Info on The Real Seed Company?

[meizzwang]

The buds on Kumaoni aren't that big or dense, but the plant produces an incredible volume of branches in a relatively short period of time. If you have the space, it'll definitely produce a good yield. There's no way around the tallness, those plants turn into trees, and they're absolutely beautiful! Here's a crappy pic of a harvested Kumaoni bud:

Here's some germination results:

Highland Thai: 5/5- sprouted 4 days after popping them, indicating fresh, well preserved seeds. these are growing as though they have hybrid vigor and are really strong plants:

Ukhrul:5/7 seeds sprouted (a few sprouted after the photo was taken), good enough for me. Took about 7 days before the first seed popped up, maybe another will germinate in the next few days. Seeds were carefully stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers:

Parvati: 8/12 sprouted. these took about 6 days before the first sprouted. Not good, not bad, probably enough to get an idea about the strain:

Kerala-5/5 sprouted. Very viable, these uniformly all popped open 4 days after sowing:

 

[meizzwang]

the only one that gave me trouble this year was Nanda Devi. I've tried two different batches of 12 packs so far over the years. My first attempt, I had 3/12 (which, by the way, produced an incredible gem!). The most recent offering (acquired in 2018) had 0/12 sprout. In the past batch, I had 3/12. Anyone getting good germination rates with this strain? I'm wondering if perhaps they need different treatment to sprout:

Here's my Nanda Devi from a few years back, it was a tall monster like Kumaoni. The buds taste like hay even after a good cure, but with a rosin squeeze, the flavor is palatable. High is moderate in potency, but with exceptional quality effects, my absolute favorite of the himalayan strains:

 

[Green Squall]

the only one that gave me trouble this year was Nanda Devi. I've tried two different batches of 12 packs so far over the years. My first attempt, I had 3/12 (which, by the way, produced an incredible gem!). The most recent offering (acquired in 2018) had 0/12 sprout. In the past batch, I had 3/12. Anyone getting good germination rates with this strain? I'm wondering if perhaps they need different treatment to sprout:
View Image

Nandi Devi had a very poor germination rate and was pulled from the website. When I contacted them about this, they sent me a replacement strain along with a second freebie. Very good customer service there. I did however get one to eventually germinate and its in a planter on my deck (1st picture). Concerning Parvati, I had a 100% germination rate with those (2nd) picture. And I agree, they are very beautiful plants.

 

[troutman]

Here's some germination results:

Highland Thai: 5/5- sprouted 4 days after popping them, indicating fresh, well preserved seeds. these are growing as though they have hybrid vigor and are really strong plants.

Kerala-5/5 sprouted. Very viable, these uniformly all popped open 4 days after sowing

You better transplant them all soon. The Highland Thai especially have Jungle vigor.

 

[therevverend]

It's in a corner so it looks tight but it's got the space to bush out. There's a good twenty feet behind where I can tie it back. As you can see there's a blackberry patch behind it but I've got my loppers, I give everything at least a foot and closer to a meter space. As it's grown I've hacked the blackberries back. The last thing I want is for a weird blackberry disease to spread to my plants. The last couple days the branches have really started shooting out, now I'm worrying they're going to get too long and need support. It seems to be switching gears from getting tall to getting big. We still haven't had any real sunny weather, partly to mostly cloudy, temps in the 20-22 degrees C. Morning clouds burning off to varying degrees by the afternoon. Probably why it's so tall, hopefully it'll overgrow the clouds and get some real sun. And I can grab the hash laying goose..

The other day a limb broke, seems to be the season for that. Plants growing faster then the stems can support them. I carefully tied it back up and it looked like it would make it. A couple days later we had a rainstorm and I found it twisted and torn off the plant a couple feet away. Hopefully not too many more go like that.

Thanks for the pic Mezziwang, taking pictures of buds is never easy, the lighting is hard to get right. If you look carefully you can actually see it quite well. It's frustrating trying to grow these strains at temperate latitudes but I think it's worth the effort, sometimes. I had the idea of keeping it in a container and trying to light dep it, as soon as it reached a meter tall I knew that wasn't happening.

When did it finish for you? I'm guessing late November/early December because plants start to flower so late up here. Of course I'm hoping for October but that's folly. The grey mold is bad of course, it should have some resistance but the worst part is the stunting and damage done by the moisture and short days.

