Field Notes
Editorial notes from the Lockbox desk
Field Notes is where the Lockbox desk publishes the longer-form material that does not fit inside a single strain page — breeding science, growing technique, terpene chemistry, and the editorial reasoning behind calls like why we list the breeder of record before the strain name. Posts here are written for growers who already know the basics and want the documented version of a practice rather than the marketing version. We update this index as new pieces ship, and older posts get re-reviewed when the underlying research moves — the jar-curing piece, for example, was rewritten when newer relative-humidity studies tightened the recommended target. Methodology, comparisons across strains, and opinion pieces on how the home-grow market actually works in practice all land here rather than in the strain library.
Cannabis genetics 101 — landrace, hybrid, IBL, and F1 explained
What every label on a seed pack actually means. Landrace origins, the difference between F1, F2, F3, IBL, and BX, what a phenotype hunt is, how feminized seed is produced, and how breeders document a stable line.
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Cannabis light spectrum — red, blue, and far-red wavelengths
PAR vs PPFD, the McCree curve, and the documented effects of blue, red, far-red, and UV-B light on cannabis growth. Why full-spectrum LEDs displaced HPS in commercial cultivation between 2015 and 2023.
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Organic vs synthetic cannabis nutrients — documented differences
Salt index, mycorrhizal availability, slow-release vs fast-uptake behaviour, soil microbiome differences in published trials, terpene retention claims, and the environmental cost picture for each format.
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Ruderalis genetics and autoflower stabilization explained
A deeper dive than the autoflower-vs-photoperiod comparison. Cannabis ruderalis as a documented subspecies, the recessive inheritance pattern, Lowryder, the Dutch Passion AutoMazar release, and modern auto breeding programs.
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A documented timeline of modern cannabis strain history
Fifty years from landrace expeditions to lab-integrated breeding. The 1970s collection trips, 1980s Skunk #1 stabilization, the 1990s Cannabis Cup era, OG Kush in the 2000s, Cookies and Gelato in the 2010s, and the terpene-forward 2020s.
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Cannabis terpene primer for growers
The ten terpenes that show up most often in cannabis — myrcene, pinene, caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, humulene, terpinolene, ocimene, valencene, and bisabolol — with scent profiles, common strains, and what to expect in the grow room.
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Autoflower vs photoperiod cannabis seeds
An honest comparison of the two seed formats. Ruderalis genetics, light schedules, yield trade-offs, plant size, and which one actually fits your space and patience.
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Indoor vs outdoor cannabis growing
Indoor and outdoor cannabis are not the same hobby. Climate windows, security, pest pressure, harvest timing, electricity cost, and realistic yield numbers for each format.
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Reading trichomes to time your harvest
Trichome color is the most reliable harvest signal cannabis offers. Clear, cloudy, and amber stages, magnification tools, the head-versus-stalk question, and how calyx swelling confirms the call.
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The science of jar curing cannabis
What is actually happening inside a curing jar — chlorophyll degradation, terpene preservation, residual moisture. Target relative humidity, Boveda packs versus free burping, and how long the cure needs to run.
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Why the breeder of record matters more than the strain name
Two seed banks can sell ‘OG Kush’ and ship completely different genetics. The breeder on the pack is the only signal that consistently tracks with what you will actually grow.
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Cannabis seed germination guide — paper towel method
A field-tested protocol for cracking seeds, with the temperature window that gives most lines a near-100% germination rate and the three corrective steps for a stalled seed.
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Fast-flowering vs autoflowering — choosing the right shortcut
Both finish faster than standard photoperiod seeds, but they get there differently. The choice affects yield, height, and how forgiving your light schedule has to be.
Coming soon.