The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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🌸 Lava Cake – Week 5 Flower Report 🌸 We’ve reached Week 5 of flower — such an important and defining stage in the Lava Cake journey. Both phenos are shining, evolving beautifully, and filling the room with life and energy. It’s a week full of growth, observations, and some lessons to share. ⸻ 🌿 Current Status • Both plants are looking healthy, vigorous, and branching strong. • White hairs (pistils) continue to thicken and spread — the first signs of real bud-building. • Leaves show some spots, likely a touch of CalMag deficiency. This is not uncommon at this stage, as the plants’ demands for calcium and magnesium rise sharply during heavy metabolic activity. To support them, I’ve kept the full nutrient recipe steady this week and reintroduced Aptus All-in-One Liquid to strengthen the nutritional foundation and bounce them back quickly. ⸻ 💧 Nutrient Recipe (Week 5) • Aptus Regulator – cell wall support & stress resistance • Aptus CalMag Boost – to address spotted leaves and support photosynthesis • Aptus All-in-One Liquid – reintroduced this week to balance the base nutrition and help recovery from early deficiency signs • Plagron Power Buds, Sugar Royal & Green Sensation – pushing bud development, resin, and flavor complexity ⚠️ Note on feeding adjustments: This week we removed Top Booster from the mix. While it’s a great stimulator during certain flower stages, running it alongside Power Buds, Sugar Royal, and Green Sensation risks overlapping too much PK. Too much of a good thing can cause stress, salt build-up, or nutrient lockouts. By keeping the recipe focused and balanced, the Lava Cakes can thrive without overload. ⸻ 🌡️ Environment • Temperatures: Lower this week (relief!) thanks to cooling efforts. • Humidity: Still running a little high, sometimes hovering beyond the ideal. • Airflow: Two 6-inch exhausts + intake, all carbon filtered. This, along with fans inside, should keep the air moving and avoid stagnant moisture pockets. ⚠️ Note: Higher humidity at this stage can invite mold or mildew risks, but with strong airflow and constant air renewal, we’re reducing the chances. If issues arise, we’ll face them directly and adjust. ⸻ 🎥 Media Update This week includes: • Outside photoshoots – capturing their beauty under LED light. • Close-ups – showing detail of leaves, bud sites, and trichome sparkle starting to appear. • Video clips – giving a fuller view of the room, the setup, and how the girls are thriving. ⸻ 🔄 Quick Recap for New Readers From seed in the Cannakan ➝ early veg under Black Series LED ➝ transplant into 11L fabric pots with Aptus super soil base ➝ branching and stretching under TrollMaster-controlled environment ➝ to now, Week 5 of flower, where the Lava Cakes are stacking up and turning into queens. Each step has been intentional: careful watering from below to build root strength, dialing in nutrients, setting up airflow, and slowly stabilizing environment. ⸻ 🔮 What to Expect (and Not to Expect) Expect: • Continued flower stacking and calyx swelling over the next two weeks. • Aroma development beginning to intensify. • Slight yellowing or spotting on older leaves (normal as energy redirects to flowers). Not to Expect: • Full bulk yet — this comes in the later weeks, especially 6–8. • Perfect leaves everywhere — in flower, the plant focuses on buds, not flawless foliage. ⸻ 🌎 Closing Thoughts Week 5 is about listening and responding. The Lava Cakes showed us some leaf spots, and in return, we adjusted by reintroducing All-in-One Liquid while simplifying the booster recipe. Removing Top Booster avoids nutrient overlap and keeps the focus on a clean, balanced mix. This isn’t just about correcting deficiencies — it’s about preparing them for the heavier bloom demands to come. With lower temperatures, steady airflow, and a carefully tuned recipe, the girls are thriving. Every day brings more white hairs, more structure, and more anticipation for what’s ahead. ⸻ 🔬 Science Spotlight: Nutrient Antagonism One of the biggest hidden challenges in mid-flower is nutrient antagonism — when too much of one element blocks the uptake of another. • Excess phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) (often from bloom boosters) can interfere with calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) absorption. This can show up as leaf spotting, rust marks, or weakened stems even if those nutrients are technically present in the soil. • By removing Top Booster this week, we reduced the PK load and allowed CalMag supplementation to actually reach the plant without being locked out. • Balance always beats excess. The goal is steady, accessible nutrition, not maxing out one element. This principle is key to avoiding deficiencies during bloom: feed enough, but not too much of any one thing. ⸻ 🔬 Trichome Spotlight If you look closely at the close-ups this week, you’ll notice the first tiny crystals beginning to coat the flowers and nearby leaves. These are trichomes — microscopic resin glands that play a central role in the plant’s defense, flavor, and potency. ✨ What are trichomes? Trichomes are specialized structures on the plant’s surface that produce and store secondary metabolites: • Cannabinoids (like THC, CBD, CBG) • Terpenes (the aromatic compounds that give unique smells and flavors) • Flavonoids (contributing to color, taste, and subtle effects) Essentially, trichomes are the plant’s biochemical factories. 