[Shevek]

Franco, I have searched this thread but have found little information about Himalaya Gold. I recently purchased some feminized HG.

I would like to know a couple things. Particularly about mold resistance and an accurate finish date.

I live on the 45th parallel in Canada.

Would you also recomend El nino and the Church for outdoors?

The latest I have been able to leave plants outside was until October 9.

Thank-you.

[Shevek]

Hey Franco, I thought you might have missed this question because it was on page 2.

Thanks.

[supersonic]

I live on 46N in EU....

finish date: end september - early october

mold resistance: hmmm, molded towards end of september after heavy rain for a week,
molded only when it was already pretty ripe...

smoke: pleasant lasting indica relaxation without couchlock...


and the worst possible picture of HG:

[tokinjoe]

How is the smoke, bro? Growth patterns?

[Shevek]

symmetrical, fat fan leaves, but heat sensitive.

10% of feminized phenotypes may be dwarf like, and 10% seem sensitive to nutrients. not all phenotypes respond well to topping. others respond very well.

the keepers appear to be high quality (keepers!).

[franco.gh]

There is something special about the way the Himalaya Gold grows.
It is a mighty plant, a true indica with a great development pattern that makes it stronger and taller than most other indicas. The leaves are big and round, with thick wide overlapping leaflets. The leaf dents are almost rounded. The internodes can stretch as far apart as 12 cm; the branches grow at a 25-35 degrees angle, and after 2 weeks they tend to reach the same height as the main cola. The result is a massive plant, mighty and beautiful. But the mightiest part of the Himalaya Gold is the buds; massive cylinder-shaped flowers, with close calyx formations that give a rock hard touch and an amazing density to every bud. It is considered the best outdoor plant in the Green House collection, and it is one of the biggest producers as well.
The Himalaya Gold comes from a Nepalese plant that Arjan crossed with a Northern Indian special father, obtaining a very special indica cross. The strain was stabilized in the early nineties and introduced in the market in 1995, becoming very popular especially between outdoor growers and mountain growers. This is due to one of the most peculiar characteristics of the Himalaya Gold, its resistance to cold nights and its adaptability to big day/night temperature gaps.
The plant can be grown indoor with great results but it is advisable to keep the 18 hrs. period very short (7-14 days) to avoid going over the 150 cm. at the end of the crop.
In soil, the Himalaya Gold performs at its best with a starting pH of 5.8 and a starting EC of 1.3. During the flowering the pH should be raised at 6.2 and the EC at 1.5-1.6 for optimal flower development. If the plants are allowed maximum root development (in open soil) they will reach an average of 200-220 cm. at harvest. Extra phosphor and potassium should be added from the third week of flowering to prevent deficiencies.
In hydro systems the plants will produce buds so heavy that it is necessary to use yo-yos or other branch-support systems. The pH should start at 5.5 and slowly be raised to 5.8, while the EC should start at 1.4 reaching 2.0 at the peak of flower production. Flushing every 7-10 days with a light solution (pH 5.5 and EC 1.0) is the best way to keep salt buildup under control. It is recommended to keep extra distance between plants as they need 20-30% more space than average indicas. Splitting the top of the branches at the second week on 18 hrs can help contain the height of the plants. Some of the lower fan leaves and lateral sub-branches can be pruned as well to reduce the overall size of the plants.
The amazing productivity of the Himalaya Gold reaches 800-1000 grams per square meter outdoor, while indoor it can harvest up to 600-800 grams per square meter. This makes it a great commercial plant, with a unique strong body-high and a very chocolate-like indica smell. The taste is sweet with notes of licorice and dark chocolate. It is one of the three-puffs-will-do-it types of indicas, with its “fast to act and slow to leave” effect. The Himalaya Gold has a good resistance to pests and is a very strong plant; a dream come true for all outdoor growers or big buds lovers.

[tokinjoe]

Cool deal Franco. I'll be putting her to the test this year. I've got 19 of your HG's readying now to go outdoors and will report their progress through harvest. Although I like the idea of rock-hard buds I do wonder if this will lend itself to having a propensity to mold. We'll see.

[franco.gh]

It will mould if exposed to extreme humid air for prolonged periods of time at the end of flowering. The genetics come from higher altitudes, where the air is cold but generally drier than most places. This is not a easy-to-mould strain, but if it is grown in extremely humid damp conditions it could be a problem. after all the colas are huge and very dense, once moisture gets trapped in there it has a long way out....
:-)

[ChaosCatalunya]

Great info on the strain, many thanks Franco. You have perfectly described my HG... the tall branchy growth pattern is very distinctive. I have flowered 3 this spring and kept the best looking one vegging for summer/autumn, they are noticeably low odour plants, both growing now and last years crop "in the bag"... very nice, and for some, a real advantage. Outdoors, HG would be a very good choice for a garden where the smell is an issue, 10 of these ladies are less likely to get found than 1 Cheese.

100% germ and Zero hermi problems, in COCO.

Taken earlier...

[Shevek]

Franco,

In the you tube video for Himalaya Gold, when you say 1.5 pound harvest outdoors, do you mean wet or dried?