The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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@Natrona
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Welcome to week 9. 7/2 today I defoiliated some damaged leaves from Gaia and Circe trying to make them look presentable. The lock out has done damage last will last until they are harvested. Last week was flushing every 2 days with 2 gallons of water for each plant in the tent. PH of the soil is down from 8 .2 to 7.2 not so alkaline. 7/3 water feed and some pics. I made 4 gallon fertilizer solutions using TPS1 fertilizer 10ml per gal. I made 1/2 strength at total 22,5ml Signal 1ml per gal. Total 2.5ml Ppm total 620 After I fed 4 liters each I followed 3 hours later to test the run off. Cream caramel Ec .99 ppm 690 ph 5.95 runoff 2 ltr in drip pan Gaia EC .88 ppm 620 ph 6.82 run off 2.5 ltr Circe Ec 1.30 ppm 910 ph 6.16 runoff .75 ltr 7/4 reduced light schedule to 15 hrs from 18 hrs. 7/5 flushed all with 2 gal each 7/6 cream Caramel is showing lockout now too😨 even with flushing. 7/7 more flushing. Last week I mentioned books that I've read that influenced my thoughts, beliefs and how I see the world. I grew up in the 1970s, ( my formative years) in Tidewater Virginia, situated on the Atlantic Ocean. Friends and I went to the beach, not for fun in the sun but to go to the A.R.E. The ARE is Edgar Cayce's, Association for Research and Enlightenment and the Heritage store which was a new age metaphysical crystal shop with crystals, stones, meditation, and yoga classes. I scoured old bookstores looking for books written on spiritualism, psychology, alternative religions, old doctor books, etc. My desire to be a healing practitioner stems from my books from Jeanne Rose in 1970s. She is the first herbal medicine woman in modern times. Florence Scovel Shinn, metaphysician, lecturer, artist- The Game of Life and others written in 1925. Edgar Cayce's trance readings. The older books are out of print but may still be found. There is a River is Edgar Cayce's life story. Hidden Life of Trees is a must read. It explains connectedness. Interestingly, my great uncle, in his writings (above) references the spiritual laws written in the books mentioned above. From various religious scriptures, the existence of personal behavioral laws, as I would describe as code of honor, as indicated are the ways to true Peace. Throughout my generations the search for spiritual truths have fallen outside the realm of traditional religious formation. From the spiritual sense, I have emerged full circle. grandparents' and parents' lifetimes, there were world wars. Everyone had a focus on world peace. Mucha's quote on week 8 emphasizes the need to build bridges, to achieve peace. Sadly, I remember watching the Vietnam War on the news when I was growing up. Well I started college with dream of becoming a doctor, but changed to business and accounting. During my college years, I worked part time jobs in a stock brokerage firm and jewelry store. From that point on I loved nice jewelry and desired the unusual gemstones that were mentioned by Edgar Cayce. Eventually I started my career in Accounting working in in hospitals, banking and finally in local and state government and higher education. In my late 30's having a midlife crisis, I felt that I really belonged in as a healer. I considered homeopathic school but my daughter was recently born. I did not want to travel to New York and be away from my family. An opportunity missed. My words of wisdom: If you have strong feelings in your gut, the little voice in your heart tells you that "this", what ever this represents to you, is your path. Follow your dream. My gut still gnaws at me. I graduated with a BS in accounting with a minor in psychology, continues my education thru MBA. My entire career was in accounting and finance. My last position was the Director of Financial Reporting and Revenue. I was happy, loved my job, I had a great staff. My plan was to work until I was 70 as I have good genes for longevity. Cancer changed that. The focus of oncologists is to check the cancer free box at 5 years. I'm working on cleaning up the aftermath of the storm. Yeah, my hormones are still wrecked. Ladies and Gentlemen, tell all the females you know, never take hormone replacement therapy. Try acupuncture, herbal teas, deep breathing.