🌿 Why are they appearing now? In early flower, the plant begins to shift its energy from vegetative growth to reproduction and protection. Trichomes serve several evolutionary purposes: • Protection from UV light – the resin acts like sunscreen. • Pest deterrence – sticky, bitter compounds discourage insects. • Moisture regulation – resin helps buffer against stress. That’s why, right as buds begin to stack, you see an explosion of these glittering glands. 🔮 What to expect as they develop? • Density will increase week by week, eventually frosting the buds and sugar leaves. • Color will change: clear → cloudy/milky → amber. These stages are often used to decide harvest timing. • Aroma will intensify as terpenes concentrate, bringing out Lava Cake’s dessert-like profile. 🍯 The chemistry inside • Terpenes – molecules like limonene (citrus), myrcene (earthy), and caryophyllene (spicy). They don’t just shape aroma; they influence the entourage effect, modulating how cannabinoids feel. • Flavonoids – often overlooked, but they add subtle notes to flavor and can have antioxidant properties. • Cannabinoids – still forming now, but ramping up in mid-to-late flower. 🌸 Why this matters Seeing trichomes appear in such numbers this early is a sign of plant health and genetic quality. It means the Lava Cakes are channeling their energy toward flower defense and resin production — exactly what we want in a premium run. From here, it’s all about nurturing them without stress so trichomes can fully mature, delivering not just potency, but flavor and aroma complexity at harvest.They’re queens in the making — and with patience, love, and attention, they’ll reward us with something truly special. 🌸✨ 📲 Don’t forget to Subscribe and follow me on Instagram and YouTube @DogDoctorOfficial for exclusive content, real-time updates, and behind-the-scenes magic. We’ve got so much more coming, including transplanting and all the amazing techniques that go along with it. You won’t want to miss it. • GrowDiaries Journal: https://growdiaries.com/grower/dogdoctorofficial • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogdoctorofficial/ • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dogdoctorofficial ⸻ Explore the Gear that Powers My Grow If you’re curious about the tech I’m using, check out these links: • Genetics, gear, nutrients, and more – Zamnesia: https://www.zamnesia.com/ • Environmental control & automation – TrolMaster: https://www.trolmaster.eu/ • Advanced LED lighting – Future of Grow: https://www.futureofgrow.com/ • Root and growth nutrition – Aptus Holland: https://aptus-holland.com/ • Nutrient systems & boosters – Plagron: https://plagron.com/en/ • Soil & substrate excellence – PRO-MIX BX: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en-us/products/pro-mix-bx-mycorrhizae • Curing and storage – Grove Bags: https://grovebags.com/ ⸻ We’ve got much more coming as we move through the grow cycles. Trust me, you won’t want to miss the next steps, let’s push the boundaries of indoor horticulture together! As always, this is shared for educational purposes, aiming to spread understanding and appreciation for this plant. Let’s celebrate it responsibly and continue to learn and grow together. With true love comes happiness. Always believe in yourself, and always do things expecting nothing and with an open heart. Be a giver, and the universe will give back in ways you could never imagine. 💚 Growers love to all 💚
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_____📅 Week 8 | 📅 Day 50 - 56 | 17.06 - 23.06 ____________________________________ 🌼🌸🌺Pre-flower🌼🌸🌺 23.06.25 | Day 56🌞💧 🔸This week I wanted to stress my sweetys as little as possible, so only a few photos from the tent. They are standing perfectly straight and I didn't want to break or snap anything off. They are doing great. 🔸I tried out my additional light this week and connected it to my controller. As soon as the flowering starts I will switch it on. I'll have to see how much distance I use this time, the lamps were too close to the plants during the last grow “Runtz” and that didn't look nice. 🔸Next week I will start giving her Big Bud as soon as the first buds appear. 🔸A&B: the fresh shoots and leaves look almost yellowish lime green...but will darken with time. I first thought it was a deficiency at the beginning of the week. _________________________________________________________________________________________ current conditions: 🌡️🔆= 24° 🌡️🌜= 18-19° 💨 Hum. = 65% 🔦 PPFD = 600 umol 12/12 🔦⌚DLI = ~ 25 _________________________________________________________________________________________ equipment to use: 💡 Light: 2 x Sanlight Evo 4- 120 on 60% ⛺ 120 x120 x 180 🍯 Pots: 18 liter pot 🌱 Soil: Bio-Bizz light mix 💊 Nutrients: Advanced Nutrients 💧 Water: Tap Water 0,5 EC
