🍮 8×8 Adventure – Week 11 Chem Brûlée – Pheno A More Photons, More Frost, Still Completely Herself ❄️🌸💡 Hello everyone, and welcome back to another chapter of the 8×8 Adventure! 🌱💚 And here she is again... Chem Brûlée Pheno A. If you've been following her journey, you already know that this girl has never really needed much introduction. She's distinctive. She's beautiful. She's developing her own particular expression. And the further we move into flower, the more obvious that individuality becomes. This week, however, something important has changed around her. Not the plant itself. We're actually doing very little to the plants at this stage. The room has changed. The lighting has been upgraded. The nutrition has moved forward slightly. And now... we're stepping back and watching what the plants do with those changes. Chem Brûlée Pheno A is ready. So let's give her the spotlight. 🍮❄️🌸💡 ──────────────────────── 🌸 Week 11 – The Plant Knows What To Do Chem Brûlée Pheno A remains around 126 cm tall. And honestly... I'm not particularly interested in chasing that number anymore. The structure is established. The flowering sites are developing. The plant has already told us how she wants to occupy her space. Now we're entering one of those phases where the grower has to learn when to stop interfering. Earlier in the grow, we had plenty to do. Training. Canopy management. Defoliation. Positioning. Adjustments. Decisions. Now? We're mostly observing. And that's not because we're paying less attention. It's because the plants don't need us constantly touching them. Chem Brûlée is healthy. She's flowering. She's developing resin. She's maintaining beautiful foliage. She's doing what she needs to do. So we're letting her. ──────────────────────── 🌿 Let Her Be Chem Brûlée One of the things I appreciate most about this phenotype is that she has become increasingly recognizable as herself. When the grow started, she was simply: Chem Brûlée Pheno A. A label. A genetic description. A possibility. But after all these weeks... that name means something different now. It means this particular structure. This particular flower formation. This particular expression. This particular rhythm. This particular girl. That's one of the great things about growing multiple phenotypes. You start with the same genetic name. Then the plants introduce themselves. And Chem Brûlée Pheno A has definitely introduced herself. She's unique. She's frosty. She's developing beautifully. And she's doing it her own way. ──────────────────────── ❄️ The Frost Is Becoming Harder To Ignore One of the first things that catches my attention when I look at her photographs is still the resin. The frost is becoming increasingly visible. Those developing flowers are starting to carry more and more of that beautiful sparkling character. And this is exactly where the camera becomes one of my favourite tools. From a distance, you see the plant. Closer... you start seeing the phenotype. The trichomes. The sugar leaves. The pistils. The developing flower structure. The tiny details that make Chem Brûlée Pheno A different from the plant standing next to her. That's why I keep photographing everything. The camera doesn't just capture the plant. It captures the progression. And when you put ten or eleven weeks of photographs together... you can actually see the plant becoming herself. ──────────────────────── 💡 The 8×8 Just Received A Photon Upgrade Now let's talk about the biggest change this week. The plants haven't needed much physical intervention. But the lighting environment has changed significantly. We've added two additional Future of Grow Black Series 600W fixtures to the room. And yes... we definitely noticed. 😂💡 The available light increased substantially. Actually... it increased a little more than I wanted. So instead of simply accepting the higher intensity, we reduced the fixture output. We're currently running at approximately: 🔌 59% power from the plug. And we're seeing approximately: ☀️ 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy. That's a very strong lighting environment. And I'm much happier controlling that environment than simply chasing the biggest possible PPFD number. We now have considerably more lighting capability available to us. And that gives us something I really like: Control. ──────────────────────── ☀️ More Capability Doesn't Mean More Watts This is an important part of the experiment. We have powerful fixtures. We don't necessarily need to run them at maximum output. We added the two additional Black Series 600W lights. We measured the resulting light levels. The PPFD went higher than I wanted. So we turned them down. Simple. 