How to Grow Stardawg
Stardawg is a legendary, award-winning hybrid that crosses Chemdog #4 with Tres Dawg. A two-time Cannabis Cup winner (2009 and 2011), it carries a potent 17–25% THC, a sharp citrus-pine flavour and tall, resinous plants, finishing in 9–10 weeks. It leans slightly sativa at 55%, with a happy, relaxing, deeply soothing character.
Those two Cannabis Cup wins are a mark of real pedigree: Stardawg took the sour, chem-heavy Chemdog lineage and the resin of Tres Dawg and turned them into one of the most sought-after modern strains. That award-winning quality is a big part of why it stays so popular with growers.
Recommended Strains
Stardawg
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THC | 17% - 25% (High) |
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Type | Feminized |
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Yield | Low |
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Phenotype | 45% Indica / 55% Sativa |
Chemdog Auto
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THC | 18% - 20% (Medium) |
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Type | Autoflowering |
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Yield | Medium |
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Phenotype | 60% Indica / 40% Sativa |
Because it is feminized and forgiving, Stardawg is beginner-friendly despite its celebrated genetics. You can see the full lineage and buy Stardawg seeds, or browse more of our award-winning cannabis seeds.
Strain Profile at a Glance
| THC | 17–25% (medium to high) |
|---|---|
| Lineage | Chemdog #4 x Tres Dawg |
| Type | Feminized |
| Award | Cannabis Cup winner (2009, 2011) |
| Genetics | 45% Indica / 55% Sativa |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Flowering time | 9–10 weeks |
| Harvest | October (outdoors) |
| Height | 5.91 ft / 1.8 m |
| Yield | Low |
| Yield indoor | 0.98 oz/ft² (300 g/m²) |
| Yield outdoor | 26.46 oz/plant (750 g/plant) |
| Grow difficulty | Beginner-friendly |
| Flavors | Citrus, Pine |
| Effects | Happy, Relaxed, deeply soothing |
Promos & Deals
Climate and Where to Grow It
Stardawg suits a temperate climate with warm, mild days and a reliable season. Grown outdoors it finishes around October, so pick a region that stays warm and dry into autumn to let its long, resinous colas ripen fully before the damp arrives.
Its slightly sativa lean makes for an open, airy plant, which helps against mould, but keep humidity moderate and the airflow steady through flowering all the same. The main thing to plan for is its height, which brings us to training.
Managing Its Height
Stardawg is tall for an indoor plant, reaching around 1.8 m, and its sativa side means it stretches hard after the flip. If you grow indoors, plan for that: top the plant once or twice during veg, use low-stress training to spread and flatten the canopy, or run a SCROG net to keep the colas at an even height under the light.
Flipping to 12/12 a little earlier, while the plant is still short, also helps keep the final height in check. Outdoors the height is less of an issue and the plant can stretch out, which is part of how a single outdoor plant reaches such a big per-plant harvest.
Growing Basics
As a feminized photoperiod strain, Stardawg gives you virtually all female plants, so there is no need to sex seedlings or remove males. Run a vegetative stage under long days, usually 18 hours of light, then switch to a 12/12 light schedule to trigger flowering. This feminized plant takes training well, which, as above, is key to managing its tall, stretchy frame.
Feeding Schedule (EC Guide)
Feed to the stage rather than the calendar, starting low and building up as the plant asks for more. The EC values below climb from a gentle seedling feed to a stronger bloom feed, then drop back for the flush.
| Stage | EC (mS/cm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seedling | 0.4–0.6 | Very light feed, focus on healthy root growth |
| Vegetative growth | 0.8–1.2 | Raise nitrogen gently under 18-hour days |
| Early flower | 1.2–1.4 | After the 12/12 flip, shift toward P and K |
| Full flower | 1.4–1.6 | Peak bloom feed while the colas fatten |
| Flush | 0.0–0.4 | Plain water for the final 1–2 weeks |
Flowering Time and Harvest
After the flip to 12/12, Stardawg flowers in 9–10 weeks. It is a lower-yielding plant indoors, returning 0.98 oz/ft² (300 g/m²), so it rewards quality and potency over bulk, while a tall outdoor plant can bring in a big 26.46 oz (750 g) given room and sun.
The slightly sativa lean builds long, resinous, sour-smelling colas. Harvest when most trichomes have turned cloudy with a few amber for the fullest expression, and give the plant a 1–2 week plain-water flush beforehand to clean up the final flavour.
