This is "Khasi Hills Meghalaya". Eastern India. Here is what I consider a classic India tropical narrowleaf plant. Again, just a few seeds started. And again a promising female with very reddish purple stems hermed as flowering started. It was very disappointing to see that. But it is the reality of these. After some years of growing unstable tropical landraces I've learned a lot about coping with it. There is no way to avoid some wasted effort on growing what becomes a herm after 4 or 5 months, but it is possible to not suffer unwanted pollination of other plants. First from any group of 5 or more seeds started, the first plants to show female at the normal time will most likely be stable. Later ones will be more likely to herm eventually. Then as flowering begins, inspect the top growing tip, EVERY day for signs of male flowers emerging. If you do that, you will catch it well in time to prevent any pollen dropping. But you must look carefully every day. If you want what these types have in terms of smell taste and effect, you pretty much must deal with that aspect of them.
This plant clearly has some weeks to go and so far so good. Interesting to see some color developing in in the flower tips. The scent is a sort of citrusy mango I guess. I'm not great at coming up with scent analogies. Given proper and favorable conditions this could be a high yielder of some beautiful colas. I haven't experienced the effects yet of course but I expect a classic cerebral elevating high. I really hope this gets to a good level of maturity. As this one is in a grow bag, I can move it back under the deck to give it some protection from a strong storm. Not perfect but potentially helpful if such a situation arose.
If you look closely in the third photo, you can see a sun leaf with a few brown spots. I assess that as a very mild case of septoria leaf spot. I've been pulling those when I see them to reduce spread. I never had it before and I think a soil amendment, compost product I brought in this year must have had it. It isn't the worst thing that could happen but undesirable all the same. Far less damaging than fusaria or botrytis but a nuisance. I'll now have to watch closely for it next year and treat it aggressively early and continuously. A bad case really can stunt a plants yield.
This plant clearly has some weeks to go and so far so good. Interesting to see some color developing in in the flower tips. The scent is a sort of citrusy mango I guess. I'm not great at coming up with scent analogies. Given proper and favorable conditions this could be a high yielder of some beautiful colas. I haven't experienced the effects yet of course but I expect a classic cerebral elevating high. I really hope this gets to a good level of maturity. As this one is in a grow bag, I can move it back under the deck to give it some protection from a strong storm. Not perfect but potentially helpful if such a situation arose.
If you look closely in the third photo, you can see a sun leaf with a few brown spots. I assess that as a very mild case of septoria leaf spot. I've been pulling those when I see them to reduce spread. I never had it before and I think a soil amendment, compost product I brought in this year must have had it. It isn't the worst thing that could happen but undesirable all the same. Far less damaging than fusaria or botrytis but a nuisance. I'll now have to watch closely for it next year and treat it aggressively early and continuously. A bad case really can stunt a plants yield.