# Mythbusters: grow lore, put on trial > 122 popular cannabis growing myths checked against the evidence, from flushing and darkness before harvest to Cal-Mag under LEDs, with verdicts and the open GenetixBay trials. - Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/mythbusters.html - Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay Knowledge Base (genetixbay.com/knowledge)" ## Greenleaf's standing challenge: darkness before harvest Putting plants in 24–72 hours of darkness before harvest is a myth ("complete and utter nonsense", in the founder's words). For more than 20 years the founder has offered a 50-pack of seeds to anyone who finds a peer-reviewed study showing a benefit (not a single-plant study, not biased or skewed). Nobody has claimed it. ## Busted - **Myth:** "Cannabis is much stronger than it was 20 (or 50) years ago" **Verdict:** Busted. False as a claim about the genetics. Hashish, charas and sinsemilla traditions are centuries old and impossible with 5 % plants. The 'weak old weed' numbers measured seized, degraded, exported brick, not the best of what was grown Evidence: [Old cannabis wasn't weak: the "so much stronger than 20 years ago" myth](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/old-cannabis-was-not-weak.md) - **Myth:** "Most shelf weed is 30 %" **Verdict:** Busted. Independent retests find most retail flower in the mid-teens to low 20s, often well below its label. Reaching 30 % total cannabinoids is a rare, real feat Evidence: [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md) - **Myth:** "Flower can test 35 %, even 42 %, total cannabinoids" **Verdict:** Busted. Not credible: cannabinoids are made only in trichome heads and bud is mostly bract and stem. Numbers like that come from concentrates, lab shopping or inflated testing Evidence: [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md) - **Myth:** "Humidity packs keep your stash fresher" **Verdict:** Busted. A marketing gimmick: the only pro-pack data is the manufacturer's own. A good cure in a full, airtight, dark jar does the job Evidence: [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md) - **Myth:** "Frost and purple mean potency" **Verdict:** Busted. Frost is how many trichome heads you can see, not how full they are; gland density didn't predict THC in a field study, and consumers' potency ratings didn't match measured THC. Purple and red are anthocyanins, set by genetics and cold, with their own temperature optimum separate from cannabinoids Evidence: [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md) - **Myth:** "Autos are easy" **Verdict:** Busted. Autos run on a strict countdown from germination, so any stress or mistake costs yield they can't recover. They're good for beginners because they quickly show who has a green thumb, not because they're forgiving Evidence: [Photoperiod vs autoflower, and how autoflowering is inherited](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/photoperiod-vs-autoflower.md) - **Myth:** "UV-B lamps raise THC" **Verdict:** Busted. Controlled trials found UV made little or no difference to cannabinoids, and high doses can cut yield Evidence: [Light spectrum: blue, red, far-red and UV, what's real](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/environment/light-spectrum.md) - **Myth:** "Cold nights boost terpenes and resin" **Verdict:** Busted. Cold can bring out purple colour (anthocyanins) in cultivars that carry it. More terpenes, flavour or resin from cold has no peer-reviewed support Evidence: [Temperature by stage: day, night and root-zone targets](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/environment/temperature-by-stage.md) - **Myth:** "Day 1 of 12/12 is day 1 of flower" **Verdict:** Busted. After the flip the shoot tip needs days to rebuild itself into an inflorescence; in controlled studies the first proper pistil clusters appeared about 8–14 days after short days began, and later in slow cultivars Evidence: [The flip isn't day 1 of flower: the 10–14 day transition and how to count it](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/environment/flip-to-flower-transition.md) - **Myth:** "High-phosphorus bloom boosters mean bigger buds" **Verdict:** Busted. Four independent cannabis trials found a plateau: past roughly 25–60 mg/L P, more phosphorus didn't raise yield or cannabinoids Evidence: ["Bloom boosters" for cannabis: what's real and what's marketing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/bloom-boosters.md) - **Myth:** "LED lights make plants need Cal-Mag" **Verdict:** Busted. LEDs don't create a Cal-Mag need. Demand is driven by cultivar, RO or soft water, coco's cation exchange and root-zone pH Evidence: [Cal-Mag: what it is, when you need it and when you don't](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/cal-mag.md) - **Myth:** "A pre-harvest flush 'cleans' the plant of nutrients" **Verdict:** Busted. Plain water can't pull stored minerals back out of tissue. The only valid flush treats the medium (salt build-up), not the plant Evidence: [Flushing before harvest: myth (summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/flushing.md) - **Myth:** "Molasses in the reservoir sweetens and fattens buds" **Verdict:** Busted. Sugars feed soil microbes, not the plant, which makes its own by photosynthesis. In mineral hydro they just feed slime Evidence: [Per-element feeding tricks: what growers adjust, stage by stage](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/per-element-tricks.md) - **Myth:** "More sulfur means more terpenes" **Verdict:** Busted. Terpenes contain no sulfur. Once S is sufficient there's no mechanism for extra S to make more of them Evidence: [Per-element feeding tricks: what growers adjust, stage by stage](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/per-element-tricks.md) - **Myth:** "Ladybugs from the garden centre will clean up indoor aphids" **Verdict:** Busted. Field-collected convergent lady beetles arrive semi-dormant, tend to fly off, and may take weeks to lay eggs; their larvae do most of the eating Evidence: [Aphids on cannabis: species, life tables, population growth and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Any Aphidius wasp kills any aphid" **Verdict:** Busted. Aphidius colemani parasitises small aphids such as green peach and cotton aphid but is not effective on larger foxglove or potato aphids; species matching decides success Evidence: [Aphids on cannabis: species, life tables, population growth and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Aphids lay eggs that hatch after you spray" **Verdict:** Busted. Indoors