The Cretan is another classic heirloom strain from Greece, the seeds from this domesticate plant were collected in the early 90’s from mountainous villages of Rethymno area on the island of Crete. These 90’s Cretan genetics, due to the outdoor open pollination techniques, contain high genetic diversity and expressing various phenotypes with similar characteristics and superior drought and pests resistance as well as harsh environmental conditions.
They produce various shapes of flowers, effects and terpines with a healthy count of trichomes, the buds are neither too dense nor too fluffy, they surely resemble to hash plants cultivars. There are various effects, most individuals express a pretty intense, long lasting, mental, euphoric, creative high. Although it’s much closer to the classic sativa type of mental high, there are also individuals that provide a slightly body influence but not the couch lock effect. The aromas are mostly hashy, herbal, like eucalyptus, helichrysum, dittany, mountainous resinous herbs. The taste is very pleasant like hashy and herbal.
The Cretans don’t stretch like pure sativas,they can reach 3-4m in height max, with medium internodal spacing and finish around mid October outdoors in Crete (11-12weeks flowering). These plants have been acclimatized for many years to the harsh environmental conditions of mountainous Crete, such as very hot summer days (40°-45° Celsius) and strong dry winds,at at 400-500 metres altitude.
Guerilla growing techniques by the local growers include spots near landfills in order to avoid police helicopters surveillance and the unique Cretan microclimate results in a line that shows extremely vigorous individuals that could handle well under many different environmental conditions and stress.
The climate of Crete is typically Mediterranean. More specifically the climate of the mountainous regions is similar to that of the mainland. South regions are affected by southerly dry winds coming from Africa during the winter. The northern coast is affected by the annual winds (meltemia), which are in fact Northeastern or Northwestern, dry winds, during the summer. The southeast side of Crete is regarded as having semiarid Mediterranean climate and it is the driest region of Greece.
Cretan flora is one of the most important in Europe not only for the number of the species, but also in endemism. It’s worth mentioning that Britain has only got 1.600 kinds of plants, namely fewer than those found in Crete, which proves the significance of Crete as one of the most important centres of biodiversity (biodiversity hotspot) in Europe.
Crete has a very strange but also a long tradition in guerilla cannabis growing and it’s a big honour for us to have finally preserved and releasing this gorgeous 90’s heirloom cultivar.