Indica Summers Season 2025

TommyBVRSA75 For the first time, my weekly entries will be in English allowing that most of you guys can read along the evolution along my season. Main line for the season : HUGE CHALLENGE and it is very simple, on my living area as you can see we are on full summer and we still have at least two/three months along and normally southern Europe and if you see my last Diary, the spring gave us the perfect conditions all along the growth period ...up on the summer, as I told you it is a huge challenge and on this first week it is outstanding what my poor babies have passed. As an example it is cruel for almost every living thing to cope with temperatures that along nighttime never drop the 30ºC and during 18th hours of lights (or day light conditions and mostly on this starting stage) not below 33/34ºC and mostly very rush conditions on humidity rate with rates on approximately 50%, the very early plantules are copping courageously with VPD rates above 2,00 and that is absolutely a crime for a normal growth. The strains on this summer season will be strains that I already know how the handle with heavy hot and dry weather and mostly the option for Kush lineages respect the conditions that my grow area have to face on the next close hundred days or so and on this first days I try hard to split at least two to three times a liter of solution and mostly try with a sprinkle bottle to raise the humidity rates a couple of times a day, but as you can see and if you compare with older diaries normally during spring and autumn, the evolution of the plantules is suffering great time. Nothing to expect different then this dreadful stress conditions, but nature is wise and if the strains that I have choose this season cope the stress conditions at least the next ten days, we can relax and wait for the better until the end of the cycle. For sure it is a time to invest in having a close view on all that happens mostly trying to balance the stress conditions that we have all day long having the better humidity and hot conditions possible, mostly during the weeks where we managing the veg phase and mostly due to the fact that at least on the next 20 to 30 days the grows will be have to face 18 hours a day of light and try with the rince of watering two to three times a day and trying as well not to burn leafs whenever we have to use the sprinkling bottles in order to keep moisture over the growth area. Not being some novelty the summer conditions it will always be challenging to thrive on the precise conditions that I am facing now, but the time and the experience always give us the tools to manage conditions to finally have the best yeld posible both in the quality and the amount that finally we will get and normally the "tools" pass to get the most soil posible, having good addiction of perlite to have a very airy soil; vermiculite as well due to the retaining water properties and obviously prepare a soil where mycorrhizal addiction cannot be a secondary issue due to the outstanding properties of the globular funghi to integrate nutrients but mostly at this time to integrate as much as water as possible by the radicular system or better to get the better conditions possible on the proper development of the rooting system. So I will talk along and next week I will give some news about the way that my little girls are resisting heroically to the conditions we have. No alarms and no surprises 'cause at the end everything will be all right. 420 always and green to all my growing brothers around the world Hug, Tom

TommyBVRSA75 Week 2 on Veg phase and strong concerns about a strain and we will analyse what is happening concerning the OG Kush SFV strain of Advanced Seeds. As you can see both Zombie Kush and G.M.O. started to adapt to this very particular summer conditions on 2025 and as I told you this summer on my area the humidity rates have been extremely low. Normal summer temperatures on southern Europe with very high temperatures both on daytime (lights period still 18 hours due to the vegetative phase needing) and on night time (lights out during 6 hours). As you can see on graphic dynamics the VPD rates are sky high up to more than 2.5 on light period, that represents stress conditions, but as you can see both G.M.O. and Zombie Kush thrive on their adapting process and mostly the three strains that are growing all of them had Afghan parentals which means that as strong Indica hybrids they have the ability to cope both with the temperature that they are experiencing (around 32ºC on lights and not below 29ºC on dark) and specially the rates of humidity never up to 50ºC, when at this point to have perfect humidity conditions we should have something like an interval between 60% to 75% (and we have at this moment, humidity intervals between 40% to 50%). Strategies to cope with the low humidity rates...at least a liter watering a day (we have pots of 20 liters and mostly on the soil composition we have added a good amount of vermiculite that is a outstanding water retainer that keep water on the root area) and a couple times a day spraying with a spraying bottle free chlorine water on PH 7 and softly chilled on the fridge. So this spraying intervals allow much more than lowering the grow room temperature allow to raise the humidity rate ...not more than less of an hour after spaying the grow space. So this are the conditions that we have and as I was saying the G.M.O. and the Zombie Kush start to develop as you can see, perfectly...but...but... ...OG Kush SFV (or for the ones that doesn't know what it means is something like Ocean Grow Kush San Fernando Valley) of Advanced Seeds. First issue about the strain parentals