Cherry Pie

Also known as: Cherry Kush, Pink Cookies

Breeder: Ken "PieGuy" Dumetz (Powerzzzup Genetics) and Jai "Jigga" Chang (Cookie Fam), San Francisco Bay Area

Lineage & Genetics

Cross: Granddaddy Purple x F1 Durban Poison

Granddaddy Purple (GDP): bred by Ken Estes in 2003, Bay Area. Lineage is Purple Urkle x Big Bud. Contributes dense bud structure, purple/anthocyanin expression, grape-berry flavor foundation, myrcene-heavy sedative terpene profile, and indica body effects. THC 17-23%. F1 Durban Poison: a first-generation stabilized cross from selected South African sativa landrace parents. Contributes cerebral uplift, energizing onset, anise/licorice/spice terpene notes (terpinolene, ocimene), structural vigor, faster finishing than pure sativa, disease resistance, and phenotype predictability. THC 15-25%. The F1 designation indicates a controlled first-generation cross, giving more uniformity than a wild landrace seed lot.

Terpene Profile

Aroma: Sweet cherry pie filling (the strain's namesake), tart berry, baked pastry crust, underlying earthy/musky notes from myrcene, peppery spice on the break. Some phenotypes express a subtle gas/diesel undertone from the Durban side. Post-grind aromatics intensify into cherry/berry with grape Kool-Aid notes from GDP heritage and subtle nag champa/incense backend.

Flavor: Inhale delivers sweet black cherry, sour pie cherry, and berry compote. Exhale reveals earthy/herbal notes with peppery warmth and pastry-dough sweetness lingering on the palate.

Effects & Experience

Onset: Initial cerebral uplift within 5-15 minutes — mood elevation, giggly euphoria, enhanced creativity and social energy. The Durban Poison parentage shows most prominently here.

Balanced hybrid state: mental stimulation remains while body relaxation builds progressively. Users report feeling happy, functional, and physically at ease without couch-lock at moderate doses. Leafly user reviews: 39% relaxed, 31% euphoric, 31% happy. At higher doses, myrcene dominance pushes toward sedation and sleep.

Duration: 1.5-3+ hours total. Physical effects outlast cerebral effects by approximately 1 hour.

Growing Characteristics

Grow Tips: HUMIDITY CONTROL IS CRITICAL: Cherry Pie's dense, tightly-packed buds trap moisture internally, creating ideal conditions for Botrytis (bud rot). Below 50% RH in flower is non-negotiable. Target humidity by stage: seedling/early veg 60-65%, mid-veg 55-60%, late veg/pre-flip 50-55%, early flower (wk 1-3) 45-50%, mid flower (wk 4-6) 45%, late flower (wk 7-10) 40-45%. FEEDING: Cherry Pie is moderately hungry but sensitive to nutrient burn. Veg phase use NPK ratio ~3-1-2, start at 1/4 strength for seedlings, increase to 1/2 by week 2, full by week 3-4. Supplement with Cal-Mag throughout (especially in coco). Add silica to strengthen cell walls and help branches support heavy colas later. Transition to bloom formula NPK ~1-3-2. Maintain Cal-Mag. Mid-to-late flower: watch for leaf tip burn — Cherry Pie prefers light feeding in late flower. Reduce nitrogen significantly to prevent green flavors and help natural senescence. Consider micronutrient supplements (zinc, manganese, iron). FLUSH: 5-7 days minimum with plain pH'd water before harvest; some growers prefer 2-3 weeks. Fan leaves should be yellowing/fading naturally by harvest day. Soil pH must stay 6.0-6.5 strictly — Cherry Pie is prone to nutrient lockout outside this range. TRAINING: Top once above the 4th-5th node to break apical dominance; can top a second time for 4 main colas. LST (Low-Stress Training) is very effective — begin in early veg. SCROG is highly effective — stretch trellis net at canopy height, weave branches through during first 2 weeks of flower stretch. Prefer leaf tucking over heavy defoliation — Cherry Pie relies heavily on fan leaves for energy storage. Tuck leaves below bud sites to expose them to light instead of cutting. Avoid aggressive defoliation (stripping >30% of fan leaves at once stresses this cultivar). SOG also viable. PEST MANAGEMENT: Spider mites are the most common pest due to dense canopy creating protected microclimates — weekly neem oil during veg only, cease all sprays once flowers form. Introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis (predatory mites) for chemical-free control. Monitor leaf undersides weekly with a loupe. Powdery mildew thrives in high humidity + poor airflow — maintain RH below 50% in flower, oscillating fans at canopy level, potassium bicarbonate spray weekly during veg, introduce beneficial microbes (Bacillus subtilis, mycorrhizae). Botrytis (bud rot) is the #1 threat during late flower due to extreme bud density — humidity control is paramount, supplement with strategic lower-canopy defoliation, monitor by breaking open suspect buds, remove affected material immediately if detected. HARVEST TIMING: Use a jeweler's loupe or USB microscope. Target mostly milky trichomes with 10-20% amber for balanced cerebral + body effects. >30% amber produces more sedative couchlock (CBN conversion). Pistils 70-80% darkened and curled inward. Many growers prefer not to overrun the finish window — pushing past 65 days can flatten the sweet terpene top-notes into generic earthiness. DRYING: 60°F (15°C), 55% RH, complete darkness, 10-14 days. Gentle airflow — fans should NOT point directly at hanging buds. Do NOT jar until smaller stems snap cleanly (the snap test). Dry trimming tends to preserve terpenes better for this cultivar. CURING: Glass mason jars at 75% capacity. Week 1 burp daily for 15-30 minutes, weeks 2-4 burp every 2-3 days, week 4+ burp weekly. Minimum 4-week cure recommended, optimal 6-8 weeks for full terpene expression. Boveda 62% packs for consistent moisture. Store at 60-70°F in dark location. PURPLE EXPRESSION: Drop nighttime temperatures by 10-15°F during the last 2 weeks of bloom (target 55-60°F nights) to trigger anthocyanin genetics from GDP. Daytime temps should remain normal. COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID: Overwatering (lift pots to gauge weight, water when top 1-2 inches dry), overfeeding in late flower (reduce feed weeks 7-8, flush before harvest), high humidity during bloom >55% (use dehumidifier + aggressive exhaust), heavy defoliation (tuck leaves instead), harvesting too early (wait for 10-20% amber trichomes), harvesting too late >65 days (flat/earthy terpene profile), fast-drying at high temp (destroys terpenes — slow dry at 60°F/55% RH for 10-14 days minimum), jarring too wet (mold in cure jars, entire harvest lost — snap test MUST pass), ignoring lower canopy airflow (defoliate lowers strategically, oscillating fans at pot level), skipping silica supplementation (branches snap under heavy cola weight in late flower).

History & Origin

Early 2000s: Ken "PieGuy" Dumetz crosses GDP x F1 Durban Poison in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jai "Jigga" Chang immediately begins cultivating and stabilizing the genetics within the Cookie Fam collective. Mid-2000s: Cherry Pie spreads across California dispensaries, gaining mainstream popularity for its dessert-like aroma, visual appeal, and balanced effects. 2010s: Becomes a cornerstone breeding strain, used to create Wedding Cake, contributing to the explosion of dessert/cake genetics. 2014: Wins 3rd Place, Medical Sativa at the Denver High Times Cannabis Cup. Present: Remains a staple heritage cultivar with 305+ documented crosses on PhenoDB. The original PieGuy/Jigga cut is clone-only; seed versions from various banks are S1 reversals or polyhybrid approximations.

Notable Crosses

Strains bred using Cherry Pie as a parent: