So, Week 4 is done and the Sweet Seeds Gorilla Girl XL Autos are slowly coming along. It has been even colder in Canada this past week and temperatures in the tent have been hovering around the 70 degree mark. The humidity has come up a bit to around 30% and this is an improvement but the combination of too cold + humidity too low = small, struggling but surviving plants. It’s disappointing but this is consistently my toughest grow cycle of the year. Other than that, I increased the water to 4 litres per watering which is still being done every 4th day- so that’s 0.7 of a litre per plant per day. Although I was planning on topping all four of these plants following my previous Sweet Seeds grow experience, these ladies are just not up for it- too small, too slow and surviving not thriving. I will look forward to that with my next and final Sweet Seeds grow so stay tuned for that in future. Mom’s Tip for Week #4- Cleanliness is next to Godliness!… I wholeheartedly feel that a clean and organized tent/grow room is essential for a successful grow. I often see other growers leaving dead foliage to pile up in the bottom of their tents, watering with no drip trays or not cleaning their space in between grow cycles. They are often plagued with unwanted visitors, fungal infections and a nasty build up of crud in the most precious place- your happy garden! Here are my top tips for keeping your tent/grow room clean, organized and consistently productive. Always remove dead or defoliated foliage from the bottom of your tent and take it all the way out of the immediate growing area/room. Biodegrading foliage provides the perfect environment for unwanted insects/pests to hide in and feed on- potentially creating an infestation that could devastate your crop and contaminate future grows. I place all green materials including my post harvest plants into the compost pile where it breaks down creating beautiful, natural fertilizer for future grows! Always use drip trays when watering or clean up excess dirty water that seeps through your pots/containers- potentially creating ideal conditions for various fungi and molds that can affect your plants, equipment and perhaps even you. I use inexpensive, plastic drip trays to catch any run off instead of relying on the waterproof bottom that is sold with my tent. I have personally witnessed the mold that can grow on and between these waterproof bottoms and the actual bottom of your tent as well as moisture so severe that it rotted through the stitching/seams of an otherwise perfect tent. Always clean your tent/grow room in between each and every grow cycle as well as throughout the grow as needed- potentially avoiding cross contamination from the previous grow and maintaining a high daily standard. Aside from insects and pests, fungi and molds- pollen from a previous grow gone wrong can wreak havoc on future grows if not dealt with correctly. I thoroughly vacuum my entire tent and wipe it down with a hot water/bleach solution applied with a spray bottle and a clean cloth. I also use a cordless Black and Decker hand vac conveniently mounted on a wall near the tent for daily maintenance and clean ups as needed. Keeping your tent, immediate grow space and supplies organized will also make things easier. I keep everything up and off the floors and if possible stored in rubbermaid type containers. This allows for quick and easy sweeping/vacuuming, wiping/dusting and the deep cleans required in between grows. All of the above mentioned tips will help increase the odds in your favour for a successful grow/harvest but they will also increase the longevity of your equipment too. Growing Cannabis at home can be quite a hefty initial investment so if a little light cleaning can make my core components (tent, lights, intake/exhaust fans, etc.) last longer, work better and equal more bang for my buck- it’s a no brainer!