Desert Diesel is a feminized diesel hybrid from Humboldt Seed Organization, bred from Amherst Sour Diesel and Emerald Mountain DAD, with long internodes and little leaf mass.
Humboldt Seed Organization (HSO) recommends support netting for Desert Diesel and suggests tying down the branches or training them through a SCROG net. The reasoning lies in the growth pattern: the fan leaves sit far apart, the internodes are long, and light reaches the lower branches as a result. The feminized variety is a cross of HSO's Amherst Sour Diesel and Emerald Mountain DAD, a line derived from Diesel and Afghan Diesel.
The breeder describes a slender plant with an open structure and a strong root system. The flowers are said to turn out dense and resinous, with swollen calyxes and so little leaf mass that trimming takes little effort. According to HSO, the long internodes produce large colas.
On its current strain page, HSO states a flowering time of 65 to 75 days, an indoor yield of 400 to 600 g/m², and an outdoor yield of 1000 to 2000 g per plant at a height of 3 to 4 m, with harvest in late October. Older texts from the same breeder give a shorter flowering time and place the outdoor harvest in the first half of October. HSO lists sunny, dry, temperate, and Mediterranean climates as suitable conditions, along with greenhouse cultivation. One strain description rates the cultivation as moderately difficult.
On a product page, buyers report high yields with large, dense buds and recommend extending flowering to 70 to 77 days. One grower cultivated the strain in 2014 in a 2-gallon pot with coco and perlite and harvested just under 3 ounces; according to their account, the plant did not develop small popcorn buds, and a sample taken on day 50 of flowering already had a distinctly sour diesel smell. In a journal using deep water culture and a SCROG net, the plant took up nutrient solution at 600 ppm without any noticeable problems, though the report ends on day 25 of flowering.
A single report from 2013 describes hermaphroditism that led to the grow being abandoned.
According to an older description by the breeder, HSO received test seeds of a Diesel line from Emerald Mountain, crossed the best plants with its in-house Amherst 81st, and stabilized the offspring. In a 2013 grow discussion, the strain was likewise presented as a cross between HSO's Amherst Sour Diesel line and Emerald Mountain's D.A.D., at a time when cultivation experience was barely documented. HSO lists the Amherst Sour Diesel itself as a cross of Chemdawg and Amherst Super Skunk. In a 2015 blog post, the breeder also mentions a Highland Afghani from its own stock, intended to shorten flowering.
HSO is not consistent regarding the ratio of genetics. The strain page states 55 % sativa and 45 % indica, while the 2015 blog post instead describes an indica-dominant phenotype. One strain description places the origin in the Emerald Triangle in California.
HSO describes a multilayered aroma of sweet fruit, sandalwood, oil, and diesel; a 2017 blog post mentions a strong petroleum smell. The 2015 post highlights the gassy base note typical of a Sour Diesel, along with sharp, biting notes that recur in the flavor. Another strain description adds orange and citrus, while a further one describes a sweet-sour, fruity flavor with a woody finish that becomes increasingly spicy. Myrcene is named as the leading terpene, alongside caryophyllene and limonene. One user report describes the smell as very pungent, while another notes the absence of the notes typical of diesel strains in the flavor.
User reports describe the effects as energetic and sociable, with an uplifted mood, talkativeness, creativity, and focus, sometimes also giggling and relaxation. One user compares it to Sour Diesel and experiences it as a calmer variant with less drive, while another found the effects mainly physical. HSO itself describes a long-lasting, distinctly cerebral effect followed by a strong body sensation. One strain description names rapid heartbeat and paranoia as possible side effects.
HSO states 17 to 20 % THC and 0.1 % CBD for the strain. One strain description gives 21 % THC.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic advice. If you have any health-related questions, please consult a doctor or another qualified professional.
From reviews and experience reports — subjective, not a medical statement
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Levels vary by batch, phenotype and cultivation — values are indicative
Indicative values from breeder data and grow reports — varies by phenotype and setup
According to HSO, sunny, dry, temperate, and Mediterranean climate zones, as well as greenhouse cultivation.
According to HSO, a slender plant with an open structure, a strong root system, and large, broad fan leaves spaced far apart; long internodes produce large colas; swollen, resinous calyxes and little leaf mass, resulting in little trimming effort.
HSO recommends support netting; the strain is said to be well suited to tying down and to SCROG, because light reaches the lower branches between the fan leaves.
Several breeders sell their own versions under this name. Each figure comes from the respective breeder.
Feminized. Older breeder texts give different flowering times (60 to 65 days or 9 weeks) and an outdoor harvest in the first half of October; the values shown here reflect the current strain page.
User reports describe energetic, sociable effects with an uplifted mood, talkativeness, creativity, and focus. Grow reports and buyer reviews describe high yields with large, dense buds and a distinctly sour diesel smell.
One report describes the strain as a calmer variant of Sour Diesel with less drive, while another experienced the effects mainly physically. One report describes the smell as very pungent, while another misses diesel notes in the flavor. Buyers recommend a longer flowering time than stated by the breeder. A single report from 2013 describes hermaphroditism that led to the grow being abandoned.
Related genetics, same dominant terpene, similar effects and aroma — excluding direct parents and descendants
Spicy 
Wood 
Sour