Dark Star

Two indica lines go into Dark Star: Purple Kush and an Afghan indica called Mazar-I-Sharif. T.H.Seeds made the cross; the breeder writes the name as one word, DarkStar, and classifies the result as an indica. The description centers on very dense buds, and several later crosses use the strain as a parent.

Genetics and Origin:

T.H.Seeds and other strain descriptions agree on the parentage of Purple Kush and Mazar I Sharif; they also note that the strain was first bred indoors. The breeder lists it as regular and as feminized seed.

According to the award list of T.H.Seeds, Dark Star took 3rd place in the Indica category at the Expo Grow Cup in 2012. In 2016 an ice water extract from this strain won the Ice-o-Lator category at the ACMF Cup in Spain; it was entered by an extract producer, not by the breeder.

As a parent, Dark Star appears in Black Star, Dawg Star and Double Affie, among others, as well as in a cross with AK-49 and in an autoflower version from Blim Burn Seeds.

Aroma and Flavor:

T.H.Seeds describes the flavor as sweet and skunky with a note of pine. Growers add mint, clove and tobacco for the smell, and coffee, tobacco and sandalwood in the smoke. Other strain descriptions put sage, earth and wood first and call the smell of the buds sour. Consumer reports keep returning to earthy pine notes, occasionally also coffee, citrus, camphor or a tone reminiscent of cloves and incense. A 2020 trade article describes the scent of a medical flower of this strain as fruity with a sour, sandalwood-like undertone.

Caryophyllene, limonene and myrcene are named as the dominant terpenes. For the variant on the Canadian market, the same article reports high proportions of myrcene, pinene, beta-caryophyllene and limonene, without giving measured values.

Effects:

The breeder attributes a relaxing, sleepy effect with elevated mood to Dark Star; other strain descriptions summarize it as sleepy and relaxed, with a tingling sensation. The core of the consumer reports is a heavy body effect that turns into tiredness. Some describe strong couch lock and problems with balance.

Not everyone reacts to the strain this way. Individual reports describe it as clear-headed, creative or even stimulating and consider it suitable for daytime. Dry mouth and dry eyes are mentioned as side effects, along with dizziness and paranoia; one consumer reports feelings of panic.

THC and CBD Content:

Other strain descriptions give 20 % THC and 1 % CBG. For a medical flower of this strain from Canadian cultivation, the 2020 trade article likewise gives 20 % THC and less than 1 % CBD. This is the declared active ingredient content, not a published certificate of analysis.

Cultivation:

T.H.Seeds gives 9 weeks of flowering, a height of 120 to 140 cm and a yield of 400 to 500 g/m². The high calyx-to-leaf ratio is said to keep trimming effort low. The strain is considered suitable for indoor, outdoor and greenhouse cultivation.

Grow reports depict bushy, sturdy plants with a fir-tree silhouette and many strong side branches. They stretch noticeably in flowering weeks 4 and 5, and dried buds are hard and compact. A compilation of indoor reports arrives at 68 days of flowering, a very high yield and no susceptibility to mold. Accounts differ on nutrient demand: one report describes the plant as a heavy feeder, while the compilation describes it as undemanding and tolerant of over- and underfeeding.

The breeder presents cultivation as uncomplicated. Another strain description, by contrast, considers the slow flowering a hurdle, and one grower found the strain somewhat difficult. Individual reports on the finished buds mention a purple to reddish coloring.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Blim Burn Seeds crossed DarkStar with an unspecified ruderalis and lists the result as Dark Star Auto, feminized only. According to Blim Burn Seeds, a cycle from germination to harvest takes 8 to 10 weeks; stated are 350 to 450 g/m² indoors, 100 to 200 g per plant outdoors and 18 to 22 % THC. For the photoperiod original, T.H.Seeds gives 9 weeks of flowering and 400 to 500 g/m², but no THC value.