MANGO FROST AUTO by Atomik Systems

Atomik_water Week 1 – Early Vegetative / Seedling Stage (Day 1) 25.8.2026 Germination Success: 100% (4/4) within 57 hours. All humidity domes removed. Light: Mars Hydro FC3000 EVO running 20/4 photoperiod @ ~120–130 µmol/m²/s PPFD. Adlite supplemental bars on standby. Environment: Temp: 24–26 °C | RH: 75–80% | Target VPD: 0.6–0.8 kPa. Irrigation & Nutrients: Zero runoff / dryback period for the first 2–3 days to encourage taproot development. Pre-buffered Plagron Cocos 70/30 base. Steering: Root zone establishment phase under ATOMIK v6.0 protocol.

Atomik_water Week 2 (Veg) – Day 15 Kickoff & Substrate Steering Week 2 is officially underway! The main photo captures the entire canopy status on Day 15 (Sept 10). I will be continuously updating this entry with more notes and photos as the week unfolds. Environment & Lighting: Main Light: Mars Hydro FC3000 EVO dialed to 50% power (~362 µmol/m²/s PPFD, DLI ~26 mol/m²/day on 20/4 schedule). Supplemental Lighting: Mars Hydro Adlite Blue runs daily between 11:00 and 15:00 for a mid-day blue spectrum peak to maximize stomatal conductance and keep internodal spacing compact. Climate: Stable 26.5–26.9 °C day / 22.4 °C night. VPD dialed in at 1.0–1.1 kPa using a passive air intake from the basement buffer. Having the LED driver mounted outside the tent keeps thermal management effortless. Irrigation & Rootzone Steering (ATOMIK v6.0): Sensor-Guided Dryback: Monitored via the Mars Hydro CA59 soil sensor. Allowed moisture in the outer zone to dry back down to 5.7% Sub Hum to maximize rootzone oxygenation. Feeding: Perimeter feed applied (400 ml per plant in a 15–18 cm ring) calibrated to EC 1.20 mS/cm and pH 6.1. Sub Hum bounced back cleanly to 7.6% with zero pooling at the base. Stem Mounding: Mounded fresh moist coco around the bases of the stems to eliminate leaning, provide mechanical anchor support, and encourage adventitious root development. Canopy Status (Day 15): Vigorous vascular response: all plants showing active 45° praying leaves and flat, expanding leaf blades.

Atomik_water Week 3 (Days 15 – 21) | Happy plants & back on track! How the girls are doing The plants are looking super bushy, thick, and healthy! Earlier this week, the coco got a bit too dry, and some of the lower leaves got a little pale and yellow between the veins. But no panic—gave them a solid drink, and they bounced back super fast! All the new leaves at the top are glowing green, strong, and reaching up for the light. What I did this week Fixed the dry coco: Slowly soaked the 11L pots until the coco was fully wet like a damp sponge. Now the roots have all the water they need. Feeding time: Mixed up RO water with my mineral nutrients (EC around 1.18, pH spot on at 6.0). Added some silicon for strong stems and plant booster for the roots. Blue lights on: Ran the blue LED bars during the day alongside the main light. This keeps the plants short, stocky, and prevents them from getting tall and spindly too early. Climate check: Kept the tent nice and warm at around 26 °C, with great air circulation.

Atomik_water During the earlier vegetative phase, the plants were slightly underwatered (approx. 500 ml every 3 days), which temporarily limited their transpiration and root-zone water turnover. With their current explosive growth rate, they are demanding significantly more water and nutrients. The goal now is to correct root-zone hydration smoothly without shocking the root system or causing osmotic stress by spiking the EC too rapidly. Today, the 50 L Mars Hydro automated drip irrigation system went live with an input EC of 1.2 and pH 6.2. The substrate runoff previously measured at EC 1.1 and pH 5.6. To steer the root-zone pH back toward the optimal 5.8–6.0 range and maintain ion availability, the input pH was deliberately set slightly higher (6.2). Both PPFD and VPD were increased to drive transpiration, while nitrogen (N) and magnesium (Mg) levels were reinforced to support rapid tissue expansion and chlorophyll synthesis. Water uptake has accelerated noticeably, and the canopy is responding with strong vigor. Goal are rising EC up to 1.6 and ppfd to a DLI of 45 MOL. VPD 1.2 minus Leaf temp -2 °C= displayed 1.4 Day 22 – Pre-flower Transition (W4) * Plant Status & Nutrition: Official start of pre-flowering with the first pistils clearly visible at the internodes. Stems are thick and robust with tight nodal spacing. Bumping the feed to EC 1.6 is working great—chlorophyll uptake is on point, chlorosis is gone, and new growth is thriving with zero tip burn. The Sub Hum curve shows strong, steady transpiration throughout the day. * Mars Hydro Dripper Failure: Total disappointment with the stock dripper kit; the nozzles failed right out of the gate and stopped flow completely. The issue wasn't salt buildup, but simply cheap, unreliable nozzles. Switched back to manual morning hand-watering for now (~600 ml per pot, pH 5.9–6.0). * Permanent Fix (Netafim NetBow): Ordered a proper commercial setup: Netafim NetBow (12 cm rings) paired with PCJ LCNL drippers (4.0 L/h) and an external Seaflo 2.4-bar diaphragm pressure pump. This setup will deliver real working pressure, consistent 360° root zone coverage, and complete peace of mind.

