Cinderella 99

Behind the shorthand Jack Herer × Shiva Skunk, under which Cinderella 99 is usually listed, lies repeated backcrossing to a single mother plant. The sativa-leaning hybrid comes from Mr. Soul (Brothers Grimm); it is also known as C99, Cindy 99 and Cindy.

Genetics and Origin:

According to the breeder, Mr. Soul found seeds in 1996 in Jack Herer buds from the Amsterdam coffeeshop Sensi Smile. A plant grown from them, compact in growth, with a strong pineapple scent and ready after 50 days under 12/12, was named Princess; its father is unknown.

To secure these traits in seed, Mr. Soul pollinated Princess with a Shiva Skunk male meant to contribute sturdier branches, and repeatedly backcrossed the offspring to the mother through the stages P50, P75, P88 and P94. According to Brothers Grimm, Cinderella 99 is the result of Princess × P94, was created in 1999 and is said to yield 25 % more than Princess. The line was presented publicly in June 2000 in an online post titled “A Cinderella Story”.

Female Seeds describes the background differently and traces the line to a long-flowering Thai landrace and a short-flowering sativa, which the breeder suspects to be Durban Poison.

After Brothers Grimm closed in 2002, the strain survived mainly as a clone. For the 2016 reissue of Cinderella 99, the breeder states that the original Princess was crossed again with plants from the first C99 batch. Brothers Grimm also uses the strain as a parent, for example in Durban Thai × C99 and in Cinderella 99 × Riddle OG, developed by Mr. Soul and Sincerely Cali.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Brothers Grimm gives 56 to 65 days of flowering for regular seed, 56 to 63 for feminized seed and 50 to 60 days for the 2016 reissue. Indoors, plants put into flower at 18 inches are expected to finish at about 48 inches; the breeder gives the yield as 4 to 8 ounces per plant.

• Elev8 Seeds crosses, from Brothers Grimm material, a Pineapple phenotype as mother with a Grapefruit phenotype as father and states 7 to 8 weeks of flowering; regular seed.
• Mosca Seeds combines 2 different C99 inbred lines into a regular F1 with 3 main phenotypes, 50 to 55 days of flowering and a height of about 100 cm.
• Female Seeds has had a feminized C99 since 2003, made from a Grapefruit and a Pineapple phenotype: 8 to 9 weeks of flowering, 80 to 100 cm and 500 to 600 g/m² indoors, 150 to 200 cm and 400 g per plant outdoors.
• G13 Labs describes its own feminized Cinderella 99 as Jack Herer × Haze with 50 to 55 days of flowering.

Aroma and Flavor:

Brothers Grimm compares the scent to Hawaiian Punch, underlaid by a hint of body odor that comes through behind the fruit on the finish. Pineapple and grapefruit mark the two phenotypes cited by Elev8 Seeds and Female Seeds. Other strain descriptions list citrus, floral notes, tropical fruit and pine, and user reports also mention earthy notes. Among terpenes the breeder lists myrcene, limonene, pinene, caryophyllene and linalool; descriptions based on lab tests place limonene, caryophyllene and myrcene in front.

Effects:

User reports describe a head-focused, stimulating effect with focus, creativity and uplifted mood, at times talkative or giggly. Some additionally describe a relaxation that moves from the head into the body. Brothers Grimm calls the effect strong and energetic but, depending on mood and surroundings, also capable of triggering paranoia. Accordingly, reports mention paranoid or anxious thoughts, along with dry mouth, teeth grinding and harsh smoke. Others point specifically to energy without nervousness.

THC and CBD Content:

Strain descriptions give THC values between 15.7 and 22 % and CBG values of 0.6 to 1 %; one description gives CBD as 0.2 %.

Cultivation:

Brothers Grimm describes the strain as suitable for indoor and outdoor growing, for Sea of Green and SCROG, with tomato cages or stakes supporting the shoots; outdoors, large bushes form with suitable pruning. The breeder points to a high demand for light and nutrients and to additions of silicon, calcium and magnesium.

Community Experiences:

Grow reports on the Female Seeds version describe bushy, strongly branched plants with pronounced stretch in flowering and hard, densely frosted buds. The phenotypes range from compact pineapple types to tall, grapefruit-leaning plants with longer flowering; male flowers appeared late in isolated cases. A documented indoor grow of the 2016 reissue was ready for harvest after 55 days of flowering, grew from about 60 to 140 cm in the process, tolerated topping of the main shoot and required a lot of fertilizer; pineapple and a metallic note stood out in the smell.