๐ Black Diamond Auto by Zamnesia โ Pheno A
Week 12 | When Every Cola Really Does Look Like a Main Cola ๐๐๐ฅ
Welcome back to another chapter of the 8ร8 Adventure! ๐ฑ๐
Well...
At this point, I think we've officially passed the stage where this is a surprise.
๐
Black Diamond Pheno A is still doing it.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Everywhere I look...
MAIN COLA.
๐๐๐ธ
I swear, this girl has apparently decided that the concept of "side cola" is simply not part of her vocabulary.
She's growing beautifully.
She's building incredibly dense flowers.
She's becoming heavier.
She's getting more impressive every week.
And the funniest part?
I'm not really doing much.
I'm watching.
I'm observing.
I'm admiring.
And occasionally standing there thinking:
"Jesus Christ..."
๐๐๐
Because those colas are getting BIG.
We're starting to reach the stage where the main cola is looking like a baseball bat...
or at least getting into that kind of arm-sized territory.
And then you look around...
and the rest of the plant is basically saying:
"Don't forget about us."
๐๐๐
So...
let's give this incredible Black Diamond girl the spotlight she deserves.
Because she is absolutely shining.
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๐ WEEK 12 โ THE MAIN COLA FACTORY
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Last week I said that every cola looked like a main cola.
Well...
I'm afraid I have absolutely nothing new to report on that front.
๐
Because she's still doing exactly the same thing.
Everywhere.
๐ธ
The main cola is getting bigger.
The side colas are getting bigger.
The branches are carrying more flower.
The entire plant is becoming increasingly dominated by these beautiful, dense flowering structures.
And at this point, I've stopped trying to decide which one is supposed to be "the main."
๐
The main cola?
Obviously.
But then...
there's another one.
And another.
And another.
And another.
So perhaps the correct terminology for this girl is simply:
"Black Diamond Pheno A and her collection of main colas."
๐๐๐
That seems more accurate.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ THE BASEBALL BAT IS ARRIVING
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Now...
let's talk about that main cola.
Because this is where things are becoming seriously impressive.
๐๐ฅ
She's getting BIG.
Not just long.
Not just pretty.
Substantial.
The main flowering structure is becoming thick and dense enough that the baseball-bat comparison doesn't feel completely ridiculous anymore.
๐๐๐ธ
And when I look at her from different angles...
you can really appreciate how much flower is being packed into that structure.
It's not just a long flower.
It's a substantial cola.
And she's still developing.
That's what makes it so exciting.
We're watching the plant move from:
"That's a nice cola."
to:
"Okay..."
to:
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"
๐๐๐
And somehow...
I think we're getting closer to the last category.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ช ARM-SIZED? SHE'S GETTING THERE
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I'm going to be careful with the comparison...
but honestly...
look at her.
๐
That main cola is getting to the point where "arm-sized" doesn't sound completely insane.
It's substantial.
It's dense.
It's long.
And it's becoming one of the most visually dominant structures on the plant.
But here's the funny part.
The main cola might be the baseball bat...
but the rest of the plant is still throwing beautiful flowers everywhere.
They're not all baseball bats.
Let's not get carried away.
๐
But they're still beautiful, substantial colas in their own right.
Which brings us straight back to the original Black Diamond problem:
How many main colas does one plant actually need?
Apparently...
all of them.
๐๐๐
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ธ THE SIDE COLAS ARE NOT SIDES ANYMORE
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This is something I really love about this phenotype.
Usually, when we talk about side branches, there's an implied hierarchy.
Main cola.
Secondary cola.
Side branches.
Smaller flowers.
Not with this girl.
๐
Her side branches have become serious flowering structures.
They're not just filling space.
They're contributing to the overall presence of the plant.
You can look at one branch and think:
"That's a beautiful cola."
Then move your eyes two branches over...
"That's another one."
And another.
And another.
The whole plant is becoming a collection of substantial flowering structures.
That's an incredible characteristic.
