The Grow Awards 2026 🏆
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Week 4 - It’s Friday again, and that means it's update day! Another week has passed, and as usual, there's plenty to report. A lot has happened, and once again, I’m bringing you along on my journey as a total beginner in the world of growing. Every week is a new learning experience, and I’m excited to share what’s been going on in the tent as my Amnesia Zkittlez and Gorilla Cookies continue to grow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Growing Parameters -Humidity: 43-55% -VPD: Max 1.4 -Airflow: Always active at level 1, auto-adjusts when needed -Day Temperature: 25-26°C -Night Temperature: 22°C -Light Cycle: 20 hours light / 4 hours dark -Lamp: IONBOARD S24 from AC Infinity (240W) Watering Schedule: -Day 24: 1 liter -Day 26: 1 liter -Nutrients are applied with every watering Light Adjustments: -Light distance now at 50 cm -Intensity increased to level 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Growth Update The most noticeable change this week has been the incredible growth of the plants. I’ve uploaded some new photos for everyone to see, and it’s amazing how much they’ve shot up compared to last week. The differences in growth behavior between the Amnesia Zkittlez and Gorilla Cookies are becoming even more pronounced. The Amnesia Zkittlez has more than doubled in height since last week, shooting up and stretching outward. Meanwhile, the Gorilla Cookies hasn’t grown as much in height, but it has become noticeably rounder and bushier, almost like a pufferfish. It's fascinating to watch these plants develop in such different ways. While the Zkittlez focuses on vertical growth, the Gorilla Cookies is spreading out horizontally, forming a dense, compact structure. All around the plant, small flower sites are emerging, extending from within the plant and beginning to take shape. This difference in growth styles really highlights the unique characteristics of each strain, and I’m excited to see how they continue to evolve. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Training: LST and Defoliation This week, I’ve also focused heavily on training the plants using Low-Stress Training (LST) and some selective defoliation to optimize light exposure and encourage better growth. I applied LST more aggressively over the past few days, using clips to gently bend the stems of individual branches outward, almost to a 90-degree angle. This technique has helped the plants spread out horizontally, allowing more light to reach the inner and lower branches. I’ve been adjusting the clips nearly every day to refine the structure and ensure that the light penetrates deeper into the canopy. The goal is to encourage outward growth and create more space for the lower branches to thrive. In addition to LST, I began selectively removing leaves. I started with the first set of fan leaves, followed by leaves growing inward toward the plant’s center. These were either shading promising bud sites or simply not contributing to the plant’s energy needs. I’ve also removed the lower bud sites, which likely wouldn’t have developed into anything substantial. This way, the plants can focus their energy on the more promising, higher-up buds that are receiving better light. Throughout the defoliation process, I’ve been careful not to remove too many leaves at once. I’ve only taken off leaves that were either blocking key bud sites or were small and shaded, ensuring that the plant still has enough foliage to continue its healthy growth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nutrients and Watering Routine There haven't been any changes in my nutrient schedule or the way I water the plants this week. I’m still using the same BioBizz nutrients at the recommended dosages with each watering, and the watering process itself remains unchanged. Each plant receives a consistent 1 liter of water every couple of days, and so far, the plants are responding well. However, based on some recommendations I’ve received, I’m planning to introduce CalMag from BioBizz into my watering routine over the course of the next week. This will help ensure that the plants have enough calcium and magnesium, which are essential for strong cell structure and nutrient uptake, especially as we move further into the flowering phase. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal Reflections and Lessons Learned As I progress through this grow, I’m realizing how much more there is to learn, especially when it comes to managing light exposure and training techniques. It’s been rewarding to see how the plants respond to LST and defoliation, but I’m still figuring out the perfect balance. Every small change seems to make a big difference, and I’m constantly amazed by how quickly these plants adapt. Being a beginner, this process has been both challenging and exciting, and I can’t wait to see how the flowering stage develops. This journey has been a humbling experience, reminding me that growing plants isn’t just about following steps, but also about observing and learning from the plants themselves. Every day brings new insights and challenges, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see these changes reflected in the health and growth of the plants. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking Ahead In the next week, I’ll continue to monitor the pre-flowering phase closely. I expect the water and nutrient demands to increase even more as the plants transition into full flowering, so I’m preparing to increase the watering amount to 1.2 liters per plant soon. I’ll also be keeping an eye on the structure of the plants, especially the differences between the Gorilla Cookies and Amnesia Zkittlez. I may begin defoliating some of the lower leaves to give the plants more room to breathe and allow light to penetrate deeper into the canopy. There’s a lot of excitement ahead as the flowering phase approaches, and I’m eager to see how the plants respond to these new stages of growth. Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to drop any advice or questions in the comments—this journey is all about learning together!
