Zengrower Hey growmies!
Time for another round in the Minigrow One! This time I’m running Auto Red Tropicana Cookies, one of the gems from the excellent seed package I won in the CNNBS Outdoor Grow Contest 2025 (3rd place with Mint Runtz by Spliff Seeds 💪). Massive shoutout to Dutch Passion for the amazing genetics — I couldn’t wait to get a new run started!
✂️ Lessons learned & setup tweaks
My previous run went… well… a little too vertical. The plant stretched straight up to the top of the growbox. But hey — grow & learn, right?
To keep this lady from getting too “high” again 😅, I’m trying several structural tweaks this round:
Reduced pot size to 6L.
Super easy with geotextile pots: cut the side in half, fold, and done.
Filled only 2/3 of the pot with soil.
Less root space usually means 20–30% less height — perfect for the Minigrow.
New lighting strategy based on the latest cannabis lighting science.
I’ll be running a fixed 18/6 cycle with a blue-dominant spectrum in the early phase to keep stretch under control.
Here’s the full plan:
Weeks 1–4: Blue 55–60%, Red 30–35%, White/IR 10%
→ Minimal stretch, compact veg structure
Weeks 5–8: Blue 45–50%, Red 40–45%, White/IR 10%
→ Balanced transition with controlled internodes
Weeks 9–11: Blue 35–40%, Red 50–55%, White/IR 10%
→ Bloom optimization and improved bud development
Keeping White/IR low should prevent excess far-red and shade-avoidance stretching.
Total output stays around 100% to maintain intensity in the 50–60 W range, hitting roughly 400–700 µmol/m²/s PPFD — perfect for the Minigrow One. Combined with the smaller pot, delayed defoliation and some optional LST, this setup should keep her well under 80 cm without sacrificing yield or quality.
Feeding will be Plagron, mostly supplements, since the soil contains enough nutrients for the first 4 weeks.
Week 1–4: Power Roots
After that: Sugar Royal for an extra terpene boost
🔥 Strain info: Auto Red Tropicana Cookies
🌈 Unique Red Genetics
Auto Red Tropicana Cookies is a limited, colorful autoflower known for its deep red and purple hues during bloom. Part of Dutch Passion’s Special Red family, these phenos express strong anthocyanin coloration — especially with slightly cooler night temps.
Genetics & effects
She brings together:
- Tropicana Cookies → sweet citrus, orange zest, cookie-dough terps
- Strong autoflower genetics for speed and uniformity
- Expect a happy, uplifting, energetic high — creative, social and perfect for daytime.
🌱 Growth characteristics
Compact to medium (50–100 cm), but your controlled pot/soil/spectrum combo should keep her even smaller
Fast: 9–10 weeks from seed to harvest
Easy and stable, ideal for micro-grows like the Minigrow One
🍊 Flavour & aroma profile
What we can expect:
- Sweet citrus
- Orange peel
- Fresh cookie dough
- Occasional berry tones in the red phenotypes
