🌿 Week 2 Veg – Lava Cake 🍰 Grower: Dog Doctor Strain: Lava Cake (Zamnesia Seeds) Tent: 8x8 ft shared tent Light: Future Off – Black Series 600 Control System: TrolMaster (Model 1 build in progress!) Watering Method: Bottom-watering 💧 Monitoring: TrolMaster camera (yes, even when nature calls 🚽😄) ⸻ Growing Strong, No Transplant Yet This week, our Lava Cake queens continue in their starter containers. No transplant yet—that’s planned for next week. For now, it’s all about stable root development, strong vegetative growth, and letting the girls find their rhythm. They’re pushing out the third pair of true leaves, with three fingers already showing—and the fourth pair is forming, promising four fingers or more. A fantastic sign of healthy photosynthetic power building up! ⸻ 💧 Bottom Watering – The Gentle Way to Feed This week, we continue using the bottom-watering technique, placing the nutrient mix into trays and allowing the plants to absorb from below. Why Bottom-Watering? • Encourages deep root growth by drawing roots downward in search of moisture • Prevents overwatering and reduces risk of damping off or root rot • Keeps the top layer of soil lightly dry, discouraging fungus gnats • Allows for even moisture distribution throughout the medium • Ideal for fragile young plants still establishing their base We monitor absorption closely, only adding water again when the soil weight tells us they’re ready. This teaches the plant to “hunt” and strengthens the root zone early on. ⸻ Water Mix This Week Precision-fed, light yet complete: • pH: 5.83 • EC: 1.01 • Water Temp: 18.5°C Aptus Nutrients per Liter: • Regulator – 0.15 ml • CalMag Boost – 0.25 ml • All-in-One Liquid – 1 ml • Start Booster – 2 ml This mix gives them exactly what they need: strength, structure, and early nutrient stimulation, without overloading fragile roots. ⸻ 🌡️ Environmental Conditions • Room Temp: 27°C • Humidity: 57.4% • CO₂: 632 ppm Girls are thriving under the Black Series 600 LED, which is delivering a clean, full-spectrum light that supports compact growth and rich color development. The environment is being gradually dialed in with the TrolMaster system—soon fully installed and ready to automate the entire grow. But for now, it’s still hand-watering, hand-checking, hand-loving. ⸻ 🔍 What to Expect (and Not to Expect) Expect: • Steady vegetative growth with balanced leaf development • Root system strengthening as bottom watering continues • Stable EC and pH promoting clean, lush foliage Not expecting yet: • Transplant stress — that’s next week’s adventure • Heavy feeding — keeping it gentle to avoid any burn • Stretching or issues — light is well-balanced, girls are happy ⸻ 💬 Final Words Week 2 is calm, careful, and calculated. We’re not rushing, just letting nature do her thing with a little guidance. Bottom watering gives the girls confidence to grow downward and upward, and next week, we prepare for the big move: transplant time. Until then, the Lava Cake queens shine on. Thank you for being part of this journey 🌿 — Dog Doctor ⸻ 📲 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 💚