and if what Advanced Seeds intend on a first approach was to replicate the same strain but the outstanding one developed by the guys of The Cali Connection, the guys of Advanced Seeds failed big time. This particular strain joins parentals such as the sativas of California and specifically the ones of the San Fernando Valley and an Indica breed normally a plain Afghan (such as the Afghan #1 that was the first Hindu Kush strain brought from that area on early 60's. So by the "Ocean Grow" conditions had the potential to thrive on warmth and heavy humidity rates and with the parentals come from Hindu Kush valley, they can cope by genetics both with very high or very low temperatures and at extreme to cope with very low humidity rates (normally the conditions where millions of years ago the Cannabis spp. indicas start their phylogenetic differentiation duality process face to the Sativa thrive on other parts of our amazing planet). So the issue should be on all the three hybrid strains (with the greater part of that "Afghan" Indica present on the parentals of all of them, the choice on this season on mostly Indica strains, was taken to all of them could cope with the summer conditions on my residing area. Even with lower humidity rate conditions and the normally high temperatures we face from June to late October, what is happening to my OG Kush SFV grow is absolutely dread. First, all the soil is prepared the same way. Always new soil, where I use in my opinion the best soil available on the market - the Canna Professional soil, that isn't pre-fertilized whatsoever and with perfect rates of EC and I used it as 75% of overall soil composition that I prepare. Than about 10% of worm humus and castings, normally I use the Atami one that of high quality. Them another 10% of vermiculite and perlite - the vermiculite to retain water on soil and mainly on rooting area and perlite to have mantain the aeration of the soil and allow to maintain the perfect texture of the soil and the late 5% composed by three compounds - natureBAC bacterial preparation plus Ugro Rhiza 1200 ( high quality globular mychorrizae powder) and Trichoderma harzanium powder always as mandatory and fundamental preventive funghi as defensive main barrier against soil pathogens that are more active and that can be much more dangerous when we facing on our grows stressful conditions such as we are facing now. So this is my mandatory approach towards what I understand to be the minimum conditions to success along the grow process. As you can see on the photos I always do my grows on airpots (normally on 20 liters ones on summertime and in 9 liters ones during winter and spring) and this pots by design both allow to never have over irrigation both having soil compaction and during summer this kind of pots allow as well to avoid over heating of soil and with that allow to develop one of the most dreadful processes that can happen that is a process defined as "root boiling", so.... Considering all this issues, there is something left to explain what is happening with the OG Kush SFV grow and that is linked plainly to poor genetics and that is fully due to the poor work that the seed bank breeders of Advanced Seeds are doing. Advanced Seeds normally is one of the main seed banks that are given as gifts when you buy seeds on the most common online seed stores. On my "seedabilia" that I keep on my special fridge where I keep the seeds (one fridge that I have modified to keep temperature around 10ºC and with no humidity on inner space) I have something like 200 strains separated between photoperiodic ones; fast ones and in lesser amount automatic ones. I have once a bad experience on an Advanced Seeds grow - a Cherry Pie strain- that beside very beautiful buds and a good smoking taste, but even with a perfect timing on the cropping, it was a very THC low strain, not specially psychoactive and to exclude doubts two years after one of my grow mates, developed the same strain and the same result, smooth smoke with light berries taste and very low THC amount with low psychoactivity. So it was clear that wasn't a specific grow issue but the strain itself isn't good. It is a mystery why the quality isn't good when Advanced Seeds have one of the best layouts on bank seed's world, selling their seeds on very beautiful metal boxes that probably and regretly they spent more on their layout than on their genetics work...and finally and the entry is very long so far, we going to talk about this ten days growth experience on OG Kush SFV. According their presentation of the strain they precisely tell us that the OG Kush SFV is a strain that has its perfect conditions on Mediterranean climate (it is the same to say that the strain develop better and with best results on warmth weather with temperatures that even during dark period stay around 30ºC and that can cope both with great humidity values and with low humidity if that is the case. Second thing that presentation tell us...the OG Kush SFV is a strain that need high fertiliser amounts to get their apex on the buds that they told us that the strain will naturally develop, "hard rock, rounded and full of resin buds". Ten days after and the desolate scenario is perfectly draw on the photos...as you can see, two amazing strains on fantastic development - the G.M.O. (of Cogolandia, that is a spanish garage store on internet, that mostly all of their own bulk seeds are some of the cheapest ones avaliable on the market but with an "over the moon" quality and the classic Zombie Kush of the high class bank breeders of Ripper Seeds that almost there is no words to express the quality of this "black beauty" - Zombie Kush is almost a black