Strain: Chocolate Haze (Royal Queen Seeds)
Medium: Coco bricks (Action budget bricks – hell yeah 💰)
Light cycle: 12/12 from seed
Grow Style: No training, no stress – just flow
Grow Medium Prep: 500L of coco – never again in one go 😅
The Kickoff 🚀
This run started off wild and direct – no veg time, straight into 12/12 with Chocolate Haze. I wanted a quick turnaround and thought, hey, why wait?
I germinated 14 seeds, hoping for at least 9 strong ladies. Ended up with 11 survivors – not bad! First few weeks were a bit chaotic: stretching due to low light (I tucked the seedlings under mature plants, which I do not recommend 😆), and the coco prep took way longer than expected. But hey, that's the game.
Early Veg/Bloom — Lessons Learned
pH: Started a bit high; some light green leaves at first
EC: Too low at 1.3 — they weren't having it. Upped to 1.7 and then to 2.1 later
Environment: New extractor dropped temps way down (25°C vs my usual 30°C). Thought it would help, but growth felt slower
Coco quirks: They looked overwatered at times, but coco is tricky like that. Eventually, roots hit the bottom and they took off
Around mid-March (3 weeks in), pistils showed up – officially the start of flower. I topped them once just before full bloom kicked in. Always a strange move, cutting healthy plants... but they bounced back beautifully. Nice and bushy now.
Week 2–5 Flowering 🌸
These ladies are small but mighty. Not tall, but full of energy. The canopy is tight and even (except for one shorty), and they've been stretching like crazy — classic sativa move. Had to raise the lights twice in two days. I’ll probably do some defoliation soon to slow things down a bit.
Environment is now dialed in:
Temp: 30°C with lights on
RH: Holding nicely in that humid sweet spot
CO₂: Set to 500ppm (passive mostly, no full-on enrichment)
Feeding is now solid, color has recovered beautifully, and the buds are starting to form nice stacks. I’ve kept it low-stress — no nets, no heavy training, just letting them do their thing.
Observations & Setup Tweaks 🔧
Ventilation: Running the fan at just 30% now. Tent takes 18 seconds to vacuum seal, which tells me airflow is minimal – less CO₂ loss.
CO₂ System: Minimal usage at 500 ppm. I’m not going all-out with gas bottles; it’s just there as a buffer.
Structure: These Chocolate Haze plants don’t get tall, but they do fill out nicely. Perfect for a space where height is limited.
Auto side note: One of the autos in the same tent is way taller, but less dense. Makes me appreciate the Chocolate Haze structure even more.
Current Status (April 17) 📆
We’re deep into flower now — week 5, and it shows. Buds are swelling and resin production is kicking in. Nothing major to report (which is kind of the point of this grow — set and forget). Just a slight dry issue with one auto, which I adjusted on the Blumats.
Besides that? Happy plants, happy grower. 🌞
Check the latest pics — they speak for themselves.
Final Thoughts (So Far) 💭
This Chocolate Haze grow has been chill, efficient, and surprisingly hands-off. The direct 12/12 schedule really works when you're going for a fast cycle with minimal hassle. And even though I’m usually more into hybrids, this sativa-dominant lady is winning me over — the structure, the vigor, the smell… mmm.
Now we wait for the real magic — the last few weeks of flower. Trichomes incoming. 🍫✨
Stay tuned for harvest updates — it’s gonna be sweet.
Feel free to drop any questions or thoughts. Always happy to share the love for the plant. 💚
Peace