How To Grow Original Cheese
Are you ready to grow a true icon? A strain so legendary for its unique, pungent aroma and well-balanced, euphoric high that it’s been a staple in the U.K. since the 1980s? Then let’s talk about the one and only Original Cheese.
This is the plant you grow when you want a potent, social, and deeply relaxing experience, wrapped in a fantastic flavor profile. It’s a favorite in our community for its resilience and reliable high yield. I’m here to educate you and help you nurture this beautiful plant from a tiny seed into a massive harvest of top-shelf, homegrown buds. Let’s get to it!
Recommended Strains
Original Cheese
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THC | 16% - 20% (Medium) |
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Type | Feminized |
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Yield | High |
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Phenotype | 55% Indica / 45% Sativa |
Cheese
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THC | 14% - 18% (Medium) |
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Type | Feminized |
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Yield | Medium |
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Phenotype | 60% Indica / 40% Sativa |
From Seed to a Resinous Harvest: The Full Grow-Along
This indica-dominant hybrid is resilient and a joy to cultivate, rewarding your care with dense, frosty, and powerful flowers. Let’s break down its entire journey.
Germination: The First Spark of a Legend
Every great plant starts with a single healthy seed. The paper towel method is my trusted technique.
- Soak: Give your seeds a 12 to 24-hour soak in a glass of room-temperature water.
- Wrap: Place the hydrated seeds between two paper towels that are damp, but not dripping wet.
- Keep it Warm & Dark: Put your paper towel setup inside a Ziploc bag or between two plates.
- Sprout!: In 2 to 7 days, a tiny white taproot will emerge. Game on! Carefully plant it about a half-inch deep in your starter pot, with the root pointing down.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Being too rough. That new little taproot is incredibly delicate. Use tweezers and a gentle touch when moving it to its new home to avoid any stress.
The Vegetative Stage: Building a Strong Foundation
During the veg stage, your Original Cheese is focused on building a strong, bushy indica structure to support all those future dense, heavy buds.
- Light Cycle: You need long “days” to promote strong vegetative growth. An 18/6 light cycle (18 hours of light, 6 of darkness) is the gold standard.
- Nutrient Needs: Your plant is hungry for Nitrogen (N) during this phase to fuel all that leafy development. This strain can be a heavy feeder, so don’t be shy!
- Train for Bigger Yields: This plant responds incredibly well to training. Techniques like Topping or the Screen of Green (SCROG) method will open up the canopy and create a carpet of colas, dramatically increasing your final yield.
The Flowering Stage: An Aromatic Explosion
This is where the magic really happens. To trigger flowering, you MUST switch your lights to a strict 12/12 cycle (12 hours of light, 12 hours of absolute darkness).
The flowering time for this hybrid is typically 8-10 weeks. During this phase, the plant will stretch a bit, then focus its energy on producing incredibly dense and resinous buds. The aroma will be a beautiful and complex mix of potent, savory cheese, earthy skunk, and sweet undertones.
When you flip your lights, switch to a “bloom” fertilizer that is higher in Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) to support this amazing flower production.
Common Mistake to Avoid: High Humidity. Those dense indica buds are a magnet for mold if your humidity is too high. It is CRITICAL to keep your humidity levels lower (around 30-40%) and ensure good airflow during the flowering stage.
Promos & Deals
Indoor vs. Outdoor: Choosing Your Grow Environment
This hybrid is adaptable, but a controlled environment will give you the best results.
Growing Indoors
This is where you can create the perfect environment to produce connoisseur-quality buds.
- Height: This is a very manageable plant for indoor grows. Expect a final height between 2.5 to 4.5 feet (80-140 cm). It’s perfect for most grow tents.
- Odor Control: This strain is famous for being extremely pungent. A heavy-duty carbon filter is non-negotiable.
Growing Outdoors
If you have the right climate, you can cultivate a beautiful outdoor plant.
- Height Potential: Unrestrained outdoors, Original Cheese can become a monster, easily reaching 8 feet (250 cm) or more!
Best U.S. Cities and Climates: This strain loves a warm, stable, Mediterranean-like climate.
- California (San Diego): The consistent warmth and sun provide an ideal setting for this plant to thrive.
- Colorado (Denver): The intense sun is great for resin production, and the dry air helps prevent mold.
- Oregon (Portland): The temperate climate and long summer days are fantastic for this strain.
Pro-Level Playbook: Cloning and Epic Extractions
Cloning: Preserve That Perfect Profile
Find a specific female Original Cheese plant with that perfect effect? Clone it!
- Select & Snip: Take a healthy 4-6 inch cutting from a lower branch of a mother plant in her vegetative stage. Use a sterile razor for a clean cut.
- Hormone Dip: Immediately dip the cut end in a rooting hormone to inspire vigorous root growth.
- Plant It: Place the cutting into a moist starter cube like Rockwool.
- Keep It Humid: Cover your new clones with a humidity dome to keep them from wilting.
- A New Generation: In about two weeks, you’ll have a new plant that is a perfect genetic copy of your prized mother!
What to Do With Your Trim? Capture That Unique Aroma!
A sustainable grower knows that the trim is where the flavor is. With a strain this aromatic, making concentrates is the best way to honor it.
This is the perfect strain for making high-quality bubble hash, dry sift, or rosin. These methods capture the fresh, volatile cheesy, skunky, and earthy terpenes that define the strain’s amazing aroma and taste. It’s the ultimate way to experience what makes this plant so special.
The Grand Finale: Harvest, Dry & Cure
You’ve made it! Get a jeweler’s loupe and look at the trichomes. For that classic, relaxing high, you want to harvest when the trichomes are mostly milky-white, with a good amount (15-30%) of amber ones.
- The Chop: Cut your plants and trim away the large fan leaves.
- The Slow Dry: Hang the branches in a dark room with good airflow, a temperature around 60-70°F (15-21°C), and humidity around 45-55%. This usually takes 7-14 days.
- The Cure: This is the final step for a smooth and flavorful final product. Trim the buds and place them in airtight glass jars. “Burp” the jars daily for the first couple of weeks. A proper cure of at least 2 to 4 weeks will bring out that complex sweet and cheesy flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Original Cheese a good strain for beginners?
It’s moderately difficult. Its genetics make it resilient, but the biggest challenge for any grower will be managing its extreme odor and the humidity to prevent mold on its dense buds. If you can handle the smell, it’s manageable.
What are the effects of Original Cheese really like?
It’s a powerful, classic indica high. Expect a deeply relaxing body stone that melts away stress and pain, often accompanied by a euphoric rush and a case of the giggles. It’s perfect for evening use.
What is the typical flowering time?
The flowering time for this hybrid is typically 8-10 weeks after you flip your lights to a 12/12 cycle.
What are the key challenges when growing this strain?
The biggest challenges are managing its extreme pungency (a heavy-duty carbon filter is a must!) and preventing mold in its very dense buds with strict humidity control.
How big will my yield be?
This strain is known for producing very generous yields. It grows into a solid, multi-branched plant, and if you use some basic training techniques, you can expect a very bountiful harvest of top-quality, potent buds.
