By Luke Sholl


When it comes to ultra-desirable cannabis strains, potency is one of the most sought-after attributes, followed closely by flavor and aroma. Well, not only does Cookies Gelato deliver up to 28% THC, but it matches such outstanding potency with mouth-watering flavors, moderate plant heights, large yields, and excellent performance indoors and out.

When you consider its esteemed parent strains—Gelato 33 and Girl Scout Cookies—is it any surprise that the photoperiod and autoflowering variants of Cookies Gelato have become instant fan favorites? Keep reading as we review the infamous Cookies Gelato, breaking down its genetic history, key characteristics, and week-by-week grow room performance.

Cookies Gelato
23_genetic background_1 Girl Scout Cookie X Gelato 33
33_Yield indoors_1 19 to 21 oz/m²
31_plant height outdoor_1 3 to 4 feet
25_flowering time_1 8 - 9 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 28%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 50% Indica 50%
34_yield outdoor_1 21 to 23 oz/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 5 to 6 feet
27_harvest period_1 Middle of October
22_Effect_1 Balanced, Calming, Physically Relaxing

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Cookies Gelato Strain Information: Blessed With Iconic Parents

To understand what makes Cookies Gelato stand out from other strains, you need to understand its heritage—few cultivars have such iconic parents as this flavorsome 50/50 hybrid. To create Cookies Gelato, we enlisted the help of the world-renowned Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) and Gelato 33.

The former is a legendary strain from Californian breeder Jigga that combines a balanced high with moderate levels of THC (around 19%) and dessert-like flavors. Since its conception, GSC has spawned countless progenies, including, of course, our very own Cookies Gelato. Still, even with its euphoric high and hints of citrus on the exhale, we knew we needed an equally iconic parent to complete the crossing. In steps Gelato 33. To cannabis connoisseurs, the Gelato line needs little introduction. With flavors reminiscent of the sweet dessert it's named after, Gelato is famed for its outstanding aroma, both in the grow room and in a freshly rolled joint.

Cookies Gelato Key Attributes

Cookies Gelato Characteristics

One of the most prominent features of Cookies Gelato is its potency. No matter your experience, there's no avoiding the intense euphoria and strong body stone that accompanies a cultivar with 28% THC. In fact, many recreational users claim that her effects take hold after a single hit—no small feat. As such, a cautious approach is recommended for users with a mild tolerance.

Overindulge and you may find that Cookies Gelato's mesmerising nature becomes too much to handle. The problem, of course, is that this strain comes packed with sugary terpenes, tempting even the most timid smoker to blaze the day away.

Flavor, Aroma, and Effects of Cookies Gelato: The Epitome of Dessert-Like Cannabis

Digging deeper into the flavor of Cookies Gelato, you'll find an eclectic mix of citrus, earth, fruit, and mint. This profile pays homage to Gelato's roots and offers the perfect balance of sweetness and earthiness. In fact, this is a common theme for Cookies Gelato, as it delicately balances effects and flavor/aroma to deliver a pleasing experience at every turn.

Meanwhile, the high starts firmly focused on the mind before slowly shifting towards the body. The strain's hybrid nature comes to the foreground here, as it exerts effects typical of both sativa and indica strains. However, after a long-enough session, there's definitely a dominating cerebral influence. This is not to say that you won't feel physically relaxed, but Cookies Gelato provides an abundance of mental stimulation, ideal for combating the pressures of modern living.

Growing Cookies Gelato: How Every Strain Should Perform

Growers have had plenty of chances to get to grips with Cookies Gelato, and the feedback has been terrific. The majority cite a straightforward, beginner-friendly experience from germination to harvest. The plant maintains a compact structure, making it ideal for small tents while also providing an incredibly generous harvest (as much as 600 g/m² for indoor grow-ops).

  • Germinating Cookies Gelato

Cookies Gelato seeds boast great germination rates regardless of the environment. Starter blocks are helpful for first-time growers, but experienced hands have had equal success with a coco coir blend, starting seeds in 7-litre pots and letting them establish a robust root network.

Cookies Gelato Germination
  • Vegetative Phase

Once the plants have developed several sets of true leaves, you can transplant them into their final pots. From here on out, Cookies Gelato does most of the legwork for you. As highlighted, these plants have a compact structure, which helps to keep them at around 1 m in height during the vegetative stage. Outside of normal feeding routines and some light pruning, you can sit back and watch as seedlings develop into sturdy and reliable plants.

Cookies Gelato Vegetative Phase
  • Flowering Phase

Even better is the lack of stretching as plants transition to flowering. Still, if space is limited and you want to ensure your grow tent doesn't run into issues with airflow and humidity, consider some gentle forms of plant training, such as LST or screen of green (ScrOG). Low-stress training can also help if you're encountering problems with light burn. Typically, you'll want the lights to hang roughly 40 cm from the canopy during flowering.

Another highly desirable characteristic of Cookies Gelato is its resilience to cannabis pests such as fungus gnats. This natural resilience, combined with a conservative desire for water (3 litres every five days during the latter stages of flowering), ensures you can get your grow-op back on track without hampering bud production. For first-time growers, you'll need to invest in a quality carbon filter, as plants boast a strong Gelato aroma, even during the first 1–2 weeks of the flowering phase.

Cookies Gelato Flowering Phase
  • Harvest

In optimal conditions, indoor plants will be ready for harvest after 8–9 weeks of flowering, while outdoor examples will be ready for the chop in mid-October. The latter can also produce up to 650 g/plant, a fantastic return for a strain that can cope with short summers. Just don't rush the drying and curing stages, though, as the longer you leave these buds to mature in humidity-controlled jars, the more intense the flavors.

Cookies Gelato Harvest Time
  • Cookies Gelato Auto

If speed is of the essence but you don't want to compromise on potency or flavor, Cookies Gelato Auto delivers all of the sugary terps and euphoria-inducing THC you could want in as little as 12 weeks from sprouting. If it's your first time growing an auto, ensure you germinate seeds in their final containers (typically a 15-litre fabric pot), as you'll want plants to focus solely on development rather than the stress of a new environment.

You'll also want to keep plant training to a minimum, but this should be fine as Cookies Gelato Auto rarely reaches over 140 cm indoors and out. You may, however, need to consider additional bracing during flowering, as the inclusion of Big Skunk Auto genetics helps to push the yield potential to otherworldly limits—up to 500 g/m². You'll need to match this thirst for bud production with an accelerated feeding schedule, but an extra dose of Bio-Bloom fertiliser should do the trick.

Cookies Gelato Auto
23_genetic background_1 Cookies Gelato x Big Skunk Auto
33_Yield indoors_1 16 to 19 oz/m²
31_plant height outdoor_1 3 to 4 feet
25_flowering time_1 8 - 9 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 23%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 20%, Indica 75%, Ruderalis 5%
34_yield outdoor_1 3 to 5 oz/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 3 to 5 feet
27_harvest period_1 10 - 12 weeks after sprouting
22_Effect_1 Balanced, Creative

Buy Cookies Gelato Auto

Cookies Gelato: The Perfect All-Rounder

Hundreds of strains claim to deliver everything growers and smokers could want, but only a select few actually do. Cookies Gelato breaks that trend by proving you can have a straightforward growing experience and still harvest terpene-laden buds packing up to 28% THC.

And if you really want to simplify the process, you can opt for the autoflowering variant, which accelerates towards harvest in weeks, not months. Still, regardless of which you choose, there's no denying that Cookies Gelato is at the top of its game, and looks set to stay there for a long time to come.

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