leafed strain more during wintertime, but it is not only a beauty but one of the most well balanced hybrids ever. So it is heartbreaking to see but so far OG Kush SFV is that "thing" that you are seeing and I have started already to manage a plan B and it isn't visible but on the pot it is already a very tiny plantule - a Gelato Kush of GeaSeeds that is an outstanding Kush strain and that is growing already and I will give a chance to the OG Kush SFV only subject to the natural phenotype of the OG Kush SFV that should be a columnar phenotype structure with not a very great height. So if in the next ten days the OG Kush SFV doesn't start to develop normally or regretly I will pull it out and throw it on the garbage, cause I cannot conditionate the growth potential on the ones that are normally developing, trying to giving a chance to raise a strain and a grow that already shown that has genetic failures and that is a warning for all you mates when you think to take your chances on Advanced Seeds material. I already explain you, guys , that this breeder seed bank isn't reliable and the times aren't so good that you gave yourself chances to waste money on lights; water and nutrition on an incomplete and faulty genetical product. I hate to throw plants on garbage, but I can cope better on throwing out a plant due to be hermaphroditic or male than on one that goes to garbage only due to bad genetic works conception. Next week will see... 420 to all of you my growing mates. Have a great week. Green greets, Tommy

TommyBVRSA75 Week 3 - Extraordinary vegetative growth on two strains - G.M.O ( Cogolandia Bulk Seed) and Zombie Kush (Ripper Seeds) and the OG Kush SFV despite all the problems that shown on the first 15 days, slowly start to develop with all the problems that will come from these first two weeks and mainly due to the fact that its veg phase is remarkably underdevelop facing the other two strains. It was possible to manage the OG Kush SFV problems increasing the rate of kelp solution as a stress reliever and increase enzymes and amino acids that along the mycorrhizal action on roots allowed to integrate the nitrogen nutrients and despite its delay on size and biomass, I think that it will be possible to thrive the strain growth but having full notion that probably it will be along the cycle an undersized plant and with a lower yield potential but facing the coming weeks it will be necessary to correct the growth strategy and hope for the best. The other two strains...words for what? Beautiful growth phase on both of them and two strains that already arrived to the SCROG distance and on the following days we will start to spread over the net spaces the secondary branches that are developing amazingly even covered with the enormous primary fan leafs that both the G.M.O. but mainly the Zombie Kush. Both of them are beautiful hybrid strains and most impressively both of them start to spread their terpene profile. The humidity issue was slightly corrected with a relative cheap solution, a "China" air ventilator with three water thin sprinklers, that allow to increase on almost 15% the humidity rate. He have passed from around 40% humidity rate to 50 to 55% but despite of it we still handling temperatures even on dark period never below 30ºC and on lights around 33º that is a perfectly normal temperature rate on the Mediterranean summer (where I live by the way). Due to the delay on the OG Kush SFV vegetative growth the 18/6 light scheme will keep to be used two more weeks than the expected but by my experience that will allow to have two incredible sized strains and the OG Kush SFV due to its columnar phenotype could be conditioned to produce in a lollipoping strategy and having a great area to exploit the secondary branching phenotype both on G.M.O and on Zombie Kush. The OG Kush SFV problem shows us how much resilient are the cannabis plants and with the correct approach some severe handicaps can be managed if you have the experience to apply some solutions that allow to change major disaster profiles that we can face on our growers "career". As I previously told one of the ways to recover (as much as the overall genetic issues allow and there's no miracles) is first of all start to conditioning the stress conditions - both climatic or even on incorrect apply of nutrients or watering errors. One of the most important stress control nutrients is kelp. This magical seaweed is absolutely fantastic when the stress conditions became an important limit to grow. The kelp with the scientific name of Ascophylum nodosum is a brownish seaweed that if you have the luck to get it directly in the beach shore all you should do is washing it in plain water to remove the great sodium salt percentage, dry it on the sun till it get cracky and after you can grind it in powder and throw a couple of soup spoons on a liter of water and sprinkle that preparation on your grow until it starts to react to kelp use. I use one of the best kelp solutions in market that along the kelp properties have the addiction of manitol that is a great sugar compound that allow to feed the bacteriae that are among the soil and that allow to feed the plants on optimal rates. The kelp as a complete feed compound - with more than 50 mobile and immobile compounds plus several amino acids and with great solubility properties allow plants under stress to integrate most of the compounds that the stress cycle block so if you have severe problems during all the growth cycle if kelp doesn't fix or correct at least something, no other compound have the miracle ways of kelp. Along the use of Kelp I used as well on a watering daily basis enzymes and amino acids solutions that