Winter 2022 -Purple Skunk Auto (Sensi)

TommyBVRSA75 Germination completed. The seed already has the shell detached and the cotyledon buds are now visible, and it has been transferred from the wet paper towel method to a Riot Cube for seedling development. So far everything is normal, seed sprouting completed and developing since 11/12/2022.

TommyBVRSA75 Introduction of supplements. Lemon Kick to control the water pH at 6.0. After that, the prepared amount close to 1.5 liters, divided every two days. We have started preparing the "living part" of the substrate by always adding a combination of two arbuscular mycorrhizae supplements - UGRO for a quick supply of Glomus intraradices (action in 24 hours) and Mycoplant from Trabe for its addition of humic acids. Next week, we will also add Trichoderma for additional protection in winter/spring to ensure we have full security against pathogenic fungi due to very common factors at this time like high humidity and very stable temperatures, which prevent the substrate from drying out and thus open the door for powdery and downy mildew. The true leaf reveals very ridged and the color leaning towards dark (when compared to the sibling strain that has been germinated together). The growth and much due to the use of 26-watt tube supports and 6500k reveal a very particular "stretch," and when compared to the most recent grows I have developed with my Phytolite NX2 200 LED (Bluerple Spectrum), which had the characteristic of spectrum with two peaks (one of long blue, but very narrow and another of red equally long and wide) that led to the early growth stages expressing very short plants in height, with very short internodes between them and a "flattened" appearance. The 26w and 6500K support tubes (white growth spectrums) already reveal stretched plants from day 1 and very thin, but this growth of 6500 Kelvin will not leave the plant etiolated, which would be my biggest concern with this change. So far, everything is normal, and I only see the stem slightly purple, which seems to me to be more related to the phenotype aspects in these colder dates rather than over-fertilization, and because both strains in development will have blue/purple characteristics.

TommyBVRSA75 Week 2 and ½ (16 days): one capitalized word so far... DISAPPOINTMENT!!! You start, make your mental sketches, prepare the substrate based on your life experience from the nearly twenty grows you've done. You place your most effective substrate, pamper it with the usual organic matter, add your share of perlite and vermiculite. You create the perfect base with your airpots all set up, choose the seed that gives you outstanding guarantees based on what you know and the information you have. You germinate it on a wet paper towel and transfer it to a good Riot Cube when the "tail" appears, you observe its daily development and on the most important day, you move it to the substrate. You make it a "perfect bed" with the best mycorrhizae and trichoderma... nothing can go wrong. A few days later, you start to get the new life used to its "food"... at first, just a little so it doesn't "choke," and you choose the best food the market can offer, and hours pass, days pass, and you start to see that something is happening... why the hell are your fragile leaves curling?!? You give it less water, spread the watering over two or more days, try to understand if the water's pH is harming your "little one"... then you confirm and reconfirm that if you raise the pH a bit to make the EC perfect, and still the "little one" isn't taking off... and you go to bed and go to work, and in those moments of the day when you think about this "love" you have for creating cannabis, something less good is happening... You think about pulling it out and throwing it away, but no... you'd be a murderer and maybe you'd end a life that perhaps due to something you're not doing right, is paying the price for your mistakes... and dilemmas arise... Could it be the lights?!? Too much light... stress... or the damn purple color of your Blurple LED that the "little one" doesn't like... you call your store and your friend who sells you what you need and ask him questions... hey, Ruben, what do you think might be happening with this "new grow" I'm doing... I have two... one perfect and the other, unfortunately, sickly... and you make tough choices, you flush it in the first days of vegetative... we've already seen that Plagron doesn't work for it... let's try Gold Label, let's be gentler in the attempt... let's see if Gold Label's Roots can do what the three combined organic Plagron products haven't achieved, and if you see something changing... you notice that the purple LED isn't helping it with what it needs most, which is to stretch, and you see that it already has a relationship and that the foliar from B.A.C. is doing it good, and that the primary leaves have burned as if they had "boiled," and the ones coming out now in second have a promising green... even though it's a bit curled up, it's showing the honor and desire to succeed, and even though you think it won't be a "monument" to perfection, it will come out interesting and with everything it did in the beginning, I will lean towards its strain. Day 16, there are still doubts, but now the doubts are no longer as terrible as they were five days ago right before the new year, when I thought about throwing it in the trash, but as I told you... there are infinite loves and mine for these wonderful plants doesn't die or measure, and surely in about three months, I'll be here in a diary, sharing it with you and telling you how it almost ended up in the trash... and I'm so sure it will grow big and strong that I will never give up the "points" and this Lemon Pie of 42 will be more of a precious lesson on how not to "throw in the towel before the fight is over." In the end, and for that, God Jah takes it, everything that is good will end well... Until next week...