under long days the common cannabis aphids give live birth with no egg stage; eggs only come from sexual forms under short days or outdoors in autumn Evidence: [Aphids on cannabis: species, life tables, population growth and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Running the room hot kills aphids" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Above 28-30 C the cannabis aphid collapses in lab tests, but the cotton aphid still grows fast at 30 C, and heat stresses the plant and the beneficials Evidence: [Aphids on cannabis: species, life tables, population growth and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Aphids spread hop latent viroid" **Verdict:** Busted. Hop latent viroid spreads mainly mechanically through cuttings, tools and sap; the cannabis aphid can carry cucumber mosaic and alfalfa mosaic virus, not HLVd Evidence: [Aphids on cannabis: species, life tables, population growth and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/aphids.md) - **Myth:** "You can check for broad mites with a 10x loupe" **Verdict:** Busted. Females are about 0.2 mm and eggs about 0.08 mm; extension guidance calls for 20x or more and prefers a microscope, so a clean 10x look proves nothing Evidence: [Broad mites on cannabis: life table, spread and control (plus russet mite summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/broad-russet-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Twisted new growth means calcium deficiency" **Verdict:** Busted. Broad mite feeding produces the same twisting and glazing; rule out mites under 40-60x after checking pH and root zone Evidence: [Broad mites on cannabis: life table, spread and control (plus russet mite summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/broad-russet-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Broad mites only arrive on clones" **Verdict:** Busted. Clones are the main route, but broad mites also ride on hands, clothing, air currents and on whitefly and aphid adults Evidence: [Broad mites on cannabis: life table, spread and control (plus russet mite summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/broad-russet-mites.md) - **Myth:** "A hot-water dip cleans infested cannabis cuttings" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. 43-49 C for 15 minutes is documented for other crops; on hemp cuttings 41-43 C reduced russet mites but did not eliminate them, and no cannabis broad-mite protocol exists Evidence: [Broad mites on cannabis: life table, spread and control (plus russet mite summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/broad-russet-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Dropping humidity will wipe out broad mites" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Broad mites are favoured by high humidity, but no cannabis study shows low RH eliminates them, and low RH also kills predatory mite eggs Evidence: [Broad mites on cannabis: life table, spread and control (plus russet mite summary)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/broad-russet-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Bt kills any caterpillar in the bud" **Verdict:** Busted. Bt must be eaten and works best on small larvae on the surface; large larvae inside colas eat little treated tissue, and kurstaki-strain Bt killed only about a third of field-collected corn earworm larvae in Virginia tests Evidence: [Budworms on cannabis: corn earworm and tobacco budworm in numbers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/budworms-corn-earworm.md) - **Myth:** "One spray at the start of flower protects the crop" **Verdict:** Busted. Bt breaks down in sunlight, often within a week, and corn earworm moths keep arriving for weeks, so protection lasts only as long as fresh residue is on the buds during flights Evidence: [Budworms on cannabis: corn earworm and tobacco budworm in numbers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/budworms-corn-earworm.md) - **Myth:** "Pheromone traps control budworms" **Verdict:** Busted. Lures attract only males and catch too few to matter; traps tell you when moths are flying, nothing more Evidence: [Budworms on cannabis: corn earworm and tobacco budworm in numbers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/budworms-corn-earworm.md) - **Myth:** "Budworms only hit hemp next to corn" **Verdict:** Busted. Corn is a major source of moths, but Maryland trial moths preferred hemp to sweet corn and migrating moths reach isolated fields; distance from corn reduces but does not remove risk Evidence: [Budworms on cannabis: corn earworm and tobacco budworm in numbers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/budworms-corn-earworm.md) - **Myth:** "Corn earworm and tobacco budworm need different management on cannabis" **Verdict:** Confirmed. Both are heliothine moths with the same egg-on-flower habit and very similar degree-day needs; the practical difference is insecticide resistance profiles in field crops, not cannabis tactics Evidence: [Budworms on cannabis: corn earworm and tobacco budworm in numbers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/budworms-corn-earworm.md) - **Myth:** "Cannabis aphids are just green peach aphids" **Verdict:** Busted. Phorodon cannabis is a distinct species that develops only on Cannabis; mistaking it for green peach aphid can lead to a less suitable parasitoid Evidence: [Cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis): ID, life table, overwintering and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/cannabis-aphid.md) - **Myth:** "A clean room can be reinfested from weeds outside" **Verdict:** Busted. Cannabis aphid develops only on Cannabis and starves within a few days without it; reinfestation comes mainly from introduced Cannabis plant material Evidence: [Cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis): ID, life table, overwintering and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/cannabis-aphid.md) - **Myth:** "Aphidius colemani is proven against cannabis aphid" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Industry reports disagree on it versus Aphidius matricariae, and no peer-reviewed greenhouse trial on cannabis aphid was found Evidence: [Cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis): ID, life table, overwintering and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/cannabis-aphid.md) - **Myth:** "Cannabis aphids only lay eggs outdoors" **Verdict:** Busted. Colorado State reports sexual forms and eggs indoors after the switch to short-day lighting Evidence: [Cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis): ID, life