Let’s settle one of the dumbest arguments I’ve seen floating around outdoor cannabis growing:

“This strain finishes in seven weeks indoors, so my outdoor plant should be finished in seven weeks.”

Uhh…

NO.

That’s not how the sun works.

And apparently somebody needs to explain this before somebody tries to sue September for not being October.

SEVEN WEEKS OF WHAT?

When a breeder says a strain has a seven-week flowering time, that number generally comes from growing the plant under controlled conditions.

INDOORS.

The grower controls the lighting.

The grower can take a plant from a long vegetative light schedule and deliberately put it into a flowering photoperiod.

Outside?

You don’t control the sun.

You can’t walk outside and say:

“All right, everybody! Starting Monday we’re going 12/12!”

The sun will basically tell you to go pound sand.

Cornell explains that Cannabis sativa is photoperiod-sensitive: as daylight decreases, the plant transitions toward flowering. Cornell also notes that outdoor day length in New York varies with latitude and date, and that varieties differ in when they flower.

That’s the entire point.

OUTDOOR NEW YORK IS NOT AN INDOOR GROW ROOM

An indoor plant can receive a controlled flowering photoperiod.

An outdoor plant in New York gets Mother Nature’s schedule.

The days gradually become shorter.

The nights gradually become longer.

The plant is responding to those changing conditions while continuing to develop.

So when somebody grabs an indoor chart that says:

“7 weeks”

and then looks at an outdoor plant and says:

“Seven weeks! CUT IT!”

they’re using the right calculator for the wrong damn equation.

It’s like using the cooking time for a microwave pizza to cook one in a wood-fired oven and then getting angry at the pizza.

THE CONDITIONS MATTER!

And this is where September gets exposed.

Here’s my point for outdoor growers in Upstate New York:

Do not confuse an indoor flowering-time estimate with an outdoor harvest date.

A strain being advertised as a seven-week indoor finisher does NOT mean your outdoor plant suddenly becomes genetically obligated to be finished in September.

In fact, for the overwhelming majority of outdoor cannabis plants growing in Upstate New York, September is simply too early to assume the plant is at peak maturity just because the calendar says September.

Some varieties can flower earlier than others. Some plants can develop faster than others. Weather, location, genetics and growing conditions all matter.

But the big point remains:

Seven weeks indoors does not equal seven weeks outdoors.

And if you’re growing outdoors in New York, mid-October and beyond is a much more realistic part of the conversation than somebody yelling “HARVEST!” the moment September shows up on the calendar.

Cornell’s own New York production material explains that flowering is tied to decreasing day length and that high-cannabinoid Cannabis continues accumulating floral biomass during the flowering stage.

So if somebody tells you:

“My strain is seven weeks indoors, therefore my outdoor plant is done in September.”

Ask them one question:

“Seven weeks under WHAT conditions?”

Because that’s the part they conveniently left out.

SEPTEMBER IS NOT A MAGIC HARVEST DATE

This is the part I really want outdoor growers to understand.

There is nothing magical about September 1st.

September 15th doesn’t come around and suddenly every outdoor cannabis plant in New York rings a little bell and says:

“Welp! Seven weeks are up! Time to chop!”

😂

That’s not how plants work.

For outdoor growers in Upstate New York, most plants are going to benefit from having the time they need to continue developing rather than being chopped early simply because somebody found a seven-week flowering estimate online.

Most outdoor plants are going to be much closer to their finish in mid-October or later than they are in September.

That doesn’t mean every single plant in every single location should automatically be left outside forever.

It means you should stop treating September like a universal harvest deadline.

Watch the plant.

Watch the weather.

Watch the forecast.

And understand the difference between an indoor breeder estimate and an outdoor growing season.

NICK, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU 😂

Nick Ellingsen recently suggested that everybody else was an idiot because he harvests his outdoor plants in September because his strain only takes seven weeks to finish indoors.

Nick…

My brother in cannabis.

The seven-week number you found didn’t come with a tiny invisible clause saying:

“Congratulations! This applies to every outdoor plant growing underneath the New York sun too.”

