Hello,
The strain, known as **Esta Vida Loca**, carries a rich history. The females are referred to as "QueenPins," while the males are called "KingPins." This strain was initially entrusted to me by a collector—let's call him "Friend 1"—as a gesture of appreciation for a noble deed I had done. At the time, I considered Friend 1 a friend.
Our connection began when I was searching for a rare strain I had been seeking for years. Friend 1 happened to have it, and after some convincing, he agreed to send me seeds in exchange for a $300 donation. I sent the requested amount, and he provided five seeds of the rare strain, along with a few freebies: three seeds of one strain and two of another. However, the quantities were not sufficient for me to conduct a thorough hunt or work with them extensively.
When the seeds arrived, I was in conversation with another friend, "Friend 2," who mentioned he was also searching for the same rare strain. Given Friend 2's past assistance in helping me find and preserve another strain, I decided to gift him the entire package I had received from Friend 1. Friend 2 promised to reproduce the seeds and send some back to me, to which I agreed.
Later, Friend 1 inquired about the plants from the seeds he had sent. I explained the situation, including my decision to gift the seeds to Friend 2. Initially, Friend 1 was upset, as he had entrusted the strains to me with the understanding that they would not be shared. However, he recognized the selflessness of my actions. Acknowledging the years I had spent searching for those seeds, Friend 1 generously offered to send me additional seeds of the strain I had paid for, along with other items from his collection. He even allowed me to choose any strain from his collection to include in the package.
This is when I discovered **Esta Vida Loca**. At the time, the strain had a different name, which I found less fitting for such a beautiful plant. After discussing it with Friend 1, we agreed to rename it "Esta Vida Loca"—a reflection of the plant's beauty and the unpredictable, crazy nature of life itself. Friend 1 loved the new name.
I requested a few seeds of Esta Vida Loca to be included in the package, along with the strain I had gifted to Friend 2. Friend 1 agreed, and I offered another $300 donation. In return, he sent me seven seeds of the strain I had gifted to Friend 2, along with several freebies: two seeds of one strain, three to five seeds of another, and ten seeds of what is now known as **Esta Vida Loca**.
After holding onto the seeds for a few years, I gained enough experience and had the necessary space to confidently grow the **Esta Vida Loca** strain to completion. When I began germinating the seeds, I encountered a mix of results: a few albino seedlings that unfortunately perished after two weeks, a handful of green seedlings, and several variegated seedlings. I decided to nurture anything that survived, but it became clear that I did not have enough plants to work with for a successful preservation effort.
At this point, I reached out to Friend 1 to update him on the preservation process. I shared the ratios of the plants I was observing and explained my need for additional seeds of Esta Vida Loca to ensure the preservation’s success. Friend 1 agreed, stating that for another $300 donation and seeds from the preservation, he would send 20 seeds of Esta Vida Loca. I agreed and sent the donation promptly. However, despite his promise to send the seeds within a few days, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months filled with excuses and unfulfilled commitments. Eventually, Friend 1 ceased responding altogether.
As I grew increasingly concerned about the potential failure of the preservation, I decided to flower the plants I had. This resulted in a **green male** and **two variegated females** of Esta Vida Loca. I bred them together to complete what I called **Preservation 3.** However, I was not fully satisfied with the outcome, as the use of a green male did not align with my vision for preserving the variegated traits of the strain.
Determined to achieve the ideal preservation, I initiated a new phase, which I dubbed **Preservation 3.5.** I germinated the seeds harvested from Preservation 3, focusing on finding a variegated male that would complement the variegated females. This meticulous approach reflected my commitment to honoring the legacy and potential of the Esta Vida Loca strain.
Certainly!
Following the successful completion of **Preservation 3.5**, I identified another challenge: the seed quantity. While I had achieved progress in preserving the **Esta Vida Loca** strain, I realized that a few hundred seeds were insufficient to consider the preservation effort complete. A meaningful preservation requires a significantly larger seed stock to ensure the strain’s stability, sustainability, and broader accessibility for future cultivation and preservation endeavors.
As a result, I have resolved to continue the preservation process until the seed quantity reaches an acceptable level. This ongoing effort will serve as the foundation for the next phase, **Preservation 4**, which will focus on achieving both the genetic fidelity and the scale necessary to truly honor each preservations legacy.