TommyBVRSA75 Just like the "sister," new lights to make it take off... I'm much happier and relieved to report that in the end, the sickly one is starting to show signs of flying... its genetics wouldn't lie, and maybe the initial Plagron, along with the Blurple lights and the cold and humidity of the season, took their toll. I see it much stronger now, "giving it all" and I invite you to check out the last two entries of this diary and tell me if the plant from two weeks ago is the same as today... not even close!!! I'm curious to see what the full spectrum and much stronger and balanced PAR coverage will do with this "daughter" that gave me so many problems at the beginning. In both grows, we'll keep applying the BAC Foliar, which has worked small miracles with its formula of algae, chelates, and fruit juice. I see that every day it recovers, and I'm sure we'll have a very respectable Indica around here very soon... Hopes and faith renewed because what’s coming will surely be very good. God Jah in command...

TommyBVRSA75 Let's see...the "sickly" lady is no longer that...very clear! She has exploded and in her very particular walk from almost being thrown in the trash, today she is the "girl" promising the most promising flights... She has gained vertical size, the proportion of leaves and internode space is perfect. The secondary growth is correct and effectively, from 8 to 80 we have arrived. On December 30th, I grabbed her by a very thin stem, looked at the curled and burnt tips of the leaves and the Plagron plan, and decided without more to flush her with Canna Flush and tap water at 9 days of seedling age, thinking "in three days she will turn yellow and then to the trash...and I leave you here, because the "trees" die standing." As I told you, I thought "killer, you're going to throw her in the trash can and it's entirely your fault. You've loaded her with Plagron and with the Blurple lights that don't give her what she needs and you've done something that shouldn't have happened." In my experience as a grower, life tells me "never give up on a cannabis plant, because these wonders of nature are among the most impressive in resilience and ability to turn things around when you least expect it." And once again, cannabis has done its thing and from a failed project, a monster of power and vitality emerges. I've learned something over all these years of developing plants (not just cannabis) and the most valuable lesson is that plants are among the most adaptable things that life forms on this planet have produced over eons of evolution. Things as notable as even in an experiment I once did where photoperiodic plants can thrive with less than an hour of light a day. Even in soil with excess salts and a lack of water, plants like xerophytes can develop, and in the case of autoflowering, there’s a changing gene, ruderal, that turns them into true "battle tanks." The "sickly" one is now a lady with everything necessary to become a very productive skunk, with quality, potency, and aesthetic beauty in her development. What do you bet that the "sickly" one will be the queen of the harvest and will become an example to all the more inexperienced growers that you should never consider the fight over until the bell rings. God Jah has always been present and has given me the judgment and patience to wait for better days when everything seemed lost. If I had thrown her away, it would have been my responsibility...for not having done everything possible for a plant that I had weakened myself and in that arrogance that tends to occur when we have more experience, we make mistakes that are decisive for that potential for life found in every seed to not flourish when everything is in its favor. Next week there’s more...

