The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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@LSchnabel
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This plant was amazing from start to finish. I will update a final comment soon as well as final weigh and a review of the smoke once sent out to a group of testers.
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@Salokin
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Hi Growmies, She is developing nicely and still in her flower stretch, she also became a bit thirstier than before. The rootball is still growing at d looking pretty healthy, only a bit of staining from the Rhizotonic. The feeding regimen has not changed since last week. The ppfd at the canopy is in the 600 range at the moment. Thanks for stepping by and hope to see you next week.
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I did not top this girl, yet. Her top lowers started catching up to the top so I didn’t want to stop her yet lol. But all in all she’s looking healthy.
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What's in the soil? What's not in the soil would be an easier question to answer. 16-18 DLI @ the minute. +++ as she grows. Probably not recommended, but to get to where it needs to be, I need to start now. Vegetative @1400ppm 0.8–1.2 kPa 80–86°F (26.7–30°C) 65–75%, LST Day 10, Fim'd Day 11 CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity): This is a measure of a soil's ability to hold and exchange positively charged nutrients, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Soils with high CEC (more clay and organic matter) have more negative charges that attract and hold these essential nutrients, preventing them from leaching away. Biochar is highly efficient at increasing cation exchange capacity (CEC) compared to many other amendments. Biochar's high CEC potential stems from its negatively charged functional groups, and studies show it can increase CEC by over 90%. Amendments like compost also increase CEC but are often more prone to rapid biodegradation, which can make biochar's effect more long-lasting. biochar acts as a long-lasting Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) enhancer because its porous, carbon-rich structure provides sites for nutrients to bind to, effectively improving nutrient retention in soil without relying on the short-term benefits of fresh organic matter like compost or manure. Biochar's stability means these benefits last much longer than those from traditional organic amendments, making it a sustainable way to improve soil fertility, water retention, and structure over time. Needs to be charged first, similar to Coco, or it will immobilize cations, but at a much higher ratio. a high cation exchange capacity (CEC) results in a high buffer protection, meaning the soil can better resist changes in pH and nutrient availability. This is because a high CEC soil has more negatively charged sites to hold onto essential positively charged nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, and to buffer against acid ions, such as hydrogen. EC (Electrical Conductivity): This measures the amount of soluble salts in the soil. High EC levels indicate a high concentration of dissolved salts and can be a sign of potential salinity issues that can harm plants. The stored cations associated with a medium's cation exchange capacity (CEC) do not directly contribute to a real-time electrical conductivity (EC) reading. A real-time EC measurement reflects only the concentration of free, dissolved salt ions in the water solution within the medium. 98% of a plants nutrients comes directly from the water solution. 2% come directly from soil particles. CEC is a mediums storage capacity for cations. These stored cations do not contribute to a mediums EC directly. Electrical Conductivity (EC) does not measure salt ions adsorbed (stored) onto a Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) site, as EC measures the conductivity of ions in solution within a soil or water sample, not those held on soil particles. A medium releases stored cations to water by ion exchange, where a new, more desirable ion from the water solution temporarily displaces the stored cation from the medium's surface, a process also seen in plants absorbing nutrients via mass flow. For example, in water softeners, sodium ions are released from resin beads to bond with the medium's surface, displacing calcium and magnesium ions which then enter the water. This same principle applies when plants take up nutrients from the soil solution: the cations are released from the soil particles into the water in response to a concentration equilibrium, and then moved to the root surface via mass flow. An example of ion exchange within the context of Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is a soil particle with a negative charge attracting and holding positively charged nutrient ions, like potassium (K+) or calcium (Ca2+), and then exchanging them for other positive ions present in the soil solution. For instance, a negatively charged clay particle in soil can hold a K+ ion and later release it to a plant's roots when a different cation, such as calcium (Ca2+), is abundant and replaces the potassium. This process of holding and swapping positively charged ions is fundamental to soil fertility, as it provides plants with essential nutrients. Negative charges on soil particles: Soil particles, particularly clay and organic matter, have negatively charged surfaces due to their chemical structure. Attraction of cations: These negative charges attract and hold positively charged ions, or cations, such as: Potassium (K+) Calcium (Ca2+) Magnesium (Mg2+) Sodium (Na+) Ammonium (NH4+) Plant roots excrete hydrogen ions (H+) through the action of proton pumps embedded in the root cell membranes, which use ATP (energy) to actively transport H+ ions from inside the root cell into the surrounding soil. This