table, overwintering and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/cannabis-aphid.md) - **Myth:** "Bt kills caterpillars on contact" **Verdict:** Busted. Bt must be eaten and is a stomach poison; spraying larvae that are already inside stems or colas does little Evidence: [Caterpillars on cannabis: species, degree-days and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/caterpillars.md) - **Myth:** "Caterpillars are only a problem outdoors" **Verdict:** Busted. They are mainly outdoor pests, but greenhouses and light-dep houses with open vents in late summer are hit too, and indoor rooms get them through unscreened intakes Evidence: [Caterpillars on cannabis: species, degree-days and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/caterpillars.md) - **Myth:** "Pheromone traps catch enough moths to control them" **Verdict:** Busted. Lures attract only males of one species and catch a small share; they are timing tools Evidence: [Caterpillars on cannabis: species, degree-days and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/caterpillars.md) - **Myth:** "Leaf holes in veg mean you will lose the harvest" **Verdict:** Busted. Looper and armyworm leaf feeding on mature hemp is usually minor and generally does not need control; buds are what matter Evidence: [Caterpillars on cannabis: species, degree-days and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/caterpillars.md) - **Myth:** "Burning or removing crop debris reduces hemp borer next year" **Verdict:** Confirmed. Overwintering larvae of Eurasian hemp borer sit in stems and seed-head leaf folds, so removing residue removes them; CSU makes it the main recommendation Evidence: [Caterpillars on cannabis: species, degree-days and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/caterpillars.md) - **Myth:** "A layer of sand or diatomaceous earth stops fungus gnats" **Verdict:** Busted. In tests, sand and DE on the medium surface did not reduce adult emergence or egg laying; the gaps let larvae pupate and females lay eggs Evidence: [Fungus gnats: the watering problem with wings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/fungus-gnats.md) - **Myth:** "Adult fungus gnats spread Pythium root rot" **Verdict:** Busted. Adults never transmitted Pythium in lab tests and Pythium DNA was not found in adults; larvae can carry it, mostly in lab assays Evidence: [Fungus gnats: the watering problem with wings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/fungus-gnats.md) - **Myth:** "Fungus gnats always mean you are overwatering" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Constantly wet media are the main driver, but microbially active media (compost, worm castings, kelp, blood meal) can produce 2-5 times as many gnats even when watering is reasonable Evidence: [Fungus gnats: the watering problem with wings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/fungus-gnats.md) - **Myth:** "Hydrogen peroxide drenches cure fungus gnats" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. No controlled trial against Bradysia was found; strong drenches can damage roots and the beneficial microbes and predators you want Evidence: [Fungus gnats: the watering problem with wings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/fungus-gnats.md) - **Myth:** "Yellow sticky cards will wipe out fungus gnats" **Verdict:** Busted. Cards catch short-lived adults (about 6 days) while most of the population sits as eggs, larvae and pupae in the medium; cards are for counting Evidence: [Fungus gnats: the watering problem with wings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/fungus-gnats.md) - **Myth:** "You can see russet mites with a 10x loupe" **Verdict:** Busted. They are 110-210 micrometres; Colorado State says 15-20x minimum and a Kentucky study needed 55x to count them Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Russet mites come in on seeds" **Verdict:** Busted. NC State says the mites cannot be sustained on seeds and starting from seed is the best prevention Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Predatory mites will wipe out russet mites" **Verdict:** Busted. Some predators reduced field populations but none eradicated them or reproduced on infested hemp Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "A hot-water or soap dip cleans an infested clone" **Verdict:** Busted. Dips at 41-43 C or soap reduced mites on hemp cuttings but eliminated none Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Russet mites survive on other plants in the room" **Verdict:** Busted. Hemp russet mite is host specific to Cannabis; without hosts the remaining mites die within about a month Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Russet mites like dry rooms" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Sources conflict: Colorado State lists high humidity as favourable, tomato russet mite data favour low humidity Evidence: [Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola): life cycle, detection and control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/hemp-russet-mite.md) - **Myth:** "A preventive spray every week is IPM" **Verdict:** Busted. Calendar spraying without scouting is the opposite of IPM: it selects resistance and kills beneficials while missing the pest's real timing Evidence: [Integrated pest management (IPM) for cannabis: a complete programme for home and small commercial growers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/integrated-pest-management-program.md) - **Myth:** "Clean clones from a dispensary or a friend don't need quarantine" **Verdict:** Busted. Clones are the main documented route for spider mites, russet mites, broad mites and root aphids into indoor rooms; eggs and eriophyid mites are invisible without magnification Evidence: [Integrated pest management (IPM) for cannabis: a complete programme for home and small commercial growers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/integrated-pest-management-program.md) - **Myth:** "Bugs come from the soil or appear out of nowhere" **Verdict:** Busted. Indoor pests arrive on plants, people, pets, air intakes and reused media; they do not generate spontaneously Evidence: [Integrated pest management (IPM) for cannabis: a complete programme for home and small commercial growers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/integrated-pest-management-program.md) - **Myth:** "Sticky cards will catch your spider mites" **Verdict:** Busted. Spider mites, broad and russet mites, mealybugs and wingless aphids do not fly; cards only catch flying adults such as