TommyBVRSA75 January 30 - 32 days exactly since the start on paper towel. Who wants to remember the first 14 days of this "lady"? A huge reminder... SHE WAS DYING and I had no idea what I could do to save her. I had her between two fingers and the split second I took a breath to pull her out was just the time I thought "if she's this bad, it's because I've made a mistake that with my experience I shouldn't have made and now I'm going to do the simplest thing, which is to throw her away"... and at that moment, I pulled my fingers away from her small and damaged stem and made a decision that would be radical and either save her or ultimately tear her apart and leave her in the substrate for a new grow to start. At 12 days, what I did with all the "eggs" in the world was give her an emergency flush, with a bit of CannaFlush and ten liters of tap water... and in the end, I told myself, I'm going to cut out the organic stuff from Plagron that "doesn't suit her at all" and with my friend Ruben from the Magic Soil store in Lisbon, I ordered the really good "minerals" from Gold Label. Of course... Ruben, the Dutchman, would recommend the Dutch Gold Label... and let's see how it worked with my Purple Skunk... 32 days later and from the photos, here you have the "lady," already with signs of pre-flowering, vigorous, with a smell that hits hard and with a "champion" stature. What a wonderful plant... If you notice, and because growers notice everything, there are a couple of little leaves with burnt tips... I know for sure that this burning has to do with the reaction to the contributions of MG and PK from Golden Label. She's getting used to the phosphorus and I'm also giving her the Iron from Vita Race by Plagron and this "girl" has told me more than once that the organic stuff from Plagron doesn't suit her... If anything impresses in this cultivar, it's undoubtedly the smell... I wonder what the smell will be like in full bloom that this grow will have... for sure, I have half a dozen jars of ONA Gel around the house to cut down as much as possible on that sweet Skunk smell that's so characteristic and is already noticeable, even without buds. Even though I don't have my own exhaust system, I have extractors that do their job and we have winter temperatures, so we shouldn't have "CO² stoppage" and the smell at this time should be milder, but the 32-day Purple Skunk and after a nearly announced death, is now a bushy plant with a "hell of a" smell and its structure of branches and leaves guarantees a "not small" production and buds that will be like rocks, almost for sure. The Purple Skunk is taking shape and two days ago I decided to set up a long SCROG from Mammoth that is elastic and very spaced between its strings. So what has been intended is to leave the secondary branches along with the cola as exposed as possible and with this, have a "phenomenon" in a little over a month. I have this deep conviction that things happen for a reason and this Purple Skunk that started out almost dying is now the owner of the grow space, sharing it with her "sister" who started very strong but has stabilized without exaggeration... the "dynamic duo" of my grow cabinet promises this spring season and not taking into account that the temperatures might be a bit low for what the cannabis plants like, they are showing good signs and soon we are going to have fun with whatever the "lady" wants to give us as a gift for all the dedication and love we put into them, whether they are autoflowering, photoperiodic, or even come from planet Namek... cannabis is simply the most beautiful and wonderful thing in the universe. Green greetings to all my friends. May God Jah accompany us with wisdom and love in our hearts to share with all living forms of our wonderful planet.