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Welcome to the last week of veg the lady’s have been switched to flower last night. Nothing but buds from here on in! This week was all about setting the lady’s bud sites up as even as I could and a little defoliation before they were flipped. All the plants are within a inch of each other and each plant tops are bang on same height. We stuck with the feed twice a week for the last week of veg and are right on the line of nute burn on one of the girls, we will go easy on the start of the bloom nutes and wait until around week 4 or 5 to go back to the feed twice a week again. I’m interested to see if the gold leaf will stretch out a lot more than the super skunk and big bud, if so I might have my hands full trying to keep them all under the same lights. Until next week happy growing 🌲🌲
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Es wächst alles wunderbar vor sich hin🍀
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Day 12 of flower. Almost done with week 2 of flower and everything is on point. They’re stretching but nothing too crazy. I’m giving them less water but will be watering at least twice per week. They’re steady drinkers. This strain finishes in 8-9 weeks so harvest time isn’t that far away. It’s been a long journey, much longer than it should’ve been but it is what it is. Can’t wait to be finally done with this grow! Catch yall on the next update! ✌️🏾
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@emanresU
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Edit from 19th May. Literally 00:09 Pre-Flowering. Fat Banana looks like Hermie. Royal Critical = clean pre-flower. Edit from 19th May. 16:26 Fat Banana had balls sack and pistils growing all over the place. I nuked everything that had balls on it. I left only top node with pistils. Royal Critical is full of pistils, no balls. Now I wish I had photoperiod seeds instead of automatics. I would give Critical 1 extra week in veg. She is around 10-15cm smaller then Fat Banana. I switched the lights back to 400W. Edit from 20th May. 14:45 I think 32C is maximum what these plants can handle. With 600W I was reaching 34C on some top leaves and that could possibly turn the Fat Banana into hermit (she was the tallest). I open the tent a little (front doors), I put big-ass fan on second gear blowing strong wind through the mesh-window of a tent. I put the lights straight up to the ceiling, I literally can't put them any higher. Fat banana is now 58cm tall and around 80cm away from the light. Royal Critical is now 41cm tall and around 100cm away from the light. 50% Humidity 28C under the canopy/on the ground under the leaves 31C Air temperature. Fat Banana fan leaves temperature: 28.5C Fat Banana center/middle of the plant: 30.9C Royal Critical fan leaves temperature: 27.5C Royal Critical center/middle of the plant: 27.8C NOTE: Royal Critical ugly/yellow leaves have higher temp: 29-30C The rest of small plants range from 28 and 32C Surface area/soil temperature DRY: 35C Surface/Soil temp. WET/SHADOW: 28-29C That pistol/laser for checking temps was solid purchase. I can see back of my tent is more hot then other areas. Will do more Temp-Checks in the future. I also deleted few things from "Condition" tab because one day they are correct, the other something change and the info is not accurate anymore. I'll update info here in edits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farm Control Sheet Date: 20th May 2024 Time: 16:57 Tent status: Side doors little bit open. Both windows fully open. Fan blowing air on second gear outside the tent, West window. Fan insides on full. Lights power: 400W Lights schedule: 18/6 Humidity: 50% Dry soil temp: 35C Wet soil temp:
 28.5C Fan leaves temp: 28.5C 
Center of the flower temp: 30C 
Stem temp: ~32C 
Air temp. Inside tent: 30-32C 
Air temp. Outside tent: 25.5C 
Air temp. Outside house:
 21C ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farm Control Sheet Date:
 21th May 2024 Time:
 15:53 Tent status:
 Side windows full open. Front doors 75% open. Big-ass-fan on second gearwest window. Lights power:
 400W Lights schedule:
 18/6 Humidity:
 50% Dry soil temp:
 36C-38C in front // 38C-40C in back Wet soil temp: 
Fan leaves temp: 28-29C

 

Stem temp: 29C 

Air temp. Inside tent: 31C 

Air temp. Outside tent:

