Tashkurgan
Regular Seeds
Sourcing: Seed Swap from "The Real Seed Company, Balkh Province, Northern Afghanistan, Winter 2018
Purpose: Charas (sieved resin)
Latitude: 36° N
Harvest: 9-11 Weeks
Height: 6-12 ft.
Characteristics: Resinous, aromatic, CBD, broad to narrow leaflets, black currant scents
Grow Type: Outdoor, Greenhouse, or Indoor
 
This Afghan cannabis landrace was collected in Tashkurgan, an ancient centre of cannabis culture in Balkh Province, northern Afghanistan.
Tashkurgan is a onetime ‘Silk Road’ emporium that lies to the north of the Hindu Kush. Its other name is Kholm. Farmers here are renowned for their skill in charas production, and the farmer from whom these seeds were obtained is regarded as a master of the art.
Notably, north Afghan hashish farmers traditionally leave harvest of their crops until late, well into senescence, for the desired resin, as is the practice when cultivating the Mazar-i-Sharif strain.
Specific qualities of live plants at the source site in Tashkurgan were noted by the collector, namely intense black currant and berry fruit aromas. These transferred to the sieved resin.
Under native conditions, the typical leaflet width of this Afghan domesticate tends to the narrower end of the spectrum, but broad leaflets are not unusual. Within cultivated populations from the wider Hindu Kush region, leaflet widths range from broad to narrow, as in authentic Chitrali and Mazari strains. CBD and rarer cannabinoids are likely to be exhibited.
 
For collectors, these seeds are invaluable. They were sourced at some personal risk and with the generous help of Afghans, whose local knowledge was crucial.