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@indacouch
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Day 8 Not much to say today, just kept an eye on them. watering tomorrow so ill give an update on that. Day 9 Alright so I watered them today cuz im stubborn. lol but im sure they'll be fine. anyways hope you guys are doing great :D Day 12 Girls are doing great! watered them and waiting a couple days in between watering. have a great day everyone!!!
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@Peeman
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Dealing with very strong winds this week. Also morning temperatures are below 15°C causing quite a bit of morning dew. Clear tarps are a big help as long as the strong wind doesn’t blow it away ha ha
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Se empezó con lavado de raíces a 4 de las plantas, esto con florakleen de GH y agua pura. Dos de las plantas siguen con nutriente, aún siguen engordando. Las plantas tienen muy buen aroma y están pegajosas. La planta con manchas en la hojas y que además se quemó con el pk1314, sorpresivamente ha duplicado de tamaño las flores. Se volvió a cambiar la lámpara y se puso una de la mitad de potencia. - Luz: Bestva Pro 1000W / 18 h/d -FloraNova Bloom G.Hydroponics: 0.7ml/l - Bio Bud G. Hydroponics 2.5ml/l - Armour SI G. Hydroponics 0.4ml/l - C4 Mills 1ml/l - Everest: 0.5 ml/l - Florakleen G. Hydroponics
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Low stress training a few I think there looking ok so far
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@Ttone25
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Starting to really fill out smell is 6/10 so far very sweet some pine as well
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Legend Timestamp: 📅 EC - pH: ⚗️ Temp - Hum: 🌡️ Water: 🌊 Food: 🍗 pH Correction: 💧 Actions: 💼 Thoughts: 🧠 Events: 🚀 Media: 🎬 D: DAY, G: GERMINATION, V: VEGETATIVE, B: BLOOMING, R: RIPENING, D: DRYING, C: CURING ______________ 📅 D64/B27 - 18/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1.0 pH: 5.2 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 80% 🌊 FLUSH 🍗 💧 💼 FLUSH first day 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D65/B28 - 19/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 0.2 pH: 7 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 80% 🌊 FLUSH 🍗 💧 💼 FLUSH second day 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D66/B29 - 20/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1 pH: 6.2 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 80% 🌊 15 L 🍗 CalMag - Bloom A-B - Bud Candy - B52 - Overdrive 💧 💼 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D67/B30 - 21/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1 pH: 6 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 70% 🌊 🍗 💧 💼 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D68/B31 - 22/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1 pH: 6 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 70% 🌊 15 L 🍗 CalMag - Bloom A-B - Bud Candy - B52 - Overdrive 💧 💼 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D69/B32 - 23/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1 pH: 6 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 70% 🌊 🍗 💧 💼 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video ______________ 📅 D70/B33 - 24/06/24 ⚗️ EC: 1 pH: 6 🌡️ T: 26°C H: 70% 🌊 🍗 💧 💼 🧠 🚀 🎬 1 TL video
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We started the 8th week of flowering, the time of harvest is approaching, this last week we will use flawless finish to clean the plants of nutrients before cutting them. Possibly a week of flowering extra would be good, but in this case I will cut them after 8 weeks. The appearance is exquisite, full of resin and with an incredible smell. ———————————————————————— Empezamos la 8 semana de floración, ya se acerca el momento de la cosecha, esta última semana utilizaremos flawless finish para limpiar de nutrientes las plantas antes de cortarlas. Posiblemente les vendria bien una semana mas de floracion,pero en este caso las cortare a partir de las 8 semanas. El aspecto es exquisito rebosante de resina y con un olor increible.
