🌱 VEGETATIVE (4 weeks) The Runtz seed, placed in a root-riot cube within a DWC net pot, successfully sprouted by day 4, under an 18/6 light cycle (50W at 50cm). The first week saw the seedling establish itself, with roots extending into the DWC reservoir. During the second week, despite slightly low humidity and temperature, the seedling demonstrated robust and rapid growth. Light intensity was increased to 75W. Towards the end of this week, I removed the first set of true leaves as they were growing too close to the substrate. The third week marked a noticeable increase in the plant's water uptake (1 LT/day), which prompted me to raise the nutrient solution's EC to 1.0. The plant showed significant development while maintaining a compact stature – a trait I appreciated. In the fourth and final week of vegetation, as odors began to emerge, I installed a carbon filter, raised the EC to 1.2, keep the pH in the right range and boosted the light intensity further to 150W. By the end of this phase, the plant was bushy, compact (21 cm height), and healthy. 🌸 FLOWERING (8 weeks) For the first week I switched the light cycle to 12/12 and introduced a new nutrient solution adding Power Buds to the mix. During the second week I was impressed to see preflowers clearly visible as early as day 10 of flowering. So, during the third week I made a substantial defoliation session to manage the plant's increasing bushiness, which I knew would be crucial for later-stage light penetration and humidity control. In the fourth week I introduced a PK 8/9 booster, Green Sensation, thereby increasing the phosphorus and potassium concentration in the solution, water consumption around 3 LT/day. Towards the end of the week, I performed another significant defoliation, including the removal of lower, light-starved branches, to which the plant responded well. During the fifth week the stretching phase concluded, with the plant reaching its final height of 69cm. Its focus shifted to bud development, and the foliage began to adopt a darker hue. At this point, my role was primarily to maintain stable environmental parameters and a correct pH in reservoir. During the sixth week buds were visibly swelling daily, the plant remained in excellent health, and resin production became more pronounced. For the seventh week I implemented a change in feeding, completely cutting the nitrogen from the DWC solution, using only Green Sensation at a higher concentration. In the eighth and final week of flowering (week 12 overall), I performed a complete DWC reservoir change. I filled it with plain tap water and maintained this for 4 days leading up to harvest. On day 56 of flowering (84 from seed), the Runtz plant appeared perfectly ready. The buds were dense and glistening, pistils mostly browned and retracted, and trichomes displayed a good mix of milky and some amber. Immediately after harvesting her, I removed the fan leaves, deciding to dry these as well due to their remarkable resin content. ✅ DRYING The entire plant was hung to dry inside the grow box, which was kept completely dark with constant, gentle air circulation for 8 days. The average VPD during this period was maintained around 1.2 (approximately 20°C and 50% RH). Once this drying period was complete, I trimmed off all the sugar leaves. These resinous sugar leaves will be combined with the already dried fan leaves and larf buds, and I plan to use them to make cannabutter for edibles. ⚖️ Dry weight After the 8-day drying period, and once all the remaining small leaves and branches were removed from the buds, I weighed the final product: The harvest yielded: - 150 grams of dense buds and 5 grams of finger hash. For edibles: - 30 grams of larf and a large amount of fan and sugar leaves. ✅ CURING For the curing process, the dried buds were placed in a large, airtight glass jar. This jar was stored in a dark location within a room maintaining a stable temperature of around 20°C for a total of 45 days. The burping schedule was as follows: Day 1-7: twice daily for 10 min. Day 8-10: once daily for 10 min. Day 11-14: every other day for 10 min. Day 15-21: every 3 days for 10 min. Day 22-30: every 4 days for 10 min. Day 31-45: No burping. 📑 SMOKE REVIEW - At 15 days cured a vegetal note is still quite present and the smoke is a bit harsh, typical for a short cure. The effects are already pleasant and potent, very promising. - After 30 days of curing, the Runtz has improved considerably. The vegetal smell has mostly faded, giving way to a much more defined sweet and fruity fragrance reminiscent of candy and berries. The smoke is noticeably smooth, euphoric effects are dominant. - At 45 days, Runtz has expressed its full potential and is now perfectly cured for daily enjoyment. The aroma is intense and complex, an explosive mix of sweet candy and tropical notes. The effects are potent, starting with an uplifting cerebral euphoria that evolves into a pleasant body relaxation, without leading to couch-lock. 🍕 I also made cannabutter which I used to finish a risotto. The result was insane – both the risotto itself and the potency of the cannabutter were exceptional!