Triangle Kush

Also known as: TK, Triangle OG, OG Triangle, Florida OG Kush, The Triangle, The Tri

Breeder: Marty 'TK' Calabrese — Origins TK Selects (accidental cross, early 1990s, South Florida)

Lineage & Genetics

Cross: Emerald Triangle (Florida variety) x Hindu Kush

Hindu Kush (pollen parent): Pure landrace indica from the Hindu Kush mountain range (Afghanistan/Pakistan/Tajikistan). Stocky, bushy structure with dark green foliage, excellent resin production, fast flowering, cold resilience, and incense/earth/sandalwood/spice aroma. Seeds acquired from Amsterdam in 1989. Emerald Triangle (seed parent): Unknown heritage, Florida-circulated variety named after the Jacksonville-Miami-Tampa cannabis triangle. Described by Calabrese as 'fragrant and flavorful' but otherwise poorly documented. Its obscurity contributes to ongoing debate around TK's exact lineage.

Terpene Profile

Aroma: Gas-forward profile dominated by fuel/diesel, pungent earth, and lemon peel on the nose. Secondary notes of skunk, hash/incense, and sharp pine. Background of sandalwood, spice, and wet forest floor. Very high intensity — room-filling within seconds of opening a container. This is a fuel-earth-citrus identity, not a sweet/dessert profile.

Flavor: Inhale delivers immediate lemon and fuel with pine needle and volatile terpene sharpness. Mid-palate brings skunk spray, earthy peat, and woody/mossy depth. Exhale finishes with spicy pepper, diesel aftertaste, and lingering citrus. Dynamic experience that evolves through a session — described as ranging from 'lemon floor cleaner' to 'forest floor' to 'jet tarmac.' Curing mellows the raw gas, developing balanced lemon-skunk with earthier back notes.

Effects & Experience

Onset: Body effects noticeable almost immediately — gentle wave of physical relaxation beginning behind the eyes with mild euphoric uplift and slightly heavy focus within 0-10 minutes.

Deep physical relaxation with 'sinking into the couch' sensation. Warming body high in waves. Cerebral component present but body-dominant. Significant appetite stimulation, mild time dilation and amplified sensory perception. Creative stimulation possible at lower doses. Facial/ocular pressure near bridge of nose. Progressively sedating — relaxation transitions to drowsiness then sleep. Higher doses accelerate the sedative trajectory.

Duration: 1-3 hours. Increasingly sedating over time with food binges commonly preceding involuntary sleep.

Growing Characteristics

Grow Tips: Triangle Kush is a moderate-to-heavy feeder that reacts quickly to overfeeding — start at 50% manufacturer strength. pH 5.8-6.0 hydro/coco, 6.0-6.5 soil. Cal-Mag supplementation throughout is critical for OG family genetics. EC targets: veg 1.2-1.8, early flower 1.6-2.0, mid-late flower 1.8-2.2 (push P and K hard for density/resin), late flower taper. Flush final 7-14 days. Top once or twice during veg, LST for even canopy. SCROG is the ideal method — compact branching fills screens well. SOG also works due to naturally compact structure. Lollipop lower growth. Defoliation is CRITICAL — TK produces heavy foliage that blocks light and airflow. Defoliate at flip, day 21, and selectively weeks 4-6, but stop after week 7. Humidity by phase: veg 55-65%, early flower 50-55%, mid flower 45-50%, late flower 40-45% (critical for bud rot prevention). The #1 crop-killer for TK is insufficient airflow — dense buds trap moisture in stagnant air causing Botrytis. Oscillating fans plus exhaust are non-negotiable. OG family genetics have genuine PM susceptibility — preventive foliar applications during veg only, never spray in flower. Support colas with stakes/trellis by week 5 — top-heavy plants will snap branches. Resin production ramps dramatically in week 6. Harvest by trichome inspection only — mostly cloudy (70-80%) with 10-20% amber for classic OG effects. Dry whole-plant at 60-65°F, 55-60% RH for 10-14 days minimum. Cure in jars at 58-62% RH, burping 2-3x daily first week. Minimum 2 weeks cure, optimal 4-8 weeks — terpene profile evolves significantly during curing. Carbon filtration mandatory from week 4 onward. Clone verification important — many fake TK cuts circulate. Lower night temps (65-70°F) in late flower intensify fuel/earth terpene expression.

History & Origin

In 1989, Marty Calabrese traveled to Amsterdam with grower associates and acquired Hindu Kush seeds, likely from Neville Schoenmakers' catalog. Back in South Florida, a Hindu Kush plant went hermaphroditic in a flower room packed with Emerald Triangle females, and an AC draft carried the pollen. The seeded crop was sold, and from those seeds, associates grew out what became Triangle Kush and — according to Calabrese's account — also what later became OG Kush. By the mid-1990s, TK circulated quietly through Florida's indoor grow networks. In 1996, Matt 'Bubba' Berger brought Florida cuts including OG Kush to Josh Del Rosso in Los Angeles, where only one of five cuttings survived to become the legendary OG Kush of California. TK remained a Florida insider's strain while OG Kush became a household name on the West Coast. Through the 2000s-2010s, TK cuts slowly migrated to California and Colorado via trusted breeder networks. Around 2015-2016, Seed Junky Genetics crossed TK x Animal Mints to create the Triangle Mints line, whose phenotype #23 was selected by the Jungle Boys and named Wedding Cake. In 2019, Wedding Cake was named Leafly's Strain of the Year, and TK gained broader recognition as a foundational parent. In 2022-2023, Calabrese partnered with FLUENT/Cansortium to bring Origins TK Selects genetics to Florida dispensaries.

Notable Crosses

Strains bred using Triangle Kush as a parent: