Gorilla Melon Outdoor

Green_Zyphoria So, a little change of plans – but a good one! Today I moved the Gorilla Melon from her small 0.25L starter pot into her final 15L home. I originally thought about the 8.5L pots, but since I managed to clear some space in my grow rack, I decided to go big. Using the 15L Autopot setup gives her way more potential for the long run. I used Plagron Bio Lightmix and made sure she got the full "spa treatment": a solid drainage layer of clay pebbles at the bottom, two Biotabs tucked into the soil for long-term feeding, and a good dose of Mycotrex right in the planting hole to get those roots and fungi connected. The best part about the new plan is that she can stay indoors under the SANlight for a bit longer. No need to worry about the "Ice Saints" or cold nights in the greenhouse just yet. Staying in the warm rack means the soil life can wake up properly and the plant can settle in without any temperature stress. I'll keep the water reservoir off for now and hand-water her for the first week so the roots really have to work for it and spread out. The plan is to keep her here in the comfort of the indoors until around mid-May. Once the weather stabilizes and the risk of frost is gone, she’ll finally move out to her permanent spot in the greenhouse. She's looking super happy, and I can't wait to see how she reacts to all that fresh soil before she hits the real sun!

Green_Zyphoria Not much to report this week – I literally just sat back and watched her explode in the big pot. This is the last update from indoors. The weather is finally turning around, and I'm glad I kept her inside until now. We had some nasty nights with around 5°C out there – way too cold for a smooth start. With the sun coming out next week, she’s heading straight to the greenhouse. I want that extra biomass for a stress-free transition before I start any topping or training. Greenhouse season starts now! See you guys outside. :)

Green_Zyphoria The Gorilla Melon has officially moved outside in the beggining of the week. She adapted instantly to the natural sunlight and breeze, looking extremely vibrant. Her Sativa genetics are definitely showing with some solid node spacing, but she is also thickening up her main stem and pushing plenty of new growth in the lower nodes. Applied a fresh batch of nematodes last night to keep the organic substrate 100% clean from any outdoor pests right from the start. The plant is full of energy. Waiting just until tomorrow morning to top her above the 4th or 5th node.

Green_Zyphoria End of week 4 and the good weather hit with perfect timing. I topped the Gorilla Melon and since then, the side branching is really kicking off. I gave her a little bit of Orgatrex and Bactrex right before turning on the Autopot system. I also upgraded to an AC Infinity A9 fan to have almost no background noise on the balcony. Until now, I've had no pests or diseases. Hoping it keeps going this way!

Green_Zyphoria The GM is doing damn well and is starting to form a nice shaped base. Three days ago, I did the second topping on the two main shoots, leaving a tiny stub to prevent any splitting later on. She shrugged off the cut like nothing—no stagnation at all—and those two tips are already pushing out four brand-new, vigorous shoots. Since the tops took a quick break, the lower side branches caught up big time, thickening up nicely. I've also started some light LST on them to guide them outward. Nutrient-wise, the Biotab is keeping the green super lush, and the Autopot tank is freshly topped off.

Green_Zyphoria It was a pretty mixed week weather-wise. We had some beautiful sunshine, but also quite a few cloudy days—today, it's actually super cloudy. At the beginning of the week, I paused the Autopot system to give the lady two specific top feeds: First Feed: A fresh dose of nematodes to nipped any potential fungus gnat issues. Second Feed (2 days later): A light snack of 2.5ml Orgatrex to feed the microbials and give the soil some extra sugars. Yesterday, I finally restarted the Autopot system, so she is officially running on autopilot again! I also adjusted the LST a little bit further to keep her flat and wide, and now I’m just waiting for that explosive, bushy growth. I’ve also included a picture of the whole setup today! The greenhouse is completely open in the back, but I’ve installed a fine insect screen there. On the right side next to the GM, you can see a Orange Sherbet Auto, which is currently stretching and heading right into flower!

Green_Zyphoria The summer heatwave has officially arrived, and it is getting seriously hot inside the greenhouse! However, the Gorilla Melon is handling the high temperatures like an absolute champ. Thanks to the Autopot system, she has a non-stop supply of fresh water, completely preventing any heat stress. She put on a massive amount of lush, green leaf mass over the past few days and is bursting with energy. With the dry, hot weather, I noticed a few minor traces of thrips popping up here and there. To nip this in the bud and keep any potential issues to an absolute minimum, I deployed some biological warfare yesterday and hung lacewing eggs (ChrysoCards) right into the canopy. It’s a 100% organic approach and completely safe to use even later during flowering. As for the schedule, it was a pure water-only week—nothing but clean H2O in the reservoir. On the training front, I’m currently debating whether to top her one more time to keep her even flatter and bushier, since she still has a long vegetative phase ahead of her. I haven’t fully decided yet, so I’ll just keep a close eye on her development for a few more days. Enjoy the sun and have a great weekend, everyone!

