How to Grow Colombian Gold Regular: Landrace Sativa
Colombian Gold Regular is a legendary pure landrace sativa from the Santa Marta mountains of Colombia. It carries a medium 17-21% THC, a bright citrus and orange flavor over a sour lemon-lime and skunky base, and a focused, happy, energetic high made for daytime use, on tall golden plants that reward patient growers.
This is the real thing: a pure Santa Marta Colombian Gold landrace, 80% sativa and 20% indica, with unaltered genetics that growers have preserved for decades. As regular seeds, they come in both sexes, male and female, just as nature made them, which makes this strain a favourite for breeders and for anyone wanting to keep a piece of classic sativa history alive.
Recommended Strains
Colombian Gold Regular
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THC | 17% - 21% (Medium) |
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Type | Regular |
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Yield | Medium |
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Phenotype | 20% Indica / 80% Sativa |
Colombian Gold
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THC | 16% - 19% (Medium) |
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Type | Feminized |
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Yield | Medium |
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Phenotype | 25% Indica / 75% Sativa |
It is moderately easy but patient work, thanks to a long sativa flowering. You can see the full genetics and buy Colombian Gold Regular seeds on the strain page, and browse more of our regular seeds alongside it.
Strain Profile at a Glance
| THC | Medium (17-21%) |
|---|---|
| Lineage | Santa Marta Colombian Gold (landrace) |
| Type | Regular (not feminized) |
| Genetics | 80% Sativa / 20% Indica |
| Climate | Tropical / subtropical |
| Flowering time | 10-12 weeks |
| Harvest (outdoor) | November |
| Height | 4.92 ft / 1.5 m |
| Yield indoor | 1.15-1.31 oz/ft² (350-400 g/m²) |
| Yield outdoor | 19.4-21.16 oz/plant (550-600 g/plant) |
| Grow difficulty | Moderate (regular seeds) |
| Flavors | Citrus, Fruity, Orange |
| Effects | Focused, Happy, Relaxed |
Promos & Deals
Working With Regular Seeds
Regular seeds are not feminized, so they grow into roughly half male and half female plants. Unless you are breeding or making your own seeds, you grow them out, identify the sex once they show their pre-flowers, and remove the males before they can pollinate your females. Only the females produce the smokable, resinous buds you are after.
That extra step is exactly why breeders prize a pure landrace like Colombian Gold Regular: those males carry authentic Santa Marta genetics, which makes them valuable for preserving the line or creating new hybrids. It is a photoperiod plant, so you grow it under a long day (around 18 hours of light), then switch to a 12/12 cycle to trigger flowering.
Climate and Where to Grow It
Colombian Gold Regular wants a warm, sunny, tropical or subtropical climate, ideally with a long season to see out its lengthy flowering. It thrives between 70-85°F (21-29°C) at lower altitudes with constant sunshine, and prefers well-drained soil, since it does not like wet feet or heavy, late-season rain on its long-flowering buds.
As a sativa it has a tall, open structure with a strong central stem and satellite branches, so give it room to stretch. Outdoors in the northern hemisphere, sow in spring for a late harvest in November, which is the main thing to plan for in cooler regions where autumn arrives early. In the United States, warm states like Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and coastal Texas suit it best.
Keep humidity in check to protect the resinous buds: around 55-60% in veg, nearer 40% in flower, and down to about 30% by harvest. Steady warmth and plenty of light through its long cycle are what let this landrace express its full golden, resinous potential.
Feeding Schedule (EC Guide)
As a long-flowering sativa, Colombian Gold Regular feeds steadily over a longer run than most indicas, but it still does not want to be overfed. Start light, build up gradually, and taper right off for the final flush so the citrus-and-orange flavor comes through clean and the smoke finishes smooth.
| Stage | EC (mS/cm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seedling | 0.4-0.6 | Very light feed, focus on healthy root growth |
| Vegetative growth | 0.8-1.2 | Build the tall frame, raise nitrogen gradually |
| Early flower | 1.2-1.4 | Shift toward bloom nutrients (P and K) |
| Full flower | 1.4-1.6 | Peak bloom feed through the long sativa bloom |
| Flush | 0.0-0.4 | Plain water for the final 1-2 weeks |
Flowering and Harvest
This is the part that takes patience: once you flip to 12/12, bloom runs a long 10-12 weeks, typical of a pure sativa landrace. During that time the plant keeps stretching early on and then fills in long, airy, golden colas with orange and reddish hairs, the look that gave Colombian Gold its name. Support the lanky branches as the buds mature.
Yields are solid for a sativa at around 350-400 g/m² indoors and 550-600 g per plant outdoors, where a full season of sun really pays off. Use a ScrOG net or gentle training to tame the stretch and spread the canopy, so light reaches more of those long flowers. Harvest when most trichomes have turned cloudy for the fullest, most resinous expression.