And honestly...
it's one of the things that's making this phenotype so memorable for me.
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๐ฟ STRONG AS HELL
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And here's another thing I really appreciate about her.
She's heavy.
Very heavy.
But she's strong.
๐ช๐ฟ
Despite the amount of flower she's carrying...
despite those enormous developing colas...
despite the weight increasing...
she's not asking for a forest of supports.
She's standing there.
Strong.
Solid.
Doing her thing.
And that's something I really admire.
Because visually, when you see those flowers, you immediately think:
"That must be heavy."
And yes...
it absolutely looks heavy.
๐
But the plant itself is holding her structure beautifully.
That's a characteristic I really like seeing.
Strong plant.
Strong branches.
Dense flowers.
Beautiful architecture.
And absolutely no shortage of personality.
๐๐
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ I'M MOSTLY JUST WATCHING
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And honestly...
that's probably the biggest change in my role with her right now.
I'm not doing much.
I'm observing.
That's it.
We're at that stage of the run where I don't feel the need to constantly interfere just because I can.
The plant has already established herself.
The structure is there.
The flowers are there.
The branches are doing their job.
And now...
she's building.
So I watch.
I look.
I photograph.
I check.
And if something actually needs attention...
then we deal with it.
Otherwise?
Let her work.
๐๐ฑ
Sometimes the best thing a grower can do is simply not get in the plant's way.
And Black Diamond Pheno A seems perfectly happy with that arrangement.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
AMAZING GENETICS SHOWING THEMSELVES
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This girl has really become one of those phenotypes where the genetics are speaking loudly.
Very loudly.
๐๐
The structure.
The density.
The number of substantial colas.
The strength of the plant.
The way the flowers are distributed.
The overall architecture.
It's all becoming increasingly distinctive.
And that's one of the most exciting parts of phenotype hunting.
You start with a seed.
You don't know exactly what you're going to get.
Then week after week...
the plant starts revealing herself.
And eventually you reach a point where you think:
"Oh.
I know who you are now."
And with this girl?
I think we're getting there.
She's a serious flower builder.
She's strong.
She's dense.
She's beautiful.
And she clearly knows how to use the space she's been given.
๐๐ฟ๐ธ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ก SAME ROOM โ COMPLETELY HER OWN EXPRESSION
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And once again...
let's remember where she is growing.
Same 8ร8.
Same general environment.
Same 12/12 schedule.
Same irrigation system.
Same nutritional foundation.
Same lighting philosophy.
Same upgraded Future of Grow setup.
And yet...
look at her.
This is exactly why I love this project.
The room provides the common stage.
The genetics write the individual story.
Every plant gets the same general opportunity.
And every plant decides what to do with it.
Black Diamond Pheno A has apparently decided:
"I'll take those photons...
and I'll turn them into main colas."
๐โ๏ธ๐
Fair enough, girl.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ๏ธ MORE PHOTONS โ MORE CAPABILITY
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The upgraded lighting setup remains in place.
The two additional Future of Grow Black Series 600W fixtures have given the room considerably more lighting capability.
We don't need to run them at maximum output.
Instead, we've brought the power down to approximately:
๐ก ~59% from the plug
giving us approximately:
โ๏ธ ~1,500 PPFD across the upper canopy
with intensity naturally varying depending on plant height and position.
And this is something I really appreciate about the setup.
We have the capacity.
We control the output.
And then we watch what the plants do with the environment.
Black Diamond is certainly showing us what she's capable of doing.
She's building.
She's stacking.
She's becoming denser.
And she's creating some seriously impressive flowering structures.
๐๐ธโ๏ธ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ธ DENSE COLAS โ EVERYWHERE
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The density is another characteristic that keeps catching my eye.
These aren't just loose, wispy little flowers.
They're becoming substantial structures.
Dense.
Full.
Developed.
And when you look across the plant...
there are so many of them.
That's what gives her that incredible visual impact.
It's not just one impressive flower.