allow as well to increase the integration of nutrients on the root area. Both of this strategies were used to increase the integration of vital nutrients; to recover possible damages on root cells and to integrate silicium in order to strong the cell walls on aerial ways. So even the grow size on OG Kush SFV isn't yet the desirable at least is perfectly clear that along the week the leafs are forming much more perfectly and it is start to be watchable that the secondary branching is start to develop....so between a grow that a week ago I was intending to throw it on the garbage and a grow that became to have some hope to go to a perfect end, both kelp, amino acids and some humidity rate raise have made a big difference during the late couple of days. On the rest, a great summer week and we'll keep to rely on our knowledge and on the quality of our nutrients to complete a great job. 420 to all of you guys. Take care Tom

TommyBVRSA75 Vegetative Phase - Week 4 So...outstanding signs this week with a solid grow expression on all of our strains. Amazing developing both on Zombie Kush and on G.M.O. ...and mostly the OG Kush SFV finally responding and showing a very solid grow during this week and mostly responding to the stressful conditions that mainly on the first two weeks have expressed. Despite of it and mostly due to a new fan with moist spreading system that increased around 10% more of humidity and the strain that showed more problems finally start to thrive and that is good 'cause the OG Kush SFV is a very solid genetic and the final yeld normally represents an outstanding smoking material. So this week maintaining a low variation on temperature between 32ºC on lights and 29ºC on dark and mostly due to the increase of humidity on the grow area (from a minimum of around 40% to 50% and on dark period around 60% and the VPD expression fall to non stressing conditions that expressed amazing growth on late vegetative phase). Probably next week the light schedule will be changed to 12/12 and to start the flowering stage, that mainly on Zombie Kush and on G.M.O. is already showing signs of early flowering conditions. The light set still on 18/6 is mostly to give one more week of veg phase to the OG Kush SFV strain and I already start to switch the nourishment schedule raising the PH to 6.00 and allowing an very clear increasing on PPM rating with solutions non below to 1000. So clearly controlling the stress conditions that on the first couple of weeks shown a severe negative impact mostly on the growth of OG Kush SFV strain, this week represented a tremendous stretch on the vertical height with the strains almost doubling their size it is also noticeable the secondary branching structure showing a great number on potential flowering sketches. So mostly on the mechanical action over the most developed strains so far this week I started to spread over trelice spaces on the SCROG net; done some LST on the secondary branching and as well removing the huge primary fan leafs on the bottom of the growth allowing lights and air penetration. Normally this first defoliation manoeuvre by removing the huge primary leafs is mandatory to allow a perfect grow conditions on very important subjects such as amplifying the contact area onto atmosphere/soil dynamics. More than an aesthetics composed by a over rate of beautiful huge leafs, as the vertical height occurs it is important to remove that oversized bottom leafs that normally represents shadowy areas that on summer conditions could be nasty on the occuring of mold and root pathogens. So to all of our growing mates that are starting on this cannabis growth world the main issue is related to balance. So defoliating wisely the large primary set of leafs normally the one that develop on the bottom area of growth (mostly on the area of soil and the pot walls) is mandatory to developing both another primary leafs on upper levels and developing as well the secondary branching structure where on flowering stage our buds will develop. So...a great week to all of you guys...420 to all of us and green greets to the world. Be safe, Tom

TommyBVRSA75 Indica Summer Flowering Stage - week 2 ( full grow week 5 - day 36). So, dear brothers, keep on thriving our summer indica season mostly managing stressful conditions that are common on this time of year (august on northern hemisphere and on Mediterranean climate). As you can see the photos were taken during dark hours and due to that you can see that mostly on cola the leafs are mainly "closed" but the grow on all the three strains is doing great. One of most notorious characteristics during this week was the thriving and stabilization on the OG Kush SFV grow and the phenotype on this strain revealing a very particular sativa expression. The two indica phenotypes on G.M.O and on Zombie Kush express a dark green huge primary leafs insert on a primary cola grow surrounded by a very well balanced secondary growth composed by secondary flowering sketches. As I was saying the OG Kush SFV that on the first couple of weeks thrived on great problems in its grow is now a perfect example of a sativa phenotype - with a luxurious clear green bouquet that spread its grow on a very well balanced stretch between a main cola sketch and a great number of secondary branching. So entering the second week on flowering stage the phenotype expression led both G.M.O and a Zombie Kush over 60 cms vertical height and OG Kush SFV on around 40 cms. The strains are starting to express heavy odor on its terpenes mostly some pinewood and garlic (of the G.M.O strain). Over this week I introduced a moisture spark fan that contributed to balance the CPD rates and balance as well the stress rates on VPD based on high temperature rates and some humidity below the desirable ( without the fan normally it wasn't almost impossible to achieve humidity rates higher than 50% on lights schedule and now it is very well reachable humidity values on lights above 60%, so even on some stree VPD rates, normally on dar period we easily get values around 1.05 VPD that are perfect ratio on flowering stage. As you have seen we have change as well the light cycle from 18/6 to 12/12 that represents the entering on flowering conditions. So after 30th July we have around 55 to 60 days to complete the flowering stage and up to harvest. So... that's all during this week and a green 420.hig for all of you, brothers. Be safe, Tom