You found an indoor flowering estimate.

You can’t take an indoor timetable, throw a plant outside, change the entire lighting environment, and then act surprised when Mother Nature doesn’t follow your Google search.

That’s not how horticulture works.

And telling people that most outdoor plants should be cut in September because your particular strain finishes in seven weeks indoors?

That doesn’t make everybody else stupid.

It just makes the argument look stupid.

Again, Nick.

😂

UPSTATE NEW YORK HAS A FALL PROBLEM

Here’s another thing people forget:

New York is not California.

Our outdoor season has an expiration date.

The farther north you go, the higher the elevation, and the more exposed your plants are to changing fall weather, the more important that late-season weather becomes.

And there is no single statewide “first frost date.”

Cornell climate data show that first frost varies substantially depending on location and year. Some northern parts of New York can see frost much earlier than other areas.

So you can’t simply say:

“September is harvest.”

You also can’t blindly say:

“October 20th is harvest.”

The weather doesn’t care what date you circled on your calendar.

That’s why outdoor growers need to pay attention to the actual conditions where they live.

LET THE PLANT FINISH

This is where I think a lot of people get impatient.

They see flowers.

They see some color.

They see some trichomes.

They hear somebody online say, “Mine is done.”

And suddenly they’re standing outside with scissors like they’re on a countdown clock.

Relax.

😂

If the plant is healthy and the weather is cooperating, there is a big difference between having flowers on the plant and having a plant that has reached the point where you actually want to harvest it.

And that’s especially important in Upstate New York.

For most outdoor growers, the goal shouldn’t be to get the plant down as early as possible.

The goal should be to give the plant the time it needs while keeping an eye on the weather.

If you get into the later part of October and the weather is still cooperating, there may be no reason to panic simply because somebody online harvested three weeks earlier.

Their calendar isn’t your calendar.

Their latitude isn’t your latitude.

Their weather isn’t your weather.

And their seven-week indoor flowering estimate certainly isn’t your outdoor harvest date.

AND THEN THERE’S FROST

This is where common sense has to take over.

You don’t want to blindly leave plants exposed to a serious damaging freeze just to prove a point.

If an early frost threatens, you have to pay attention to your local conditions and make decisions based on the actual weather.

If the season cooperates and you make it well into October, great.

If a serious freeze is coming earlier than expected, that’s a different situation.

The important thing is not to confuse an early frost warning with some imaginary September deadline.

Mother Nature doesn’t hand every New York grower the same schedule.

Sometimes the weather gives you more time.

Sometimes it doesn’t.

That’s why you watch the forecast instead of Facebook.

THE SIMPLEST WAY I CAN PUT IT

INDOOR:

Controlled light → controlled flowering schedule → breeder’s indoor flowering estimate.

OUTDOOR:

Natural sunlight → gradually changing day length → environmental conditions → actual plant determines when it’s ready.

That’s it.

You don’t need a PhD.

You don’t even need a GED.

You just need to look up at the sky.

😂

SO WHEN SHOULD AN OUTDOOR GROWER HARVEST?

Not because some website said “seven weeks.”

Not because somebody on Facebook said “September.”

And definitely not because some guy named Nick said everybody else is an idiot.

😂

You evaluate the actual plant and the actual conditions.

For outdoor growers in Upstate New York, September should not be treated as the automatic finish line.

For the vast majority of outdoor plants, mid-October and beyond is a much more realistic window for plants to be approaching peak maturity than September.

And if the weather is cooperating, giving the plant the time it needs can make a hell of a lot more sense than chopping early just because an indoor flowering chart says seven weeks.

Remember:

INDOOR FLOWERING TIME IS NOT AN OUTDOOR HARVEST DATE.

And there is another important point:

There is no single statewide “first frost date” for New York.

Cornell’s climate data show that frost timing varies substantially by location and year. Some northern and higher-elevation areas can get frost much earlier than other parts of the state.

So don’t blindly follow the calendar.

