Grow Report: Californian Gold

Green Midas touch leads to magic mango buds

Californian Gold was released by Paradise Seeds in 2018. It’s a fruity indica dominant hybrid which combines classic Afghani genetics with added Dutch pedigree . It is an ideal indoor variety, its low height making it a perfect fit for growers with limited space in their grow rooms. 

As the name suggests, this strain is a celebration of the ‘Golden State’, California, which legalized in 2018. With a population of almost 40 million and an economy ranked the fifth largest in the world, California also has a long history of cannabis cultivation and innovation. The name also refers to the insane trichome production which make the buds appear to ooze sweet, gold-coloured, honey.

Germination and vegetative state

Four Californian Gold seeds were used for the purposes of this grow report, which was carried out by the legendary German cultivator known as ‘The Doc’. 

Placed between two pieces of moist kitchen paper all four seeds germinated within the first day. The newly rooted seeds were placed in 11 litre pots filled with soil (Plagron Grow Mix-Erde) and within two days the seed heads popped above the surface. 

They were placed under SANlight LED lights to veg for five weeks, a little longer than under HPS lights. The four seeds made no secret of their mostly indica nature and were in no rush to stretch at the beginning of their life. However, despite the low size, the plants showed impressive uniformity (all four so similar in that they gave the appearance of clones), displaying bushy growth and a real green darkness to the leaves. 

Flowering Stage

At the end of the veg stage the four plants stood at heights of 28, 28, 30 and 31 cm. Under 12/12 lighting, they reacted quickly, showing signs of female pre-flowering within only six days.

Young buds were soon springing from the plants, with very healthy development and displaying thick hairy flower heads. It became apparent at an early stage (just four weeks into flowering) how this strain got its name as the buds displayed significant resin build up, the buds developing a thick coating of shimmering crystals

After six weeks the plants continued to display amazing uniformity. Characteristics of all four included limited branch elongation and intense bushy growth – so dense in fact that it was impossible to see through them! On these branches, flower development continued to be impressive – the buds becoming corpulent and roundish. Noticeable too was the extreme juiciness, with the fruity sweet scent reminiscent of mango juice with a sour dash of citrus.

The plants took slightly longer to mature than the description stated and were ready for harvest between 65 – 67 days (five days later than predicted). Their heights when cropped were 44, 45, 47 and 51 cm. 

The yield produced numerous bone-hard, resin-dripping indica nuggets and the handy plant size and fairly low leaf count produced a quick trim job. The Doc noted that the harvest was impressive for the size of the plants, writing in his a report that the plants were “compact but astoundingly powerful!” in their production.

Harvest Yield

The dried weight from four plants was 305 grams (an average of 76 grams per plant).

Smell and Smoke Report

The distinctive fruity smell matured once the plants were cut, dried and cured. The smell was noticeably sweeter than it had been in the grow room and, once cured, there was an additional hint of honey which added another layer to the dominant fragrance of mango and citrus.

For the taste sample, half a gram was placed in a Mighty Vaporizer. The first hit could be described as tasting like fruit sugar, with the Doc noting “a sugar-sweet exotic mango cloud passed my palate, leaving a long lingering delicious impression.” 

The effect was swift to follow! The sensation had a waxy softness that delivers a Zen like feeling of serenity, light-hearted satisfaction and a sense of wellness for the brain. On a physical level, the blazing indica flame provided a feeling of warmth and deep relaxation to both limbs and muscles.

Overall Californian Gold provides a wonderfully soothing long-lasting effect that doesn’t take you out of the game by making you too stoned to be able to cope with everyday tasks such as answering the phone!

Verdict

Californian Gold combines honey sweet Cali genetics with turbo tuning, packing an exquisite mango flavour which is highly special in terms of aroma and effect. Cultivation-wise, this variety is compact and handy in size yet is extremely productive – a superb indoor strain for the grow room.

Green Born Identity – G.B.I.

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