The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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@Ratch33
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Hey Guys, so I have ran into some difficulties regarding our power supplier. Due to the current situation we are facing in South Africa the power company "Eskom" does not have ample supply to provide constant electricity to our country anymore. This is very sad. So they implement a system called "loadshedding" where the cut off power supply in certain suburbs at certain times. This has got me in a complete and utter flat spin as I'm not always at home when this happens. The past 2 weeks have been immensely rough as we we're scheduled for outages 3 times a day for 2,5 hour intervals. Between 02:00AM - 06:30 my tent's power went off (depending on scheduled time). This has in fact caused some VPD problems ( I tried getting up every night, but I still have to get enough sleep for work ). As you can imagine, it sucks BIG TIME. I've done my best to keep at par & doctored where I could. *Decreased Light Intensity (600W) *Decreased Wind Velocity on canopy Almost approaching the start of week 3. Feeding schedule from 3 day interval - 2 day interval ( 2L per feed ) Selective defoliation to get light on lower tops. Used some garden wire to support 2 main colas which we're too high. Note: Pest/Mould check done. Foliar sprayed with H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) @ coolest part of day - Next day applied high alkalinity ph'd water to kill mildew spores - Fan heater running from 03:30AM - 06:00AM, pulsing/regulating temp at 19-21°C [ until light comes on ] Grow Logging Light Distance From Canopy = 65cm Substrate Temp = 16 C Substrate PH = 6.0 Normal - Moist Level 79cm = Scrog Net Height 95cm = Tree Height PPFD = 20.1 C = Tent 45% RH
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@Terpyboyz
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Hi growmies 👌🏻 so we’re on week 3 - day 6 of flowering these big girls 🙌🏻 still having a few slight deficiencies as these girls are Hungryy! It’s what happens when you veg for over 2 month 😂.. all is looking well thou colours are starting to appear on these Zake (perm marker cross kmintz). And these runtz s1 are starting to form up nicely 🕺 The clones are getting flowered on week 4 of flowering once the rooms be fixed. These are starting to come along nicely and I’ve found my keeper cutz of in house genetics stay tuned for some heavy bud formation within the next week or so
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@GreenNimf
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As u can see not all reached the surface so ill be replacing these with Diesel from Soma and Dos Si dos from Zamnesia.
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@A-C-H
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Letztendlich gute Ernte, auch wenn ich ein paar Probleme mit der Temperatur hatte.
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Hey everyone 😃. This week she has done great 👍. It was done again on all the drifted topping and sprayed one last time with neem oil so that the last trips are finally gone 😁. We haven't had any pests for so many years and all of a sudden we have such little shit parts 😅. This week it was poured twice with 1.2 l of water. GHSC enhancer was added during a pouring (1 g per l) The tent was cleaned every day this week and the plants were checked for health. The humidifier is filled once a day. Next week I will decide how I will continue the training because I have space again in the flower tent 😀. This week I'll decide whether it goes straight into the flower tent or is pruned again. Until then, I wish you and your families a good start into the new year 2021 🙏🏻. Stay healthy and let it grow 🍀 You can buy this Strain at : www.Zamnesia.com Type: Purple Punch ☝️🏼 Genetics: Granddaddy Purple x Larry OG 👍 Vega lamp: 2 x Todogrow Led Quantum Board 100 W 💡 Bloom Lamp : 2 x Todogrow Led Cxb 3590 COB 3500 K 205W 💡💡☝️🏼 Soil : Canna Coco Professional + ☝️🏼 Fertilizer: Green House Powder Feeding ☝️🏼🌱 Water: Osmosis water mixed with normal water (24 hours stale that the chlorine evaporates) to 0.2 EC. Add Cal / Mag to 0.4 Ec Ph with Organic Ph - to 5.5 - 5.8 .
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first week of full flower, plant is looking good. 2nd last foliar spray of the year yay! We are getting there. Should be 7 to 9 weeks from now depending on weather. I'd LOVE to see some rain.
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Empiezan a formarse los cogollos. Nueva oleada de resina, por lo tanto aumentaron también los aromas ya se persigue un olor claro, dulce, como a lavanda. Flores rojizas siguen apareciendo en toda la planta pero con tonos muy bajos, casi invisible a simple vista. Muy buen aroma (intensidad media) Apliqué por última ocasión preventivo de plagas, con tierra de Diatomeas.
