Fast Buds | Amnesia Zkittlez & Gorilla Cookies | First time growing Autoflowers

Week 2 – Rapid Growth and Key Adjustments Another Friday, another update! It’s been an exciting week in the grow tent, and the plants are showing some serious progress. They've nearly doubled in height and are now spreading out to fill the pots, making it clear that these FastBuds seeds really live up to their name. After seeing how quickly they’ve grown, it’s easy to understand where the "fast" comes from! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Growing Parameters -Humidity: 70% -VPD: Max 1.0 -Airflow: Always active at level 1, auto-adjusts when needed -Day Temperature: 25-26°C -Night Temperature: 22°C -Light Cycle: 18 hours light / 6 hours dark -Lamp: IONBOARD S24 from AC Infinity (240W) -Watering Schedule: -Day 8: 100ml -Day 10: 300ml -Day 12: 500ml ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusting the Light Distance Early in the week, I noticed two of the leaves were showing slight stress due to being too close to the light. The leaves were slightly deformed, and it was clear they weren’t happy with the intense light exposure. After adjusting the light distance to a safer height, the plants began to recover. However, while the stressed leaves improved gradually throughout the week, they’ve retained some of those early deformations. Thankfully, every leaf that grew after that has been perfectly healthy and vibrant, which confirmed that the issue was indeed the light being too close. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Observing the Rapid Growth The early days were exciting as the plants seemed to grow rapidly, but at first, they felt fragile, with their thin, delicate stems struggling to hold up the weight of the new leaves. It almost seemed like they might topple over at any moment. However, by the end of Week 2, they’ve transformed into sturdy, small trees. Their once fragile stems are now solid little trunks, and it’s amazing to see how much stronger they appear. Not only have the stems thickened, but the plants have also developed an abundance of leaves. In just a few days, they’ve gone from having four small leaves to over ten broad, healthy leaves per plant. It's incredible to witness how quickly they’re packing on foliage. Every day, it seems like there’s something new happening – more leaves, more structure, and a visibly stronger plant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- No Noticeable Difference Between Strains (Yet!) Interestingly, as of now, I can’t see any major differences between the three Amnesia Zkittlez and the single Gorilla Cookies plant. As a beginner, they’re growing at a similar rate and look so alike that if I hadn’t labeled them, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart! Luckily, everything is organized and clearly marked, so when the differences do start to show, I’ll be ready to observe them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watering Progress By Day 10, the plants were continuing to thrive, so I increased the water intake to 300ml per plant. The plants adapted well, showing no signs of overwatering or nutrient deficiency. Two days later, on Day 12, I upped the watering amount again to 500ml per plant. Even with this larger amount of water, the plants have been absorbing it perfectly. There’s been no excess water draining from the pots, which is a great sign. The soil remains slightly moist underneath, indicating that the roots are successfully drawing water from deeper layers. Now, on Friday evening, it’s been 48 hours since the last watering, and the soil is still holding moisture. It looks like I can wait until tomorrow (Day 15) to water again. The soil is still slightly moist at the bottom of the pots, showing that the roots are reaching deep enough to access the water. The plants themselves look strong and healthy, so everything seems to be on track! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PH Levels and Future Fertilization Until now, I’ve been relying on the pH readings from our local water provider, trusting their reports to guide me. However, to ensure I have more precise control over the growing conditions, I’ve invested in a BlueLab pH pen. This will allow me to accurately measure the pH of the water myself and make sure everything is perfectly dialed in for the plants. Even though I initially planned not to use any fertilizers, I’ve decided to start using nutrients next week. I’ll be following the Biobizz feeding schedule, incorporating BioGrow, BioBloom, and TopMax into my routine. This decision came after observing how fast the plants are growing and realizing that they could benefit from a nutrient boost to ensure continued healthy development. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Optimizing With AC Infinity and Looking Ahead Throughout the week, I’ve been relying heavily on the automated settings from the AC Infinity App, which has been a lifesaver for someone like me who’s still learning the ropes. Other than reducing the air intake and airflow to keep the humidity high at this early stage, I haven’t had to manually adjust much. The system has been doing a great job maintaining the environment, with 70% humidity, a VPD under 1.0, and consistent temperatures between 25-26°C during the day and 22°C at night. There’s still a lot to learn, and I’ve heard from other growers that AutoFlowers can handle 24 hours of light or even 20/4, but for now, I’m sticking with the more traditional 18/6 light schedule recommended by AC Infinity. I’ll keep observing and might experiment with different light cycles in the future. As I move forward into Week 3, I’m eager to see how the plants will continue to grow and evolve. With each passing day, I’m learning more about their needs and how to fine-tune the environment to keep them happy. So far, they’ve been thriving, and I can’t wait to see what’s next on this journey. FastBuds certainly lives up to the name, and if the first two weeks are any indicator, I’m in for an exciting ride! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal Reflections Looking back, I’m honestly surprised at how quickly I’ve become immersed in this process. What started as a curiosity has quickly turned into a rewarding experience. Every day I learn something new, whether it’s adjusting light distances, managing water intake, or monitoring humidity levels. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing the results of your efforts in real time – from those first fragile sprouts to the sturdy plants I have now. As a complete beginner, I was unsure how well I’d manage everything, but seeing the plants thrive has given me a lot of confidence. I realize that growing is just as much about patience as it is about action. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead, but I’m already enjoying the journey. For anyone starting out, it’s all about learning and adapting – and, most importantly, enjoying the process!