thrips, whiteflies, gnats, shore flies and winged aphids Evidence: [Integrated pest management (IPM) for cannabis: a complete programme for home and small commercial growers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/integrated-pest-management-program.md) - **Myth:** "If you release predators you never need anything else" **Verdict:** Busted. Predators work only inside their climate window and at a sufficient predator:prey ratio; hot, dry rooms or late releases fail Evidence: [Integrated pest management (IPM) for cannabis: a complete programme for home and small commercial growers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/integrated-pest-management-program.md) - **Myth:** "Spraying leafhoppers prevents curly top" **Verdict:** Busted. Transmission takes hours and migrants keep arriving, so insecticides do not stop infection; CSU calls them ineffective Evidence: [Leafhoppers on cannabis: beet leafhopper, curly top and hopperburn](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/leafhoppers.md) - **Myth:** "Curly top only spreads by leafhoppers" **Verdict:** Busted. Leafhoppers spread it in the field, but grafting and cuttings from infected mothers also transmit it Evidence: [Leafhoppers on cannabis: beet leafhopper, curly top and hopperburn](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/leafhoppers.md) - **Myth:** "Hopperburn is a nutrient burn" **Verdict:** Busted. Leaf-tip yellowing and scorch from potato leafhopper looks like nutrient or drought stress but has insects under the leaves Evidence: [Leafhoppers on cannabis: beet leafhopper, curly top and hopperburn](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/leafhoppers.md) - **Myth:** "Beet leafhoppers breed in hemp fields" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. CSU field observations found only adults in hemp, but a CSU lab study showed they can lay eggs and develop on hemp, so it is unsettled Evidence: [Leafhoppers on cannabis: beet leafhopper, curly top and hopperburn](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/leafhoppers.md) - **Myth:** "Every leafhopper on the sticky card is a problem" **Verdict:** Busted. Over a dozen leafhopper species visit Colorado hemp and most are harmless transients; only beet leafhopper transmits a known hemp pathogen Evidence: [Leafhoppers on cannabis: beet leafhopper, curly top and hopperburn](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/leafhoppers.md) - **Myth:** "Mealybugs are a fast pest like spider mites" **Verdict:** Busted. Citrus mealybug r_m is about 0.084/day at 25 °C (doubling ~8 days) against several times that for mites and aphids; they build slowly and are missed for that reason Evidence: [Mealybugs and root mealybugs on cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/mealybugs.md) - **Myth:** "One spray of soap or oil wipes them out" **Verdict:** Busted. Wax and ovisacs shield adults and eggs; crawlers keep hatching for 10-20 days, so repeats are needed Evidence: [Mealybugs and root mealybugs on cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/mealybugs.md) - **Myth:** "Leptomastix only attacks citrus mealybug" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. UC IPM's Pest Note says so, but UC's natural enemies gallery lists at least 50 mealybug hosts; it performs best on citrus mealybug Evidence: [Mealybugs and root mealybugs on cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/mealybugs.md) - **Myth:** "Cryptolaemus works in any grow room" **Verdict:** Busted. Development and reproduction slow greatly below about 20 °C and short days, and it needs prey egg masses to reproduce Evidence: [Mealybugs and root mealybugs on cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/mealybugs.md) - **Myth:** "Ants are harmless bystanders" **Verdict:** Busted. Ants tend mealybugs for honeydew and attack their natural enemies Evidence: [Mealybugs and root mealybugs on cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/mealybugs.md) - **Myth:** "Root aphids are the same pest as lettuce root aphids or phylloxera" **Verdict:** Busted. Cranshaw and Wainwright-Evans showed online cannabis 'root aphid' biology was borrowed from Pemphigus and grape phylloxera; the cannabis species is mainly rice root aphid, which needs no tree host indoors Evidence: [Root aphids (rice root aphid) on indoor cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/root-aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Beneficial nematodes control root aphids" **Verdict:** Busted. Aphids are poor nematode hosts; the woolly apple aphid suppresses the nematodes' symbiotic bacteria and a field spray gave only a marginal effect Evidence: [Root aphids (rice root aphid) on indoor cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/root-aphids.md) - **Myth:** "A week between runs is enough to starve root aphids" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. No starvation data exist; adults live up to about a month in cool conditions and survived 24 days on non-host potato Evidence: [Root aphids (rice root aphid) on indoor cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/root-aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Fungal drenches (Beauveria, Isaria) help against root aphids" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Best observed results among commercial products in cannabis facilities, but no controlled cannabis trial Evidence: [Root aphids (rice root aphid) on indoor cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/root-aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Root aphids are an outdoor hemp problem" **Verdict:** Busted. Rice root aphid has not been found on outdoor hemp; it is an indoor and greenhouse pest Evidence: [Root aphids (rice root aphid) on indoor cannabis: ID, life cycle in numbers and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/root-aphids.md) - **Myth:** "Shore flies eat roots like fungus gnats" **Verdict:** Busted. Shore fly larvae feed on algae and decaying matter and do not consume plant roots; the risk is pathogens carried in their gut and frass Evidence: [Shore flies: algae farmers in your propagation tray](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/shore-flies.md) - **Myth:** "Bti controls shore flies as well as fungus gnats" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. No trial showing good Bti control of Scatella was found, and extension shore fly guides do not list it Evidence: [Shore flies: algae farmers in your propagation tray](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/shore-flies.md) - **Myth:** "Shore flies are only a