TommyBVRSA75 Day 58 and the Purple Skunk has once again represented the "headache" of the season. I'll explain briefly... in this grow, we are working with a genetic variety that, just like the Lemon Pie, is a full-on Indica, and because the inputs in this grow are mostly mineral and not organic, the combination of light intensity, the application of Vita Race with a strong presence of iron oxides, and probably my incorrect assessment of the Electrical Conductivity (EC) values, along with the improper use of pH, can easily "go hand in hand" with these Gold Label products (I had been up to four days with a pH that the Gold Label feeding plan proposes, around 5.8), and about six days ago, it became very clear on the fan leaves (primary) that the cultivar was not integrating Phosphorus and Magnesium properly... in summary, very noticeable chlorosis and necrosis spots on the leaves. It hasn't been dramatic even though we are in full flowering, because the tips of the buds and young leaves, especially those on the central cola and the entire secondary bud structure that will develop in the upper area of the "grow," weren't burned. My experience made me react quickly and understand that the pH was very low and that the light intensity and iron spraying had a tremendous influence on nutrient blockage. The Purple Skunk is noticeably lighter, with a softer and different green compared to its cabinet mate. As you will remember, it was a grow that almost got lost at the beginning and had to change the type of inputs, because without a doubt, this strain doesn't do well with organic inputs, and as you can see now, it is a wonderful cultivar with many more virtues than defects... but it is a cultivar that is very delicate and very sensitive to fluctuations that may occur. In cannabis, there are things that are almost comparable to "human" traits. Some people are more susceptible than others, and under similar conditions to others in almost identical situations, they react differently. This cultivar has an immense virtue based on its unbeatable reaction capacity. If there are things that can harm it, when corrected, the cultivar reacts quickly and recovers wonderfully. The structure is finer and more delicate than the Lemon Pie. The stems are thinner, and surely the bud structure, being an Indica, will be less dense and thick. Regarding the phenotype, not much to know... Sensi Seeds classifies it as an "adventurous" strain, meaning that in its genetic structure, it may assume different phenotypes, but due to the anthocyanins, with the lower temperatures being recorded now, it is very clear that purple colors are already showing in its pistils, and it will ultimately live up to its name Purple... It is more elongated than the Lemon Pie, currently around 80 centimeters, and in my opinion, it may reach almost a meter in height, as its daily "stretch" in flowering has been almost 5 centimeters more over the last couple of weeks (and with the deficiency of phosphorus and magnesium it has been facing). It will be very productive due to the high number of floral support branches present, and I am loving to record that this cultivar is one of those that marks you with its changes throughout its development, and because to develop, it asks you, almost as if speaking to you, what works well for it and what it doesn't like. As a "grower," when you get something like this, it's as if you value much more the dedication to these wonderful plants, and it reminds you that planting cannabis is much more than just putting a seed in a handful of soil and giving it water. There is so much science in this, and you feel that only with experience can you sometimes control problems that can arise very simply and unexpectedly. Green greets... God Jah always in command of our lives and giving the most beautiful plant in the universe the challenges so we can perfect ourselves every day. Next week, back again...

TommyBVRSA75 Week 8 (about 60 days) Let's start with what stands out the most in the grow of our Purple Skunk, and that's the purple of the strain. Recently, the leaves that "guard" the buds have started to turn purple. If in previous weeks the purple in the flower structure was just at the tips of the fine leaves and the pistils in between... now it's the guard leaves of the flower structure that are gaining the purple color. Just about three days ago, I was really worried and baffled by the leaves at the top of the plant turning an overwhelmingly yellow color, which led me to endless questions about nutrient deficiencies, the evident inability to integrate Phosphorus and Potassium, and the causes of chlorosis during flowering. It became very clear in my analysis that despite the yellow color, the leaves were not necrotic, nor did they fall off at the slightest touch. What worried me the most, and still does, is the bud structure of this strain. They are mostly small balls, and this isn't due to mistakes or anything I'm doing that leads to the expression of this strain's phenotype. The yellow leaves are a clear sign that the end of the cycle is approaching; the yellow leaves, as I've said, are not necrotic and there are no clear problems with the development of the plant. The Purple Skunk is like this, and "neither here nor there," you can't change what nature wants to express. The small, dense buds align with what I've seen in some of the diaries presented by GrowDiaries, and then Sensi Seeds in their description gives a "log" warning to anyone who decides to grow this strain. They say that this very particular strain "is a surprise for beginners, as the phenotypes that can arise are varied and cater to all tastes (or the lack thereof)." From the photos they provide as samples and those showcased on their page and here on GrowDiaries, there are tremendous variations. In my case, what I've "hit the lottery" with is a plant with a very short cycle (the yellowing of the leaves, which is not a disease or deficiency, indicates that its "time" is moving quickly toward the end), then the bud structure forms little balls along the stems, and now, in closer times, it has become very visible that the purple color is starting to take over the entire structure of the plant, from the stems, the guide and secondary leaves, the pistils, and the resin cells. In other words, as it approaches its end, the Skunk turns purple, with a very strong skunk smell in its resins (it almost smells like chemical vapors of gasoline/glue), and the most significant characteristics of this plant come from its structure of a large number of branches, where the flowering of little balls is spreading. I have rarely had plants that signal their final days with such strong signs as the yellow leaves that this Purple Skunk is showing. If it were pathological or something related to light errors, nutrient contributions, or integration deficiencies, this plant would have me very worried right now, but it is very clear that the yellowing of the leaves and the small structure of its buds (round and heavily resinous... curiously, the pistils in this strain are not very prominent, but as I’ve said, the smell of the Purple Skunk is something formidable. I am very curious about what the final bud structure will be like, which will form in the next ten days, and I’m also curious to understand if this strain will be worth planting again in terms of productivity... especially considering the surprise of phenotype that Sensi warns growers about. God Jah in command, always, even when the plants present characteristics that might sound strange to us... nature controls its expression, and if its will involves yellow leaves and creating buds similar to marbles, then so be it... Green greets, and next week, we will most likely talk about whether our Purple Skunk is heading into the flush line... 70 days for certain strains is time to finish...