😂 Now we're sitting around 59% power from the plug and getting approximately 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy. And there's another benefit. We're using less electricity. We're also not unnecessarily pushing the fixtures and associated equipment harder than necessary. So we're testing the equipment properly while also finding a practical operating point. That's exactly what I wanted to do with these additional fixtures. Not simply: "Look how much light we can make." But: "How much useful light do we actually want?" And now... we're finding that answer. ──────────────────────── 💚 A Huge Thank You To Future Of Grow I want to give Future of Grow a special shout-out this week. They provided the two additional Black Series 600W fixtures for us to test here in the 8×8 Adventure. And this is exactly what we're doing. We're testing them in a real flowering room. We're measuring. We're observing. We're adjusting. We're learning. The additional fixtures gave us more lighting capability than we initially needed, so we reduced the output to approximately 59%. We're now sitting around 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy. And I'm very happy with the result. Strong light. More control. Lower power consumption than simply running everything flat out. And twelve plants giving us twelve different responses. Thank you, Future of Grow, for giving us the opportunity to put these fixtures through their paces. ──────────────────────── ☀️ Chem Brûlée Under The New Artificial Sun And Chem Brûlée? She's still Chem Brûlée. 😂 That's actually one of the things I love about this experiment. We can change the lighting environment. We can make more photons available. We can adjust the output. But the genetics still have the final say. The light provides energy. The plant decides what to do with that opportunity. And Chem Brûlée Pheno A continues expressing herself exactly as she has throughout this journey. Her structure. Her flower formation. Her frost. Her personality. Nothing about the additional light has changed who she is. It simply gives her another opportunity to make use of the environment. And that's what we're watching now. ──────────────────────── ☀️ Around 1,500 PPFD At The Upper Canopy The approximately 1,500 PPFD we're currently seeing is measured across the upper canopy. And that's an important distinction. A plant is not a flat solar panel. 😂🌿 Chem Brûlée has flowers and leaves at different heights. Some areas receive stronger direct light. Other areas sit deeper within the structure. Some leaves are positioned perfectly toward the fixtures. Others naturally receive less. That's normal. We're not trying to make every single flower receive identical intensity. We're trying to create a strong overall lighting environment while allowing the plant to use that light effectively. And because Chem Brûlée is a taller phenotype, the three-dimensional relationship between plant and light becomes particularly interesting. Upper canopy. Middle canopy. Interior. Lower flowering sites. Every level has its own relationship with the photons. ──────────────────────── 💡 Light Is Only One Piece Of The Puzzle This is something I keep coming back to throughout the 8×8 Adventure. More light doesn't automatically mean better results. The plant still needs to be able to use that light. Temperature matters. Humidity matters. CO₂ matters. Water matters. Nutrition matters. Root health matters. Leaf health matters. And the structure of the plant determines how efficiently those photons can move through the canopy. Everything is connected. That's why I'm much happier having the ability to control the lighting rather than simply increasing intensity without thinking about everything else. The two new fixtures give us more capability. The 59% output gives us control. The plants tell us whether the environment is working. And Chem Brûlée? She's looking happy. That's the important part. ──────────────────────── ⚗️ Nutrition – Another Small Step Forward We've also made a small nutritional adjustment this week. Again... nothing dramatic. We're simply increasing Terra Bloom slightly as the plants continue progressing through flowering. The current programme is: • Terra Bloom — 2.3 ml/L • Green Sensation — 1 ml/L • Power Buds — 1 ml/L • Sugar Royal — 1 ml/L • pH adjustment as required That small increase in Terra Bloom has brought the EC up slightly. We're now around: ⚡ EC — 2.14 mS/cm And that's exactly the kind of adjustment I prefer. Small. Measured. Controlled. We're not changing everything simply because another week has passed. We're supporting the plants as their requirements develop. And Chem Brûlée is giving us a very good reason to remain confident in the current direction. She's green. She's flowering. She's producing resin. She's developing. So... we continue. ──────────────────────── 💧 Irrigation – Consistency Over Complexity The irrigation system continues doing its job in the background. We're now around: 💧 1.45 L per plant / 24 hours with the nutrient solution around: 🌡️ 25°C and the substrate around: 🌡️ 25°C. At this stage, consistency becomes increasingly valuable. We're not trying to force Chem Brûlée to drink more simply because she looks beautiful. We're watching her demand. We're keeping the root