 

[meizzwang]

greensquall-great job with those plants!

the revverend: I had to harvest the Kumaoni a little bit early due to botrytis, maybe mid November? Can't remember exacty, but late November would be a good estimated finishing time. It didn't experience any frost. It endured almost a month of heavy, cold rain just fine: most other varieties would have melted much earlier.

Nevertheless, it's still susceptible to rot eventually. It seems once a variety reaches a certain level of maturity, their "immune system" is lowered, making them more susceptible.

 

[therevverend]

Nevertheless, it's still susceptible to rot eventually. It seems once a variety reaches a certain level of maturity, their "immune system" is lowered, making them more susceptible.

I agree. At a certain point as it nears senescence and most of the seeds mature the flower wants to rot. Releasing and scattering the seed. You could almost see mold resistance as a 'defect', especially in strains from dry regions. Why a plant from Kuamoni that's more humid has decent mold resistance versus an Afghan hashplant that catches boytritis if a cloud rolls by. You could make a graph of strains' mold resistance vs historical hand or sift collection and they'd be close.

A good reason why Himalayan strains mature so late in the year, during the drier winter months. In Kuamon you get 197 mm in September, 40 in October, and 10 in November which is the driest month. You can guess that the ganja finishes in November and you would be correct.

Still, with the Kuamon being Jungli and having those wild genes I'm going to hold out hope that it finishes earlier. Wish in one hand, shit in the other...

 

[ngakpa]

well, Nanda Devi is a Kumaoni strain and is harvested from mid August to first week September

worth noting, neither Nanda Devi or Kumaoni are jungli. They're domesticated strains. But they will have influence from jungli (ie. ruderal) plants that are allowed to grow in the villages.

about mold resistance, Green has grown a pure Chitrali in the tropics, in the jungle, and it did just fine, with zero mold... and Chitrali is from the Hindu Kush, ie sieved...

 

[ngakpa]

the only one that gave me trouble this year was Nanda Devi. I've tried two different batches of 12 packs so far over the years. My first attempt, I had 3/12 (which, by the way, produced an incredible gem!). The most recent offering (acquired in 2018) had 0/12 sprout. In the past batch, I had 3/12. Anyone getting good germination rates with this strain?

with Nanda Devi, feedback I get is anything from 100% to 0%

I took the most recent batch off the site after getting three or four complaints

one grower got 0% and then changed their method to use worm castings and got 70%

their theory was that this strain has germination inhibitors, because of ripening during August, in full monsoon

their idea is that a strong organic soil is necessary to trigger germination

seemed to work

 

[CannaZen]

that idea seemed to work.

 

[therevverend]

well, Nanda Devi is a Kumaoni strain and is harvested from mid August to first week September

I think your website said first or second week of October.

about mold resistance, Green has grown a pure Chitrali in the tropics, in the jungle, and it did just fine, with zero mold

I got to move to the jungle then, my Chitrali got hammered. Stem rot while it was sunny out then the boytritis on the flowers to finish it off. Hopefully the Kuamoni does a little better. I'd think so, considering how prone to mold hand rubbed hashish is.

Here's a shot of the Kuamoni growing up above some normal sized ganja plants, in the 7 foot range.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=79979&pictureid=1959324

Now those are bushy plants. The Kuamoni is switching growth from the top to the branches, which are extending. The length between nodes at the top of the plant are compressing. It's been raining day and night, hasn't slowed her down she's reached 12 feet. If she shows a late tropical finish there's a chance she'll stay in Veg through most of September, which means at least 2 more months of growth. A frightening thought. Might have to start hanging bricks from her like my buddy had to do one year.

their theory was that this strain has germination inhibitors, because of ripening during August, in full monsoon

That's got to be rough, I know harvesting my plants during my monsoon sucks. Unless your plants are very very mold resistant, even then you're losing big tops to rot. You'd need some modern tech, electricity which is what makes it possible. Especially to try to make sieved hashish in which case iced water hash is the best way to go. Then you consider in the past people were drying their plants in sheds and on roofs, no heaters or fans. It's so hot and humid they'd never get dry. And an Afghan or Chitrali plant would rot almost immediately. But you don't have to worry about all that when you make hand rubbed hashish right?

 

[meizzwang]

quick update: one out of the 12 nanda Devis germinated!

I let the top layer of the soil dry out and after watering, the seedling literally popped the next evening. If you keep the soil too moist for too long, they'll probably rot.

