The Great Outdoors 2026 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Hi everyone, and welcome to Week 1 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 Not much to report just yet, but the seedlings are off to a good start. They’ve now been placed into their pots and are currently in the nursery greenhouse. The sun is shining, and the journey has officially begun 😎 In this run, we will be showcasing the Shishka Lemonade cultivar from Green House Genetics, Cherry Pie Fast from Advanced seeds, Critical Auto XXL from Philosopher Seeds, Auto Durban Poison from Auto Seeds, and Auto Panty Punch from Seedstockers. Hope you enjoy the journey 🌱 Happy gardening 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 2 of this year’s outdoor organic grow 🌱 Not too much to report just yet, the sun has been shining, the weather has been great for this time of year, and the girls are looking happy, healthy, and thriving. This week I’ll be introducing small amounts of Root Juice to help support strong root development as they continue to settle in. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Happy growing 😎💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 3 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 After a week away in Italy, it’s great to be back with the girls, and they’re looking happy, healthy, and really starting to thrive. The only one taking things a little slower is Panty Punch, but we’ve still got plenty of love for her 😄 The Durban Poison Auto and Critical XXL are both progressing nicely and putting on strong growth this week. Next week, the Cherry Pie and Shishka Lemonade will be transplanted into their final 50L pots, just in time for the beautiful weather heading our way 😎 At the moment, all the girls are being fed with root juice, and that’s all they’ll be getting for the next couple of weeks as things continue naturally. Once the photoperiod plants are settled into their final pots, I’ll begin some low-stress training (LST) to help shape the canopy and maximise growth. Hope you all had a great weekend! See you next week, and as always, happy gardening 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 4 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 Unfortunately, we lost the Critical XXL and the Durban Poison Auto this week after what appears to have been a bird attack. I accidentally left the greenhouse nursery open during the day, and by the next morning the tops had been completely severed. It’s disappointing, but that’s all part of the outdoor growing journey. On a more positive note, the Panty Punch Auto is progressing slowly but surely, and the Cherry Pie and Shishka Lemonade cultivars were moved into their final pots a few days ago, just in time for this beautiful 33°C weather we’re having this week. All the plants are currently being fed Root Juice, and I’ve started some light LST. The girls are looking happy, healthy, and thriving so far. I’ve also started harvesting some elderberrie from the garden to make lemonade. Hope everyone had a great weekend ! Happy gardening 😎💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 5 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 The girls are really starting to thrive this week. They seem to have loved the last 10 days of canicule weather, with temperatures reaching around 34°C. Today, things are back to more normal May temperatures of around 22°C, and we finally got our first rainfall in two weeks. Nature definitely needed it! The girls are now getting light doses of Bio-Grow alongside Root·Juice, and I'm continuing with some LST to keep them short and wide. Not that my four neighbours would care anyway, they all grow too 😂 Unfortunately, we also lost the Panty Punch, so this grow will continue with these six photoperiod plants only. Nature decided to take all three autos, so I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Hope you all had a great weekend! Happy gardening 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 6 of this Outdoor Organic Grow ! 🌱 The girls have absolutely thrived over the past week and are looking healthy, vigorous, and full of life. One standout in particular is a Shishka Lemonade cultivar from Green House Seeds, which has shown exceptional growth and vitality. The weather has finally settled into more typical June conditions, with daytime temperatures hovering around 19–20°C. We've also had a fairly windy week, but the plants seem to be benefiting from it, developing stronger stems and structure that should serve them well later in the season when they're carrying heavy flowers haha 🤞🏼 Training continues with some gentle LST (Low-Stress Training), and I've begun introducing light feedings this week. I'll also be topping the plants today to encourage more branching and promote a bushier canopy moving forward. Overall, the garden is looking fantastic, and I'm excited to see how things progress over the coming weeks. Hope everyone is having a great weekend ! Happy gardening ! 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 6 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 ** The three plants on the right are not mine, i am keeping them for a friend. ** The girls have absolutely thrived over the past week. They seem to have responded very well to the topping and are now starting to bush out nicely. Despite a stretch of less-than-ideal weather and plenty of rain, we're once again experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures reaching around 30°C. To help them cope with the warmer conditions, I've slightly increased the watering schedule while keeping nutrient levels consistent with last week. I'm also continuing with some light LST to encourage an even canopy and healthy growth. Phenotype #1 of the Shishka Lemonade cultivar is performing exceptionally well. In fact, I'm considering moving her indoors to flower at some point, but we'll see how things develop. I hope you've all had a great weekend ! And as always, happy gardening 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to week 8 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 The girls are thriving once again this week and are responding exceptionally well to the topping, with plenty of vigorous new growth and a much bushier structure starting to develop. I've continued with some light LST to help maintain an even canopy and encourage strong lateral growth. On the feeding side, I've now discontinued Root Juice and have slightly increased the Bio-Grow dosage to support their ongoing vegetative development. The main challenge this week will be the weather. We've been experiencing another heatwave, with temperatures reaching 37–38°C over the last few days and forecasts predicting highs of 42–44°C by midweek. I'll be monitoring the plants closely and taking any necessary precautions to help them cope with the extreme conditions. So far, they're looking healthy, happy, and full of energy. Hope everyone had a great weekend, and as always Happy gardening ! 