Red Mandarine

May 2 (day 1), first day with the cotyledons open and the first set of true leaves emerging. The Pro-Mix has enough nutrients to last at least a few weeks, so none will be added untill there are signs it is needed. The dome is keeping humidity at about 80 percent, and the seedling is nice and healthy so far. May 4 (day 3), the first true leaves are a little twisted, but growth is otherwise a healthy green. May 7 (day 6), definitely having some issues with this little seedling. No fault of the SP-3000, which is providing the ideal light for it right now. I haven't grown in peat for a while, so I am going to double check all my practices. I would first suspect over watering, but at this point the medium is nice and light. I am going to more carefully PH the water with some very light nutrients and flush it through if drying out the medium doesn't work. I really want this seedling to live it's best life lol May 8 (day 7), it's still growing, even though the growth is slow and deformed. Confirming/correcting ph has not changed the issue yet. I am hoping that letting the medium mostly dry out may help. The taproot starting sticking out the bottom of the pot, and is looking healthy. I am definitely going to keep working on this poor baby and get it growing well if possible. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

May 9, day 8, the clawing/twisted growth continues, but at least it is not totally stunted. It has healthy roots, and I am hoping that I can reduce the issue by letting the medium get nice and dry. I am used to coco after all, and I usually keep coco permanently moist. The medium is the same peat/perlite mix I used for some container grown spinach and tomatoes that grew just fine, so if all else fails this may just be a funky seed. Even with the SP-3000 dimmed to 30% the vegetables are growing great. Now I just need this seedling to get sorted out and join them! May 11, day 10, new growth is a bit healthier, I think I have the issue resolved (grow medium was too wet/saturated). 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

May 16, day 15, now getting comparatively healthy growth. Will still work on optimizing it's health, as it's definitely behind where I would be growing in coco. I started some light nutrients when watering, as the growing medium is still providing most of what is needed. The SP-3000 is currently at 50 percent, at 36+ inches (it's also growing some veggies that will end up on my balcony.) May 18, day 17, the red Mandarine is speeding up with healthy growth. If the continues I will consider topping/mainlining. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

May 30, day 29, I missed a week of updates. I have been very busy with work, and will be away from my plants a little longer. I am guiding their growth from afar right now! Transplanted up to a one gallon pot, growth had been slow but healthier than the seedling stage. Now I am hoping it speeds up a bit. Either way I am in now rush (tons of flower in storage) so I don't mind taking time to veg untill the tent is full. I am also using the space to propagate some (non cannabis) cuttings and have some old vegetable plants hanging out in the tent, so the space is not going to waste. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 has great for more than just cannabis. Dimmed down it is gentle for cuttings and seedlings. At full power you can get some really good tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

June 9, day 38, good, healthy growth. Slow and steady so far. Growing in a peat mix is a lot less work, so this plant has been getting the lazy treatment. Soon I am going to apply some LST and weave it into a scrog. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is a really powerful light, so I am still running it dimmed down a little (60 percent) to encourage proper node spacing. June 11, day 40, applied LST to the two main stems. Cleaned up growth, removing leaves and branches from the lower areas of the plant. Growth is healthy and vigorous now, and speeding up. Mars Hydro Sp-3000 was turned up to 75 percent, I will be increasing the intensity to tighten up the growth. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

June 18, day 47, transplanted up to a tall 7.5 gallon pot which will be the final pot size. I made the pot out of two 5 gallon pots, so it is much taller and thinner than a regular 7-10 gallon. This has the advantage of keeping the grow medium better aerated, and decreasing the amount of the grow medium that stays soggy after watering. It's a big jump in size as I needed to weave it into a scrog, but I also don't want to repot it while it's tangled in a trellis net. The growth is really speeding up, and I will probably flip the light cycle in the next few weeks. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is now at 18 inches and 75 percent power. This is going to be the veg sweet spot, only going to full power during flowering. I love the power and coverage of this light, and the dimmer has been so useful! June 20, day 49, growth has stayed strong post transplant, so I am glad the large pot size is not causing issues. The trellis net is keeping everything flat. The top canopy is dense enough that took a few dense leaves out, and completely removed lower growth. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

June 26, day 55, Scrog is spreading out growth. I am still waiting for the canopy to increase a bit more in size, and for some growth in the middle to develop. At that point I will change to 12/12 lighting and remove the remaining leaves from under the canopy. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 will then be increased to 100 percent power. Growth is vigorous, and with the Reds developing on the stems I am optimistic about the colour of the flowers when they do develop. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

July 3, day 62, even flat growth. The Red Mandarine has gotten big enough that it will likely fill the 8sqft space. I figure that makes it a good time to switch light cycle to 12/12. I will start counting flowering days when flowers/pistils begin to emerge. At that point I will also adjust the powerful Mars Hydro SP-3000 to full power. Its a great light to dim down a little during vegetative growth, then unleaded it's full potential for flowering. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

