How to Grow Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 is a 60% sativa-dominant feminized strain that crosses the creamy, citrusy Orange Velvet with the zesty Cinderella 99, a pairing good enough to take a Cannabis Cup in 2017. It pairs a citrus, orange, mango and sweet flavor with a calming, happy and relaxing effect, and carries a moderate THC level of 15 to 18%, which keeps it in the medium range. This guide walks through the whole grow, from germinating the seeds to the final cure.
It is a tall plant that can reach around 6.56 ft, finishes flowering in 8 to 10 weeks, and gives a modest but top-shelf yield. Its award-winning pedigree and forgiving nature make it a rewarding, beginner-friendly plant, as long as you plan for its height.
Recommended Strains
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99
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THC | 15% - 18% (Medium) |
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Type | Feminized |
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Yield | Low |
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Phenotype | 40% Indica / 60% Sativa |
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 Regular
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THC | 15% - 22% (Medium) |
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Type | Regular |
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Yield | Low |
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Phenotype | 80% Indica / 20% Sativa |
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 at a Glance
Before you plant anything, it helps to see the full picture in one place. Here is the quick profile for this Cup-winning sativa-dominant feminized strain, taken straight from the strain’s grow data.
| Seed type | Feminized (photoperiod) |
|---|---|
| Genetics | Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 |
| Awards | Cannabis Cup winner, 2017 |
| Phenotype | 40% Indica / 60% Sativa |
| THC | 15–18% (medium) |
| Flowering time | 8–10 weeks |
| Outdoor harvest | October |
| Height | up to 6.56 ft (2 m) |
| Yield indoor | up to 1.15 oz/ft² |
| Yield outdoor | up to 14.11 oz/plant |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Flavors | Citrus, Fruity, Mango, Orange, Sweet |
| Effects | Calming, Happy, Relaxed |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly, tall |
These are feminized seeds, so every plant flowers female and you skip culling males. Its 60% sativa makeup places it with the sativa seeds, its balanced 60/40 cross keeps it among the hybrid seeds, and you can browse related cultivars in the find your strain collection.
Promos & Deals
How to Germinate Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 Seeds
A healthy harvest starts at germination. The paper towel method is hard to beat: fold the Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 seeds inside two damp sheets, slide them between two plates, and keep them somewhere dark at 70 to 79°F. A taproot usually appears in two to five days.
Once the taproot is a few millimeters long, move each seed root-down about 1 cm deep into a small pot of light, airy medium. Keep it lightly moist rather than soaked, hold humidity around 65 to 70%, and give soft light while the first true leaves open. Its vigorous Cinderella 99 genetics make for a strong, fast-starting seedling.
Starter tips
- Use plain, lightly pH-balanced water (pH 5.5 to 6.5) for the first week.
- Keep seedlings warm and humid, but never waterlogged.
- Hold off on nutrients until the second set of serrated leaves appears.
Growing Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 in the Vegetative Stage
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 likes a temperate climate and, as a 60% sativa, it grows tall and open, reaching toward 2 m with long branches. Keep it on 18 hours of light a day, aim for day temperatures of 68 to 79°F, and hold humidity around 50 to 60%. Keep veg on the shorter side, since this plant will stretch hard once you flip.
This is the stage to tame its height. Top it early and use low-stress training or a screen to bend the tall branches sideways, which keeps the canopy even and manageable. Indoors this matters a lot; outdoors, give it room overhead and a sturdy spot.
Its tall frame and October finish make it a solid outdoor plant across much of the US:
- Southern California and the Southwest: warm, long seasons let this tall sativa stretch out and finish its 8 to 10 week bloom cleanly through October.
- Pacific Northwest and cooler states: its vigorous genetics handle cool nights well, but give it a sheltered, sunny spot to ripen before the wet autumn.
- Colorado and mountain states: its October harvest suits shorter mountain seasons, as long as you can accommodate its height.
Flowering and Buds of Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99
Indoors, flip Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 to a 12/12 light cycle to trigger flowering, which runs 8 to 10 weeks. Outdoors it ripens through October. As a 60% sativa it stretches a lot after the flip, so flip it earlier than usual to leave headroom, then watch it fill its long branches with resinous buds.
Through bloom, drop humidity to 40 to 45% and keep air moving so the flowers do not trap moisture. The buds build a bright orange and citrus aroma with a sweet, mango lift, exactly the profile that earned this cross its Cannabis Cup.
At 15 to 18% THC it sits comfortably in the medium range, so the effect is balanced, a calming, happy and relaxing feel rather than a heavy or racy one.
Common Problems and Pro Tips
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 is beginner-friendly, but its height and modest yield point to a few things worth watching.
- Height control: at up to 2 m it stretches hard, so top early, flip sooner, and use a screen to keep it under your lights.