process lowers the pH of the soil, which helps to make certain mineral nutrients, such as iron, more available for uptake by the plant. Mechanism of H+ Excretion Proton Pumps: Root cells contain specialized proteins called proton pumps (H+-ATPases) in their cell membranes. Active Transport: These proton pumps use energy from ATP to actively move H+ ions from the cytoplasm of the root cell into the soil, against their concentration gradient. Role in pH Regulation: This active excretion of H+ is a major way plants regulate their internal cytoplasmic pH. Nutrient Availability: The resulting decrease in soil pH makes certain essential mineral nutrients, like iron, more soluble and available for the root cells to absorb. Ion Exchange: The H+ ions also displace positively charged mineral cations from the soil particles, making them available for uptake. Iron Uptake: In response to iron deficiency stress, plants enhance H+ excretion and reductant release to lower the pH and convert Fe3+ to the more available form Fe2+. The altered pH can influence the activity and composition of beneficial microbes in the soil. The H+ gradient created by the proton pumps can also be used for other vital cell functions, such as ATP synthesis and the transport of other solutes. The hydrogen ions (H+) excreted during photosynthesis come from the splitting of water molecules. This splitting, called photolysis, occurs in Photosystem II to replace the electrons used in the light-dependent reactions. The released hydrogen ions are then pumped into the thylakoid lumen, creating a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis. Plants release hydrogen ions (H+) from their roots into the soil, a process that occurs in conjunction with nutrient uptake and photosynthesis. These H+ ions compete with mineral cations for the negatively charged sites on soil particles, a phenomenon known as cation exchange. By displacing beneficial mineral cations, the excreted H+ ions make these nutrients available for the plant to absorb, which can also lower the soil pH and indirectly affect its Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) by altering the pool of exchangeable cations in the soil solution. Plants use proton (H+) exudation, driven by the H+-ATPase enzyme, to release H+ ions into the soil, creating a more acidic rhizosphere, which enhances nutrient availability and influences nutrient cycling processes. This acidification mobilizes insoluble nutrients like iron (Fe) by breaking them down, while also facilitating the activity of beneficial microbes involved in the nutrient cycle. Therefore, H+ exudation is a critical plant strategy for nutrient acquisition and management, allowing plants to improve their access to essential elements from the soil. A lack of water splitting during photosynthesis can affect iron uptake because the resulting energy imbalance disrupts the plant's ability to produce ATP and NADPH, which are crucial for overall photosynthetic energy conversion and can trigger a deficiency in iron homeostasis pathways. While photosynthesis uses hydrogen ions produced from water splitting for the Calvin cycle, not to create a hydrogen gas deficiency, the overall process is sensitive to nutrient availability, and iron is essential for chloroplast function. In photosynthesis, water is split to provide electrons to replace those lost in Photosystem II, which is triggered by light absorption. These electrons then travel along a transport chain to generate ATP (energy currency) and NADPH (reducing power). Carbon Fixation: The generated ATP and NADPH are then used to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates in the Calvin cycle. Impaired water splitting (via water in or out) breaks the chain reaction of photosynthesis. This leads to an imbalance in ATP and NADPH levels, which disrupts the Calvin cycle and overall energy production in the plant. Plants require a sufficient supply of essential mineral elements like iron for photosynthesis. Iron is vital for chlorophyll formation and plays a crucial role in electron transport within the chloroplasts. The complex relationship between nutrient status and photosynthesis is evident when iron deficiency can be reverted by depleting other micronutrients like manganese. This highlights how nutrient homeostasis influences photosynthetic function. A lack of adequate energy and reducing power from photosynthesis, which is directly linked to water splitting, can trigger complex adaptive responses in the plant's iron uptake and distribution systems. Plants possess receptors called transceptors that can directly detect specific nutrient concentrations in the soil or within the plant's tissues. These receptors trigger signaling pathways, sometimes involving calcium influx or changes in protein complex activity, that then influence nutrient uptake by the roots. Plants use this information to make long-term adjustments, such as Increasing root biomass to explore more soil for nutrients. Modifying metabolic pathways to make better use of available resources. Adjusting the rate of nutrient transport into the roots. That's why I keep a high EC. Abundance resonates Abundance.
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@Fintastic
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Not much changed this week.... Trimmed the plants again, removing 70% of the large leafs so the plants can focus on the buds. Also removed all new bud growth too and a few other smaller buds. Aiming to have around 12 buds per plant, fingers crossed. Started using a boost solution along with the feed. Now feed every 2 days. Doing this so that they can dry out between watering/feeding. I’ve sorted out the humidity levels now, however still a little high when lights are off - 58%. Decided to do a 9th week of flowering, but will review this again towards the end of the 8th week. Could do with bring in an heat source for both day and night, temps are around 15 night, and 23 day.
