The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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Feb 7th - pH 6.2, PPM 920, 1.8 EC, Temp 78f, Humidity 57% - Water Changed, 3 gals! Feb 8th - Unable to get data for this day. Feb 9th - Unable to get data for this day. Feb 10th - Unable to get data for this day. Feb 11th - Unable to get data for this day. Feb 12th - pH 6.1, PPM 900, 1.8 EC, Temp 82f, Humidity 55% - Water Changed, 3 gals! Followed aggressive week 6 feed schedule, went back on the CalMag to 6ml/gal, and upped Sweet Berry back to 8ml/gal. The bihh is heavy, making it hard to get root shots these days. :( Feb 13th - Unable to get data for this day.
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@qanehbosm
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These plants are finally stable! I've stabilizrd the temperature and humidity. They appear a week behind where they should be. Two of the Candida plants look severely stunted in their growth. This is likely due to early novice mistakes. (The Candida plants are in the 10gallon Rhizopots). The two auto Sour Diesel's are strong and healthy. The Charlotte's Angel auto is doing quite well.
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@Dmntverde
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Día 1 hidrato levemente solo con agua
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Muy buenas!! Pues asi va esta bonita Gorilla Snow Ultra CBD. Lleva 2 dias con el fotoperiodo de floracion. Ahora estirara algo mas buscando la luz, antes de empezar a producir sus bonitas flores
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@SkunkyDog
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Hallo zusammen 🤙. So das war es für sie wir sehen uns in 3 Wochen mit dem Erntebericht 🤙. Sie erhalten 25 Prozent Rabatt in unserem Shop Mindestbestellwert beträgt 75 Euro https://greenbuzzliquids.com/en/shop/ Code: GD42025
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Dark Phoenix drying away nicely.... Should be trimming them at the end of the week. 😁👊🏾 Can't wait to try her n see how she tastes. Any questions just ask away guys
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AUTO BLACK OPIUM - Another amazing week - Loads of trichomes, colours are darkening and pistols are turning amber. The smell is ridiculous - The buds are sticky and I cant wait to smoke some. AUTO GIRLS SCOUT COOKIES - She just keeps on growing larger and larger - did defoliation on her for the second time during pre flower stretch and it looks like I might have to do another. AUTO SWEET REBEL - Removed this plant from the diary as it grew incredibly small but using it as a comparison to show off the Black Opium colours.
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The grow I planned was going to be ready in January but this may stretch to March at the latest. So far I'm impressed, and everything is going great.
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@Trinidad
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15.07.25. Day 53. The flowers on this one is developing quickly. These buds are fatter than anything I've grow for 2-3 weeks into flower. Amazing plant. Yes I need a better light.
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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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@Ashbash
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Not giving them Any nutrients now until chop which should be in a few days. Seeing lots of amber on the Royal Gorilla, not so much on the Green Gelato, but still present in small amounts. 2 days until 10 weeks total flowering. Letting the plants fall and rest on the side of the tent isnt ideal, but its the only way i could have saved them from the heat. Check out my stardawg diary for what heat can really do to a plant....gonna upload another week soon and there is HUGE damage to the plant that didnt auto. These smell lovely anyway, cant wait to try them!
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@Vega0284
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Not a whole lot going on this week. Did some light trimming and removed the wires. Main stem on all 4 are nice and flat, going to let the girls veg out for a few weeks and just grow up wards. Moved the lights up 16 inches to let them stretch out. I also switched light cycles.. read an article that mentioned a lot of benefits to having 8 hours on and 4 hours off. Specifically I've noticed a lot of benefits ik terms of cooling and environmental control. I havent had to push water bottles into my buckets ar all this week. And it seems to be growing at a normal rate.
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@Lazuli
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Flushed her 2 days ago to get rid of old salts now feeding 850ppm
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The finish line is in sight. I have been completely caught of guard with this plant. It all started when I got a half oz of Gelato 33 top shelf grade AAAA+. Any who I being who I am,glass half full type of a grower. I found around 20 nice mature seeds and stored them away for a time. Out of the blue a thought hit me,?,I should geminate a couple of them there Gelato 33 bag seeds. I did not expect to much with this grow and I usually don't when growing out bag seed. Needless to say I honestly believe that this plant is far superior to the bud I got the seeds out of. Keep in mind the AAAA+ quality of the buds I got the seeds from. This plant had giving me absolutely zero issues. One day I'm looking at marble sized buds and I swear it seemed like overnight the transformed into golf ball sized nugs and then some. The colors are amazing purple, yellow, red, pink and the most alive green color I've seen. I have been placing a layer of crushed ice on top of the soil and letting it melt in and doing so has noticably increased trichomes and made her pop purple so dark it's black. Never again will I underestimate the power of bag seed genetics. Honestly I know me and in all reality any seeds from flower I purchase is always high grade or exotic so ya any viable seeds should in theory produce good quality medicine providing the pollination was from a nanner and not from full on hermies. I say that because a nanner pollination will give you female seeds as to a Hermie pollination will produce mixed with strong Hermie traits.
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Update the to a 4x8 this week and added a HLG 300 V2 RSpec with the futur vert FM8 flora max 660watts pumping 960 watts now .. Every thing is stacking up an fattening up beautiful in week 4 , The frost is coming out like a snow storm now in to week 5 flower ... I’m very impressed with the bud size on the slurricane ix this early on !!
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@Aedaone
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I dropped these seeds into a bowl of water overnight. In this case about 8 hours. I then planted .75" deep into wet soil on 4/24/24. I prefer moist soil but we had a rain the previous evening. Outdoors you plan for the weather but you don't know with certainty what nature will throw at you. There's a lot of rain in the forecast. I'm gambling that there'll be less actual rain. I want to get these girls more veg time so there's the trade off. I didn't fill these short pots completely full of soil. The idea is that less soil will dry faster if we get loads of rain. Once we get a stand, I'll add soil topping these pots off. Prayers going up for good planting weather and hoping for a fine stand of Wedding Cheesecake 🌱🌞🚀🎂. We've had lots of rain on the night of the 25th and all day 26th. It was cloudy and humid all day on the 27th but we missed the rain. The 28th we have rain most of the day. Two of three popped on the 28th and the third on the 29th. I dug up a few inches of soil around these to loosen it up and let some air get in. Hopefully that will counter this rain and drizzle on their birthday 🎂🎈 These girls came out fine and are turning up to get some sun. Fastbuds really do handle stressful outdoor conditions better. That's why they're my go to for outdoor fems.
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@RastaRick
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Tok off large fan leaves on day 24. Seeing preflower starting. Decided to try out a natural shape instead of doing LST. I hope this doesn't backfire... The blackberry gum on the right is getting big. I like how autopotamus has natural shape... But he also has much more light haha
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@leliantu
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Segunda semana, las plantas crecen de forma correcta aunque de manera dispar, hay algunas que ya tienen 3 nudos (pequeños por cierto) pero hay otras que aun tiene su primer par de hojas. Esta semana comencé a darles los nutrientes según la tabla de Bio Bizz.