It's the combination.
Main cola.
Side colas.
Lower branches.
Upper branches.
Everywhere you look...
another beautiful flowering structure.
๐๐๐ธ
It's almost unfair to the camera.
There's simply too much to photograph.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ธ THE CAMERA DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
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This girl is becoming a photographer's nightmare.
๐๐ธ
You line up the main cola.
Beautiful.
Then you notice one behind it.
Beautiful.
Then another on the side.
Beautiful.
Then you realize the whole branch is loaded.
Beautiful.
Then you step back...
and the entire plant is doing it.
๐
At some point you just give up trying to choose.
Take them all.
That's the only solution.
And that's exactly what I love about these weekly reports.
The photographs don't just show a flower.
They show the evolution.
Week after week.
You can see the plant becoming more substantial.
You can see the colas gaining presence.
You can see the structure becoming increasingly dominated by flowers.
And Black Diamond is giving us one hell of a visual story.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ๏ธ THE FROST IS STILL PART OF THE PACKAGE
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Of course...
we can't forget the frost.
๐โ๏ธ
Because underneath all that size...
there's still plenty of sparkle.
The resin continues to give those flowers that beautiful crystalline appearance.
And when the light catches the structures...
they really do shine.
That's one of the things I love about photographing her.
From a distance:
"Big plant."
Closer:
"Big flowers."
Closer still:
"Oh..."
๐๐๐ฌ
There's another layer.
The frost.
The texture.
The detail.
The individual flower structures.
That's what makes the plant so rewarding to photograph.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ฟ STRONG, DENSE & BEAUTIFUL
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If I had to describe this phenotype in a few words right now...
I'd probably go with:
๐ Strong
๐ธ Dense
๐ Substantial
๐ฟ Beautiful
๐ฅ Impressive
And maybe:
๐ "What the hell did I grow?"
Because that one keeps coming back.
๐
She's becoming a seriously impressive plant.
And the best part?
I'm not forcing it.
I'm not constantly manipulating her.
I'm watching her reveal herself.
That's the exciting part.
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โ๏ธ SAME NUTRITION โ SAME FOUNDATION
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The nutritional programme remains consistent with the rest of the room.
๐ฑ Plagron Terra Bloom โ 2.3 ml/L
๐ฑ Power Buds โ 1 ml/L
๐ฑ Green Sensation โ 1 ml/L
๐ฑ Sugar Royal โ 1 ml/L
โ๏ธ pH adjusted as required
Current solution values remain around:
โ๏ธ pH โ ~6.02
โก EC โ ~2.14 mS/cm
Again...
we're not trying to create a special world around Black Diamond.
She's part of the same room.
Same general feeding foundation.
Same environment.
And she's responding in her own way.
Which is exactly what this project is designed to document.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ก๏ธ WEEK 12 ROOM CONDITIONS
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The room continues broadly around:
๐ก๏ธ Day temperature: ~26.5ยฐC
๐ Night temperature: ~26ยฐC
๐ง RH: ~61%
๐ฑ Substrate temperature: ~25ยฐC
๐ฆ Nutrient solution: ~25ยฐC
โ๏ธ pH: ~6.02
โก EC: ~2.14 mS/cm
๐จ COโ: ~693 ppm
๐ก Light schedule: 12/12
? Pot size: 15 L
๐ง Irrigation: ~1.45 L/plant/24h
Same room.
Same conditions.
Different plant.
Different expression.
Different story.
๐๐ฟ
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๐ SHE DOESN'T NEED MUCH FROM ME
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That's probably the thing I appreciate most right now.
She's not asking me to reinvent anything.
She's not asking me to constantly intervene.
She's simply growing.
And my job is to watch.
Observe.
Support if necessary.
Adjust if necessary.
And otherwise...
leave her alone.
๐๐ฟ
There's something very satisfying about reaching this stage.
Earlier in the grow, there can be a lot of decisions.
A lot of movement.
A lot of planning.