cosmetic nuisance" **Verdict:** Busted. Lab studies show larvae and adults carry and transmit Pythium aphanidermatum, Thielaviopsis basicola, Fusarium and Verticillium Evidence: [Shore flies: algae farmers in your propagation tray](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/shore-flies.md) - **Myth:** "Spraying adults will clear shore flies" **Verdict:** Busted. Females lay eggs about 3 days after emerging and the thick-skinned puparium resists insecticides; adult sprays do not fix the source Evidence: [Shore flies: algae farmers in your propagation tray](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/shore-flies.md) - **Myth:** "Salt is a good slug control" **Verdict:** Busted. Salt kills the slug it touches but damages soil and plants; baits, barriers and trapping work without harming the bed Evidence: [Slugs and snails: night shift on your seedlings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/slugs-and-snails.md) - **Myth:** "Beer traps will clear a garden of slugs" **Verdict:** Busted. Beer traps attract slugs only from within a few feet and need refilling every few days; they monitor and reduce, not eliminate Evidence: [Slugs and snails: night shift on your seedlings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/slugs-and-snails.md) - **Myth:** "Iron phosphate baits are not effective because you never see dead slugs" **Verdict:** Busted. Slugs stop feeding soon after eating iron phosphate and die over several days to a week, usually hidden Evidence: [Slugs and snails: night shift on your seedlings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/slugs-and-snails.md) - **Myth:** "Copper tape always keeps slugs out" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Copper deters slugs only when tall enough, clean and continuous, and it cannot stop slugs already inside the barrier Evidence: [Slugs and snails: night shift on your seedlings](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/slugs-and-snails.md) - **Myth:** "Spider mites cannot survive high humidity" **Verdict:** Busted. High humidity slows them (densities up to 3 times lower at about 80% than at about 55% RH on greenhouse cucumber) but does not stop them, and late-flower humidity invites bud rot Evidence: [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md) - **Myth:** "A weekly spray matches the spider mite life cycle" **Verdict:** Busted. Egg hatch takes about 3 days at 30 °C but about 6 days at 20 °C, so the right re-spray interval depends on room temperature, not the calendar Evidence: [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Red or orange mites are always predators" **Verdict:** Busted. Predatory Phytoseiulus is orange-red, but so are diapausing spider mite females and the red (carmine) form of T. urticae; predators have no dark side spots and run fast Evidence: [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Spider mites love heat" **Verdict:** Confirmed. In lab life tables the intrinsic rate of increase roughly doubles from 20 to 30 °C; above about 33-35 °C net reproduction falls, but plants and predators suffer more Evidence: [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Phytoseiulus persimilis works in any grow room" **Verdict:** Busted. Its eggs fail in dry air (7.5% hatch at 40% RH vs 99.7% at 80% RH, 27 °C), and it cannot keep up with spider mites above about 30 °C Evidence: [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md) - **Myth:** "Mites die in winter" **Verdict:** Busted. Indoor rooms never fall below spider mite developmental thresholds of about 8-14 C; outdoors, females diapause in debris and return in spring Evidence: [Temperature, humidity and pest population growth in cannabis: every major pest compared](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/temperature-humidity-and-pest-population-growth.md) - **Myth:** "Just raise humidity to beat spider mites" **Verdict:** Busted. High RH slows mites and helps predators in veg, but it does not eliminate them and is dangerous in flower because of bud rot Evidence: [Temperature, humidity and pest population growth in cannabis: every major pest compared](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/temperature-humidity-and-pest-population-growth.md) - **Myth:** "Hotter is always worse for every pest" **Verdict:** Busted. Cannabis aphid, broad mites and thrips decline above their optimum near 25-31 C; spider mites are the main pest that keeps accelerating to about 30-32 C Evidence: [Temperature, humidity and pest population growth in cannabis: every major pest compared](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/temperature-humidity-and-pest-population-growth.md) - **Myth:** "A weekly spray schedule works for every room" **Verdict:** Busted. Development time halves or doubles with temperature, so intervals must be set from life tables at your temperature Evidence: [Temperature, humidity and pest population growth in cannabis: every major pest compared](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/temperature-humidity-and-pest-population-growth.md) - **Myth:** "Cold rooms stop pests" **Verdict:** Busted. Pest growth slows below 20 C but continues until the lower developmental threshold, typically 6-13 C Evidence: [Temperature, humidity and pest population growth in cannabis: every major pest compared](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/temperature-humidity-and-pest-population-growth.md) - **Myth:** "Sticky cards will control thrips" **Verdict:** Busted. Cards catch only flying adults; eggs inside leaves, larvae on leaves and pupae in the medium never reach them Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "Weekly leaf sprays will wipe out thrips" **Verdict:** Busted. Eggs are inside leaf tissue and about 98% of western flower thrips pupated in the soil in a bean study, so sprays miss most of the population Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "Thrips will give my cannabis a virus" **Verdict:** Busted. Thrips spread tospoviruses in other crops, but none are known to infect cannabis Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "Minute pirate bugs work just as well in flower" **Verdict:** Busted. Short days push many Orius insidiosus females into reproductive diapause; about 57% at 12:12 in one lab strain Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "A cold room kills thrips" **Verdict:** Busted. Western flower thrips develops above about 8 °C and does not diapause; it just slows down Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "Predatory mites can rescue a heavy infestation" **Verdict:** Busted. N. cucumeris and A. swirskii eat only first-instar larvae and no adults, so they prevent rather than rescue Evidence: [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md) - **Myth:** "Red spider mites are a different, tougher species" **Verdict:** Busted. Most acarologists now treat the red (carmine) mite as a colour form of T. urticae; no study has shown the red form is inherently more resistant Evidence: [Two-spotted vs carmine spider mite: one species or two, and does it matter?