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@Kanokpalm
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After my 1st Scroging it's not bad to me 😁 but now she look too hot and Nitrogen too much I flushing and waiting to look forward 😅
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@NONSENSE
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Good day to every one. The plant feeling like it should be, flowering without any problem. I really like the genetic. Hope to finish within 2 weeks. Look at these beautiful and long inflorescences, which are covered with crystals every day and pull their antennae to the sides. trichomes change color. The aroma is tolerable and I am not using the filter yet.
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Black Cream Starting To flower. Beautifull plant.. It as came to the first scrog level. Started Training. Dont know if it let her got or make another scrog level. Please share your ideias. Scrog Its new for me but in small budget space i get it. ... this its the way to go. Bomberry its a slowstarter maybe gave her a little more water in seedling fase. The pots are big and it was dificult to control seedling moist at begening.... Killed 3 seedlings. Wedding Cake looking good Purple Couscous Tink its going to be another beast. Share Idias. Sensores with possibel integration. i will make it work. Hope You Like This Diferent Aprotche To The Culture
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Buenas a tod@s!, bueno novena semana de flora de estás tropicanna poison, seguramente ante última o última semana, les falta nada... La plata está hermosa, más allá de sus hojas marchitas tiene unos frutos super pretos, compactos, pesados y mucha resina... Tanbien ultima semana de nutientes. Aclarando q es mi segundo armario, y sigo teniendo algunos problemas q mejorar, siempre trabajando humildemente, planta humilde y muy hermosas, no tengo experiencia, escucho todas las opiniones, pero eso no me define, me encantan mis plantas y cada día trabajando para q sean mejor.. falta muy poco... Un saludo y buenos humos para tod@s!!! 💨💨🔥😎⚕️💪🏻 🇦🇷🤝🏻🇪🇦
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Day 78 from seed This week was a big learning curve as may have dodged a bullet and improved yield . Finally changed res after 3-4 weeks thinking I could get through to harvest I was wrong ppm was spiking to 2200 after multiple water top ups Figured plant wasn’t up taking nutes and had some sort of lockout , ph dropping aswell 5.5 ish Res was salty all over , was way over due , note to self add nutes gradually to reach desired ppm, I gave her what little nutes I had left ( could have more ) Settled around 1000 , seemed to uptake them in two days to settle around 750 , ph at recommended 6.3 , buds changed within a day ! Had to tie her up as she was leaning badly after res change, may invest in a pump to make things easier. Look to be ripening , putting on weight ; pistils browning :)
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The plants look optimal 80% milky 15% amber and 5% transparent trichomes The plants were harvested and hung up.
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**Encontrarás la traducción a español al final de la descripción** If you like this week, please hit a like, it costs you nothing! 👊. Thanks in advance 😉! From/Desde: 12/08/19 || To/Hasta: 18/08/19 From day/Desde día: 21 || To day/Hasta día: 27 -----IMAGES & VIDEOS----- V1: She's still turning with this size, but is lowering the total angle/week, of course she has stopped turning once topped. You can see at the end of the videos the clones i've taken from her. Anyway, 4 days after taking the clones i decided to kill them because i had to grow another 4 plants in September and it's going to bee too much work @time. P4: I did a foliar irrigation this day, and i'm not going to add it to watering calendar. I'm using non PH adjusted water with BAC Foliar spray + BAC Plant Vitality Plus + BAC Pro Active. P9: Pruning and topping time!!. I toped her at 10 cm exactly, abobe the 4th main internode. Also I pruned the first and second main internodes, so I'm leaving 4 main branches to create the plant, i will try to keep them all at the same height. Also i must admit that i don't like nothing the cable i used to fix them to the floor as it's potentially danger for the branches, it cuts like a knife!. Asap i will buy a good rubber covered cable for do the job. Also i will put one of my training structures in the floor, top supported by the 2 horizontal 6 mm aluminium rods i used to LST @images. -----WEEK SUMMARY----- Well well well, prunning & topping time 😋!!!. This week temperatures raised a lot in my country full direct to 35º along day due to warm winds coming from inside land, what's called here "Terral", while it's a name, it can be translated as something similar to "Sandwindy" 😰😰😱😷😷. It's impressive how the Alice Kalashnikova (I de love more Alice than Avtomat 😂) did support those high temperatures like nothing. -----WATERING CALENDAR----- 15/08/19 - 4,000 ml with all week nutrients @ 1 E.C. PH5.8 *****ESPAÑOL***** Por favor, si te gusta esta semana dale un like, no te cuesta nada 👊. ¡Gracias por adelantado 😉! -----IMÁGENES & VÍDEOS----- V1: Y ella sigue girando a pesar de su tamaño, pero está reduciendo la cantidad de giro semanal, por supuesto parará de girar una vez le realice el topping. Al final del vídeo se pueden ver