Had another 12 pack of Nanda Devi, and coincidentally I experimented with a different mix. I switched to a much richer, organic potting soil mix that has all that mycorrhiza, kelp meal, etc in it: it smells really earthy, is much darker than the other mix, and seems way more composted. Got 2 out of 12 to sprout, and it took a while, but glad they made it! If you look at it from a positive point of view, the second attempt was twice as successful, LOL

3 out of 24 total is better than 0/24!

In contrast, here's a viability test on home-made manipuri seeds, which are difficult to sprout in cooler climates: the germination test below suggested very warm soil temperatures are needed for high germination rates. My first attempt, I used the crappy potting soil and had 8 out of 15 sprout. Second attempt (pictured below), I used the same exact crappy potting soil, but boosted up the soil tempature with a heat matt below the pot. A few sprouted after 4 days, but most were popping out of the soil by day 10:

 

[mexcurandero420]

well, Nanda Devi is a Kumaoni strain and is harvested from mid August to first week September

worth noting, neither Nanda Devi or Kumaoni are jungli. They're domesticated strains. But they will have influence from jungli (ie. ruderal) plants that are allowed to grow in the villages.

about mold resistance, Green has grown a pure Chitrali in the tropics, in the jungle, and it did just fine, with zero mold... and Chitrali is from the Hindu Kush, ie sieved...

What i read about Nanda Devi is first and second week of October and it depends on the terpene profile of the Chitral. The most lemon is the one with the most resistance.Positronics had one in their time they were operational.

Citral was added in 1993 as a clone and as seed to the Library of the Positronics Fan Club. This happened with the original variety and cannot be compared with the Citral that appeared later in the market. At first the plant was very popular for indoor use until it was discovered how well suited it was for outdoor growing.

 

[troutman]

meizzwang,

I hope you're transplanting soon. Seeing that many sprouts in one pot is stressing me out.

 

[therevverend]

Got 2 out of 12 to sprout

Have you tried refrigerating the seed for quite a while before planting? Guessing you or somebody already has. But maybe some sort of temperature manipulation would increase the odds.

The most lemon is the one with the most resistance.

Interesting my moldy Chitralis were more skunky/musky no lemon at all.

I like the graph analogy to illustrate mold resistance, maybe I didn't make it clear enough what I meant. I wish I could draw one here. The middle would be Kashmir, the far left somewhere like Lashkargah, the far right Bengal. Chitral is next to Kashmir, historically Kashmir was mostly hand rubbed with some sieving. It's the dividing line.

Chitral is drier then Nepal but sees late summer/autumn storms blow through. I'd guess and I'm sure it's true the plants there have better mold resistance then Mazar-i-Sharif, not as good resistance as Kuamoni. You'd have to collect thousands of samples, a dozen would not suffice. With the divide between primarily hand collection and primarily sieving down the middle. It would be a diagonal line, left to right, running west to east.

Now I wonder historically if hand rubbed hashish was made in Chitral. I'd guess yes and I'd also guess it persisted there longer then further west. Kashmir has gone from mostly hand rubbed to mostly sieved as more westerners and western genetics and methods enter the region. Ngpka is saying he's seeing quite a bit of sieving further east, in Kuamoni and Nepal. Of a good quality. 40 years ago there wasn't much sieving, of a very poor quality. What does this tell us about the influence of electricty and new tech, large scale commercial cannabis production, and the presence of Westerners and Western strains? I'll throw in climate change as well, India is drying up in a hurry. What is the future of hand rubbed charas in the region and the plants bred for it's collection, and the villagers who live there?

 

[Elmer Bud]

G `day Rev

Different continent , different fungi ?

Thanks for sharin

EB .

 

[therevverend]

Good point Elmer. I know grey mold, Boytritis Cinerea is global and key to wine making everywhere. I lost a few bunches of grapes last year. It's preferred temperature range is 65 to 75 degrees F, I know it can go much lower then that but slows way down. Above that, especially with some sun, it isn't as damaging. I'm thinking there's parts of Africa that are damp but above 80 degrees F where boytritis isn't a problem. I know growers on tropical islands have a hell of a time with grey mold, but they've got cloudy weather in the 70 degree F range. I wonder if there aren't other fungus that attack in hotter conditions.