environment stable. We're providing what the system requires. And then we're allowing the plant to decide what she does with it. That's becoming the general philosophy of this stage of the 8×8 Adventure. Provide. Observe. Adjust when necessary. Otherwise... let the plant grow. ──────────────────────── 🌡️ Week 11 – Current Environment The room is currently running approximately: • 🌡️ Day Temperature: 26.5°C • 🌙 Night Temperature: 26°C • 💧 Relative Humidity: 61% • 🥥 Substrate Temperature: 25°C • 💦 Nutrient Solution Temperature: 25°C • ⚗️ pH: 6.02 • ⚡ EC: 2.14 mS/cm • 💨 CO₂: approximately 693 ppm • 💡 Light Schedule: 12/12 • 💧 Irrigation: approximately 1.45 L/plant/24h • ? Pot Size: 15 L • 📏 Plant Height: approximately 126 cm Summer still likes to keep things interesting. 😂☀️ Absolute environmental perfection isn't always realistic. What matters is stability. Keeping the important variables within a controlled range. Avoiding unnecessary swings. And watching the plants themselves. And right now... Chem Brûlée looks perfectly comfortable. ──────────────────────── 🌿 We're Not Removing Leaves Just Because We Can Another thing worth mentioning at this stage is canopy management. Earlier in the grow, removing foliage had a clear purpose. Opening the canopy. Improving access. Managing structure. Creating space. But now? We don't need to remove healthy leaves simply because they're there. Those leaves are working. They're capturing photons. They're contributing to photosynthesis. They're supporting the plant. So we're not looking at defoliation as something that needs to happen automatically every week. If something genuinely needs attention, we'll deal with it. If an area becomes excessively crowded, we'll assess it. If airflow needs help, we'll respond. But otherwise... let her work. Chem Brûlée doesn't need to be turned into a skeleton to flower beautifully. She needs a healthy, functional canopy. And that's what we're maintaining. ──────────────────────── 🌸 The Flowers Are Taking Over The Story The further we move into flowering, the more the flowers become the main story. And they're looking beautiful. The pistils remain prominent. The flower structures are becoming more defined. The resin is becoming increasingly obvious. And slowly... the individual flowers are becoming substantial structures rather than simply flowering sites. That's the transformation we're here to document. Week by week. Photograph by photograph. Observation by observation. And Chem Brûlée Pheno A is giving us a particularly interesting one. She's not simply becoming a flowering plant. She's becoming a very specific expression of Chem Brûlée. And that distinction is important. ──────────────────────── 📸 The Camera Is Loving This Girl I have to admit... Chem Brûlée Pheno A is becoming a very enjoyable subject. 😂📸 The wide photographs show the plant's overall structure. The height. The branches. The flowering sites. But the close-ups? That's where she really starts talking. The frost. The pistils. The sugar leaves. The developing flowers. The textures. The tiny details. Those photographs allow us to see what the naked eye sometimes misses. And when you compare them with the earlier weeks... you can see just how much she has changed. One photograph is a moment. An entire diary is a story. And hers is becoming a very interesting one. ──────────────────────── Same Room. Different Answer. This is still the heart of the 8×8 Adventure. Twelve plants. One room. Shared conditions. Shared environmental philosophy. Shared lighting. Shared irrigation. Shared nutritional strategy. And yet... twelve different answers. Some plants are compact. Some are tall. Some develop dense structures. Some spread. Some express their flowers differently. Some show their personality immediately. Others take longer. Chem Brûlée Pheno A has definitely given us one of the more distinctive answers. She's tall. She's individual. She's increasingly frosty. And she's developing a character that belongs entirely to her. That's what makes phenotype work so fascinating. ──────────────────────── 🍮 Chem Brûlée Is Becoming Herself If I had to describe what I'm seeing now, I'd say the picture is becoming clearer. At the beginning, we had possibilities. Now we have evidence. We can see her structure. We can see her flowering style. We can see her resin development. We can see her relationship with the canopy. We can see her personality. She's not trying to be another phenotype. She's not trying to follow the plant next door. She's simply expressing what she is. And that's exactly what I want. Because the goal of this project isn't to force twelve plants into one shape. It's to give twelve plants the opportunity to show us what they're capable of. Chem Brûlée Pheno A is taking that opportunity. And she's doing it beautifully. ──────────────────────── 🔬 The Photon Experiment Continues The addition of the two Future of Grow Black Series 600W fixtures adds another fascinating layer to the 8×8 