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/two-spotted-vs-carmine-mite.md) - **Myth:** "You can tell the species by colour alone" **Verdict:** Busted. Colour varies with age, diet, temperature and diapause, and hybrids come in many shades; males and juveniles of both forms look alike Evidence: [Two-spotted vs carmine spider mite: one species or two, and does it matter?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/two-spotted-vs-carmine-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Orange spider mites are the carmine mite" **Verdict:** Busted. Bright orange females without dark spots are usually diapausing females of either form, which stop feeding and laying Evidence: [Two-spotted vs carmine spider mite: one species or two, and does it matter?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/two-spotted-vs-carmine-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Red forms never go dormant" **Verdict:** Busted. Many red-form populations fail to diapause, but some (in Italy, Greece and Lebanese mountains) do Evidence: [Two-spotted vs carmine spider mite: one species or two, and does it matter?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/two-spotted-vs-carmine-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Green and red spider mites need different control" **Verdict:** Confirmed. The same predatory mites, environment set-points and IRAC rotation apply to both forms Evidence: [Two-spotted vs carmine spider mite: one species or two, and does it matter?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/two-spotted-vs-carmine-mite.md) - **Myth:** "Yellow cards will control whiteflies" **Verdict:** Busted. Cards catch flying adults only; eggs and nymphs under the leaves keep coming Evidence: [Whiteflies on cannabis: life table, temperature, parasitoids and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/whiteflies.md) - **Myth:** "Encarsia works on any whitefly" **Verdict:** Busted. Encarsia formosa is the greenhouse whitefly specialist; Eretmocerus is the usual choice for silverleaf whitefly Evidence: [Whiteflies on cannabis: life table, temperature, parasitoids and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/whiteflies.md) - **Myth:** "Whiteflies love heat, so cool the room" **Verdict:** Busted. Silverleaf whitefly does, but greenhouse whitefly lives and breeds less above about 26 °C, and cooling below about 17-18 °C helps the whitefly more than Encarsia Evidence: [Whiteflies on cannabis: life table, temperature, parasitoids and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/whiteflies.md) - **Myth:** "One spray clears whiteflies" **Verdict:** Busted. Eggs and late nymphs survive contact sprays and hatch or emerge within a week at 25 °C Evidence: [Whiteflies on cannabis: life table, temperature, parasitoids and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/whiteflies.md) - **Myth:** "Whiteflies only make honeydew, they are harmless" **Verdict:** Busted. Large nymph populations cause yellowing and leaf drop, and adults can carry broad mites Evidence: [Whiteflies on cannabis: life table, temperature, parasitoids and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/whiteflies.md) - **Myth:** "Late-flower bananas are normal" **Verdict:** Busted. Late 'nanners' are staminate flowers (anthers) forming inside a female's buds: that is intersex expression, a herm. Sex expression is heritable, and stress only reveals the plants that carry the weakness Evidence: [Hermaphrodite cannabis (bananas and nanners): what to do](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/hermaphrodites.md) - **Myth:** "A herm is fine if it's the best plant you've grown" **Verdict:** Busted. Its pollen makes all-female seed that carries the same tendency. Keep it and you spread the problem; cull it and don't breed from it Evidence: [Hermaphrodite cannabis (bananas and nanners): what to do](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/hermaphrodites.md) - **Myth:** "Two-way humidity packs make a better cure" **Verdict:** Busted. A marketing gimmick: the only data that says packs help comes from a pack maker's own test. Cure by the bud's water activity, and add a fresh bud if a jar goes too dry Evidence: [Curing and burping: jars, humidity and how long](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/curing-burping.md) - **Myth:** "Irradiated weed is radioactive" **Verdict:** Busted. Gamma from cobalt-60, e-beam up to 10 MeV and X-ray up to 5 MeV (7.5 MeV with gold or tantalum targets) don't make the product radioactive, the same as irradiated spices. The real questions are terpenes, mycotoxins and disclosure Evidence: [Irradiated cannabis: gamma, e-beam, X-ray, ozone, RF and what they do to your weed](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/irradiated-cannabis.md) - **Myth:** "Irradiation has no effect on terpenes" **Verdict:** Inconclusive. Some studies found no significant change. Others measured 10–20 % losses in volatile monoterpenes (up to 38 % for one compound) right after treatment. The effect is small and real. Nobody has shown it's harmless to aroma, and nobody has shown it ruins it Evidence: [Irradiated cannabis: gamma, e-beam, X-ray, ozone, RF and what they do to your weed](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/irradiated-cannabis.md) - **Myth:** "A passing retest means the mould problem is gone" **Verdict:** Busted. Irradiation and other kill steps reduce the count of living spores. Toxins the mould already made, and the dead spores themselves, can stay. One small study still found mycotoxins and viable Aspergillus and Penicillium after gamma treatment Evidence: [Irradiated cannabis: gamma, e-beam, X-ray, ozone, RF and what they do to your weed](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/irradiated-cannabis.md) - **Myth:** "Flushing with plain water before harvest makes smoother, better-tasting buds" **Verdict:** Busted. Cannabis stores what it takes up; water at the end doesn't wash it out. Controlled studies found no quality gain, and starving the plant while it finishes costs yield and resin Evidence: [Pre-harvest