By Steven Voser


Sour Diesel is a classic cannabis strain that immediately wins a life-long place in the hearts of anyone who smokes her. Loaded with funky terpenes and plenty of THC, Sour Diesel delivers a smoking experience like no other, characterised by her unique sour aroma and uplifting, yet balanced sativa high. Keep reading to learn all there is to know about Sour Diesel and why this 90s classic deserves a place in your garden today.

Sour Diesel
23_genetic background_1 Original Diesel x (Northern light x Shiva x Hawaiian)
33_Yield indoors_1 475 - 525 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 90 - 160 cm
25_flowering time_1 10 - 11 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 19%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 70% Indica 30%
34_yield outdoor_1 550 - 600 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 150 - 200 cm
27_harvest period_1 Late October
22_Effect_1 Clear, Physically Relaxing

Buy Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel Strain Information: The Official History

Sour Diesel is the indisputable queen of the Diesel cannabis lineage. For the longest time, however, its origin story was based on little more than rumours and folklore. That is, until now. In 2024, Joe Murray (better known by his moniker AJ Sour Diesel or "Asshole Joe") spoke openly about how he and some colleagues discovered the original Sour Diesel in the 1990s.

Joe Murray was born and raised in the state of New York. Most of his work in the weed game, however, took place in Manhattan during his late teens. While he enjoyed his first smoke of cannabis at the tender age of nine, Murray didn't start consuming weed regularly until he was around fourteen. At that time, the only cannabis he could score was the few buds he managed to steal from his stepfather's stash. Little did young Joe know, however, that soon he'd get his hands on some of the world's most sought-after chronic.

After graduating high school, Joe began working informally on Grateful Dead tours, slinging cigarettes, beer, water, and more. By the time he was nineteen, Murray lived in Midtown Manhattan, working a day job at a hospital and selling weed by night. In 1992, he travelled to the cannabis mecca of Amsterdam and, upon returning to New York, met fellow dealer JJ (now the founder of Top Dawg Genetics). Through connections at a local club, Joe met JJ's provider, Weasel, who was growing the original 91 Chemdawg at the time. Murray decided to rename the weed he was getting to "The Diesel" because he didn't want to create any misconceptions that the weed was laced or altered in any way. And what a great decision because the name obviously stuck.

After travelling back and forth between New York and Amsterdam, Joe inspired Weasel to travel there, too. After his first trip, Weasel came back with seeds of Early Pearl, NL 5, Super Skunk, Hawaiian Indica, and Oasis—all strains that gradually started coming out of his garden and, through the work of AJ and JJ, made it onto the streets of New York. By popular demand, Weasel started growing The Diesel again, and this time, some of his batches contained seeds, which Joe, JJ, and their partners all popped as soon as they could. One of those seeds was named Diesel #1, which eventually birthed Sour Diesel (AKA The Sour).

After briefly moving upstate, AJ returned to Manhattan in the late 1990s and started growing Sour Diesel again. Because he supplied it so consistently, the strain eventually won the local nickname "The AJ Sour." For years, there was such a high demand for Sour in New York that AJ managed to push it for extremely high prices and even to well-known rappers and celebrities.

Sour Diesel Characteristics

Sour Diesel Characteristics
Key attributes of Sour Diesel

So, Sour Diesel is obviously a legendary variety with a massive backstory. But what was it about this strain that earned it such lasting fame?

Most people lucky enough to try real Sour Diesel in the 1990s will attest that the strain's aromas and flavours were simply unlike anything they'd ever come across. The strain's unique sourness, for example, is one trait that many connoisseurs remember and look for in modern versions of Diesel, which tend to be more gassy.

Besides its unique aromas and flavours, Sour Diesel is also renowned for its characteristic uplifting effects. For many, Sour Diesel makes the perfect daytime smoke, providing a cerebral euphoria that's great for social settings, creative endeavours, workouts, outdoor adventures, or an early morning pick-me-up. Finally, another tell-tale sign of the original Sour Diesel was its vigorous and tall growth—which could prove challenging for growers with little experience or small grow spaces.

  • Sour Diesel Taste & Aroma

Smoking Sour Diesel is a treat for all the senses. Crack open a stash of Sour and enjoy as her rich aroma washes over you and fills the room. As mentioned earlier, the original Sour Diesel from the 1990s is often touted for its unique sourness and funky overtones—a trait she likely inherited from a Skunk ancestor. Today's Sour Diesel cuts tend to be much more gassy, with notes of pine, musk, and varying degrees of citrus. Lab tests of modern cuts of Sour Diesel suggest that the strain usually contains high amounts of caryophyllene, myrcene, humulene, limonene, and linalool.

  • Sour Diesel Effects

Sour Diesel's sativa heritage shines through in the strain's effects, which are uplifting and energising. If you're a fan of wake N' bake, consider trying this strain in the early morning, as its energising euphoria may elevate your mood and motivation, putting you in the perfect mindset to tackle a busy day. Sour Diesel also makes a great strain for parties or other social situations, where her mental euphoria can help to relieve inhibitions and spark conversations. Some smokers also enjoy Sour Diesel before workouts or outdoor activities. After keeping you up and at 'em for a few hours, Sour Diesel's euphoric effects eventually subside, though without as much come down as other strains. Of course, with up to 19% THC or more, Sour Diesel is very potent and best enjoyed in moderation.