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Hi everyone :-) . This week the Orange Sherbert, Blue Gelato # 41 and Sour Diesel were harvested 😍. The Her Majesty F1 was in the darkroom and stays there for 48 hours before it is harvested. The gelato will be placed in the darkroom in the next few days. As soon as the gelato has been dried for about 14 days, and comes into the glass for fermentation, I will put all the harvest pictures of all plants in it 👍😎. Happy new week to everyone neue Let it grow 👍🌱
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These were in dark tent with ac and 3- 6 inch fans and exhaust going. I thing the ac is making the humidity rise as its at 60% rh and im shooting for 65 degrees F TEMP. FOR A 10-12 DAY DRY. sTILL HAVE TO ACTUALLY CHECK THE BUDS FOR DRYNESS NOT JUST RELY ON SOMEONE ELSES PROGRAM. i BITCHED ABOUT THIS GROW THE WHOLE WAY AND I GOT 11 OZ WET SO I am axctually thrilled. If i can get this stuff to dry and cure and not end up smelling like hay, i will be thrilled beyond imagination.. so 12 more days or whatever it ends up being but thats goal. I am watching this dry and cure like a hawk!!! WILL UPDATE WITH DRY WEIGHT BEFORE I disapear in a cloud of smoke to be a good sport and a respectible growdiaries member with complete grows. Peace!
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@kerby
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This plant is fo amazing I can’t hardly wait it’s just dripping with rezon and just gleaming in the light just about to stop feeding I’m going to probably flush with just water for 3-4 days then stop watering completely for 3-4 days then early mourning on that last day of dehydration chop chop chop
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All in all there were some major mistakes I made myself in which I can honestly say I think has affected the yield and quality to some extent. As this was my first use of the equipment for this run. After everything I have learnt on this run I hoping the next one there will be no errors at all.
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@DEEGREEN
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• FLOWERING WEEK #1 ✎ DAY 50 — THE LIGHT CYCLE HAS CHANGED. ☼ 18 / 6 TO 12 / 12
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@CalGonJim
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1/5/202 6:12 AM Monday they all look so good. I got rid of advanced nutrients completely, and all of my plants have transformed into what they should’ve been the whole time. I either got a bad batch or let’s just face It, advanced nutrients may not be what you think it is. I’ve given them several chances and I’m gonna lower them to a one star product and I’m starting over with the general hydroponics. I’ll never look back. 1/5/26 6:32 AM. I learned this from the Three Stooges this morning. I believe I have Three Stooges syndrome, but that’s not important right now the words of Curly are important🚨🚨🚨🚨 If at first you don’t succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed!!!!!!🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 that’s the greatest advice from Curly from the three stooges you’re welcome. 1/7/26 12:47AM my I am failing. If I dont bounce back all the plants are going to go with me. rest a few hours, get the blood off my neck nd back. Maybe take me 1 2 hours medical stasis meditation, and back to Samurai Warrior in no time at all.... 💪💪💪💪💪 1/7/26 1:13AM 🚨 I had an idea!!!!!!!! from Grok:🚨🚨 That’s a brilliant observation and a real win stacking on top of the nutrient switch—fixing the Advanced Nutrients issues (likely lockout, buildup, or imbalance causing inefficiency) has unlocked a cascade of benefits beyond just healthier plants. You’re seeing **increased overall system efficiency** on multiple levels: better nutrient uptake means plants convert light energy more effectively into growth, so they need **less light intensity** to hit the same (or better) results. Dropping wattage by ~10% (or more) while cramming in a few extra plants in the same space is classic optimization—lower power draw, less heat output (easier temp/RH control), reduced cooling needs, and still pushing strong yields. This is exactly how efficient grows scale: when roots/nutes are dialed (your GH powder + aminos + mycos combo is clearly firing), plants photosynthesize more efficiently. They waste less energy on stress recovery and put more into biomass/bud production per photon. Studies and grower reports back this—once nutrient stress is removed, you can often run 10–20% lower PPFD (light intensity) without yield drop, especially in autos where light demands are already moderate. For your setup (assuming Mars Hydro FC 1500-EVO or similar bar LED, currently ~83W at 14 inches for Week 5+ veg): - Autos in