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Let’s Go Day day 61 from seed !!! This week went real well! As you can see all these girls are starting to stack very well! Everything is pretty much the same, we have switched to fully bloom an these ladies are just Looking super healthy , we are getting a nice smell of grapes on these Ogreberrys ! Bruce Banner is packing crystals like a Mofo too an super stanky , all very happy about this run ! Still got a nice few more weeks of bloom to go let’s watch em stack ! Lets grow lil ladies let’s grow !! Hope you all enjoy an have an amazing productive day ! Peace love an positive vibes to all you Growmies out there Cheers 😶‍🌫️💨💨💨💨💨🤙🏻 If there’s any questions please just ask I’ll be glad to help !!
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OBJECTIVE -New nutrient ratios for flower -Maintained our pH range SUBJECTIVE -Defoliation and scrogging as needed CONVERSATION -Our subjective and objective are going to get a little boring these upcoming weeks ): We were worried about frank not filling in (or at least I was) but everything is looking beautiful. We took 10 clones from B and 9/10 have rooted, cannot wait for that grow. Our scrog has filled out very nicely and we have nice spread out plants, still baffles us that they are only 8 inches apart from the top of the bucket to the scrog level. Everyone should keep a look out for when we introduce Project- Red Tide
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Всем привет друзья! Как я и говрил, что попалась прекрасная генетика. Растние растёт не по дням а по часам. Почему то у меня уже впечатление что у меня не автик, а фотик Ведь возможно, что стрельную гены пра-прабабушки) это конечно лирика, но его ровестники уже цыетут Посмотрим как пройдёт слудущая неделя Жду цвета Всем мира и добра!
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Day 43 veg. These two girls are finally starting to get their feet planted and growing. I have been a little worried that having to hold the. back as I did the room upgrade and waiting for their NFT set up. C Banana has grown a lot of new growth Thisbweek and been stretching upward . I have been softening their stems and bending in the same place to encourage a nice thick repair and knuckle. I am planning to quadline them out and maybe a few 6-lined . The monster has been going well too. she is quite bushy now so hopefully will be a many headed beasty. The room is all set for the move to their NFT know so hopefully be in tomorrow and flipped in about 2 weeks time all being well.