I've learned to live with boytritis, it sucks but it's a beast I'm used to. What's scary is the Asperilligus fungus that can cause parasinal infections and kills. I've noticed asperilligus is used to ferment certain types of alcohol made from starchy grains, sake from rice or manioc liquors. 99% of the citric acid production worldwide uses Asperilligus. Mildew can be Apserilligus Niger and while you can smoke boytritis contaminated buds without too bad of effects, trashed lungs and a horrible taste, smoking PM buds can have much worse consequences. Probably a good idea to wear a mask when making lots of dry sift.

 

[ramse]

a historical note from: The Valley of Kashmir - Walter Roper Lawrence - 1895

Cannabis indica (Bhang). This plant grows in great, profusion along the banks of the Jhelum and the Vishau, and not long ago it was the custom to reserve the land on the river banks, for a distance of 15 yards on either side, for the growth of the bhang, and occasionally hemp seed was sown. The farm of the right to collect hemp drugs and hemp fibre once realized as much as Rs. 25,000, but at the present time the amount of hemp drugs made in Kashmir is very small, and
the revenue from the hemp plant for the last five years has averaged Rs.6,200. The Kashmiris usually speak of the drug manufactured in the
valley from the hemp plant as charras and it has been stated that ganja is not produced in Kashmir. It is also said that though the charras of the valley is inferior to the drug of Yarkand it is superior to the charras of Bukhara and Kabul. But recent inquiries show that in the south of the valley the drug known as gard bhang or churu charras, is extracted from the female plant, and Indians who consume it declare that it is
real ganja and utterly distinct from the Yarkandi charras, which is also procurable in Srinagar. It is stated that the annual production of this so-called ganja is about 70 maunds, and that about 400 maunds of fibre are collected every year. Below Srinagar the hemp plant does not yield any drug and is only used for its fibre. About 600 maunds of fibre are annually collected in the country below Srinagar. The consumption of hemp drugs in Kashmir is about equal to the local production. The Kashmiris do not use the hemp-plant leaves for smoking or drinking, but the preparation known as majun is eaten to some extent. If the
Kashmiri drug is ganja and not charras it is somewhat surprising, and I have taken some pains to verify the statement made by the official who investigated the subject of hemp drugs. He and the men employed in the trade maintain that the drug made in Kashmir is ganja. I had
always understood that ganja could not be obtained from the female plant after impregnation, but the female plant in Kashmir is impregnated and the hemp seeds yield an oil which, like charras, is used for intoxicating
purposes.

on Instagram an Indian guy had posted some photos and a description of a local product

The Classic Kashmiri corn Husk wrapped Hashish. September is the month when farmers start off the harvest rather lightly, as most plants are still in the process of producing flowers so fewer plants are selected to be hand rubbed without damaging the whole plant and left to repair itself for another few weeks. According to the Kashmiri hashish farmers the second time around when the plant rebounds, it produces relatively stronger smelling flowers which are then harvested in complete plant form to be hung dry for several days before they start dry sieving the trichomes for pressing inside the corn husks.
The word used to denote this kind of hashish is "Attar" which has been derived from the word "ittar" meaning perfume in urdu Language.
The dry sieived trichomes are collected and seived again in a special cloth to remove any plant material left, which is then filled inside corn husks and pressed with heat and pressure, and lastly tied with threads before they either chose to bury it in ground inside polyethene or store at a designated storing place inside their homes. Different districts have slight variations in storing tech. but for most part the process is Virtually identical.

 

[ramse]

...even if compared to what is written on the instagram post I always knew that the "Attar" is hashish hand-rubbed - charas, while the sieved hashish, steamed and pressed into a corn leaf, is called Twisted Garda.

 

[therevverend]

Great find as usual ramse, the husk hash pictures are some of the first hashish pictures I've seen but none in color. What's interesting is the husk hash gurdah is usually reported to be of low quality, the sieved tailings left over after the main extraction. This is why they moisten, steam it and heat it next to a fire, the best stuff presses easily and doesn't need the treatment. There were rare batches of Gurdah in the 1970s of high quality and it was soft, blonde, and crumbly.

There's quite a bit more to be said about Kashmir, I grew out a few seeds this summer, but it's getting off topic since this is RSC's thread. I'll continue talking about it in the Azad, Kashmir thread where myself and others have been posting details and pics. Asad, Kashmir is where the seeds are said to come from.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=305695&page=9