FOLLOW THE PLANT.

Watch the weather.

Know your local conditions.

And don’t let somebody else’s indoor grow schedule convince you that your outdoor plant is late.

The seed breeder doesn’t control the sun.

Facebook doesn’t control the sun.

Nick doesn’t control the sun.

And thankfully…

NEITHER DO I.

I’m OG Strain.

And sometimes the easiest way to settle a cannabis argument is to stop arguing with the Facebook comments…

and look up.

🌞🌱

— OG Strain
The Plug’s Pages Magazine

Why One Purple-and-Frosty Favorite Was Enough to Earn Strain of the Month

Well, I had a great vacation.
Then I came home to a little bit of drama.
But enough about that.
It’s time to get back to business.

Normally, I like to give you two or even three Strains of the Month to choose from. But this month is a little different. I’ve been spending a lot more of my time exploring cold-cure rosin lately, so I simply haven’t been working through as much new flower as I normally do.
I did receive a few samples recently, but I haven’t made my way through all of them yet.
One of those samples, however, immediately caught my attention.

Bankroll.
The Bankroll sample reviewed for this month’s feature came from Hudson Valley Greens, and while I’ve had Bankroll before, this particular sample stood out enough to earn the title of The Plug’s Pages Magazine’s August 2026 Strain of the Month.
And after spending some time with it, I came up with a name of my own.
If I were naming this strain?
I’d call it:

SWEET GASOLINE.
And once you get into the appearance, aroma and flavor, you’ll understand why.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: PURPLE TAKES CENTER STAGE
Let’s start with the look.
Bankroll is an eye-catching cannabis strain, with buds showing a mixture of purple and green coloration. Purple is definitely the dominant color in most of the sample, while the orange pistils provide a nice contrast throughout the buds.

But the real attention-grabber is the trichome coverage.
There’s an above-average amount of visible trichomes here—enough that the buds have a distinctly frosty appearance.

Basically, Bankroll showed up dressed for the occasion.
And apparently, it didn’t get the memo that August was supposed to be a quiet month.

THE NOSE KNOWS
The aroma is where Bankroll really starts getting interesting.
To me, the first thing that comes through is gas.
But it doesn’t stop there.
I’m also picking up fruity, floral and slightly sweet notes. There’s even something about the aroma that reminds me of vanilla.
That combination makes for a surprisingly complex smell.

You get the gassy character first, but as you spend more time with the flower, the sweeter and more floral notes become easier to recognize.

It’s not simply a one-note “gas” strain.
There’s considerably more going on.
And that made me curious about whether the flavor would follow the same path.

THE FLAVOR: SWEET GASOLINE
The flavor doesn’t hit quite as hard as the aroma initially does.
The aroma is stronger and more immediately recognizable, while the flavor takes a little more time to reveal itself.

The first impressions are smooth and gassy, with a slightly sweet character coming through.
As I spent more time evaluating it, those floral and vanilla-like notes became easier to identify.
And that’s when I knew what I would call it.

Sweet Gasoline.

It’s an unusual combination, but that’s exactly what makes the profile memorable.
The more time I spent with the strain, the more recognizable the flavor became. Instead of getting tired of the profile, I found myself picking up additional characteristics as I continued evaluating it.
That’s always a good sign when I’m reviewing a strain.

THE BALANCED EXPERIENCE
Bankroll is generally described as a balanced hybrid, and that description made sense based on my experience with the sample.
The overall effects felt balanced rather than heavily tilted in one direction.
I experienced a euphoric and relaxed feeling while remaining mentally alert. I wasn’t particularly tired or ready to go straight to sleep.

Instead, the overall feeling was more along the lines of: “I’m good. I’m comfortable. Let’s put something on TV.” And honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.

Bankroll didn’t leave me feeling like I needed to accomplish twelve things before midnight.
It was more of a relax, watch a movie, watch some YouTube and let the brain take the evening off kind of experience.
That balance is one of the characteristics that stood out most to me.

