Russian Assassin Feminised

Russian Assassin announces itself in a fixed order, and caryophyllene is always first out of the jar — warm pepper that registers as heat rather than as smell, with dried clove and sandalwood beneath. limonene follows mid-palate, adding a bright citrus edge. The lab figure on this 58/42 hybrid is 18% THC, though potency is the least interesting thing about it — plenty of cultivars test the same and taste of very little.

The choices that bring out the Caryophyllene/Limonene/Myrcene profile in Russian Assassin are not the choices that maximise yield, and at some point you have to pick one. The aromatic version starts in living soil — microbial activity in an established no-till bed produces secondary metabolites a synthetic feed schedule never will, and South Africa has enough good local compost and worm-casting suppliers to make that affordable rather than aspirational.

Through 50-60 days, stop foliar spraying after week two: anything that lands on a developing trichome is still there at harvest. The closing three weeks decide which terpenes end up in front — nights held at 16-18°C push caryophyllene forward, a warmer finish protects the lighter myrcene top notes, and you cannot have both. Decide which version of the strain you want before you get there.

Most of the loss happens after the cut. Hang for 10-14 days at 15-18°C and 55-60% humidity, which through a South African summer realistically means a climate-controlled room or a wine fridge set to 16°C. Then jar it and burp twice daily for the first fortnight. The limonene layer that makes this cultivar worth the trouble does not surface until somewhere between day 21 and day 28 in glass.

Difficulty: intermediate. In flower for 50-60 days. Stands Short. Indoors it returns up to 200 g/m2. Outdoors, up to 250 g/plant a plant.

The first thing Russian Assassin does at 18% THC is settle a warm peppery spice at the back of the throat. The relaxed, happy, euphoric effects follow within minutes, across head and body at once. Thinking stays clear while muscle tension drains off, which leaves the dose as the deciding factor — light for the afternoon, heavier and it moves into the evening without a jolt. Limonene sits underneath all of it, adding a brightness that offsets any heaviness.

Leading with Caryophyllene, then Limonene, and Myrcene underneath. This trio turns up repeatedly in cultivars that win things, and it is why a jar of Russian Assassin tends to get a reaction the first time it is opened after curing. Caryophyllene sets the anchor, limonene fills the middle, and myrcene sits in the background doing the work that separates this from every other strain built on the same primary terpene.

Who does well with Russian Assassin? Indoor growers who want the harvest date to be their decision. Outdoor growers who want to choose the moment flowering starts. Anyone with the room and the patience to veg it properly before flipping. It is rated intermediate, which in practice means a moderate learning curve that rewards attention without needing laboratory conditions. Sent nationwide in plain, unbranded packaging, with sourced grow data on every strain page.