Green_Zyphoria Day 56 update, and man, the summer heatwave is officially pushing us to the limit! Inside the greenhouse, it’s getting incredibly hot, but the Gorilla Melon is handling it like an absolute champ. No real signs of heat stress yet, though you can tell she is working hard. Honestly, the AutoPot system is the real MVP this week; with these soaring temperatures, the constant water supply from below keeps her perfectly hydrated without any scary dry spells. To keep the canopy nice and even, I went ahead and did some more topping on the taller shoots to balance out the height before she gets any bigger. On the pest front, we had a little drama: the ChrysoCards unfortunately baked in the intense heat and didn't survive. Lesson learned! To fix this, I released a fresh batch of live green lacewing larvae instead. I just put them right onto the main branch junctions on the plant. It’s working beautifully—the thrips are visibly retreating, and I’ve barely seen any new damage on the big fan leaves this week. Slowly but surely, we are winning this battle!

Green_Zyphoria The Gorilla Melon is absolutely crushing it and keeping a very stable profile. She keeps growing beautifully and is noticeably getting bigger every day. I'm already thinking ahead about cutting her back later so she won't outgrow the greenhouse during the stretch, but for now, I am just enjoying her impressive growth as she is. Since I will be out of the office for the next 10 days, I decided to pull forward her nutrient boost by a week to make sure she is fully sustained while I'm gone. She received a solid dose of 5ml Orgatrex today. As a preventive measure, I deployed a fresh round of live lacewing larvae (Florfliegenlarven) on paper towels today since I spotted a few new bites. However, the plant is completely stable and I don't expect any issues. She is strong enough to handle everything. Before leaving, I will fill the AutoPot reservoir up to the very top to ensure she has plenty of water to drink on demand. Hoping for the best while I am away!

Green_Zyphoria Just got back from a 10-day vacation and the Gorilla Melon has completely lost its mind! The AutoPot system worked flawlessly—the reservoir ran bone dry literally right as I walked through the door, so talk about perfect timing. The girl absolutely exploded during the summer heatwave and turned into a massive jungle monster, to the point where she’s literally knocking on the ceiling fan. The thrips are still a problem, though. The green lacewing larvae did not win the war while I was away. I will need to cut some leaves that don't look good and do a major cleanup. In just a few minutes, I’m taking the trimmers out to hack about 50 cm off the top to control her height and completely strip the bottom third for some fresh airflow. But overall, we are still in a good mood. Time to shape her up!

Green_Zyphoria What's up guys! Quick update for this week. I decided to give the Gorilla Melon a nice cut to keep her height fully under control, and honestly, I'm pretty happy with her current structure. She’s shaping up beautifully. I'll see how she develops over the next two weeks and make a final decision at the end of July whether to cut her one last time or just let her ride. I'm still a bit anxious about that massive stretch coming up in August, so my main goal right now is keeping her in a compact shape that will comfortably fit inside the greenhouse. To make sure she has enough power for the road ahead, I pushed a third Biotab straight into the soil today. Those thrips are unfortunately still buzzing around the place, but the Gorilla Melon seems to be way more resilient compared to her greenhouse-mate. My Orange Sherbet Auto right next to her, which is already in late flower, is definitely having a much harder time dealing with the pests. To get ahead of the problem, I’m going to release another round of biological pest control soon. The goal is to have everything thrips-free the time the Gorilla Melon finally flips into flower (hopefully). Enjoy the peace of growing, guys! ✌️

Green_Zyphoria It breaks my heart to write this, but I have to officially cancel and chop down this Gorilla Melon outdoor run. I got into trouble with my neighbors. The massive smell that triggered the neighbors' heavy complaints actually came from my Orange Sherbert Auto (OSA), which was flowering right next to her in the greenhouse. However, having hunted and selected this specific Gorilla Melon phenotype myself, I know for a fact that she is an absolute terpene monster and will stink just as heavily once flowering starts. She reached a magnificent 150 to160 cm in veg, but knowing how intense her aroma gets and seeing how sensitive the neighbors are already, keeping her outside is a ticking time bomb. It’s incredibly sad and frustrating to see that despite legal progress, society is still so far away from real tolerance when it comes to a simple plant in the garden. To avoid endless conflict, safety comes first. I refuse to live in constant stress, so we are pulling the indoor season forward earlier than planned! The silver lining: Her top-tier genetics are safe with a mini mother plant indoors, and all my energy now shifts directly to my upcoming indoor Orange Cream Pop selection run. R.I.P. Big Girl. Stay tuned for the new Orange Cream Pop diary coming very soon!