TommyBVRSA75 Very demanding week according to extreme temperatures and relative humidity, no more no less both of Indica strains passed strong distress over foliar structure and it was very difficult to balance the general water inside the system. Mostly the GMO and rh Zombie Kush and on the sixt week have revealed not very firm leafs mostly on the central growing edges and on the flowering sketches it was clear as well that the leafs are also curled. Most than water excess or shortage the leafs are expressing stress conditions that during the sixth week retarded the floration. Not impressively the OG Kush SFV that was the strain that revealed a higher grade of problems, during the last couple of weeks corrected the growth space and the internodes and a soft luscious green indicate a very good development on the last couple of grow. It has turn mandatory to balance heavily the swap between foliar irrigation and soil irrigation mostly for use the leaf stomas as portals of nourishment and to allow to get the most VPD rate in order to develop. During the last week's and on early flowering season it was mandatory to have a fine balance between the defoliation on the primary fan leafs; forcing as well to create space for internodes and mostly to have a balance in dew point (VPD) ratio to check finest balance between the horizon composed by the soil and airation and luminance entry on lower areas of growth. So far and as concerned the big problem is linked to overrate on humidity and that represent some flowers that not get full potencial on concentrating the balance of NLP. Mostly he are facing a deep problem with some lockage originated by nutrients block and probably during the next couple of days it will be a mandatory strategy to use the Aqua Klean (T.A.) allowing to refined the way of integrate some nutrients to in a couple of days, reboot the system. A big hug and as soon as possible it will be possible to redefine the overall integration A big hug. 420 forever! Take care, Tom

TommyBVRSA75 Entering on 8th week but mostly considering that we are on the verge of the flowering season, the general conditions of the Mediterranean summer have been outmost obnoxious on the growing season 2025. Most obviously that amongst the vertical stretching (or the general height) reveals tremendous problems in general terms. Both Zombie Kush and G.M.O. have been suffering enormous problems linked to the conditions that both strains has been suffering and it is clear that on both strains and facing the entering of 8th week some stress conditions are very noticeable. On G.M.O. both mostly on Zombie Kush it is very clear that most of the primary fan leafs express inner curling that probably is related with the watering. On G.M.O. the curling leafs aren't so evident, but on Zombie Kush mainly over the lower area of the grow on the Zombie Kush is very noticeable,...despite on both of the strains it is very clear that both of them on the entering of the 8th week are know more than 120 cm, but on Zombie Kush it is very concerning that the curling expression of the primary fan leafs indicates that based on radicular conditions and related to the high heavy temperature and the need of irrigation to cover the humidity levels. This particular conditions are mandatory to create overwatering and beside the conditions on the grow room with 180 cm height and 80 X 80 cm, has lead that in the 7th week of vertical grow to have both strains such as G.M.O and Zombie Kush around 135 cms (which means that from the strain tops up to lights, there won't be more than 30 cms top left) and otherwise the light tops will have strong influence on the burnt of the strain's higher areas. So on the next week's and having a preview of a total final grow period of at least no more than 13 to 15 th. weeks and considering that we are now on the verge from 7th to 8th week and mostly that we still on half cycle and it is most clear that during this summer, some problems had been multiplied due to general conditions such as very hot weather; humidity rates very changeling and phenotype characters that accused the overall conditions that happened through the approximately 50 days since the sprouting of the strain seeds. About G.M.O. and Zombie Kush, clearly plain two indica strains with great height and mostly with a very noticeable height with no more than 50 days. On OG Kush SFV, a clear sativa hybrid with a very balanced size with a group of branches compact and unspite that on the first three weeks shown some uneven development, after the fourth week started to express fantastic colours and being by the way a strain with all the conditions to be an unique example of a detachable cannabis incredible top notch.. So next week more things to come. I will soon keep you update on last evolve of my three strains, hoping that this next week could be a great week in what we all expect and to share with you. 420 to all of you and be safe to all of you, mates. Tommy