Drying and Curing
Dry whole plants or branches in a dark room at around 60°F (15–18°C) and 55–60% humidity for 7–14 days, until the thin stems snap rather than bend. A slow, even dry protects both the resin and the sharp citrus-pine aroma that makes this strain so distinctive.
Then cure the trimmed buds in sealed jars, burping them daily for the first week and letting them settle for three to four weeks. A proper cure sharpens the citrus and pine top notes and smooths the smoke, which is exactly what a two-time Cannabis Cup winner deserves.
What to Do With Your Trim
Don’t bin the sugar leaves you remove while manicuring. Stardawg is a frosty, resin-coated plant, so the trim is great for dry sift, bubble hash or rosin, giving you a bonus run of concentrate from material most growers throw away.
Flavor and Terpenes
Stardawg tastes of sharp citrus and fresh pine, the bright, sour-fresh profile that the Chemdog family is known for. The citrus and pine lead cleanly, with a resinous, slightly chemmy edge underneath that gives it its character.
Of its many terpenes, six lead the character: limonene (the bright citrus note), alpha-pinene (the fresh, resinous pine), citral (a sharp lemon lift), terpinolene (fresh and zesty), terpineol (a soft citrus-pine floral) and linalool (gentle floral sweetness). Behind them sit cedrene, borneol, camphene, eugenol, fenchol, nerolidol and phytol, a broad supporting cast that rounds out the citrus-pine profile.
Effects and Best Use
With its balanced, slightly sativa genetics, Stardawg is reported as happy, relaxed and deeply soothing, a mood-lifting character that settles into a gentle, easy relaxation. Despite the sativa lean it is more mellow than racy, which makes it versatile across the day.
With its potent 17–25% THC it can have a real kick at the top of the range, so a little goes a long way. If you want more of its potency, it sits among our high-THC seeds, though its award-winning flavour is what keeps growers coming back.
Common Problems and Pro Tips
Stardawg is an award-winning grow, but it is a tall, stretchy, chem-scented plant that yields little indoors, so plan around all three.
- Control the height: it reaches around 1.8 m and stretches after the flip, so top it in veg, flip a little earlier and use a SCROG net to keep it manageable.
- Grow it outdoors for the yield: its indoor yield is light but a tall outdoor plant can reach far more, so give it room in the ground or a big pot in the sun.
- Plan for the smell: its sharp, sour, chem-like diesel aroma gets loud in flower, so run a carbon filter if you need to keep the grow discreet.
Expert tip: this two-time Cannabis Cup winner lives on its sharp citrus and pine with a chem edge. A slow dry and a careful cure keep that distinctive character at its best after harvest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stardawg indica or sativa?
Stardawg is slightly sativa-dominant, at 55% sativa and 45% indica, so it grows tall and airy, though its effect is relaxed and soothing rather than racy. That sativa structure means a real stretch after the flip, so top it in veg and train hard to keep the height manageable indoors.
Has Stardawg won any awards?
Yes. Stardawg is a two-time Cannabis Cup winner, taking the title in 2009 and 2011, a mark of its quality and lasting popularity. That pedigree reflects how distinctive its sharp, chem-like profile is, and it is a big part of why the strain has stayed sought after for years.
How long does Stardawg take to flower?
About 9 to 10 weeks after the flip to 12/12. Grown outdoors in a temperate climate it finishes around October. As a tall, airy plant it benefits from airflow through that window, so keep a fan moving air across the canopy and check trichomes toward the end for your preferred ripeness.
How tall does Stardawg get and how do I manage it?
It is tall, around 1.8 m, and stretches after the flip. Top it in veg, use low-stress training or a SCROG net, and flip a little earlier to keep the final height manageable indoors. Outdoors it has room to run, but still plan for its size when you place it in the garden.
What does Stardawg taste like?
Expect sharp citrus and fresh pine with a sour, chem-like edge, driven by its limonene, alpha-pinene, citral and terpinolene terpenes. The aroma is loud, so run a carbon filter in flower, and cure slowly in jars so that distinctive chem-and-citrus character holds up after harvest.
How much does Stardawg yield?
It is a lower producer indoors, at 0.98 oz/ft² (300 g/m²), but a tall outdoor plant can reach a big 26.46 oz (750 g) in a good season. That gap means it shines outdoors with room and sun, where its height can build that much larger per-plant harvest.