July 11, day 70 (3f), early flowering is going well! The canopy is closing in on the edges of the tent, so hopefully the flowering stretch can fill everything up. Removing some leaves, bit by bit. I turned the Mars Hydro SP-3000 to max output. At my hanging height, this usually translates to a par of about 700 across the canopy which is wonderfully bright. This light also produces a very even illumination across the canopy in a 2x4ft tent. I used to think QB or multiple bar style lights had the the most even light distribution, but the SP-3000 has really impressed me! It also stays cooler than other high quality LED fixtures I've used, so the heatsinks are well engineered 👍 July 15, day 74 (7f), darker colours are already developing on the young buds. I am excited to see how red/purple they end up!🍁 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

July 17, day 76 (9f), early flowering is coming along well. Nice purple and red tones already present, and calyxes are starting to stack more quickly. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is performing well. It achieves some great, even light distribution even with a bit of distance from the plant. I like this, as it's easier to place a fan to blow along the canopy without interfering with with the lights. And even in a tent I am not whacking my head into my light when trying to clean up the canopy. I've seen some ray style LEDs that get good, effecient distribution of light as well, but to do this they have to sit very close to the canopy (8in for example) which necessitates frequent adjustment and gets in the way when working in the plants. Really cant praise the SP-3000 enough. July 18, day 76 (10f), everything coming along fine at the moment. I am looking forward to more of an aroma developing, but the buds are nice for their age. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

July 30, day 89 (22f), flowering is going pretty well. There is some slight yellowing, especially on the most light exposed parts of the canopy. I think the grow medium dried out just a touch too much a few times, but I am hopeful it's not going to have much effect on the final results. A lovely orange smell has developed and is strengthening day by day. August 1, day 91 (24f), buds bulking bit by bit! Lower growth is starting to die off as it mobile nutrients are used elsewhere in the plant. August 3, day 93 (26f), caught the plant right at lights off and snapped a few photos with flash. I like doing this to really see the extent of trichome production. Its also nice to judge the condition of the plant under another light source (not going anywhere in that SCROG). The Mars Hydro SP-3000 continues to do a great job in the 4x2 tent. I am already getting excited for my next grow, probably going to run a few autoflowers. Maybe Dutch Passion Auto Lemon Kix and a Exotic Seeds Auto Strawberry Cola. We will see! 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

August 8, day 98 (31f), flowering coming along well, and the plant will likely be ready to harvest in under a month. The trichome production and smell has really strengthened, and the dominant sharp citrus notes are very pleasing. The buds are thickening bit by bit but are not extremely dense or chunky at this stage. This could be a good thing, as humidity has been higher than I would ideally want at this stage. August 10, day 100 (33f), buds swelling bit by bit, lots of trichomes visible in the flash photos. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is really penetrating through the canopy. I've been a little worried about too much leaf density, but the SP-3000 is strong enough to get it well into the canopy. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

August 14, day 104 (37f), the Red Mandarine is getting chunkier bit by bit. The canopy is pretty dense, but I have plenty of airflow so it should be alright. It just needs to ripen a bit more in the coming weeks and gain a little density and it should be good to harvest. August 17, day 107 (day 40f), the buds are really putting on weight at the end! The smell is also increasing, along with the lovely red tones. Switched to dry koolbloom for the last week or so, then a short flush and harvest. The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is powering through the flowering stage. Its been managing heat really well, which is always a plus during the summer! 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

August 18, day 108 (day 41f), the buds are going through their final ripening before harvest. They are putting on a bit of weight still, but the trichomes are close to where I would like them to be (entirely cloudy) and there is some foxtailing starting on some of the buds. I don't mind the foxtailing as it means more harvest weight, but the plant is definitely getting closer to the end of its life. The Mandarine scent and beautiful red tones make this strain a winner. The buds are chunky in a good, balanced, "I'm not going to find rot in the middle" kind of way. August 21, day 111 (44f), flush soon, cut soon. Still cannot say enough good things about the Mars Hydro SP-3000, so check it out if you're looking for a new grow light! 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

August 28, day 118 (day 51f), I have been flushing with tap water and a little florakleen for the past few days, and will harvest soon (within the next 3 days or so). The plant is definitely ready, with the overall yellowing, cloudy trichomes, and orange pistils. Will turn off the Mars Hydro SP-3000 a day or so before harvest for a final dark period. It has been a champ for this grow. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

August 31, day 121 (day 54f), will harvest today after 36 hours of darkness. The photos of the plant this week are at time of harvest. For this plant I am doing a whole plant dry, just removing some initial fan leaves. It will be hung upside down from its own scrog net. Humidity is 50 percent, temp 22 celsius. In a few weeks I will update with all the harvest details! 👍 The Mars Hydro SP-3000 is getting a well deserved break. 🌱👉 Check out marshydro_aliexpress on Instagram (https://instagram.com/marshydro_aliexpress?utm_medium=copy_link)

The grow went well! Good harvest, and it was nice to mix up the grow medium for this one. The scrog kept everything very even, so I am going to keep using that technique in the future. The SP-3000 performed excellently as well! I didn't make the most of it for this grow in terms of efficiency numbers, as there were some gaps at the edge of the canopy. I probably could have begged for another week or so and ended up over 300 grams. Next grow I am probably throwing in a few autoflowers and really packing it all in! Stay tuned, and happy growing!