los clones que tomé de ella. No obstante, 4 o 5 días después de hacerlos decidí matarlos ya que tengo que plantar otras 4 plantas en Septiembre y se me iba a acumular mucho trabajo. P4: Realicé un riego foliar este día, ya que no voy a añadirlo al calendario de riego os digo lo que he usado. Agua sin ajustar PH con BAC Foliar spray + BAC Plant Vitality Plus + BAC Pro Active. P9: ¡Tiempo de poda y topping!. la he podado a exactamente 10 cm del suelo, justo por encima del cuarto nodo principal. También he podado los 2 primeros nodos, así que estoy dejando 4 ramas principales que intentaré mantener a la misma altura. Debo admitir que no me gusta nada el alambre que he usado para atarla a las barras ya que es potencialmente dañino, corta como un cuchillo. En cuanto pueda compraré un cable con cobertura de goma para hacer le trabajo. También pondré una de mis estructuras de entrenamiento sobre el sustrato y las mantendré fijas con las barras de aluminio horizontales de 6 mm que he puesto y que se ven en las imágenes -----SUMARIO SEMANAL----- Bien bien bien, ¡tiempo de poda! 😋. Esta semana las temperaturas han subido directamente a 35º debido al terral, es insoportaaaaaaaaaaaaaable 😰😰😨😨. Es impresionante como Alice Kalashnikova (me gusta mucho más alice que avtomat😂) soporta estas temperaturas como si nada. -----CALENDARIO DE RIEGO----- 15/08/19 - 4,000 ml con todos los nutrientes semanales @ 1 E.C. PH5.8
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Rookie mistake I left my lights on at 40% up until a few days ago smh... so they stretched and some fell over. So, I turned the lights up to 80% 3 days ago and 100% last night. At 22-24 inches away from the girls. I think I may have over watered as well maybe... so I haven't watered for 24 hours and gonna give it another day until I water again. Any thoughts before I start to panic?
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Eai comunidade GD quero desejar um ótimo 2024 pra todos com muitas colheitas de Buds densos e resinados 🙏 A hora da colheita está bem perto, os Buds estão super densos e resinados com um cheiro incrível que exala no ambiente inteiro 😋💥 Os tricomas ainda não estão do jeito que quero colher, vou esperar que fiquem mais âmbar, até agora tenho bastante tricomas leitosos e bastante tricomas transparentes. Acredito que ainda tenho essa semana inteira e a outra pra ficar no ponto que quero colher elas✅☘️ A rega está sendo feita somente com água já tem 7 dias Estamos no dia 92 de vida da planta dês de que a semente saiu da terra. 💚 Agradeço a todos que acompanharam e ajudaram pra esse cultivo estar assim 💚
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@Chupadeos
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Todas están finalizando su floración aunque llevan días de diferencia finalizando la floración,los olores son tremendamente intensos y potentes,hay dos fenotipos de sweet skunk y dos fenotipos de killer kush ,gorilla Girl parece ser la más estable,aunque haya distintos fenotipos (2) los olores son similares pronto llegará la cosecha ,deseando que llegue dulces humos familia!!😍💓🇪🇦
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. 🌱 : 💧 : 1l day 7, 1l day 9, 2l day 12 💡 : Dli: 25 mol/m²/d 🤔 :
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@UK420
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Possibly transplanted into oxy pot a little early. But seems to be settling in now. Just need some more root development. Root Update 27/8 - both oxy pot and 5 plants still in grow cubes, have all had a good increase in root development over night - 27 August Root Update 28/8 - all grow cubes and one in oxy pot developing well. Set up: 1 CFL 300w Dual Spectrum light with reflectors 1 kaizen carbon filter and air out. 1 eco fan air in 1 oxy pot 1 9 inch oscillating fan
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Wound doing minimal defoliation and pruning as you can see. Will prob prune the bottom leaves tomorrow and that will be it as far as Any pruning and defoliation goes. It is next to my wood stove rn which is not running however 90% of the time it will be this winter and stays around 70 degrees F and 40% humidity without the dehumidifier running. When the woodstove is not running it stays at 66 degrees and 50% humidity with dehumidifier running. For the last 3-4 days b4 harvest I will not run the wood stove and keep the dehumidifier on to get the colors out in this plant.
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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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Some great weather the past week. I am surprised by how the training worked out I should do more but I’m not too confident tbh. This girl seems to amaze me by her beauty/health. Because 1 leaf showed a bit of a brown tip after 1 heavier feeding I might just feed water for the coming week. I’m not sure if I’m everything correctly but really so far so good, a great experience from a tiny seedling up in till this point .
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@Ninjabuds
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The pound cake auto is really taking off. I’m happy I didn’t top the plant and just let it do its thing. It’s gonna have big long bugs all over the whole plant is just gonna be nugs. Not sure what I did with this plant but I got the roots perfect this time and it’s showing it the growth of the plant