A SURPRISINGLY STRONG SAMPLE
Another thing that stood out was the overall strength of the sample.
Because I have a high tolerance from regular cannabis use and my experience with concentrates, I don’t always expect flower to make a particularly strong impression.
Bankroll did.

The sample produced a noticeable effect without requiring a large amount, which made it clear that this was not flower I would describe as lacking character.

Of course, everyone’s response to cannabis can be different. Individual tolerance, body chemistry and other factors can dramatically change how someone experiences the same strain.

That’s worth remembering whenever cannabis products are discussed.
My experience is exactly that—my experience.
It shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee of what somebody else will experience.

THE GREEN NUG THAT CHANGED THE PROFILE
Interestingly, one of the final buds I evaluated looked noticeably different from the others.
This particular nug had considerably more green coloration—roughly 30% green compared with the more purple-dominant appearance of the rest of the sample.

And guess what?
That particular nug tasted really gassy.
It was another reminder that even within the same cannabis strain, individual buds can sometimes present slightly different characteristics.
For someone who pays attention to flavor and aroma, those differences can be fascinating.

SO, WHY BANKROLL?
This brings us back to the obvious question:
Why did Bankroll earn the August Strain of the Month title when I normally feature multiple strains?
Simple.
Because I only need one winner.

I haven’t been getting through as much new flower lately because so much new flower lately because so much of my attention has been on cold-cure rosin. I still have additional flower samples waiting to be properly evaluated, and I don’t want to give a strain a spot in the magazine simply because I need to fill a space.

If something earns Strain of the Month, I want it to actually stand out.
Bankroll did.
I’ve had this strain before, but the Hudson Valley Greens sample I evaluated for August was impressive enough to make the cut.
The purple-dominant appearance caught my attention.
The heavy trichome coverage kept it there.
The gassy, fruity, floral and slightly sweet aroma made me want to investigate further.
And the flavor profile ultimately gave me the name that sums up my experience with it better than anything else:

SWEET GASOLINE.
THE FINAL WORD
After returning from vacation, I wasn’t necessarily expecting Bankroll to become the highlight of my first month back.
But that’s the funny thing about reviewing cannabis.
Sometimes you think you already know what you’re going to find.
Then a strain comes along and says, “Hold my jar.”
For August 2026, Bankroll did exactly that.

It delivered an impressive visual presentation, a complex aroma, a distinctive gassy-sweet flavor profile and the balanced character that made the sample memorable.

There may only be one Strain of the Month this time around.
But when that one strain makes enough of an impression to earn the title on its own, I don’t think I need three.
Bankroll is officially The Plug’s Pages Magazine’s August 2026 Strain of the Month.
And if you ask OG Strain what I’d have named it?

There’s only one answer:

Sweet Gasoline.

Stay Tuned for the cold cure rosin of the month article!

🥇 Good Burger — Higher Beings Powered by Hudson Valley Green

If you haven’t tried Good Burger yet… what are you doing?

Seriously.

This was hands-down my favorite flower of the month.

The first thing that hits you is that loud, earthy, musky aroma that immediately reminds me of some classic New York haze cuts. Crack open the jar and it’s like Mother Nature slapped you across the face with a handful of fresh earth, herbs, and funk—in the best possible way. Many modern “dessert strains” lean heavily on candy terps, but Good Burger proudly marches in the opposite direction with a savory, earthy profile that keeps you coming back for another bowl.

The flavor is every bit as satisfying as the aroma. Rich earth, herbal spice, subtle fuel, and just enough sweetness to round everything out. Burger-family genetics are well known for their funky, garlic-forward and earthy terpene profiles, and Good Burger delivers that signature character while remaining remarkably smooth.

The effects?

Absolutely balanced.

A happy cerebral buzz gets the mind moving while a comfortable body relaxation settles in without gluing you to the couch. It’s the kind of hybrid that works whether you’re hanging with friends, watching movies, or spending twenty minutes trying to remember why you walked into the kitchen.

Trust me…

Most people who try this strain end up asking where they can get more.