TommyBVRSA75 Continuing just a few days into a very solid flowering and compounds that are making a very balanced contribution to the grow. We’ve gone from a week where we had a very significant impact on the support leaves on the buds, many becoming necrotic and chlorotic. It’s very evident that the impact on the leaves has nothing to do with inadequate fertilization, whether from deficiency or excess, and the yellow necrotic leaves have been exclusively related to the end of the cycle of this grow, anticipating its conclusion. It has also been super easy to remove them, and with their removal, other sugar leaves have been growing, and the bud structure is forming without any mounting issues. Everything is following its natural course, and it’s easy to understand the structure of skunk buds as being round, inserted in small leaves that make up the flower, and especially the pungent aroma of skunk strains, the huge amount of resin, and the ball-like structure that these buds form. So, the Purple Skunk from Sensi has had some uneven moments in its flowering. The developing flowers have gained and lost leaves depending on the days, and in the end, what becomes most evident with this cultivar is that throughout its growth and development phases, the cultivar has had a particular change in leaves, almost like a "positive revegetation" without impacting what can be obtained. One of the most notable things, and I’ll highlight it again this grow season, is the enormous difference in terpenes that exist in the grows. In this Purple Skunk, the most notable are the varnish-like terpenes, very much in the Kush style, with that hint of sandalwood, and they have that incredibly distinctive smell that characterizes skunks. The three cultivars I have at the moment are three explosions of aromatic characteristics that will make each smoke a very unique journey depending on what one desires. For the Purple Skunk, the varnishes and sandalwoods; for the Lemon Pie, soft in the aromatic sense with hints of mint leaves and a prolonged aroma of dry lemon peels, but very soft; and then to finish, the most incredible expression of terpenes this season, the Auto Dark Purple, which is very different from anything I’ve developed as a grow in recent years. How to characterize it? A very prolonged smell, not of resin or varnishes, but of a very intense fruit smell, a very characteristic grape aroma, literally an entry to the palate as if a tasting of fine must were passing through the senses of palate and aromas. The growth of these three strains, all being perfect indicas, with different terpenes and palate/aroma structures makes each of the "ladies" an invitation to the pure experience of cannabis. Another factor that is contributing a lot to the rapid development of the strains and cultivars themselves is the use I’ve been imposing recently of higher contributions of Silicon. It’s no coincidence that, for example, the defoliations we’ve had in the grows have minimal impacts, and in addition, they’re giving health and vigor to the grows, with the use of BCuzz Silic Boost, and these contributions result in superior quality in everything related to organoleptics. God Jah in command, as always, leading us to wisdom and perfection in our way of working and maximizing the enormous quality that many of today’s genetics have stored for those of us interested in the beauty of this world. Green greets, and next week there will be more good things to share with you...

TommyBVRSA75 Sister of the Lemon Pie grow this winter season, to which we have already made the final introductions about the final flush. In four days, manicure and cut, and just leaving the photos for the History of the Purple Skunk. Always God Jah in command in yet another beautiful grow, where what is most valued is the journey and not the final goal. A big shoutout to all the grower brothers and lovers of the most beautiful plant in the universe. Green greets...

TommyBVRSA75 —