Northern Lights Autoflower

bkickstand Week One Update: Autoflowers, round 2! Seeds planted: 2-Northern Lights autoflower 3-Strawberry Nugget X Pink Panama autoflower Seeds sprouted: 1/5 (NL1) We are officially underway with the second round of autoflowers! As of this week, we have one eager participant in the soil—NL1 is the only sprout to break the surface out of the five seeds planted. While we are still waiting on the other four to make their appearance, NL1 is looking healthy and is already off to a great start in its container. I'll keep a close eye on the remaining seeds as they settle into their rhythm Update 7.15.26: NL1 ans PPX2 have popped. I'm still holding out for other 3 ladies. NL2, PPX1 and PPX3. Update 7.20.26: all I planted was a Northern Lights. What is this?!?!

bkickstand Garden Journal Update: Week 3 of Round 2 Autoflowers Overview Date: Week of July 22, 2026 Focus: Second round of autoflower seedlings (germinated and planted directly into 5-gallon fabric bags on July 1). Current Stage: Early vegetative / seedling establishment. Plant Status Breakdown PPX2 (Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama Autoflower) Current Status: Emerging right on schedule, showing healthy green cotyledons and early first true leaves. Observations: Sitting securely in its 5-gallon fabric bag amidst a mulch layer. Root development is focusing downward while building early solar panels. Growth rate is typical for the 3-week mark post-germination as it transitions from relying on stored seed energy to active photosynthesis. NL1 (Northern Lights Round 2 / Autoflower Pheno) Current Status: Outpacing its sibling slightly at this stage, displaying robust early symmetry and deep green pigmentation across the initial set of true leaves. Observations: Showing vigorous early vigor in the 5-gallon container setup. Leaf structure looks crisp and healthy with no signs of environmental stress or moisture issues. Action Items & Maintenance Watering Strategy: Maintaining light, targeted watering around the immediate root zone to encourage outward root exploration through the 5-gallon medium without drowning the young taproot. Environment: Continuing to monitor local deck conditions, keeping an eye on shifting afternoon storm structures rolling across the plains. Update 7.22.26: NL2 has finally popped after 3 weeks! Welcome to the family little one.

bkickstand Week 4 Journal Update: New Autoflower Batch (NL1, NL2, & PPX2) * Overview: The second round of autoflowers—planted directly into 5-gallon fabric bags at the start of July—is hitting week four with distinct variations in growth speed across the trio. * NL1 (Northern Lights 1): Showing strong, healthy vigor with lush green fan leaves developing nicely and a sturdy stem established in its 5-gallon container. * NL2 (Northern Lights 2): Sitting under the trellis remnants, this seedling is a bit smaller and taking its time establishing early vegetative growth compared to its sibling. * PPX2 (Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama): Marked clearly with its blue flag, this autoflower is showing steady early leaf development and settling into its deck routine.

bkickstand Week 5 Update * Strain Focus: NL1 (Northern Lights) and PPX2 (Strawberry Nuggets x Pink Panama) * Stage: Early Vegetative Growth * Environment: Outdoor Deck Garden, Colorado Plant Status & Observations * PPX2 (Strawberry Nugget X Pink Panama): Demonstrating steady, compact early root and structural development out in the 5-gallon fabric bags on the deck. Leaves are maintaining a vibrant green tone with clear node stacking as the second month kicks off. * NL1 (Northen Lights): Showing aggressive early vigor with expanding fan leaves and symmetrical branching starting to push outward from the center. Garden Notes * Timeline Check: Exactly five weeks into the lifecycle following direct-sowing into the fabric containers on July 1. * Deck Conditions: Enjoying steady outdoor exposure, natural airflow across the Eastern Plains, and consistent monitoring via the deck security setup.

bkickstand Week Six Garden Journal: NL1 & PPX2 As we hit Week Six, both plants are showing distinct growth patterns and individual characteristics. They are currently established in their respective fabric grow bags, continuing to develop their vegetative structures. Plant Updates NL1 * Growth & Vigor: NL1 is displaying strong, healthy fan leaves with a vibrant green color radiating outward from a tight central cluster. * Structure: The canopy is filling out nicely with multiple well-defined nodes developing close to the soil line. * Training: Early Low Stress Training (LST) is being utilized to manipulate the crop's canopy and open up the inner structure. * Environment: Settled comfortably in its fabric container alongside support markers, showing steady and resilient progression this week. PPX2 * Growth & Vigor: PPX2 (Strawberry Nuggets x Pink Panama autoflower) is maintaining a more compact stature, currently featuring delicate, tightly clustered foliage. * Structure: Training ties and supportive elements are in place to help guide its early structural development as it builds foundational strength. * Training: Early LST techniques are being introduced to gently shape the young seedling's branching pattern. * Environment: Growing side-by-side in matching media, responding well to current care routines despite its smaller footprint compared to NL1.