😎💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to week 9 of this outdoor organic grow 🌱 After a week of brutal 45°C temperatures (and more than a few nights spent sleeping in the garden.. ) , we're finally back to much more manageable 25°C daytime weather. The forecast looks good for the next week before another potential 40°C+ heatwave arrives. This week I topped the girls once again and increased both watering and feed to help them cope with the extreme heat. So far, they've handled the conditions incredibly well and are looking healthy, vigorous, and full of life. The canopy is really starting to fill out now, it's beginning to look like a jungle out here ! 😎 The Shishka Lemonade cultivars are especially impressive. They have a fantastic plant structure with strong branching, and I think they're going to become absolute monsters despite being in 50L pots. Meanwhile, the Cherry Pie Fast cultivars are beginning to show the first signs of pre-flowering, so things are starting to get exciting. I hope you've all had a great weekend ! As always, happy gardening ! 💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to week 10 of this outdoor organic grow ! 🌱 Things are really starting to get exciting ! The plants are absolutely thriving and have bushed out beautifully. I'm incredibly grateful for the fantastic weather we've had, it has made all the difference. The grow space is starting to feel a little crowded, so I may need to move the plants to another area of the garden soon. They'll continue to get much bigger, with the Shishka Lemonade cultivars expected to begin their stretch in around 3–4 weeks, while the Cherry Pie Fast plants are already entering pre-flower and should start stretching even sooner. Right now, they're being fed only Bio-Grow, and I've finished all topping and low-stress training. From this point on, it's all about letting them do their thing and I have a feeling we could have some absolute monsters on our hands this season ! It's been amazing getting back to growing in the great outdoors, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season brings. Hope you've all had a fantastic weekend, and as always… Happy gardening ! 😊💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 11 of this outdoor organic grow ! 🌱 We're back into a heatwave this week, with daytime temperatures reaching around 38°C. Despite the intense weather, the girls are absolutely thriving ! They've now been moved to a new spot in the garden with plenty more space to really express their full potential. Over the last week they've exploded with growth and are looking incredibly healthy, vigorous, and happy. I've had to increase watering considerably because of the heat. Each plant is now drinking between 6 and 8 litres of water per day ! I was also lucky enough to be gifted three Speedy Chile plants from Royal Queen Seeds, already growing in 50-litre pots. They were planted a little later in the season, so they're slightly smaller than the rest, but they're looking fantastic and should catch up quickly. The Cherry Pie cultivars have officially started their stretch, the Speedy Chile plants are entering pre-flower, and the Shiska Lemonade cultivars should be in pre-flower by next week. With most of the plants already standing over 6 feet tall, I'm expecting some 7- to 8-foot monsters by the end of the stretch ! 😁 I'll officially be calling the start of flowering within the next couple of weeks. In the last photo you'll also meet Peter the peacock, who, for some reason, absolutely loves hanging around the plants! ! 😂 I hope you've all had a great weekend ! As always, happy gardening ! 😊💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Week 12 of this Outdoor Organic Grow ! 🌱 What a week it's been ! The 9 girls have absolutely exploded with growth and are bushing out beautifully. The Cherry Pie and Speedy Chile cultivars are now officially in flower, while the Shishka Lemonade cultivars have entered early pre-flower. From next week onwards, I'll be posting dedicated flowering updates now that they're all transitioning into the same stage. Most of the plants have now surpassed 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), with the Shishka Lemonade cultivars sitting at around 6 ft (1.83 m). The Cherry Pie plants, in particular, are stretching rapidly every day, and I wouldn't be surprised if they reach 8–8.5 ft (2.4–2.6 m) before long. Time will tell ! I'll definitely need to install some wire mesh around the girls soon to help support them as they continue to bulk up. All of the plants are thriving, healthy, vigorous, and full of life. I've slightly increased their Bio-Grow feed and have started introducing Bio-Bloom at a light rate. They've also been getting some bat guano, which they're absolutely loving. I'm very grateful for the weather we've had so far this season, hopefully it continues ! I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend, and as always... Happy gardening ! 😎💚

The_Kitchen_Raccoon Welcome to Day 1 of flower for the Cherry Pie and Speedy Chile cultivars in this year's outdoor organic grow ! 😁🌱 The Shishka Lemonade cultivars aren't far behind and should begin flowering sometime next week. Over the past week, the plants have really taken off. They're stretching beautifully, filling out with healthy foliage, and showing excellent vigor. This season I've decided to lollipop the plants. Lollipopping is a pruning technique that involves removing the lower branches, leaves, and bud sites that receive little to no light. This allows the plant to redirect its energy toward the upper canopy, where the most productive flowers develop. After pruning, the plant has a clean, bare lower stem with a full, healthy canopy above, hence the name "lollipop." Benefits of lollipopping include : • Improved light penetration to the main flowering sites. • Increased airflow through the lower canopy, helping reduce humidity and the risk of mold. • Fewer small, airy "popcorn" buds on the lower branches. • More energy directed toward producing larger, denser top flowers. ➡️ Check out the last photo for an example of the lollipopping technique. As for feeding, things have remained much the same as last week, with the addition of bat guano and a compost tea to support the transition into flowering. Everything is looking healthy, and I'm excited to see how these ladies develop over the coming weeks ! 😁 I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend. As always, happy growing ! 😎💚