- Chase quality, not bulk: since the yield is modest, focus on even light and clean conditions to make every top-shelf, citrusy bud count.
- Even light on tall colas: spread the long branches with training so light reaches the whole plant, not just the top.
Expert tip: this is a Cup-winning citrus cut, so protect its aroma. Keep veg short to manage the stretch, ease off nitrogen once the buds set, and dry and cure slowly to hold onto that bright orange and mango smell.
Aroma, Flavor and Effects
The nose is bright and juicy: a sweet orange and citrus top with a ripe mango lift over a creamy, fruity base from its Orange Velvet side. It is mouth-watering and zesty rather than heavy, and it sharpens as the buds cure.
The flavor follows the nose, orange and citrus up front with a sweet, mango finish. On the effect side it is calming, happy and relaxing, a bright but easy-going feel rather than a racy one. Because THC is moderate at 15 to 18%, it stays balanced and approachable, a friendly choice for daytime.
Dominant terpenes
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 is shaped by six terpenes: Limonene, Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Linalool, Pinene and Humulene. Limonene drives the bright orange and citrus top, Myrcene lays down the fruity base, Caryophyllene a peppery warmth, Linalool a soft sweetness, Pinene a fresh lift, and Humulene a woody depth. Together they explain its orange, citrus and mango aroma and its calm, happy feel.
Nutrient Schedule
Treat the figures below as a starting map, not a rulebook. Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 feeds steadily through the stretch, so read the plant first: tip burn means back off, while pale, slow growth means it wants a little more. All values use EC.
| Stage | EC |
|---|---|
| Seedling | 0.4–0.6 |
| Growth | 0.8–1.2 |
| Early flower | 1.2–1.4 |
| Full flower | 1.4–1.6 |
| Flush | 0.0–0.4 |
Keep the pH around 6.0 to 6.5 in soil and 5.5 to 6.0 in hydro so the roots can actually take up what you feed.
What to Do With Your Trim: Extracts and Hash
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 builds a good coat of resin as it ripens, so its fragrant trim is worth keeping. The sugar leaves you take off while manicuring carry trichomes and suit Ice Water Hash, where cold water and agitation separate the resin heads into a clean, solventless concentrate. Pressing that hash into rosin keeps the bright orange and citrus flavor intact, or you can run a solvent extraction if that is your setup. The bare stems will not extract, but chopped and composted they feed organic matter back into the soil for your next grow.
Harvesting, Drying and Curing Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99
Timing the harvest comes down to the trichomes. Grab a loupe and watch the heads turn from clear to milky white; a scattering of amber signals peak ripeness. Indoors this lands 8 to 10 weeks after the flip, and outdoors the plants are ready through October.
After the cut, hang the branches in a dark room at 59 to 68°F with humidity near 50% and gentle air movement. Slow beats fast: drying over 10 to 14 days protects the orange, citrus and mango aromas that define this strain. When the small stems snap instead of bending, move the buds into jars.
Cure in sealed glass, opening the jars daily for the first week to let moisture escape, then easing off as the aroma deepens. Two to four weeks of patience here is where the bright orange and mango flavor really comes forward, and it is the step most first-time growers rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 win an award?
Yes. Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 is a Cannabis Cup winner from 2017, which speaks to the quality of its orange, citrus and mango profile. That pedigree shows in its bright, juicy aroma and its balanced, calming and happy effect rather than in sheer yield, which is a modest but top-shelf harvest.
Is Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 easy to grow for beginners?
Yes, it is beginner-friendly, with one caveat: its height. It is vigorous and forgiving thanks to its Cinderella 99 side, but at up to 2 m it stretches hard, so top and train it early and leave headroom. Manage the size and the rest of the grow is straightforward.
How long does Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 take to flower?
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 flowers in 8 to 10 weeks once you switch it to a 12/12 light cycle indoors. Grown outdoors, it is ready through October. As a 60% sativa it stretches a lot after the flip, then fills its long branches with resinous buds over the back half of bloom.
How strong is Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99?
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 is a medium-strength strain, with a THC level of 15 to 18%. The effect is calming, happy and relaxing, a balanced feel rather than a racy or overpowering one. That moderate potency makes it an approachable, enjoyable strain for a wide range of users.
How much does Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 yield?
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 gives a modest yield, up to around 1.15 oz/ft² indoors and up to about 14.11 oz per plant outdoors. It is a quality-over-quantity cut, so even light, good training, and managing its height matter more than chasing raw weight.
What does Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 taste and smell like?
Orange Velvet x Cinderella 99 leads with a sweet orange and citrus top and a ripe mango lift over a creamy, fruity base. It is bright and juicy rather than heavy, straight from its Orange Velvet and Cinderella 99 roots. Both the smell and taste sharpen as the buds cure slowly in the jar.