Atomik_water Successful transition into the flowering stage. Switched off the Mars Hydro Adlite Blue bars and fully engaged the Adlite Deep Red bars alongside the main fixture (85%) and low-level side lighting to trigger the stretch phase. Canopy was trained under the trellis net using LST, resulting in 6–8 uniform shoots per plant rising vertically. Increased irrigation volume to 1.2 L per pot to secure a steady 10–20% runoff, successfully preventing salt accumulation. Stepped up feed concentration to EC 2.1 and pH 6.0, supplemented with ATOMIK Amino for stress relief and mineral chelation. The root zone is thriving with runoff measuring at pH 5.6–5.8 and EC 1.7. Environment dialed in at 28.5 °C, 61% RH, VPD ~1.48 kPa, and CO₂ at ~1100 ppm. All tops are praying with dense pistil development. Day 31 Rising EC to 2.3 ph 6.2. 1.5 liter every morning in 11l pots. Coco perlit 70:30 Day 31 (Flower Day 4): Lowering PPFD to 630 (45dli)µmol/m²/s worked wonders, with leaves now actively praying and bud sites stacking rapidly. Fed 7L (EC 2.4, pH 6.3) with ~15% runoff testing at EC 2.0–2.3 and pH 5.5–5.9, confirming perfect uptake and zero salt buildup. Dialed the microclimate by routing the text{CO}_2 tube directly under the canopy with a PC fan for laminar lift, and set the S16 under-canopy bars to level 5.

Atomik_water Day 36 / Week 6 Issues, Solutions & Defoliation Log 1. Issues & Root Causes: Acute Ca/Mg Lockout ("Formula 1" Effect): Pushing metabolism to the absolute redline (DLI 55, CO₂ 1200 ppm, 29°C) triggered a severe root zone acidification down to pH 5.5 alongside high EC (2.5). Heavy potassium cation competition combined with acidic media blocked calcium and magnesium uptake, causing necrotic rust spots on the leaves within 4 hours. *Dehumidifier Failure: The 12L dehumidifier was overwhelmed by peak transpiration from four mature plants in coco, dropping air and Leaf-VPD well below safe thresholds and stalling the transpirational pull. 2. Implemented Solutions: Substrate Reset & Buffering:** Flushed the pots with an input EC of 1.5–1.9 mS/cm cut with tap water to introduce a natural bicarbonate buffer. Runoff stabilized right inside the ideal target window for bloom: pH 6.1–6.3 and EC 2.2–2.4 mS/cm Climate Recovery (30L Dehumidifier Upgrade): Installed a heavy-duty 30L unit, bringing humidity down to ~54% and holding air VPD at 1.44–1.50 kPa, which delivers an ideal Leaf-VPD of ~1.25–1.35 kPa Light Intensity Relief: Dialed PPFD down to ~520 µmol/m²/s (DLI ~37 mol/m²/d) to halt photo-oxidation of damaged leaf tissue and allow vascular recovery. 3. Defoliation & Lollipopping: Under-Canopy Strip: Stripped the entire lower third of foliage directly up to the trellis net line. Pruning Non-Productive Growth:** Cleaned out all shaded popcorn/larf bud sites and removed necrotic leaves damaged during the lockout. Airflow Tunnel Established:** Created an open air channel underneath the canopy and around the elevated fabric pots, preventing stagnant humidity pockets and redirecting full hydraulic pressure to the primary top colas. Day 38 Netafim bow instaled. Day 39 Mastered pH stability. It was dificult but now runoff are pH 6.1 ec 3.5 No lockouts. Happy Day 42 Swapped out the empty CO2 bottle today after running dry on Day 41. Dialing in relative humidity and VPD in a fully sealed room has been quite a challenge, but parameters are finally locked in: temperatures consistently above 28°C and VPD rock-steady at 1.4 kPa. Really hoping it stays this stable now, as constant swings in humidity and VPD are far from ideal for the plants. Just hoping no other equipment dies on me like the dehumidifier did 6 days ago! Canopy is looking strong and ready for peak flowering. Netabow watering a great.