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Ya estamos en proceso de formación de la flor. Se ven algunas más grandes que otras. Pero a grandes rasgos estan muy parejas. Me preocupa un poco la cercanía a la luz, dado que estoy en 15cm y cualquier estirón extra, sería una complicación. Vamos a ir viendo como se dan las cosas, pero al momento, no me puedo quejar. Las plantas se ven bien y saludables. Día 24. Se empieza a notar el engorde. Esperando a que aparezcan las hojas de azúcar, que ya se empiezan a visibilizar las primeras. Voy a ver si puedo conseguir overdrive de advanced para cuando se terminen de formar las flores. Entre tanto solamente tuve un inconveniente de pérdida de agua por una manguera que moví al atar las plantas, pero ya repuse la solución perdida y todo va encaminado. No sé si van a tardar las 6 semanas que dice el catálogo, pero cuanto mucho serán 8. Seguiré actualizando. Día 26. Las flores empiezan a yomar su forma voluminosa. Estoy en duda sobre si agregar PK la semana próxima o la otra. Quizá empiece a usarlo en el próximo depósito. No quiero tampoco sobrepasarlas y agregar el producto antes porque tengo entendido que puede ser contraproducente. De todos modos me quedan dos días para el cambio de solución, así que voy a ver cuando termine la semana. Entre tanto, ya empiezan las emociones. Día 28. Hice ina poda de hojas bien fuerte. Ya de esa forma dejo expuesto a la luz todo lo que tiene que terminar de engordar y de paso me esquivo posibles problemas de humedad. Al final voy a usar el PK de greenhouse que tengo, pero voy a subir la dosis. Mañana se viene el cambio de solución, para lo que sería la ante última semana en teoría. Vamos a ver como evoluciona, porque los cambios son muy abruptos de una semana a la otra. Y llegado el momento miraré los tricomas, como para ir haciéndome a la idea.
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@Do_it_Dan
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Got to say I'm impressed.. be sad next week when she gets the chop, actually really enjoyed doing this one, I hope she taste as swell as she smells, happy growing and stay green ✌️ 💚 👌
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6/12 Thunderstorms turned to sun Plants are growing substantially. The ones that were damaged from the sun have pulled out of it. I checked the fim I did on a gmo that later burned and it has five tops! I took a couple videos bur I'll have to wait until tomorrow to upload them. Despite the weather severity and inconsistencies I'm in a really good spot. I'll upload the two videos tomorrow when I'm in a better area. Wifi is far to slow. 6/13 Rained yesterday before turning to hot sun. Supposed to be in the 90s today. Due to the rain and storms we've been having I hacebt had to water. Soil is still moist. Plants seem to be growing at a great pace. With all this rain they've gotten a hearty dose of the nutes in my soul mix and then when the sun comes out and they bask for a few hours they look considerable bigger. Another storm coming up but other than that weather is good. Plants are happy and doing well. 6/14 Plants are loving this hot weather. Rainy then it will clear up and be sunny. All plants have recovered from the shock of the weather and are growing like crazy. Ice started some lsting. I haven't even had to water. 6/15 Medium is still damp. I don't think we'll get much rain the next few days but we've gotten a lot lately. I'll continue playing it by ear. The water lasts much longer with the smaller plants in lather containers. Later in the summer I could be watering daily. If there is no rain I'll allow the bags to dry out and I'll water them. I may start them on a small nutrient schedule like the fox farm organic one you use for the entirety. I've hesitated though because my soil is chock full of nutrients and they show no sighs of deficiencies. I'll keep an eye on it. They look great though. 9/16 Watered after church. 3 1/2 gallons so approximately a half gallon each. Iys been really hot and i dont see rain in the forecast. Also broke the gmo that I fimmed right at a topping point. It wasnt wilted, and I ran and grabbed duct tape and fixed it. I've had good luck in the past this way. Hopfully I will this time as well. Still sucks though 9/17 The plant that split at the V that I taped up seems to be doing just fine. Looks just like the other top next to it. Thank God. Things seem to be going well. I'm wondering if I should start giving nutrients but I don't see any deficiencies and I know this soil mix lasts pretty much through veg without showing signs of deficiencies. I think it might be a case of "if it's not broke don't fix it." I'll look back on diaries and I'll do some research. 9/18 It's overcast but it's been in the upper 80's. I checked the plants around 11 and they looked good. They'll need water but I'm holding off until the morning. The plant I broke at the crook shows no signs of wilting or any negative effects. I assume it will come back stronger. I was thinking about watering tonight but at 12 there was still a little moisture. They will be fine until morning. Plants seem bigger every day.
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Sorry guys been lagging on posting because got a lot other stuff going on n I figured this plant would’ve been chopped by now but I must say she’s been filling out quite nicely..I lowered the light hours to try n see if thatll he’ll ripen her a bit faster as I’m looking to replace her with another plant