King Kong

For King Kong, Dr. Underground, a breeder from Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, combined 2 lines from established seed companies: Ed Rosenthal Super Bud from Sensi Seeds and Chronic from Serious Seeds, whose reversed plant supplied the pollen. According to the breeder, the aims were plenty of resin, a short flowering period and large harvests. This version is the best documented and also circulates as King Kong OG or King Kong Kush. Two other strains of the same name come from All Star Genetics and Big Buddha Seeds and are based on different parent strains.

Genetics and Origin:

Through Ed's PEHT, Ed Rosenthal Super Bud traces back to Afghan, Mexican, Thai and African origins as well as Hindu Kush, while Chronic traces back to Northern Light, Skunk and AK47. How strongly King Kong leans toward indica is not described consistently in the sources: in some it is an indica-dominant hybrid, in others, without any weighting, an indica-sativa cross.

Dr. Underground has reused the strain several times, for example for Kong 47 from a clone called Brutal Cut and AK47, for Godzilla Glue 4 with Gorilla Glue 4 and for Auto King Kong with an unnamed ruderalis.

Aroma and Flavor:

Dr. Underground describes lemon, skunk and incense with hints of Fenosa Haze. Other strain descriptions add sour, spicy and earthy notes, and in flavor wood, pine and herbs; the dominant terpenes named are caryophyllene, myrcene and limonene. Grow profiles record hash-like, sour notes and a smell of sweat after harvest, with earth and orange blossom in flavor. A few consumer reports mention tropical fruit or sandalwood, while others found the smoke harsh.

Effects:

Fast and strong, with an elevated mood: this is how the breeder describes the effect. Reports from users range more widely. Mentioned are relaxation, euphoria, giddiness, focus and at times a burst of energy; others describe a heaviness in body and head to the point of being stuck on the couch, and still others felt hardly anything. Side effects reported include dry mouth, dry eyes, headache and dizziness, occasionally paranoia and irritability.

THC Content:

A strain description gives 17 % THC and 1 % CBG for King Kong.

Cultivation:

For the photoperiod version, offered only as feminized seeds, Dr. Underground states 7 to 8 weeks of flowering, 700 to 900 g/m² indoors and around 1 kg per plant outdoors, with harvest from late September to early October. Assessments of difficulty differ: one description rates it as moderate and names a temperate to Mediterranean climate, another places the strain with more advanced growers because of its sprawling side shoots.

In documented indoor grows, flowering took 55, 57 and 60 days. The plants grew bushy with many long, strong side shoots, and one stretched from about 35 to around 100 cm after the start of flowering; an outdoor profile describes a fir-tree shape. The dried buds were hard and compact with little leaf content. The plants tolerated topping of the main stem well, while growers advise against heavy pruning. Reported are a high nutrient demand alongside tolerance of feeding errors and insensitivity to temperature fluctuations. A hydro grow ran at pH 5.5 to 6.2 and an EC of no more than 1.0 during growth and 1.8 in flowering.

A grower distinguished an indica-like phenotype with dense buds from a sativa-like one with thinner leaves and looser buds. Mold did not appear in several profiles; in a first grow, slight bud rot occurred due to environmental conditions, and the individual plant yielded about 80 g there. Buyer reviews highlight germination rate and vigor, but some report weak roots and yields below the manufacturer's figures.

Versions from Different Breeders:

All Star Genetics spells the name King-Kong and means a predominantly sativa-leaning strain. By the breeder's own account, the clone Red Congolese came through acquaintances in Amsterdam; because NL5 Haze matched its size and vigor, the breeder crossed the two. Stated are 11 to 13 weeks of flowering and a scent of sandalwood with licorice. In 2011 this strain took 2nd place in the Hydro-Haze category at the Highlife Cup and 3rd place in the Hydro category at the Spannabis Champions Cup.

Big Buddha Seeds combines Gorilla Glue with a cross of Cheese and reversed White Widow. The breeder states 75 % indica, 8 to 11 weeks of flowering, 200 to 450 g/m² indoors and a height of 100 to 150 cm, with outdoor harvest in late October. Described are pine, lemon and spice, with a cheesy note depending on the phenotype. At the Highlife Cup 2018, a King Kong took 3rd place in the Bio category, a result attributed to this version. Another strain description mixes up the lines and lists King Kong as a cross of Buddha Cheese and White Widow.