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Encore une autre belle semaine de passÊ . Les plantense porte à merveille . Les odeur son folle et très prononcÊ. La fraise est très prÊsente à l'ouverture de la tente . La 3iem gelato est sorti dans le salon à la lumière du jour . Je trouvai trop serrÊ tous dans la 4x4 et je ne voulai pas dÊcoller la 2x4. Prochaine session jenvaisntemplacer la sunsystem pour les sp de mars hydro. La sunsystem me sembl fatiguer
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Not sure what more I can say that I didn’t say above. Patience, patience,patience! Veg longer with LED because they won’t stretch as much as you anticipate. They are very forgiving to a point and my nutes were organic until the end when I used kool bloom!to increase yield and made them a little unhappy. Cheers to dinafem for the best of the best when it comes to genetics!00
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The plants are looking very healthy and strong after 17 days, they're gonna start to flower very soon for what I can see, let's see how this automatic ladies perform!
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I absolutely love to watch them grow! Especially that moment they hit their first growth spurt. I started with RO water that is remineralized for drinking purposes. The ppm is only 18! My tap is 156! So considering they don’t need much water, I’ve been stealing some of our drinking water. The RO water starts at pH of 7. After I add the nutrients, ppm of 249 @ pH of 5.8 while soil is still sweet @ pH of 7 I think my days are off as a new week begins on the last day of the previous week. I am going to leave that for consistency. 04/21 - Noticing some possible nutrient issues with the Fruity Pebbles for several days now. Going to see what she needs. Up front I’m thinking maybe just a super small amount of Amino Acids with a little Epsom Salt. Maybe she is struggling to access the nitrates from the neem cake. IF it’s a issues with nitrogen. We will see. Maybe she would benefit from some extra calcium?… Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Day 22 and I am noticing how these girls have been burning up a lot of potassium lately, dealing with the wind and sun 💨 ☀️, getting pushed around all day. I plant to top dress with some Kelp Meal pretty soon. Day 24 -> 4/22/22- a quote from the weather on today’s red flag warning and dust storm warning. “ HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging wind in excess of 60 mph. SOURCE...Satellite imagery. IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.” I’m keeping the girls inside today. Day 26, I was planning to check the runoff on some of these girls, especially the fruity pebbles, however I messed that up as I also top dressed WAY too much of the seaweed bliss. So I flushed with plain RO water at pH of 7 until there was only slight coloration in the runoff. I didn’t check the runoff as a lot has changed with all that flushing. So next watering/feeding I will make sure I check the runoff on multiple plants. So the seaweed bliss with its 17 on potassium, seems to be the most likely culprit for why there is a bronze-ish color on the inside of the new growth. Hopefully a foliar feed of Epsom salts can correct the problem. Inside tent, lights on LOW. Noticing similar pattern in all of them to a degree, most noticeable in the fruity pebbles.
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Wow talk about leader of the pack. Not only do both plants look amazing compared to the rest but clearly there is one plant that stands out a bit more then the others lol. 8" taller them the rest and almost twice as wide!!! I can't wait to see what she looks like after this upcoming leaf strip next week. I have to say so far I've been really impressed with not only this SE-5000 light but the Royal Queen Seeds produced. Top notch both of them. Temperature and humidity have been stable for the most part. Was having g issues with my dehumidifier tho for a few days. I believe it was over heating a bit and was auto shutting off. So the my humidity would spike up to 75-80% but luckily it was during lights off and I was home when it happened. After moving a few things around and turning it off for a hour it seems to have corrected itself. Good caz I don't really want to have to buy a new one yet lol. For my nutrients I'm slowly bring it up. By the end of week 2 I should have it closer to 1000 ppm. I also stopped using airstones in my tank because I was having a few issues. Now I'm just using a water pump on a timer. Turns off when lights turn on and the back on a hour before the turn off. I've got most of my fans now running at 100%. Only ones that are still only running at 50% are my two lower section fans. With them set to that I find the temperature and humidity at all 4 corners of the room are close enough that I should have zero issues. Well that's all for now so keep growing everyone!!!
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28-9-2019 Out of the 3 different strains I am growing right now.This purple Kush is doing absolutely marvelous. No sign of deficiencies at all. The main stock is so thick and fat I am totally surprised( larger than a thumb) leaves are lush green and no tip burns anywhere. As soon as my new 940 watt Conversion bulb gets here (this week) It's flower time baby.😎
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@GanjOS_OG
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First week of Veg is done after the propagator tent. Clones looking good so far - getting healthy again. Startet LST.
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@Dunk_Junk
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Germinated then placed into her 20 Litre airpot with fresh compost.
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Beautiful genetic, she is 4 days younger than the rest of the plants in this run and she has the same height as the rest of the ladies, beautiful stretch, the flowers are coming very nice and strong and I cannot wait to see what type of flowrs awaits me as I have never grown this genetic before however I'm starting to feel some sweet smell I don't know how she's gonna smell yet but I'm so excited, let's see how this lady perfoms! Stay tuned everybody! 💛💚❤️
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