Adventure. We're now testing a considerably more capable lighting setup. But we're not simply pushing the fixtures to their limits. We increased the available light. The PPFD went higher than I wanted. We reduced the output. Now we're around 59% power. Approximately 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy. And less electricity being used than if we simply ran the fixtures at full power. That's a result I'm very happy with. The experiment isn't about proving that more watts are always better. It's about finding the useful level. The practical level. The level where the plants can make good use of the photons while the rest of the environment remains balanced. And Chem Brûlée is right there helping us answer that question. ──────────────────────── 🔮 Looking Ahead From here, the plan is beautifully simple. Keep watching. Keep photographing. Keep the environment stable. Keep irrigation consistent. Keep the nutrition appropriate. Keep monitoring the lighting. And let Chem Brûlée continue doing what she does. Over the coming weeks, I'll be watching: 🌸 Continued flower development ❄️ Increasing resin coverage 🌿 Healthy foliage 💡 Response to the stronger lighting environment 💧 Water demand 🌡️ Environmental stability 🌬️ Air movement through the canopy 📈 Increasing flower definition and density There's no need to force the next chapter. It's coming naturally. We're simply going to be there to document it. ──────────────────────── 🍮 Final Thoughts – Her Own Kind Of Shine There are weeks in a grow where the grower does a lot. And then there are weeks where the most important thing the grower can do... is step back. This is one of those weeks. We added two additional Future of Grow Black Series 600W fixtures. We tested the increased lighting capability. The PPFD went higher than I wanted. So we reduced the output to approximately 59%. We're now seeing around 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy. We made a small increase to Terra Bloom. The EC moved slightly higher to approximately 2.14 mS/cm. And then... we stepped back. Because Chem Brûlée Pheno A doesn't need us constantly interfering with her. She's healthy. She's green. She's flowering. She's getting frosty. She's developing beautifully. And she's doing it in a way that belongs entirely to her. That's what I want to see. Not a perfect copy of another plant. Not a phenotype forced into a particular shape. Her. Exactly as she is. The lights are stronger. The photons are flying. The nutrition has moved slightly. The environment remains stable. And Chem Brûlée? She's shining. 🍮❄️🌸💡 So keep doing what you're doing, girl. Keep building. Keep frosting up. Keep showing us what this particular expression can become. We're watching. We're photographing. We're learning. And we're enjoying every minute of it. ──────────────────────── 🙏 Thank You A huge thank you to Zamnesia for giving us the opportunity to explore these Chem Brûlée genetics and, more importantly, to document this individual phenotype from seed through flowering. Thank you to Plagron for supporting the garden with the nutrition helping these girls continue their flowering journey. And a massive thank you to Future of Grow for providing the Black Series lighting powering our artificial sun and for providing the two additional 600W fixtures for us to test here in the 8×8 Adventure. Being able to increase the available lighting, measure the result, adjust the output and find a practical operating point has been a fantastic part of this experiment. We're currently running around 59% power and seeing approximately 1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy while also reducing unnecessary electricity consumption. That's exactly the kind of real-world testing I love. Thank you as well to Lumiflora for helping bring additional light into the deeper parts of the canopy and allowing us to explore lighting as a three-dimensional environment. And of course... thank you to everyone following the 8×8 Adventure here on GrowDiaries. Every comment. Every question. Every observation. Every person stopping by to see how these girls are developing. You're all part of this adventure. Twelve plants. One room. One shared environment. And twelve different stories. Chem Brûlée Pheno A is writing one of them. She's tall. She's distinctive. She's becoming increasingly frosty. She's developing beautiful flowers. And she's doing it her own way. The lighting is stronger. The nutrition has moved slightly. The environment remains stable. And now... we let her continue. 🍮❄️🌸💚 Because sometimes the best thing a grower can do is provide the conditions, pay attention, and step back. Chem Brûlée doesn't need us to force her story. She's already writing it. So let's keep watching. Let's keep photographing. Let's keep those photons flying. And let's see what this beautiful girl shows us next. Until next week... Growers Love, happy growing, and take care everyone! 🌱💚 See you next week in the 8×8 jungle. 🌿🍮❄️🔥