Growing Sour Diesel: A Tried and Tested Cultivar

Growing Sour Diesel at home? Luckily, growers have had plenty of chances to experiment with this high-energy strain. Based on their reports, this high-power sativa can flourish in any garden, producing top-shelf harvests with only moderate effort. Here's what to expect when growing Sour Diesel at home.

  • Germinating Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel seeds have a great germination rate and rapidly grow into strong seedlings. For the best possible results, we recommend germinating your seeds in a wet paper towel and planting them in Easy Start seedling pots once they've developed a 2cm-long taproot. Ideally, keep your seedlings in a propagator during the early stages of their life, where you can provide them with cool CFL light and plenty of humidity to support their growth. While every plant is unique, your Sour Diesel seedlings should be ready to veg 2–3 weeks after germination.

Sour Diesel Germination
  • Vegetative Phase

Since it hit the streets in the late 1990s, Diesel has been known to be a vigorous, fast-growing strain. This still rings true today, and most growers working with this strain opt to use intense training to manipulate Sour Diesel's rapid apical growth. LST, Topping, FIM, and ScrOG are all very effective techniques for managing the vigorous growth of Diesel plants. Within weeks, you're vegging Sour Diesel specimens should have developed several stems and plenty of thin, lime-green leaves.

Sour Diesel Vegetative Phase
  • Flowering Phase

Sour Diesel stretches considerably once she enters flowering, reaching average heights of up to 160cm indoors and 200cm outside. Again, training your plants early on can help mitigate some of her stretch. True to her sativa heritage, Sour Diesel can take up to 11 weeks to finish flowering, but her dank, potent flower is definitely worth the wait. By week 3 or 4 of bloom, your Diesel plants should start to release their delicious perfume into the air. While her buds preserve more of an old-school structure, Sour Diesel still has excellent bag appeal, producing long, dense spear-shaped green flowers with plenty of resin.

Sour Diesel Flowering Phase
  • Harvest

Indoors, Sour Diesel plants can be harvest-ready after roughly 11 weeks in flower. Outdoors, on the other hand, the strain is usually ripe for the picking by late October. For the best aroma, potency, and energising effects, we recommend harvesting Sour Diesel when 70% of the plant's trichomes have turned milky. Then, proceed to trim, dry, and cure your harvested buds to maximise their flavours, aromas, and strength.

Sour Diesel Harves Time

Sour Diesel Descendants

If you're as much of a fan of Diesel as we are, check out these descendants of the almighty Sour Diesel.

  • Dynamite Diesel: Born out of the unique collaboration of RQS and Tyson 2.0, Dynamite Diesel is a high-power strain bred from Sour Diesel x Skywalker OG. Packing exotic terpenes, Dynamite Diesel's aromas and flavours are earthy, spicy, and citric all at once. Meanwhile, her mild potency (22% THC) delivers a relaxing body buzz quickly followed by bouts of creative and social euphoria.

Dynamite Diesel
23_genetic background_1 Sour Diesel x Skywalker OG
33_Yield indoors_1 500 - 550 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 100 - 150 cm
25_flowering time_1 9 - 10 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 22%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 35% Indica 65%
34_yield outdoor_1 625 - 675 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 150 - 200 cm
27_harvest period_1 October
22_Effect_1 Calming, Physically Relaxing, Sleepy, Uplifting

Buy Dynamite Diesel

  • Royal Gorilla: Our take on Original Glue, Royal Gorilla, descends from a blend of Sour Dubb, Chem's Sis, and Chocolate Diesel. The result? A THC monster boasting sweet and earthy aromas with lovely lemon and pine highlights. Light her up, and Royal Gorilla will delight with her soothing physical effects and uplifting mental buzz.

Royal Gorilla
23_genetic background_1 Sour Dubb x Chem Sis x Chocolate Diesel
33_Yield indoors_1 500 - 550 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 90 - 160 cm
25_flowering time_1 8 - 10 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 27%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 50% Indica 50%
34_yield outdoor_1 550 - 600 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 130 - 170 cm
27_harvest period_1 Middle of October
22_Effect_1 Calming, Clear

Buy Royal Gorilla

  • NYC Sour Diesel Auto: Enjoy the energising effect and pungent flavours of real Diesel weed in weeks. NYC Sour Diesel Auto descends from a cross of NY Diesel x Sour Diesel Auto, making for a vigorous, fast-flowering auto strain that's harvest-ready 13 weeks after germination. But don't let her speed fool you—our NYC Sour Diesel Auto still packs a potent fuel stank and euphoric effects.

NYC Sour D Auto
23_genetic background_1 NY Diesel x Sour Diesel Auto
33_Yield indoors_1 450 - 500 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 80 - 100 cm
25_flowering time_1 8 - 10 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 21%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 70% Indica 25% Ruderalis 5%
34_yield outdoor_1 140 - 180 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 120 - 150 cm
27_harvest period_1 11 - 13 Weeks after sprouting
22_Effect_1 Euphoric, Motivating , Physically Relaxing

Buy NYC Sour D Auto

Sour Diesel: A Classic Sativa That Deserves a Place in Every Cannabis Garden

If you love bold cannabis flavours and an uplifting high, Sour Diesel is the strain for you. While Diesel plants traditionally proved challenging in the grow room due to their vigorous growth, our refined Sour Diesel feminized seeds make growing this 90s classic a real treat. Moreover, our breeders have developed a whole line of Diesel descendants that all bring something new to the table and make for endless fun out in the garden. Get yours today to start growing top-shelf Diesel cannabis at home.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: