In an exclusive test lab facility in the heart of the Netherlands, cultivators have been harvesting the first batch of plants in a five year experiment that seeks a horticultural blueprint for growing the perfect cannabis plant.
The results are impressive. Through minimal foliage, tightly clustered flowers display an almost surreal frostiness, indicating the extremely resinous nature of this plant – so dense that the buds’ pretty orange and purple hues are almost lost beneath the trichome cover.
The plant in question is El Dorado OG, one of the flagship strains from Paradise Seeds’ Cali collection. The company’s genetics were specially selected for the experiment, which is being run by the Medical Cannabis Platform for Innovation and Research (MCPIR).
The MCPIR is a collaboration between leading cannabis industry partners to research the optimal conditions for growing cannabis. As genetics partner, Paradise Seeds has contributed the strains being used and El Dorado OG has been the stand out star of the first cultivation cycle.
El Dorado OG – The Trichome Bomb
El Dorado OG was christened ‘The Trichome Bomb’ when it was first released by Paradise thanks to its incredibly resinous nature. It’s a reputation that has grown as it has become more well known by growers – as illustrated by the trichome intensity in these photos!
However, there are more aspects to this plant which have led to the strain’s expanding fanbase. One of these is the well-rounded effect, which has been described as ‘focused but relaxed’, which makes this an ‘all-day’ indica.
Then there is the enhanced terpene profile which is a signature of all the strains in the Paradise Cali collection. Pinene is the primary terpene in El Dorado OG, with Myrcene and Limonene composing the main secondary terpenes.
Distinctive Phenotypes
The presence of two distinct phenotypes has also added to the popularity of this strain. Both phenotypes yield between 500 to 600 grams of dry weight trimmed flowers and produce large quantities of cannabinoids.
Pheno 1 displays a terpene profile that focuses on Pinene, providing a real lemony freshness in the flavor. In the grow phase it’s distinguished by its dense flower structure with very little sugar leaves, making it very easy to trim.
Pheno 2 is slightly more bulky and produces more sugar and fan leaves. It has a Myrcene Terpene profile which makes the taste sweeter with gassy notes.
Growing Recommendations
Paradise recommends some good management to open up El Dorado and optimize results. Topping is advised in the early stage of veg, as is lollipopping the plant in the last two weeks before flowering to prevent hermaphroditism (a common trait to be aware of – and pre-empt – in Cali varieties).
Paradise and the Cali connection
That Paradise Seeds should have such an exceptional strain such as El Dorado OG in its California collection will come as no surprise to those who know the history of the Amsterdam seed company which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Paradise founder, Luc Krol, has long established ties with US breeders extending way back to the 1990s. The notoriety of Paradise’s High Times Cup winning indica, Sensi Star, also led to many connections being made with California’s prolific, but underground, growing community.
In El Dorado OG, Paradise has a strain which honors those historical ties while also bringing something unique to the wider Californian genetics category.
Author: Paradise Seeds