 26C Air temp. Outside house: 20C Details: Smol plants growing stronk! They have little bit crumbled leaves cuz of heat I guess. 32C @ 50% RH is max for my setup. Edit from 22th May. @ 13:10 Nothing changes. Plants are happy and praying to their god ( me ofc :) ) Same temps Same RH I watered them yesterday after long days/weeks of dry season (cuz of FuckYouGnats). Edit from 23th May. @ 11:40am Same temps or even a bit lower then in last two days. I like it. I closed 85% of windows in tent (door fully closed) to create negative pressure that's gonna suck out the hot air. It seems to work better than what I did yesterday. Today I gave them second dose of nematodes. There is really very little Fungus Gnats around now. Sometimes, occasionally one or two "teenagers" or "baby" Gnats would fly out from bottom of pot or top of the soil after watering but that's like nothing comparing to what I had at the beginning. Shit-ton of yellow-sticky-tape does the job as well, just put it everywhere you can. / What I'm singing to Lady Banan? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZEddFi1W8k / What I'm singing to Lady Banan? Edit from 23th May @ 2pm So I'm reading about VPD now and I think, this is what is happening in my tent right now. High temps but RH at right levels makes the plant comfy in that zones. Right now plants sitting at 30.6C @ 55% RH So I'm sitting at 1.27 VPD? If I could lower my temps to 29C and keep RH at 55% that would be 1.20 VPD (which would be perfect) N o t B a d R o o k I e Edit from 24th May @ 11:24 am So in last 3 days the temperature outside my house is dropping + raining. So that means I have perfect VPD in my tent now. We are sitting at 30C @ 50-55% RH. Most plants have praying leaves, even Lady Banan stops being moody and just start fucking flowering like it should. Finally. But I can see she wanna grow even more upwards, like wtf, this is not 3 meter tent, its only 2.2m, chill the freaking out Lady Banan... Im gonna have literal forest if the rest of Bananas would grow like that. As you can see I'm kinda happy with the grow now. Fungus Gnats still present but under control. Yellow Sticky tape, especially under the mesh window, the tape is catching fuck-ton of these motherfuckers. Few days ago I did "Very Light Stress Training" with Royal Critical. So I basically just tackle the fan leaves in the way, where, when fan leaves are growing bigger, they push the side branches more to the outside (apologize for my English but you can check out the pictures and see what I mean). So she is training by her self, alone, with the power of nature = and it works, she is opening more and more every 2 days. Edit from 25th May @ 21:53 Yoyoyoyoyoyo! So my ADHD and Bipolar kicks in so Idgaf about temps, its colder, around 29C @ 45% They got a lot of fresh air today, I was "luchting" today. I think I had to water them today but... Will do tomorrow morning. I'm thinking about Pimpology classes for myself, for better communication with the bitches, you know what I mean... They ain't thickening up if they aint stressing! Edit from 26th May. Sunday. 7am DOUBLE DROP NEVER STOP LET THAT BEAUTY POP 69 PLANT SIZE: BANAN = 72CM CRITICAL = 65CM 😎
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@Sickone
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Ab geht es in die nächste Woche alle Ladys machen hervorragende vortschritte in die breite. Zudem sind die Abstände der neuen Abzweigungen relativ gering und gleichmäßig. Aktuelles setting: 18/6 Zyklus 60-75% Luftfeuchtigkeit Temperaturen liegen zwischen 20 und 25 Grad regelmäßig. Der Ventilator kommt täglich für 10 Std zum Einsatz allerdings noch gegen die Wand gerichtet damit die Luft Abprallen kann und frühstens 2 Std nachdem das Licht eingeschaltet wurde da die Ladys meiner Meinung nach den Tag nicht direkt mit Stress beginnen sollen :) Zudem entwickelt sich bei einer Pflanze (Welche vermutlich eine andere Sorte ist vom aussehen her) einen stark bekannten Haze Geruch der mich direkt zum lächeln bringt wenn ich sie besuche! :) PPFD: 470 DLI: 30,5 LUX: 18.000 Kelvin: 5100 Dünger bisher nicht verwendet da sie noch frisch umgetopft sind und der Biobizz Light mix laut angaben und Infos von anderern Growern für 2-3 genug Nährstoffe besitzt. Edit: 27.04.24 Eine Lady sieht krank aus :(
