Animal Mints — Legends of the Frozen North Week 8 from Seed | Week 4 Flower Another chapter unfolds in the frozen north. For anyone joining this diary now, here is a quick recap of how we arrived here. This run explores Animal Mints grown primarily under a 12/12 cycle from seed, allowing the plants to naturally express their structure while moving efficiently into flowering. Most of the plants followed this path from the beginning, with one small exception in the room — a plant that spent about two weeks in vegetative light before joining the 12/12 cycle. Interestingly, that plant ended up being the smallest of the group, showing how genetics and environmental response can sometimes surprise us. But despite those differences, the room now feels unified. The canopy is alive, vibrant, and moving together into the deeper stages of flowering. This week has been a big one. With more than 300 photos captured, the goal was to document every angle of development — structure, branching, flower sites, and canopy behavior — as the plants continue their journey through bloom. ⸻ Environmental Snapshot The room is currently running with fairly aggressive parameters, but supported by strong airflow and active air exchange. Current conditions • Canopy temperature: ~28°C (gradually tapering toward 26°C) • Relative humidity: ~70% (slowly reducing toward ~60%) • CO₂: 1000+ ppm through passive enrichment • PPFD: 800 → 1300 µmol across the canopy These values are slightly on the upper edge of traditional recommendations, but with strong airflow and healthy transpiration, the plants are responding very well. Air movement remains one of the most important elements in this environment. The goal over the next weeks will be to gradually tighten the climate window as flowers develop further. ⸻ Light Strategy The lighting across the canopy currently ranges between: 800 and 1300 PPFD This allows the plants to maintain strong metabolic activity without excessive stress during early flower development. Additionally, we run a 15-minute red light pulse after lights off. This small far-red window helps accelerate the phytochrome transition between light cycles, effectively signaling nightfall to the plants and assisting the flowering rhythm. It is a subtle adjustment, but one that helps maintain consistent flowering signals. ⸻ Under-Canopy Lighting One of the key elements of this room is the use of under-canopy lighting. As plants grow bushier and develop dense foliage, the lower zones of the plant often receive very little light. Under-canopy lighting helps: • increase light penetration to lower bud sites • reduce excessive shading • maintain photosynthetic activity deeper into the plant • improve overall bud development throughout the structure Combined with careful defoliation and strong airflow, this approach helps keep the entire plant active rather than only the top canopy. ⸻ Airflow — The Invisible Engine Airflow is one of the most underestimated tools in indoor cultivation. In this room we rely heavily on constant air circulation and active air exchange. This helps: • regulate leaf temperature • support transpiration • prevent humidity pockets inside the canopy • strengthen plant structure • reduce risk of fungal pressure Plants are living organisms interacting with their environment, and air movement is part of that conversation. ⸻ Feeding Strategy The plants are currently feeding very actively. Feed EC: ~2.4 Soil EC: ~0.9 This indicates that the plants are absorbing nutrients efficiently from the medium. As long as the plants continue eating and the runoff remains stable, the feeding program stays consistent. If nutrient uptake slows or runoff EC begins climbing, adjustments will be made accordingly. For now, the system remains balanced and responsive. ⸻ Nutrient Recipe Current weekly top feed includes: • CalMag Pro • Terra Bloom (base nutrient) • Power Buds • Green Sensation • Pure Zym • Sugar Royal • Vita Race (foliar where applicable) At this stage of flowering, foliar applications are used sparingly. Once flowers begin forming, keeping the canopy dry becomes increasingly important. ⸻ Why Add Power Buds + Green Sensation As plants transition fully into the flowering stage, the goal shifts from structural growth toward flower formation and metabolic support. Power Buds helps stimulate the plant’s flowering response and encourages the development of early bud sites. Green Sensation acts as a metabolic enhancer, supporting: • bud density • terpene production • nutrient transport • overall plant energy during bloom Together, these additives help guide the plant’s resources toward productive flower development. ⸻ Mixing Order — Why It Matters One of the small details that can make a big difference in nutrient stability is the order of mixing. Our mixing process always follows the same structure: 1. CalMag Pro first 