10.08.2026 Almost there Hi Growmies, welcome back to week 9 of my Fast Buds Auto Grow. This grow is clearly heading towards the finish line. Weather and Conditions I’ve never had a grow where the weather has been this consistently hot. I actually think it’s been a little too hot, as days with 35°C or more seem to slow the growth down. Even in my tomato greenhouse, most of the plants are showing some heat damage, so a few degrees less wouldn’t hurt. But with the finish line getting closer, I’ll take dry and hot weather over rain any day. Maybe these conditions will even help me avoid any nasty mold problems during the final weeks. Growth All three ladies are slowly bulking up, although the progress isn't particularly dramatic anymore. The buds are getting really rock hard, while the smell seems to have reduced a little compared to the last couple of weeks. I guess the girls are now putting most of their remaining energy into finishing and ripening. Papaya Cookies She is just beautiful. The combination of purple buds and orange pistils is pure eye candy. She has become a real beauty and I absolutely love looking at her. I guess she'll be ready for harvest next week. Tangie She's the biggest girl in the garden. I expected her to take the longest because of her Sativa genetics, but this particular pheno seems to be a pretty fast one. The smell is still classic Tangie — that fresh orange aroma I already loved earlier in the grow. Apricot Apricot will definitely be the smallest yielder of the three. Towards the end, most of her bud sites have started to foxtail. I assume this is a reaction to the extreme heat, especially since she has absolutely no sunshade. But when it comes to smell and trichome production, she is absolutely crazy. She's still incredibly frosty and smells amazing. I think I'll cut her down next week as well. Feeding As I already teased last week, I've now switched completely to T.A. FinalPart for the final stage. The idea is to help the plants finish while using up the remaining nitrogen stored in their leaves. And you can definitely see that happening now — the fan leaves are fading rapidly. Pests Still nothing to complain about. The aphids and ants are still completely focused on the cucumbers, so I'll happily let them stay there. The grow gods are still on my side this year. Final Thoughts I checked the girls with my microscope and was surprised to already see around 10–20% amber trichomes. Papaya Cookies and Apricot could probably be ready next week. Tangie might need another week, but I'll make that decision when the time comes. For now, I'm just enjoying the final days of this grow. Alright my friends, that's it for this week. Catch ya next week! Smoking_Joe_Frazier