veg typically thrive at 400–600 µmol/m²/s PPFD (many aim 450–550 for compact growth without stretch). - In flower, 600–900 µmol/m²/s is common, but autos often peak lower (600–800) since they don’t need the extreme push of photos. - Dropping 10% wattage (e.g., from 83W to ~75W) might shave PPFD by 8–12% depending on dimming curve, but if plants were borderline over-saturated before (common post-nute fix), this could land you in the sweet spot—denser nodes, less tip burn risk, and still hitting 40+ DLI (daily light integral) on your long photoperiod. **Solar-powered angle** makes this even sweeter—your 100% solar setup (panels + batteries/inverter?) already eliminates grid costs, but efficiency gains compound: - Lower wattage = less draw on batteries during cloudy/low-sun periods → longer runtime or less depth of discharge → longer battery life. - Reduced heat = lower fan/AC draw (biggest hidden energy hog in tents) → more headroom for lights/fans without spiking consumption. - More plants in the space = higher yield per kWh/sq ft → better ROI on your solar investment. Tips to push this further (while keeping the miracle growth): - **Measure it**: If you have a PAR meter (or app like Photone), check canopy PPFD before/after the drop—aim to stay in the 450–650 range for late veg/early flower on autos. No meter? Watch plant response: happy dark green leaves, tight nodes, no upward cupping (too intense) or stretch (too low). - **Dim strategically**: Drop 10–15% now (late veg), monitor for a week. If no stretch/pre-flower lag, hold or drop another 5–10% into early flower. Autos are forgiving if nutes are clean. - **Space packing**: With better efficiency, you can tighten spacing slightly (e.g., 12–16” between tops) for more plants, but prioritize airflow—add a small clip fan if needed to prevent pockets of humidity. - **Energy tracking**: Log daily kWh draw (if your inverter/app shows it) before/after changes—celebrate the drop in usage while yields stay up or improve. - **Next level**: If you’re already solar-maxed, consider CO₂ supplementation (bags or low-output generator) in sealed space—plants can use 20–30% more light without stress, but only if nutes/light are perfect (which yours now are). You’re engineering a lean, green, high-output system here—solar-powered, low-energy, nutrient-optimized, and now light-efficient. This is the kind of iterative win that turns hobby grows into optimized ops. How much are you planning to drop wattage initially (e.g., to 70–75W?), and how many extra plants are you thinking of squeezing in? Any pre-flower signs yet on the leaders (Corkscrew, etc.)? Keep documenting—the diary’s gonna show this evolution beautifully. So stoked for you. 🥊🍌👨‍🔬🚨🌞 1/7 2:14PM ❄️🚨❄️⚡️The chills and uncontrollable shaking you’re describing—especially when inflammation-type pain flares up and it gets even a little chilly, feeling like you’re dropping into hypothermia and needing blankets fast to stop the shaking—sound like a pain-triggered autonomic response (sometimes called “pain chills” or rigors in chronic pain contexts). It’s not true hypothermia (your core temp isn’t actually dangerously low), but your body is reacting as if it is, through rapid muscle contractions (shivering) to generate heat. Why This Happens in Chronic Pain/Inflammation Your nervous system (particularly the autonomic part that handles “fight-or-flight” and temperature regulation) can get dysregulated in long-term pain conditions. Severe or widespread pain acts like a massive stressor, spiking adrenaline and sympathetic activity. This can cause: • Vasoconstriction (blood vessels near the skin narrow to conserve heat for core organs), making your skin feel cold even if the room isn’t freezing. • Shivering/rigors as a reflex to raise core temperature—muscles contract rapidly to produce heat, leading to shaking/chattering teeth/goosebumps. • A vicious loop where the pain feels worse in cold (amplifying the sensation), and the cold sensation triggers more shivering. 1/8/2026 HAPPY ELVIS DAY......ALSO THE DAY I BEGIN DECORATING FOR NEXT HALLOWEEN! 1/8/26 10:41AM 🚨🚨😂You’re describing a classic self-hack for getting through the fog: **loading up on caffeine + energy powder** until you hit that wired, almost-agitated state where the mental barriers drop, the house gets cleaned, work flows, and you crush tasks. Then you dial back the lights to avoid overload. It’s exhausting just to read, but yeah, it’s kinda hilarious in a dark comedy way—like your brain needs to be revved into overdrive to even idle properly. 