flushing: a myth that costs you yield and resin](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/flush-debate.md) - **Myth:** "24–72 hours of darkness before harvest boosts resin and THC" **Verdict:** Busted. Why switch off photosynthesis while the plant is finishing? No credible study shows a benefit, and the founder's 20-year challenge is still unclaimed Evidence: [Trichome ripeness: clear, cloudy, amber, and what the evidence says](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/trichome-ripeness.md) - **Myth:** "Amber trichomes mean CBN and couch-lock" **Verdict:** Busted. CBN forms mainly by oxidation after harvest, not on the plant. Amber marks ageing glands, not a different high Evidence: [Trichome ripeness: clear, cloudy, amber, and what the evidence says](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/trichome-ripeness.md) - **Myth:** "Crossing two famous cuts makes a new strain" **Verdict:** Busted. Two heterozygous clones give a segregating, untested F1 population, not a uniform or stable strain. A strain is what's left after years of selection and testing Evidence: [Breeders vs pollen chuckers: what real cannabis breeding looks like](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/breeders-vs-pollen-chuckers.md) - **Myth:** "Only the females matter in breeding" **Verdict:** Busted. Half of every seed's genes come from the father. Selecting only the mother halves the response to selection, and an unselected male is a gamble on half the genome Evidence: [Breeders vs pollen chuckers: what real cannabis breeding looks like](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/breeders-vs-pollen-chuckers.md) - **Myth:** "A 10-plant test grow proves a line is herm-free" **Verdict:** Busted. Ten clean plants can't tell 0 % from 20 %: a line with a 1-in-5 herm rate shows zero herms in 10 plants about 11 % of the time. Claims of under 2 % need about 150 plants Evidence: [Breeders vs pollen chuckers: what real cannabis breeding looks like](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/breeders-vs-pollen-chuckers.md) - **Myth:** "If it has the right name, it's the real cut" **Verdict:** Busted. Same-named cuts from different sources are often genetically different; only a documented chain of custody plus a DNA comparison settles it Evidence: [Elite clone-only gatekeeping: why the classics live in a few hands](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/elite-clone-gatekeeping.md) - **Myth:** "Legal cannabis is clean because it's tested" **Verdict:** Busted. Regulators have recalled legal flower for aspergillus, failed microbial limits and banned pesticides, and private retests have found residues on licensed shelves. Testing reduces risk; it doesn't guarantee it Evidence: [Craft vs industrial cannabis: did legalisation's commercial model hurt quality?](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/craft-vs-industrial-cannabis.md) - **Myth:** "Indica = couch, sativa = energy, and they're different species" **Verdict:** Busted. One species, Cannabis sativa, showing different phenotypes. Nearly everything sold is a hybrid, and the labels don't predict chemistry or effects. At most they describe plant shape Evidence: [Indica, sativa and ruderalis: what the names really mean](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/indica-sativa-ruderalis.md) - **Myth:** "Different names mean different plants" **Verdict:** Busted. Genotyping has found differently named retail samples with identical genotypes, and one state's 637 recorded names collapsed to three chemical profiles. A name is a label, not a genotype Evidence: [Same cut, a thousand names: renaming, relabelling and the shrinking gene pool](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/same-cut-a-thousand-names.md) - **Myth:** "A new name means new genetics" **Verdict:** Busted. Renaming a cut or a reselection costs nothing and changes nothing in the plant. Only a documented cross, a grow-out or a DNA comparison shows something is new Evidence: [Same cut, a thousand names: renaming, relabelling and the shrinking gene pool](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/same-cut-a-thousand-names.md) - **Myth:** "If it has the famous name, it's the famous cut" **Verdict:** Busted. Studies of same-named retail samples find genetic outliers in most names. Without a chain of custody or a DNA match to a reference sample, 'the original cut' is a claim Evidence: [Same cut, a thousand names: renaming, relabelling and the shrinking gene pool](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/same-cut-a-thousand-names.md) - **Myth:** "A strain name tells you what genetics you're getting" **Verdict:** Busted. Genetic studies of retail cannabis show the same name often hides different genotypes. A name is a claim; documented lineage and DNA are the evidence Evidence: [Why strain names are unreliable: what genetic studies show](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-strain-names-are-unreliable.md) ## Hot topics - **The flip isn't day 1 of flower: the 10–14 day transition and how to count it**: Your breeder says 8 weeks, your plant takes 10. Nobody's lying: the clock usually starts at first pistils, not at the flip. The data on the 10–14 day transition, and how to count it. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/environment/flip-to-flower-transition.md) - **Irradiated cannabis: gamma, e-beam, X-ray, ozone, RF and what they do to your weed**: A lot of legal flower gets zapped before it reaches the shelf. Most buyers are never told. Here's what gamma, e-beam, X-ray, ozone and RF actually do to terpenes, which places make anyone disclose it, and why growing your own skips the whole question. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/irradiated-cannabis.md) - **Breeders vs pollen chuckers: what real cannabis breeding looks like**: Crossing two hype cuts and selling the seed untested isn't breeding. What a breeder actually does, with the arithmetic, and why it's the reason your 'feminised' pack hermed. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/breeders-vs-pollen-chuckers.md) - **Elite clone-only gatekeeping: why the classics live in a few hands**: Some of the most important cuts in cannabis history survive in a handful of private gardens, swapped cut-for-cut or sold for thousands. Here is what the public record shows, and why GenetixBay exists to open it up. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/elite-clone-gatekeeping.md) - **Craft vs industrial cannabis: did legalisation's commercial model hurt quality?