bkickstand Week 7 Grow Diary: New Autoflower Batch (NL1 & PPX2) We are officially sitting at Week 7 since planting this new batch of autoflowers on July 1st. The outdoor setup is moving along nicely, though these two phenotypes are showing completely different growth rates and developmental pacing as they settle into their respective phases. Strain Updates & Observations * NL1 (Northern Lights Phenotype): * NL1 is really hitting her stride and taking off nicely in her fabric bag. * She is officially transitioning into early flower, showing clear signs of preflowers with those telltale little white pistils forming at the nodes. * Overall structure looks healthy, compact, and ready to stretch into the blooming cycle. * PPX2 (Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama): * PPX2 continues to be remarkably slow and steady compared to NL1. * She is staying very low-profile and compact, taking her sweet time putting on new vegetation, but the foliage she does have remains green and vibrant. Maintenance & Next Steps * Training: Continuing light monitoring and adjustments as NL1 focuses her energy upward into preflower development. * Environment: Keeping a close eye on the local weather as the afternoon storms roll through, making sure the setup drains well and gets plenty of that strong sun when it's out.

bkickstand Grow Journal: Week 8 Update (New Autoflower Batch) We are officially sitting at Week 8 for the second batch of autoflowers, which were planted on July 1. The overall group is pushing along nicely, navigating the late-summer outdoor conditions and setting a solid pace, but we definitely have a notable outlier and some distinct milestones this round. Strain Status & Observations * Flowering Milestone: NL1 is currently in flowering, shifting gears right on schedule as it builds out its structure and packs on early bud development. * The Runt of the Group: PPX2 (Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama) is officially lagging way behind the rest of the crew. While its siblings are cruising forward, PPX2 has decided to take its sweet time, staying notably small, compact, and trailing significantly in overall development. It's safe to say PPX2 is officially our runt for this cycle, but we'll keep giving it the right care and see how it finishes out regardless of size. Next Steps * Keep monitoring moisture levels and climate shifts as we head further into late August. * Let the runt do its thing without forcing the pace—every grow needs an underdog!

bkickstand Week nine marks a fascinating early milestone for this new batch of autoflowers, featuring just two plants: NL1 and PPX2 (the Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama cross). Both are maintaining a remarkably compact, low-profile stature right in their fabric pots surrounded by a rich mulch layer of wood chips. NL1 & PPX2 Week Nine Update * Early-Stage Development & Structure: Both plants are displaying tight, symmetrical growth patterns with vibrant green fan leaves radiating outwards from the center. Despite being at week nine, they are currently showing the charmingly compact footprint of early bloom initiation, complete with tiny emerging pistils clustering at the core sites. * Training & Environment: The photos capture a clean setup utilizing low-stress training hardware (such as anchor stakes visible at the edge of the pot) to gently open up the canopy and encourage multi-site exposure. The heavy, organic-looking soil mix provides fantastic drainage and moisture retention, keeping root zones exceptionally happy. * Observations: Because they are staying small and stealthy right now, they are packing their early growth tightly together. The focus moving forward will be watching how aggressively they stretch and transition as the flowering sites begin to multiply over the coming weeks.

bkickstand Week 10 Update: Stepping Up and Showing Off We are officially sitting at week 10 with the new batch of autoflowers, featuring NL1 and PPX2, and things are really starting to get interesting in the garden. Over this past week, both plants have put on a noticeable bit of growth, stretching out and filling in their structure nicely. Even better, they are officially entering the next phase of development by throwing out their first pistils and starting to stack a touch of early resin on the fresh growth. It's always a rewarding milestone to watch them transition and kick off flower production. Everything is looking healthy and moving right along on schedule.

bkickstand Week 11 Journal Update: Northern Lights 1 & Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama 2 * Overview & Stature: Week 11 brings an update on the new batch of autoflowers—Northern Lights 1 (NL1) and Strawberry Nugget x Pink Panama 2 (PPX2). Both plants are exhibiting an exceptionally small, miniature, and compact stature, sitting tightly packed low in their fabric pots. When scaled next to a standard lighter, their micro-sized build becomes fully apparent. * Flowering Progress: Despite their tiny frame, both specimens are actively pushing through their flowering phase. Bud development is dense and tightly clustered around the miniature structures, with early trichome coverage and pistils forming nicely on the compact colas. * Feeding & Water Management: The nutrient and watering regimen remains steady, with both plants receiving regular doses of Cal-Mag. Irrigation water is being treated with pH down, successfully bringing the overall pH level down to a balanced target of approximately 6.2. * Harvest Expectations: Given their unique micro-stature, the final yield is shaping up to be extremely modest—at most, maybe a single satisfying puff will be harvested off PPX2 once they cross the finish line.