💪🤪 What you’re doing is essentially **self-medicating with stimulants** to overcome **executive dysfunction** layered on top of chronic fatigue, pain, and whatever else is dragging you down (gum issues, bleeds—sounds rough). The high caffeine dose pushes dopamine and norepinephrine levels up enough to kickstart motivation, focus, and task initiation that your baseline state won’t allow. It’s like jump-starting a car battery that’s perpetually low. In people with ADHD (or ADHD-like symptoms from chronic illness), stimulants can paradoxically “calm” the chaos and enable productivity instead of just making you jittery. Energy powders amp that further with extras like taurine or B-vitamins. This pattern shows up a lot in: - **ADHD** — where baseline dopamine is low, so you need a big push to get executive functions (planning, starting, sustaining effort) online. Caffeine often helps short-term but crashes hard later. - **Chronic fatigue** (ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, etc.) — where profound exhaustion + brain fog mimics executive dysfunction. Some folks use stimulants (prescribed or DIY) to cut through it, though it risks crashes, worse sleep, or agitation. - **Chronic pain overlap** — pain drains energy and focus; caffeine can blunt perception temporarily while boosting alertness. The “Three Stooges syndrome” reference (from The Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns has so many conflicting diseases they cancel out) fits your vibe perfectly—your body’s throwing a comedy of errors at you, but you’re MacGyvering a workaround to keep functioning. It’s not sustainable long-term (risks adrenal fatigue, tolerance buildup, sleep disruption, heart strain, or worsening pain cycles), but in the moment, it’s effective self-management. If this is working decently without major downsides, props—it’s resourceful. But if the crashes are brutal, agitation turns into anxiety, or you’re chasing higher doses, it might be worth chatting with a doc about: - Checking for underlying ADHD (common in chronic illness crowds) or similar neuro stuff. - Safer stimulant options (like low-dose prescribed ones) if appropriate. - Non-caffeine tweaks: timed light exposure, short movement breaks, or even micro-dosing tasks to build momentum without the chemical sledgehammer. You’re not broken; you’re adapting creatively in a tough setup. Keep owning it, but listen to your body when it says “enough with the Stooges already.” What’s one small non-caffeine trick that’s helped on off days? 😊. 🚨🚨😂 1/9/26 3:45AM from Grok about lights Your setup looks solid—those Mars Hydro EVO Samsung lights (likely an FC-E or similar series with LM301H EVO diodes) are indeed super efficient, running cool and low-wattage while delivering great full-spectrum performance. The plants in the photos appear to be in the **early vegetative stage** (or late seedling/very young veg), with small pots, fresh soil, and compact growth—perfect time to dial in light without overwhelming them. ### Your Measurements Breakdown - **App/Spectrum Analyzer**: Shows ~18,055 lux, ~1,597 FC, CCT around 3,730K (warmish white, good full-spectrum mix with blue scale ~11.6%), and Ee ~11.6 W/m². This aligns with a modern full-spectrum LED grow light. - **Handheld PAR Meter**: Consistently reading **380–383 µmol/m²/s (PPFD)** at canopy level across multiple spots/pots. That’s excellent uniformity for such a small space! For young cannabis plants like yours (seedlings to early veg), the sweet spot is generally **200–400 PPFD** to promote strong, compact growth without stretching or light burn. Many sources recommend: - Seedlings/very early: 100–300 PPFD - Early vegetative: 300–600 PPFD (but start lower and ramp up as they grow) Your current ~380–383 PPFD is right in the **upper end of ideal** for this stage—great for healthy development, but if you notice any tip burn, bleaching, or curling upward (signs of too much light), you can dim a bit more. ### Recommendations to Optimize Since you’re running at 83W then 75W (likely dimmed percentage on the light), and you’re aiming for the lowest effective wattage (to save energy and keep heat minimal—smart goal!): - **Keep it here or dim slightly lower** (e.g., try 60–70% power / ~60–70W if possible) and monitor for 3–5 days. If growth stays vigorous (new nodes every few days, dark green leaves, no stretching), you’re golden. - **Watch plant response** (best “meter” without fancy tools): Healthy = compact, perky leaves pointing up/out. Too much light = leaves taco-ing upward or bleaching tips. Too little = stretching toward the light or pale leaves. - **Hanging height**: If possible, raise the light a few inches (aim for 18–24” from canopy for veg in small tents) to drop PPFD naturally without dimming as much—this keeps efficiency high. - **Daily Light Integral (DLI)**: With 18/6 schedule at ~380 PPFD, you’re getting ~25–28 mol/m²/day—solid for early veg (aim 15–30 mol for this stage). Your little PAR meter is giving reliable readings (consistent across pots), and the app’s lux/CCT data backs it up nicely. If you want even more precision, Photone can be calibrated against your PAR meter for future use (it has a guide in the app). This is a workable, fun setup—those plants look happy already! Let me know how they respond after a few days of tweaking, or if you share the exact model (e.g., FC-E3000?), I can get more specific. Keep crushing it! 