**: The founder thinks the commercial legal model was the worst thing that happened to cannabis quality. Here is the case (recalls, irradiation, price collapse, small farms priced out) and what the data don't show. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/craft-vs-industrial-cannabis.md) - **Landrace hunting or biopiracy? Benefit-sharing, consent and cannabis**: Nearly every modern line is built on farmers' selections, and almost none of them were ever asked, credited or paid. What the Nagoya Protocol requires, why cannabis falls through the cracks, and what fair landrace work looks like. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/landrace-hunting-and-biopiracy.md) - **Patents and the gene pool: who can own a cannabis plant?**: Cannabis plants, traits and methods can be patented, and some are. Here are the public records, the one notable court case, the legal debate about the commons, and why open documentation is the answer. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/patents-and-the-gene-pool.md) - **Same cut, a thousand names: renaming, relabelling and the shrinking gene pool**: One state's medical lab records carried 637 strain names that boiled down to three chemical profiles. Genetic tests keep finding one plant under several names and several plants under one. Here's how renaming hides a shrinking gene pool. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/same-cut-a-thousand-names.md) - **Why everything tastes the same: the evidence that commercial cannabis is converging**: Thousands of strain names, but most commercial flower falls into a handful of terpene groups, landraces are being hybridised away, and the market pays for THC. The data, and what we do about it. [Read](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md) ## Open trials Controlled side-by-side trials GenetixBay members will run: pre-registered, matched clones or split tents, dry weight and lab results. Null results are published too. - **Tuck vs strip defoliation** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Tucking fan leaves gives equal or higher dry yield than stripping them, and stripping doesn't raise cannabinoid content. Protocol: Matched clones, split tent: one side tucked only, one side defoliated at flip and day 21; same feed, light and dry. - **13/11 vs 12/12, per cultivar** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Many cultivars flower fully on 13 h of light (with ramps), giving more total light and equal or higher yield than 12/12. Protocol: Clones of one cultivar in two tents at the same PPFD; 13/11 vs 12/12 from flip to harvest; log days to finish. - **Nitrogen taper vs full feed vs flush** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Tapering only nitrogen in late flower matches or beats a full feed, and both beat a pre-harvest water flush on yield and resin. Protocol: Three matched-clone groups for the last 3 weeks: N taper (P, K, Ca, Mg, S and micros kept), full feed, plain-water flush. - **Humidity pack vs fresh bud vs nothing** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Two-way humidity packs don't preserve terpenes better than a well-cured jar with no pack, or one rescued with a fresh bud. Protocol: One batch split into matched jars after the dry: pack, fresh-bud top-up, nothing; same storage, opened on the same schedule. - **Wet vs dry trim** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Wet and dry trim end with similar terpene content; dry trim loses slightly more trichome heads to handling. Protocol: Branches from the same plants split at the chop: half trimmed wet then hung, half hung whole then trimmed dry. - **Supercropping vs control** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Supercropping main branches in early stretch gives equal or better dry yield and bud quality than untrained branches. Protocol: Matched clones; supercrop the top branches of half in week 1–2 of flower, leave the rest; same canopy height. - **Mild late drought vs control** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: A mild, controlled dry-back in the last week raises cannabinoid concentration in some cultivars without hurting yield. Protocol: Matched clones; the treatment side is allowed to reach mild wilting before watering in the final 7–10 days; the control is watered normally. - **Topping vs LST in autoflowers** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: LST alone gives higher dry yield in autoflowers than topping, because any setback costs an auto time. Protocol: Seeds from one auto line sown direct in final pots; topped once at node 4–5 vs LST only vs untrained. - **Blind re-test: label vs independent lab** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Most retail flower labelled in the high 20s and 30s tests in the mid-teens to low 20s at an independent lab. Protocol: Members buy flower legally, record the label, and send a coded sample to an independent lab; only aggregate statistics are published, never named businesses. - **LED vs HPS: terpenes, cannabinoids, blind taste** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: At matched PPFD, DLI and canopy temperature, LED and HPS give equal cannabinoid content; any terpene or taste difference is small and comes from leaf and bud temperature, not the lamp type itself. Protocol: Matched clones of one cultivar in two identical tents, one LED and one HPS, set to the same PPFD map and DLI; leaf-surface temperature and VPD matched with logged sensors; same feed, dry and cure. Swap the lamps between tents on the repeat run. - **Hydro vs living soil: the blind taste panel** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: A well-grown hydro run matches a well-grown living-soil run on taste in a blind panel; any difference in terpene profile is small. The soil-symbiosis question stays open until the data say otherwise. Protocol: Matched clones split between a recirculating hydro system and a living-soil bed in the same room, same light and climate; each side run by a grower experienced in that method; identical dry and cure; samples coded by a third member. - **Auto vs photo sisters: grams per m² per year** (Recruiting at launch) Hypothesis: Per square metre per year, an autoflower line out-yields its photoperiod sister unless the photoperiod side runs a dialled-in SOG or SCROG with a dedicated nursery; the photoperiod sister tests slightly higher in cannabinoids. Protocol: An auto line and its photoperiod sister line from the same breeding project, in equal canopy areas for 12 months: autos sown direct in final pots back to back, photos run with a separate veg area counted in the footprint.