Romulan is a strain of legendary pedigree and is always one of my top recommendations for medical growers. Romulan provides a very relaxing but powerful stone that melts away body pain and stress in even the smallest of doses. She can be very sedative and almost certainly will induce appetite so it’s also a good option if you’re looking for something to help cope with the side effects of cancer treatment.
It is rumoured Romulan was named for an odd sensation it gave some people; they would take a dose and then suddenly feel like ridges were growing out of their forehead - like the Romulans of Star Trek. In fact this isn’t far from the truth. She does give the user a very pronounced feeling of pressure in the middle of the forehead, however this is only fleeting. Once this brief moment passes you are left with your entire shoulders, neck, and head feeling profoundly relaxed.
I’ve come to attribute this sensation to the dilation of blood vessels in the head, which would explain why so many medical users report it’s effectiveness in reducing migraines and headaches. In fact, patients report that small doses of Romulan taken just as they feel a migraine coming on can stop it dead in it’s tracks. It also works exceptionally well at combating the nausea and vomiting that can accompany these painful episodes. Side Note: Romulan is reported to work exceptionally well at treating and even preventing hangovers!
Growing Romulan
Romulan is a an inbred line that has very little variation in phenotypes. Growing Romulan from seed will result in very uniform plants that will begin by growing vertically then widening out substantially once sexual maturity is reached. The flowering stretch of Romulan is quite minimal, so grow her out until she’s about 75% of your desired finishing height.
Once you have cloned your keeper females you will find that they grow very wide from this point on, such that topping is generally not recommended. If clones are topped there can be a tendency for their growth habits to become too bushy and unmanageable; although this can be tamed somewhat by training her under a screen-of-green and stripping the shaded lower growth by “lollipopping’ and removing extra fan leaves.
Speaking of fan leaves, she produces very large and prolific solar panels that will provide too much shade to lower growth if not managed, so I often defoliate her at the same time that I transplant into the final flowering containers. I then let her recover for 10-14 days before beginning the flowering cycle. During this recovery period I recommend applying a compost tea used as a root drench. The tea brew that I like to use for this purpose is made up of the following organic ingredients: Kelp meal, alfalfa meal, fish hydrolysate, humic acid, fulvic acid, molasses, and earth worm castings.
Romulan ripens to completion in 8 weeks, although I personally like let her go 9 weeks to bring out a little more CBD in the cannabinoid profile and to enhance her body relaxing effects. She will also put on a little more size during the 9th week. Her buds are very dense and extremely resinous and even the tiny popcorn buds get covered in a beautiful coating of sparkling resin; so ice-water bubble hash is always on the menu after a Romulan grow.
She definitely prefers rich, well-drained organic soil. You’ll know if she’s hungry by the colour of her leaves. If she’s underfed she will turn a pale lime green and her vertical growth will slow considerably. You will also generally see purple streaking in the stems, although purple petioles are normal. These symptoms can also be caused by cold temperatures, so be mindful to keep her above 18 degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit) during lights out. On the other hand, overfeeding will cause her leaves to go very dark green and start clawing under while stimulating even bushier growth and excessive side-shoots or suckers.
If you are lucky enough to be able to grow Romulan outdoors under natural light, this is where she really shines (no pun intended). You will be rewarded with very speedy vegetative growth and a gorgeous display of neon pink pistils when flowering begins. If you live in a cold northern climate it is generally recommended to plant in large containers that can be brought indoors to ripen under artificial lighting or a heated greenhouse once autumn arrives. Cold temperatures substantially slow Roman’s growth, so to keep her on schedule to ripen in her usual 56 days, she must be kept warm and dry in the final weeks.
If you grow indoors you can sometimes achieve the neon pink pistils by providing supplemental lighting in the blue spectrum. I’ve used a 6000 Kelvin metal halide bulb alongside the usual high pressure sodium bulbs for these purposes to great effect.
Romulan produces gentle aromas of coconut, lemon, and pine that are mild but very pleasing. Romulan’s scent is never overpowering which makes her a great choice for those who desire stealth in their garden. Organic soil does indeed enhance her terpene profile and, as always, is the recommended growing method for achieving the absolute best quality, potency, and flavor.
Happy Gardening!
Professor Sprout
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