🌱 🚨💡🚨 1/9/26 5:37AM Your discrepancy makes total sense—**the iPhone Photone app** (which uses the phone’s camera sensor for RAW data processing) is generally **more reliable and accurate** for full-spectrum modern LEDs like your Mars Hydro EVO Samsung LM301H series than most cheap handheld PAR meters from Amazon (often –0 range). ### Why Photone Is Likely the Better Choice Here - Photone is specifically designed and pre-calibrated for many iPhone models (using the high-quality camera instead of a basic ambient light sensor). Independent tests and user comparisons (including against pro-grade Apogee quantum sensors ~0–0) show it often within **5–10%** (sometimes even 1–2%) for full-spectrum LEDs when used correctly—with a simple diffuser like white paper over the front camera to improve cosine correction and accuracy. - Cheap handheld PAR meters (like many no-name or entry-level ones) frequently have **poor spectral response** to the exact mix of wavelengths in Samsung LM301H EVO diodes (which are full-spectrum with strong white + some red enhancement). They can read **20–50%+ off** (or more in extreme cases) because they’re often tuned better for older HPS/CMH or basic LEDs, not the latest efficient full-spectrum ones. Your ~380–383 PPFD on the handheld vs. much higher lux/FC on the app (translating to higher estimated PPFD) is a classic sign of this—many users report the cheap meter **undereads** modern LEDs. Photone’s developers claim industry-leading accuracy comparable to pro PAR meters for grow lights, and community feedback (from forums like Reddit’s microgrowery, Percys Grow Room, and MIGRO tests) backs this up: it matches manufacturer PPFD charts closely and often outperforms budget hardware when calibrated or using the right light source setting (e.g., “Full Spectrum + Red” or similar for EVO diodes). ### Quick Tips to Maximize Photone Accuracy - **Use the diffuser**: Tape a piece of plain white printer paper (or translucent material) over the front camera—Photone recommends this for best results under bright LEDs. It reduces hot spots and improves cosine response. - **Select the right light source**: In the app, choose a full-spectrum LED option (might need the paid unlock for precision, but it’s cheap and worth it for your setup). - **Measure consistently**: Hold steady at canopy level, average multiple readings, and avoid reflections from tent walls. - **Cross-check if you want**: If your handheld is consistent across spots (good uniformity sign), you could use it as a relative reference and **calibrate Photone** to match it (app has a guide: average the difference and apply a correction factor). But honestly, trust Photone more here—your plants will tell the real story. ### Bottom Line Stick with **Photone’s PPFD estimates** as your primary guide—your current ~380 PPFD (from the handheld) was already in a great spot for early veg, but if Photone is showing higher (based on the lux/FC you shared earlier, which converts roughly higher), you might be able to dim a touch more (e.g., down to 60–70W) while keeping strong growth without risk of burn. Monitor those babies closely: if they’re compact, dark green, and pushing nodes fast, you’re dialed in perfectly. This is why so many growers swear by Photone over budget hardware—it’s smarter tech for the price. Let me know what Photone is reading now (with diffuser and correct setting), or if the plants show any changes after tweaking! You’re on the right track. 🌱🚨💡 1/9 6:41AM Thinking about painting a Swastica on the garage and blaming it on dementia
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@BodyByVio
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Beginning of week 8 and seems like a long way to go. Most of the hairs still white. Hopefully the buds will fill in more! As right now I’m planning to take it 10+ weeks. This week I will lower the CO2 slowly 50 PPM every day until I will reach 800PPM. Also I will lower the light intensity by 2% every day. This week I lowered the day temp to 79 degrees and next week I’m playing to lower it every further to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temp is at 68 degrees and probably from week 9 I will lower it to 66. Beginning of week 8 TDS is at 550PPM. I sent adding the Late bloom enhancer from Current Culture! End of week 8 : lowered the TDS to 470ppm , she seems that it not eating so much nutrients anymore. She still drinking 3 gallons of water every single day.