Atomik_water As a beginner grower - this is my 2nd grow ever and my very first run from seed - dialing in a fully automated sealed room, CO2 supplementation, precision NetBow drip irrigation, and plant biology has been a massive learning curve. It takes constant studying and testing, but the effort is paying off: the plants are super healthy, strong, and stacking flowers rapidly. Last week brought a major breakthrough in root-zone management. Instead of constantly fighting pH drift with acid, stability was locked in through proper ionic balance and bicarbonate buffering. The ATOMIK (v6.23) feed formula was fully aligned with the top 10 peer-reviewed research papers from the last 7 years (Dr. Bugbee / Utah State, Dr. Zheng / Guelph, and Dr. Bernstein / Volcani) DAY 45 Crop stearing light. 3.00 light up 5.00 10 minutes shot ? 660ml per plant 6.00 10 minutes shot ? 660ml per plant 7.00 10 minutes shot ? 660ml per plant - run off 500ml per plant EC 2.5 ph5.9 12.00 8 minutes shot 530ml 14:30 8 minutes shot 530ml total 3060 ml per plant RUNOFF ~16% One plant eats alot runoff = 100ml i add per hand 400ml. This was the smalest plant from seed. Now are the biggest, how strange.

Atomik_water Canopy & Buds: 4th round of defoliation completed to maintain airflow through the dense scrog net. Calyxes are swelling noticeably, trichome coverage is heavy, and the first pistils are turning amber/orange. Fresh 5 kg CO2 bottle installed (running ~900 ppm). PPFD held steady at ~740 mol/m}^2 to maximize mass building over the next 10 days.

Atomik_water Week 9 – Late Ripening, Root Zone Reset & Canopy Management Entering Week 9 puts us squarely on the home stretch. Transpiration has noticeably tapered off as the plants wrap up floral development, which made the stubborn 6.7–6.8 runoff pH even more critical to resolve before the final flush. With nutrient demand declining and runoff volumes climbing, I made key structural adjustments to dial in the finish line: Eliminating the Silicate Buffer: The root cause behind the elevated runoff pH was Silic Rock (potassium silicate). At this late stage, its strong alkaline buffering was continuously fighting the acidification and blunting the action of Athena Cleanse. I dumped the remaining reservoir and mixed a fresh 35 L batch (EC 1.0 mS/cm, initial pH adjusted to 5.4)—**completely cutting out Silic Rock** while maintaining a 0.2 ml/L dose of Cleanse for root and line hygiene. Dropping the silicate frees the root zone to sit naturally in the optimal coco absorption band. Metabolic Shifts Under High DLI & CO₂: The plants have been pushed hard under high light intensity and CO₂ supplementation throughout bulk bloom. Heavy phosphate uptake in prior weeks, coupled with an anion/cation exchange that pushes hydroxyl ions OH into the rhizosphere, left behind concentrated salt pockets in the coco core as transpiration outpaced nutrient consumption. Canopy Thermal & Radiation Relief: Looking closely at the main colas directly beneath the fixture's center, several top pistils showed early browning and heat stress. This was photo-oxidation from high PPFD rather than uniform trichome maturity. To relieve canopy stress and protect ripening calyxes, I raised the LED fixture by 10–15 cm, dropped ambient temperature by 2°C, and increased relative humidity by 2% to bring the VPD into a gentle, non-stressful range for the final fade. Phenotypic Variances (Seed vs. Clone): Operating four distinct seed-grown phenotypes under an automated dripper setup requires keen observation. Plant #3 developed a noticeably denser root block with slower drainage, requiring targeted manual top-offs to match the wash-through of the other three. With the fresh, unbuffered reservoir locked in and light stress minimized, the canopy is cruising cleanly through Week 9 to finish cloudy and amber without salt buildup. Day 58 / Week 9 – Official Start of Nitrogen Cut & Heavy FadeToday marks the official start of the Fade Out / N-Cut phase. This morning was the very last feeding containing any nitrogen; from here on out, it’s 100% zero-N all the way to harvest.These are the final snapshots of the green canopy before the full autumn fade sets in. The goal of this protocol is simple: force the plants to deplete their internal nutrient reserves and break down excess chlorophyll in both leaves and flower calyxes. Excess chlorophyll and lingering nitrates are the primary culprits behind harsh smoke and a grassy taste—cutting nitrogen now guarantees a silky-smooth smoke, clean white ash, and lets the authentic terpene profile shine without interference.Current Reservoir & Regime:Water: 100% pure RO (EC 0.0)Formula: Complete Nitrogen Cut (0 ml N-base). Running a specialized $text{CaCl}_2$ finish for calcium and cell wall rigidity without nitrogen, coupled with light PK and essential micros.Biostimulants: Chitosan oligosaccharide (systemic defense / SAR against botrytis) and Triacontanol + Kinetin for late-stage resin synthesis and terpene density.Parameters: Inflow EC 1.0 mS/cm, pH dialed in at 5.4–5.6 to clear the root zone buffering.Plant 1 is already wrapping up senescence with heavy calyx swelling and rich anthocyanin purples, while Plant 3 is finishing its final push of calyx stacking. The flush/fade clock is officially ticking!