2. Base nutrient (Terra Bloom) 3. Additives CalMag is added first until the base EC reaches around 0.7. This creates a stable mineral foundation for the rest of the solution. After that the base nutrient and additives are introduced gradually. Proper mixing order helps prevent nutrient precipitation and instability, keeping the solution balanced and available for the plants. In simple terms: Chemistry matters. ⸻ Defoliation Update This week also included selective defoliation. Some plants had not yet received any canopy thinning, and their structure had become quite dense. Those plants were defoliated more deeply than the others to restore: • airflow inside the canopy • light penetration • structural balance Despite the heavier pruning, the plants responded beautifully. Leaves remain vibrant, growth continues strong, and the canopy quickly reorganizes itself. ⸻ Structural Observations Across the room, the Animal Mints plants show distinct structural expressions. Some lean toward tighter node spacing and compact branching, while others stretch slightly more. These differences highlight the diversity within the genetic expression of the cultivar. Yet despite those differences, all plants are developing healthy flower sites and strong green foliage. ⸻ What To Expect Next Over the next weeks we expect: • vertical stretch slowing down • bud stacking intensifying • resin development beginning • stronger aroma expression Environmental parameters will gradually shift toward slightly cooler temperatures and lower humidity as flowers continue forming. The focus will remain on airflow, canopy balance, and metabolic stability. ⸻ Gratitude Before closing this update, a moment of appreciation. To the long-time followers, the OG readers, the new growers discovering this diary, the skeptics, the critics, the silent observers, and everyone who spends time following these plants. Thank you. Gratitude as well to: • the platform hosting these diaries • the sponsors supporting the work • the genetics that make these explorations possible • and everyone contributing to the community. If you are here reading, learning, questioning, or simply watching quietly… You are part of this journey. ⸻ The legends of the frozen north continue. 🌿❄️ 📡 Please stay tuned they can try and take us down but we never quit https://www.youtube.com/@DOGDOGTHEDOCTOR NEW 🙏 Thank you for your patience and continued support. FOR DISCOUNT CODES AND MORE JUST FOLLOW THE LINK https://website.beacons.ai/dogdoctorofficial 📲 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 Deleted by Youtube Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/dogdoctorofficial Under construction stay tuned ⸻ Explore the Gear that Powers My Grow If you’re curious about the tech I’m using, check out these links: 🔆 Lighting & Environmental Control • Future of Grow — Advanced LED lighting technology https://www.futureofgrow.com/ DISCOUNT CODE: DOG20 • Lumiflora — Under-canopy LED lighting https://lumiflorade.com/ • TrollMaster — Environmental controllers and automation gear (past collaboration) ⸻ Genetics • Zamnesia Seeds — Genetics used in this project https://www.zamnesia.com/ ⸻ 🌱 Soil, Substrates, Boosters & Root Support • Plagron — Substrates, bio mixes, and supportive products https://plagron.com/en/ ⸻ 🎒 Storage, Curing & Preservation • Grove Bags — Curing and storage solutions https://grovebags.com/ ⸻ 📸 Photography Equipment & Tools (Not sponsors, but part of my creative toolkit) • Sony A6700 • Sony full-frame macro lens + few more • Stacking photography workflow - learning • iPhone (for behind-the-scenes shots) 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 💚 📸 P.S. – The Eye Behind the Lens All photos in this diary (for now — except for the ones showing the camera, which I took with an iPhone) are taken with a Sony A6700 paired with a Sony full-frame macro lens and a few more. Photography is part of the story — it’s how we share the fine textures, the glow, and the quiet details that words can’t always capture. I’ve also started experimenting with photo stacking — a technique where multiple images, each taken at a slightly different focus point, are layered together to create one perfectly sharp image from front to back. It’s not digital enhancement or AI; it’s pure photography — a way to reveal the plant’s beauty in microscopic depth, from trichome to petal. You’ll even see a few shots of "ghost me" capturing the shots — camera, lens, setup — because every grow deserves not just to be cultivated, but documented like art. FOR DISCOUNT CODES AND MORE JUST FOLLOW THE LINK https://website.beacons.ai/dogdoctorofficial NEW DISCORD - Official Server Invite Link : https://discord.gg/ksjAkA5T74 P.S.2- not all filer were uploaded but i think enough to get the idea wore, i will try and upload them o next week update if not over crowded with files also