Drying and Curing
Dry whole plants or branches in a dark room at around 60°F (15-18°C) and 55-60% humidity for 7-14 days, until the thin stems snap rather than bend. A slow, even dry is important for these long, resinous colas, so they do not stay damp in the middle while the outside dries out, which protects both the aroma and the trichomes.
Then cure the trimmed buds in sealed jars, burping them daily for the first week and letting them settle for three to four weeks. A proper cure is what brings the citrus, orange and sour lemon-lime notes forward over that sweet, skunky, earthy base, and smooths out this classic sativa smoke.
What to Do With Your Trim
Don’t bin the sugar leaves you remove while manicuring. Colombian Gold Regular is a very resinous, high-trichome plant, so its trim is excellent for making dry sift, bubble hash or rosin. That gives you a bonus run of bright, citrusy concentrate from material most growers would otherwise throw away.
Flavor and Terpenes
Colombian Gold Regular has a bright, mouth-watering profile: citrus and orange up front, a sour lemon-lime tang, and a sweet skunk-and-earthy background. It is a fresh, zesty landrace flavor rather than a heavy, dessert-sweet one, and a good cure really lifts those citrus notes in the jar and on the inhale.
Its terpene profile is compact and leans fresh and floral. Alpha-pinene leads with a crisp, sharp pine freshness, limonene brings the bright citrus lift behind that orange-and-lemon character, and linalool adds a soft, floral sweetness. Terpineol contributes a gentle floral, lightly herbal note with a hint of pine, while nerolidol rounds things out with a subtle woody-floral depth.
Effects and Best Use
With its medium 17-21% THC and 80% sativa make-up, Colombian Gold Regular delivers a bright, cerebral, energetic high rather than a heavy body stone. It is reported as focused, happy and uplifting, the kind of clear, creative lift that sparks conversation and gets things done, which is why it has long been a favourite among artists and daytime users.
That makes it a true daytime strain, best for social settings, creative work or an active afternoon. The combination of authentic landrace genetics, a zesty citrus flavor and a focused, feel-good effect is exactly why growers still seek out this classic Colombian sativa decades after it first made its name.
Common Problems and Pro Tips
The biggest thing to plan for is the long flowering. At 10-12 weeks of bloom, this landrace needs a genuinely long, warm season outdoors, so in cooler climates with an early autumn it is often better grown indoors or in a greenhouse where you control the finish. Don’t rush it: pulling a sativa early trades away a lot of its potency and flavor.
Its tall, stretchy sativa structure is the other practical challenge. Give it vertical room, start training early, and use a ScrOG net or gentle low-stress training to keep the canopy even and the long branches supported as they fill with buds. Good airflow through that open structure also helps keep the long-flowering colas clean and healthy.
As a pro tip, remember these are regular seeds: check for sex as soon as pre-flowers appear and pull the males promptly unless you are breeding, so they don’t pollinate your females. Then let the plant finish fully on the trichomes rather than the calendar, run a clean plain-water flush at the end, and cure for three to four weeks to get the brightest citrus flavor.
FAQ
Are Colombian Gold Regular seeds feminized?
No. These are regular seeds, so they grow into both male and female plants, roughly half and half. Unless you are breeding, you identify the sex once pre-flowers show and remove the males before they pollinate your females, since only the females produce the resinous, smokable buds you want.
How much THC does Colombian Gold Regular have?
It is a medium-THC strain, testing at around 17-21%. That gives it a strong but manageable, cerebral and energetic high rather than an overwhelming one. Combined with its 80% sativa genetics, the effect is bright and focused, which is why it is best enjoyed as a daytime, creative or social strain.
Is Colombian Gold Regular an autoflower?
No. It is a photoperiod landrace sativa, so it flowers on a light change rather than on age. You grow it under long days, then switch to a 12/12 light cycle to start flowering. Because it is a pure sativa, that flowering stage runs a long 10-12 weeks before harvest.
What does Colombian Gold Regular taste like?
It has a bright, zesty flavor: citrus and orange up front with a sour lemon-lime tang over a sweet, skunky, earthy base. Limonene drives the citrus lift and alpha-pinene adds a crisp pine freshness, while linalool and terpineol round it out with a soft floral note on a clean finish.
How long does Colombian Gold Regular take to flower?
A long 10-12 weeks once you switch to a 12/12 light cycle, which is typical for a pure sativa landrace. That patience is rewarded with long, golden, resinous colas. Outdoors in the northern hemisphere, plants need a long season and are usually ready to harvest in November.
How much does Colombian Gold Regular yield?
Yields are solid for a sativa: around 350-400 g/m² indoors and 550-600 g per plant outdoors, where a full season of sun really helps. Results depend on light, pot size and canopy health, so give it room to stretch and use a ScrOG net to spread the long branches.
