[RC_Colas]

Originally Posted by yesum

^^ I think he means they cut the stalk, peeled some of the skin off it. According to Snowhigh, most 'Colombian Gold' was just regular left in the sun to bleach it. Real CG was rare.

Hola folks,

This technique is called 'girdling' and was a reported traditional harvesting process used in Columbian.

Saludos

RC_Colas

[ahortator]

Hi, this is from Marijuana Botany by Robert Connell Clark:

a) Colombia - (0 to 10 north latitude)

Colombian Cannabis originally could be divided into two basic strains: one from the low-altitude humid coastal areas along the Atlantic near Panama, and the other from the more arid mountain areas inland from Santa Marta. More recently, new areas of cultivation in the interior plateau of southern central Colombia and the highland valleys stretching southward from the Atlantic coast have become the primary areas of commercial export Cannabis cultivation. Until recent years high quality Cannabis was available through the black market from both coastal and highland Colombia. Cannabis was introduced to Colombia just over 100 years ago, and its cultivation is deeply rooted in tradition. Cultivation techniques often involve transplanting of selected seedlings and other individual attention. The production of "la mona amarilla" or gold buds is achieved by girdling or removing a strip of bark from the main stem of a nearly mature plant, thereby restricting the flow of water, nutrients, and plant products. Over several days the leaves dry up and fall off as the flowers slowly die and turn yellow. This produces the highly prized "Colombian gold" so prevalent in the early to middle 1970s (Partridge 1973). Trade names such as "punta roja" (red tips [pistils] ), "Cali Hills," "choco," "lowland," "Santa Marta gold," and "purple" give us some idea of the color of older varieties and the location of cultivation.

In response to an incredible demand by America for Cannabis, and the fairly effective control of Mexican Cannabis importation and cultivation through tightening border security and the use of Paraquat, Colombian farmers have geared up their operations. Most of the marijuana smoked in America is imported from Colombia. This also means that the largest number of seeds available for domes tic cultivation also originate in Colombia. Cannabis agri-business has squeezed out all but a few small areas where labor-intensive cultivation of high quality drug Cannabis such as "la mona amarilla" can continue. The fine marijuana of Colombia was often seedless, but commercial grades are nearly always well seeded. As a rule today, the more remote highland areas are the centers of commercial agriculture and few of the small farmers remain. It is thought that some highland farmers must still grow fine Cannabis, and occasional connoisseur crops surface. The older seeds from the legendary Colombian strains are now highly prized by breeders. In the heyday of "Colombian gold" this fine cerebral marijuana was grown high in the mountains. Humid lowland marijuana was characterized by stringy, brown, fibrous floral clusters of sedative narcotic high. Now highland marijuana has become the commercial product and is characterized by leafy brown floral clusters and sedative effect. Many of the unfavorable characteristics of imported Colombian Cannabis result from hurried commercial agricultural techniques combined with poor curing and storage. Colombian seeds still contain genes favoring vigorous growth and high THC production. Colombian strains also contain high levels of CBD and CBN, which could account for sedative highs and result from poor curing and storage techniques. Domestic Colombian strains usually lack CBD and CBN. The commercial Cannabis market has brought about the eradication of some local strains by hybridizing with commercial strains.

Colombian strains appear as relatively highly branched conical plants with a long upright central stem, horizontal limbs and relatively short internodes. The leaves are characterized by highly serrated slender leaflets (7-11) in a nearly complete to overlapping circular array of varying shades of medium green. Colombian strains usually flower late in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and may fail to mature flowers in colder climates. These strains favor the long equatorial growing seasons and often seem insensitive to the rapidly decreasing daylength during autumn in temperate latitudes. Because of the horizontal branching pattern of Colombian strains and their long growth cycle, pistillate plants tend to produce many flowering clusters along the entire length of the stem back to the central stalk. The small flowers tend to produce small, round, dark, mottled, and brown seeds. Imported and domestic Colombian Cannabis often tend to be more sedative in psychoactivity than other strains. This may be caused by the synergistic effect of THC with higher levels of CBD or CBN. Poor curing techniques on the part of Colombian farmers, such as sun drying in huge piles resembling com post heaps, may form CBN as a degradation product of THC. Colombian strains tend to make excellent hybrids with more rapidly maturing strains such as those from Central and North America.

Colombian strains have dissapeared already from Colombia. At least they are not the staple weed strain grown there. I have been told by friends there they cannot get sativas as a few years ago.

About 10 years ago they got pure sativa brick in the street, full of seeds. Seeds for free! Or at least they came along with the bud. One of my friends kidding even caledl it was a seedbank "Prensi Seeds" because he was able to sample the product and later choose to grow those seeds. I was telling them even to the point of being annoying they must keep those seeds safe in the fridge or frozen. One of them even traveled to the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta and he said he got Santa Marta Gold there. He sent me some seeds but they became lost in the post office because an error in the address name and they rejected to give me the letter. So I preffer to forget all about Santa Marta Gold or any Colombian sativas because I get angry.

Commercial production today there is filled by BLD hybrids. So no longer you are going to get fine Colombian sativa/NLD heirlooms in the street, or imported bricks. Cripy or cripa crapy, mainly BLD/Afghan/Kush type hybrids have spreaded there so widely, you can risk your life far in the mountains to only find the same type of garbage couchlocking polyhybrids most people grow in indoor closets at home in anticannabis dictatorships in Western countries.

Such situation has led to one of the most silly, stupid, sick, crazy things I have ever seen about marihuana growing!!!

https://youtu.be/OrmYdLc-0hQ

Now they need lights at night growing outdoors because fast hybrids flower so early there in the Equator they produce tiny plants with a ridiculous crop!

Also they need to waste money stupidly not only in bulbs, wire, electricity,... but also in pesticides, chemical fertilizers,... to get a far inferior product than when they grew their own sativa heirlooms!

:puke :

[OldCoolSativa]

Originally Posted by ahortator

Such situation has led to one of the most silly, stupid, sick, crazy things I have ever seen about marihuana growing!!!

https://youtu.be/OrmYdLc-0hQ

Now they need lights at night growing outdoors because fast hybrids flower so early there in the Equator they produce tiny plants with a ridiculous crop!

Also they need to waste money stupidly not only in bulbs, wire, electricity,... but also in pesticides, chemical fertilizers,... to get a far inferior product than when they grew their own sativa heirlooms!

:puke :

Good God. What a shame.

[Water-]

thats why I stocked up on mangobiche and Colombian Gold '72 seeds.

the old world is slipping away fast

[willydread]

I have a few seeds recovered in Cali(Colombia) in the fridge,the weed and the high was very sativa-like,when the right time will come,them will go to mother land...