⸻

🥈 Sub Zero — Gilly’s Greens

If Good Burger is the laid-back friend who always has great stories…

Sub Zero is the friend who drinks three energy drinks before breakfast.

Coming from the Blockberry (Super Boof) × Oreoz lineage, Sub Zero is absolutely loaded with bright citrus, creamy sweetness, and that unmistakable Super Boof influence that has become one of the hottest terp profiles around.

For me, this one leaned heavily toward an energetic experience. It’s uplifting, motivating and incredibly heady. Sensitive consumers may even notice their heart racing a bit—something energetic sativas can occasionally produce—so know your limits before diving in.

But if you’re a die-hard sativa lover?

You’re probably going to fall in love.

This is daytime smoke. Creative smoke. Get-things-done smoke.

Just maybe don’t clean your entire house at 2:00 in the morning because Sub Zero convinced you it was a good idea.

⸻

🥉 Pink Lobster — Best Budz

I’ve smoked Blue Lobster.

I’ve smoked Black Lobster.

I’ve smoked enough lobster strains that Red Lobster should probably start charging me rent.

But Pink Lobster?

This one surprised me.

It took everything I enjoy about the Lobster family and somehow made it even more enjoyable. Dense, frosty buds, a loud aroma, excellent flavor and effects that strike a beautiful balance between mental stimulation and body comfort.

Out of every Lobster phenotype I’ve personally tried…

Pink Lobster wins.

No debate.

⸻

🧊 COLD CURE ROSIN OF THE MONTH

Now let’s talk about the real terp hunters.

If flower is the movie…

Cold cure rosin is the director’s cut.

⸻

🥇 Western Maine — Buddah Brothers

I don’t throw around the phrase “favorite of all time” very often.

But Western Maine from Buddah Brothers might honestly deserve it.

This rosin is unbelievably smooth.

The flavor is difficult to describe because it refuses to fit neatly into one category. It opens with rich earthy sweetness before evolving into creamy herbal notes with a lingering finish that keeps coating your palate long after the exhale.

Every dab somehow tastes better than the last.

It’s the kind of concentrate that makes you stare at your rig after exhaling and quietly whisper…

“Yep… we’re doing another one.”

That’s usually how you know you’ve found something special.

⸻

🥈 Funk Mountain — Buddah Brothers

Don’t judge this one by the smell.

Seriously.

The aroma is downright bizarre.

Imagine swamp water, wet forest floor, funky cheese and old-school skunk somehow deciding to throw a family reunion.

Sounds terrible.

It isn’t.

The flavor completely changes once it hits the nail. Instead of tasting like the aroma suggests, the smoke becomes surprisingly smooth with earthy sweetness, herbal spice and a complex funky finish that keeps evolving throughout the dab.

This is one of those rosins where your nose says one thing…

…and your taste buds completely disagree.

⸻

🥉 Peanut Butter & Jelly — Central Oddities

Leave it to Central Oddities to sneak into the rankings with one of the sweetest rosins I’ve had this month.

Peanut Butter & Jelly delivers exactly what the name suggests.

Sweet berry notes mingle with creamy, nutty undertones and just enough earthy funk to keep everything balanced. Every dab is rich, flavorful and leaves behind a lingering sweetness that keeps you reaching for another.

It’s flavorful.

Potent.

Ridiculously smooth.

And one of those jars you accidentally empty way faster than you planned.

Don’t ask me how.

Science still hasn’t figured that one out.

⸻

FINAL PUFF

This month’s winners proved one thing…

You don’t always need the highest THC percentage to have the best experience.

Great cannabis is about terpenes, flavor, balance, and how the strain makes you feel.

Whether you’re rolling up some Good Burger, blasting off with Sub Zero, relaxing with Pink Lobster, or loading a dab of Western Maine, Funk Mountain, or Peanut Butter & Jelly, these are the strains that earned permanent real estate in my stash this month.

Until next month…

Stay lifted.

Stay laughing.

And as always…

Keep chasing flavor—not just numbers.