 x Northern Lights #1 and efforts are already underway to revive this Queen of Queens by Shantibaba of Mr. Nice seeds (MNS) with seed stock from 1988 where the #5 cutting originated. By last report, a germination rate of approximately 50% was obtained (55 out of 80 seeds) after only two days. Contrary to previously published reports, there is no Thai lineage in the Mr. Nice Northern Lights lines which are the exact lines Neville was marketing in the mid to late 1980’s in The Seed Bank cannabis catalogs. The existence of Northern Lights # 9 x 5 has been speculated on for a number of years now, ultimately said to have went off the market upon The Seed Banks ultimate acquisition by Ben Dronkers at Sensi Seeds. The Sagarmatha seed company “has engineered a superior version of the Northern Lights legend” with their version of the Northern Lights # 9, which is a back cross between “Northern Lights X” and the old Sagarmatha Slyder.

Shortly after dominating the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1989, Nevil is said to have been visiting family back home in Perth, Australia in 1990 when he was apprehended by the authorities after making an appearance on the America’s Most Wanted. At the same time Operation Green Merchant is said to have been in full swing, with particular interest aimed at High Times magazine itself. It is said that Hightimes editor in chief Steven Hagar was subpoenaed to testify at Nevil’s trial, luckily however that never came to fruition. After spending some time incarcerated in a Western Australia jail, Nevil is said to have successfully defended his extradition to the United States with grounds for appeal being his dual citizenship status in both the Netherlands and Australia. Interestingly enough, it is also speculated Nevil escaped imprisonment and vanished, ultimately making his way back to Holland while remaining underground for quite sometime before re-emerging in the 21st century as a breeder and consultant with Mr. Nice Seeds, along side legendary hash smuggler Howard Marks and the honorable Shantibaba. Quite possibly the finest collection of Cannabis minds ever assembled, Mr. Nice seeds offers’ possibly the finest selection of cannabis genetics in the world today. With a great deal of the original The Seed Bank lines and many more recently crowned lines of divine and royal descent, such as the world famous original White Widow (now known as Black Widow), as well as the Great White Shark aka Peace Maker (now known as Shark Shock) and Medicine Man(formally known as White Rhino).

Consistencies in the Northern Lights oral history are that it originated from the Pacific North West region of the United States, quite possibly in the Seattle region of the state of Washington. From there the variety made its way to Nevil Schoenmakers at The Seed Bank in the Netherlands, where it was promptly bred with numerous hybrids and marketed the world over. From there the varieties reputation spread globally, with little question as to the validity of these parts of the story. Among the consumers best options on the market today are the Sensi Seeds Northern Lights variety and the Dutch Passion Oasis (Northern Lights #2). With news that the Northern Lights #5 line has resurfaced on Shantibaba’s agenda at Mr. Nice seeds, and the release of the MNS Northern Lights #5 x Haze in early 2009 hope has been instilled into the hearts of thousands of Northern Lights enthusiast the world over. Shortly before Nevil’s incarceration in Perth, Australia it was published that, “After 8 generations of selective breeding we are able to reproduce our Northern Lights #5 from seed. This is the breakthrough indoor and outdoor growers have been waiting for, for a long time. This current outdoor season will be devoted to mass-producing Northern Lights #5 seeds for the 1991 season. As a breeder I consider this to be my greatest achievement yet. Look for this one, it will change the world.” It is these very same Northern Lights varieties that were released all those years ago, which literally became famous world wide that Shantibaba at Mr. Nice seeds has exclusive access too, with the Northern Lights 5a still being in possession of the MNS team and future Northern Light releases looming in the future. There for my friends, there is truly hope in the world after all for Northern Lights enthusiast the world over. With Northern Lights being among the most prolific varieties of cannabis used in the modern breeding today, its little wonder why Northern Lights remains one of the most intriguing varieties of cannabis in modern times.

For more information, including original photographs and authentic information on this variety visit the link below.

http://www.mrnice.nl/forum/showthread.php?t=2012
 
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