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Que pasa familia, hemos vuelto para actualizar las skunk que ya tenemos cosechadas. Que gran genética, y muy típica entre fumadores de hierba, un crecimiento más indico pero floración lenta bastante lenta, en teoría se supone que es Sativa, 17% thc en la tas con un tamaño medio pequeño pero flores mi compactas y dulces, un cultivo ni fácil ni difícil, sin más, bastante neutral para los cambios climáticos algo sensible con el aspecto alimentación. La recomendaría en verdad, sobre todo para aquellos amantes del dulce. Nos vemos en próximos proyectos fumetillas
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4/26: I top-dressed her pot with about a tablespoon of Happy Frog Cavern Culture and watered it in really slowly with about 1/4 gallon of water and added cal-mag, humic acid, liquid molasses, silica, and I started her on open sesame. Increased Ph to 6.4 to ensure that she can utilize the increased calcium and the P and K I'm giving her. 4/27: I did a little bondage on her today...she was totally compliant!😉 4/29: She is budding up alright, but not stretching...the tangies i've grown in the past were all pretty tall, so I'm a little worried that I stunted her somehow... 5/1: I gave her a little water with cal-mag, boomerang, humic acid, and silica. 5/2: I sprayed her with boomboom spray this morning...grow bitch, grow!
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@Eyeduno
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Tried taking a photo with the lights on all you can see is a blur so ain’t no point in putting one up lol just lights off
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Aug 16: Lemon Cream Kush has stretched a bit and the buds are starting to fill in. Should be a decent yield and I’m looking forward to the tast of this one.
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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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KICKASS AUTO by KANNABIA Week#7 May 14th-21st Week #2 Flower This week she stretched about 2 inches she's right at 19 inches she also continues to grow side branches she really a nice looking bushy plant. Dark green color trichomes are starting to form on her buds and leaves and she's starting to fill in you can see the white hairs and start off little buds on her. She is doing great outside!! Stay Growing!! Kannabia.com Kickass Auto
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A can see the buds fattening up every day just a little. More and more pistels turning orange with more tricombs building up. Feeding day today. 2ml grow 3 ml bloom, 4 ml top max and 0.8 ml bloombastic. Happy growing 😁
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Die zehnte Woche beginnt und sie sieht ziemlich zerlottert aus. Die Blüten sind ein purpliger, pinkysher, funkelnder Harz Traum 😍 Die Drüsen trüben sich weiterhin ein und sie verströmt einen tollen Duft aber ich denke es werden jetzt die letzten Tage und diese Woche ist Schluss. Kann ja nicht ewig warten, oder ?
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@Roberts
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Strawberry Amnesia is growing well. She has show another mutation in one of the branches. Curious if she will continue to show more as the grow goes. She is becoming my little fat leaf mutant. She will be due for a solution change very soon. I defoliated and lst her some. She is kinda stubby in the height department. Everything is looking good. Thank you Herbies seeds, Athena, and Spider Farmer. 🤜🏻🤛🏻🌱🌱🌱 Thank you grow diaries community for the 👇likes👇, follows, comments, and subscriptions on my YouTube channel👇. ❄️🌱🍻 Happy Growing 🌱🌱🌱 https://youtube.com/channel/UCAhN7yRzWLpcaRHhMIQ7X4g
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Que pasa familia, vamos con la cosecha de estas FBA-2506 de FastBuds. Por dónde empezar, es una autofloreciente que es normalita de cultivar, tiene un periodo corto de crecimiento y de floración igual no es largo. En cuanto a la alimentación , pues la aplique una vez por semana y a sido suficiente, se a comportado bien en interior, la flor pues no es muy prieta porque no deja de ser una autofloreciente, pero es una flor que va repleta de tricomas, y tienes unos colores morado intensos. El periodo de luz pues de principio a fin a 18 horas, fue suficiente para completar el ciclo de vida como esperaba. Hasta aquí todo, Buenos humos 💨💨💨
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Girls making really nice buds.. I thought they will die. But they are really strong.. I think I choosed right strain for the first time. Next week I will start adding 4ml/l bloom and 4ml/l top max.💪👌