bkickstand Grow Diary Update: Week 12 — NL1 & PPX2 Overview & General Status We have officially rolled into Week 12 with the second batch of autoflowers, PPX2 (Strawberry Nuggets × Pink Panama) and NL1 (Northern Lights #1). Both plants are maintaining a wonderfully compact structure down in their fabric pots, keeping a low, tight profile as they focus their energy entirely on stacking and bulking up. Current Plant Breakdown * PPX2 (Compact Pheno): * Looking stout and dense in its 5-gallon container. The tight node spacing is doing wonders, keeping the structure incredibly compact while the site develops rich, frosty clusters. * NL1 (Multi-Branched Pheno): * Hanging right along with that same low, sturdy footprint. The branching is tight and well-supported, letting the developing top sites catch the crisp late-season deck sun efficiently. Environment & Irrigation Update * Natural Rainfall: With the rain we've had pass through over the last few days, both ladies have been catching some naturally balanced pH water straight from the skies. Mother Nature handled the irrigation cycle perfectly, saving us a trip with the watering can and delivering a refreshing, clean drink right to the root zone. * Media & Resilience: The 5-gallon fabric bags are draining and breathing exceptionally well between showers, keeping the root environment happy and stable. Next Steps * Keep monitoring the forecast as late-September weather rolls on. * Continue checking trichome development closely as these compact little fuel tanks finish up their final weeks.

bkickstand Week 13 Grow Update: PPX2 and NL1 . Current Status & Observations * Growth Habit: At week 13, both plants are exhibiting a remarkably short and staggered stature that feels quite underwhelming overall. Their development has been stunted compared to expectations, leaving a tiny footprint in their 5-gallon fabric containers. * PPX2: Shown in the first photo, this compact plant remains tightly bunched with minimal vertical stretch, showing very limited branching and slow progression on its tiny bud sites. * NL1: Shown in the second photo, this multi-branched plant is slightly wider but still heavily compressed in height, failing to put on the kind of robust bulk needed late in the cycle. Garden Notes & Reflections * Harvest Outlook: Honestly, looking at how small and stalled they are, I am not even sure if there will be anything substantial to harvest by the time they finish. * Environment & Care: Continuing regular checks and maintenance on the deck, but growth has largely plateaued as cooler seasonal shifts settle into the high plains.

bkickstand Week 14 Grow Diary Update: PPX2 & NL1 * Stature: Both plants turned out quite underwhelming in stature, remaining unusually compact and short for this stage in the cycle. * Aroma: Terpene development is noticeably muted, offering very little in terms of scent or distinctive fragrance. * Resin Production: Trichome coverage and overall stickiness are disappointing, falling well short of expectations. Root Zone & Soil Analysis Reflecting on how this round played out, the underlying culprit appears to be poor soil compaction that prevented adequate oxygen from reaching the root zone. Without proper soil aeration and structure, the root systems struggled to thrive, stunting the overall development of both PPX2 and NL1. Looking at the season as a whole, it is tough to call this batch a success—honestly, it feels pretty disappointing after all the effort.

bkickstand ### Grow Diaries Journal Update — Week 15 Strains: PP X2 and NL1 Autoflower Harvest assessment Week 15 has been a disappointing finale to the season for the new batch of autoflowers, particularly when it comes to the overall size and development of PPX2 and NL1. Both plants fell well short of expectations, with their small stature being one of the biggest letdowns of this year's grow. Looking at the plants after pulling them from their growing medium, the root systems tell another part of the story. Both plants have a noticeably lackluster root structure, with limited root development relative to the size and growth I had hoped to achieve. The roots appear sparse rather than forming the robust, well-developed network needed to support vigorous growth above the soil. While root condition alone doesn't establish the cause of their stunted growth, it raises questions about root-zone conditions, oxygen availability, moisture management, and how effectively each plant was able to take up water and nutrients throughout the season. PPX2 was especially underwhelming in terms of its overall size and development. There simply isn't much plant material to show for the time invested in growing it this season. Its limited root system may have contributed to its lack of vigor, although genetics and other environmental factors could also have played a role. NL1, the larger of the two plants, is at least showing a little more promise. Despite its small stature, it has some noticeable aroma, which is encouraging after the disappointing results elsewhere in this year's garden. NL1 has produced a few small nugs that I plan to dry and cure rather than write the plant off entirely. I'll evaluate those flowers after curing to get a better idea of their aroma, overall quality, and effects. The aroma is a positive sign, but the final assessment will have to wait until the flowers are properly dried and cured. ### Lessons from Week 15 This season has reinforced that a plant's overall performance depends on more than simply keeping it alive and getting it through the growing season. Root development, substrate structure, drainage, oxygen availability, and environmental conditions all deserve closer attention. However, the limited root growth observed here is a clue to investigate, not definitive proof of a single underlying problem. For the next growing season, I want to put greater emphasis on establishing a healthy root zone early in the plant's life. A well-aerated growing medium, consistent moisture management, and appropriate container conditions will be important areas to review. Overall assessment: PP X2 and NL1 were both disappointing in stature and overall development this year. NL1 gets a small reprieve because of its aroma and the handful of nugs worth saving for a proper dry and cure. I'll reserve final judgment on its flower quality until that process is complete, while treating the lackluster root systems and limited growth of both plants as important lessons for future grows.