Strawberry Cough

Grow reports and strain descriptions disagree on whether Strawberry Cough gets by on little fertilizer or needs heavy feeding. Accounts also differ on susceptibility to mold and on growth habit. The sativa-leaning strain circulated for a long time only as a cutting, and it was made known by the US grower Kyle Kushman.

Genetics and Origin:

Strawberry Fields and Haze are named as the parents, though the origin is told in different ways. In a 2017 interview, Kushman described an unintentional cross by an inexperienced breeder from Bridgeport, Connecticut, who gave him a cutting. According to another account, Strawberry Fields was selected in Vermont as an indica for strawberry aroma and for a harvest before the first snow, then crossed with a Haze male; Kushman is said to have grown the well-known phenotype from these seeds. Homegrown Cannabis Co., which names Kushman as the breeder of its version, speaks of a cutting called “The Cough” from Connecticut that was only later crossed with Strawberry Fields and Haze.

After moving to California in 2004, Kushman passed cuttings on to other growers. Dutch Passion developed a seed version, according to the interview with genetics that company founder Henk van Dalen received from Kushman. Strain descriptions list the strain as sativa-leaning, one of them at 80 % sativa, while an entry on the clone-only plant calls it indica-dominant. As a parent it appears in Blueberry Cough by Jordan of the Islands and Auto Strawberry Soda by Dutch Passion, among others.

Community Experiences:

A documented grow with the clone-only cutting records 70 days of flowering and a stretch from about 100 to 180 cm, along with strong side branches and very hard, compact flowers. In the reports on the Dutch Passion version, flowering took 60 to 70 days. The plants grew fir-tree shaped there, some with purple coloring, and split into stretched, resin-rich types prone to hermaphrodite flowers and short, indica-leaning plants.

In both cases the growers got by with little fertilizer, while one strain description speaks of medium to high demand. The grower of the clone-only cutting considered it susceptible to fungi and mold, whereas the reports on the Dutch Passion version saw no susceptibility. A grow journal using seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co. describes a shorter, bushier plant than those beside it, with corkscrew-like growth and red-brown leaf spots that the author believed to be genetic; it responded well to targeted bending of the shoots.

Cultivation:

One strain description gives 7 to 9 weeks of flowering and 450 to 550 g/m² and notes that the plant responds well to topping. Another rates it as easy to cultivate and naturally bushy and sees it as best suited to indoor growing in a warm climate. According to Dutch Passion, the strain is prone to mold outdoors in cool climates but can be grown in a Mediterranean climate.

Versions from Different Breeders:

For the feminized seed versions, the breeders state 9 to 12 weeks of flowering: Dutch Passion, Royal Queen Seeds and Zamnesia Seeds 9 to 10 each, Homegrown Cannabis Co. 10 to 12 weeks. Dutch Passion and Homegrown Cannabis Co. describe their versions as suitable for beginners.

• Dutch Passion: around 400 g/m² indoors, outdoors 9 to 11 weeks of flowering and harvest in late autumn.
• Homegrown Cannabis Co.: outdoor harvest in early to mid October, yield rated as high without a figure.
• Royal Queen Seeds: 450 to 500 g/m² indoors, up to 650 g per plant outdoors, up to 150 cm indoors and 200 cm outdoors, harvest in early October.
• Zamnesia Seeds: 550 to 600 g/m² indoors, 650 to 700 g per plant outdoors, 150 cm indoors and 180 cm outdoors, 70 % sativa.

Aroma and Flavor:

Strain descriptions name fresh strawberries and sweet berries with skunky and tropical notes. Homegrown Cannabis Co. adds earth and spice, Dutch Passion peppery tones in some phenotypes, and Royal Queen Seeds hints of Haze. In grow reports on the Dutch Passion version, barbecue sauce and sweet lemon were added; the clone-only cutting smelled of blood orange and tangerine and tasted of diesel, mango and chives. Strain descriptions list myrcene ahead of pinene and caryophyllene as terpenes; Royal Queen Seeds names the same 3 for its version, and Homegrown Cannabis Co. highlights caryophyllene.

Effects:

Experience reports describe a stimulating, mood-lifting effect with creativity and focus, some adding physical relaxation. One consumer, however, experienced sedation up to couch-lock after a slow-building cerebral high, and another found the strain weaker than expected. Dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness are mentioned, and one strain description also lists headache and mild paranoia; one report notes increasing nervousness at larger amounts. Some describe the smoke as scratchy in the throat, one as smooth.

THC and CBD Content:

Dutch Passion and Homegrown Cannabis Co. each state 15 to 20 % THC for their versions, Homegrown additionally 0.5 % CBD. For the version from Zamnesia Seeds, 19 to 20 % THC is given. Another strain description puts the content lower, at 13 to 18 % THC and 0.12 % CBD.