A lot of intervention.
Now?
The plant has become the main character.
We're just watching the story unfold.
And Black Diamond is writing a damn good one.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ONE BASEBALL BAT โ MANY MAIN COLAS
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So let's officially establish the current situation.
The main cola?
๐ Getting into baseball-bat territory.
Possibly approaching the kind of arm-sized visual presence that makes you stop and stare.
๐
The rest?
Not baseball bats.
Let's be reasonable.
๐
But still...
beautiful.
Substantial.
Dense.
And absolutely deserving of the "main cola" title in their own right.
So perhaps the final terminology is:
๐ One giant main cola.
๐ธ A whole collection of smaller-but-still-serious main colas.
๐๐๐
That sounds about right.
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AN AMAZING PHENOTYPE TO FOLLOW
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I'm genuinely excited about this girl.
And I think that's worth saying.
Not because I want to predict where she'll finish.
Not because I'm trying to crown anything.
But because she's giving us something really interesting to document.
She's strong.
She's structurally impressive.
She's producing dense flowers.
She's creating substantial colas throughout the plant.
And she's doing it consistently.
Week after week.
That's what makes a phenotype exciting to follow.
You start seeing patterns.
You start understanding her personality.
And you start realizing:
"This is what she does."
Black Diamond Pheno A?
Apparently...
this is what she does.
๐๐๐ธ
And I absolutely love it.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ WHAT I'M WATCHING NOW
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At this point, my job is mostly observation.
I'm watching:
๐ธ The continued development of those massive colas.
๐ The density and resin coverage.
๐ฟ The strength of the branches as the flowers continue to build.
๐ The main cola as it gets even more substantial.
๐ธ The side colas as they continue to develop into their own major flowering structures.
๐ธ And, of course, the photographs.
Because I want to capture this evolution properly.
There's no need to rush the story.
There's no need to predict the ending.
We're simply watching.
And right now...
what we're watching is beautiful.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ญ FINAL THOUGHTS โ SHE JUST KEEPS DOING IT
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Week 12.
Black Diamond Auto Pheno A.
And at this point...
I don't even know what else to call her.
๐๐๐
She's still doing it.
Still throwing main colas everywhere.
Still growing beautifully.
Still building dense flowers.
Still getting heavier.
Still standing strong.
Still making herself noticed.
And I'm still standing there looking at her thinking:
"Beautiful."
Then:
"Beautiful."
Then:
"Beautiful."
๐๐๐ธ
She's one of those plants where you don't really need complicated words.
Just look at her.
The main cola is becoming enormous.
The side colas are following right behind.
The flowers are dense.
The plant is strong.
The structure is impressive.
And she's doing all of this while we're mostly just observing.
That's the beautiful part.
The plant is doing the work.
We're giving her the environment.
We're giving her the light.
We're giving her the nutrition.
And then...
she writes the story.
And what a story she's writing.
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฅ
So let's give this incredible phenotype the spotlight.
Let's let her shine.
Let's admire that baseball-bat main cola.
Let's admire all those side "main colas."
Let's appreciate the density.
Let's appreciate the strength.
Let's appreciate the genetics.
And let's keep watching.
Because I'm genuinely excited to see where this girl goes from here.
She's already exceeded my expectations.
And she's not finished surprising me yet.
๐๐ธ๐๐ฅ
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๐ THANK YOU
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As always, thank you so much to everyone following the 8ร8 Adventure. ๐๐ฑ
Thank you to GrowDiaries for giving us the space to document these individual journeys and share these experiments with growers around the world.
Thank you to Zamnesia for the Black Diamond genetics and for giving us the opportunity to discover and follow this absolutely beautiful phenotype.
Thank you to Plagron for the growing media and nutrition supporting the room.
A huge thank you to Future of Grow for supplying the additional Black Series 600W fixtures and giving us the opportunity to explore this expanded lighting setup. ๐กโ๏ธ๐ฟ
Thank you to Lumiflora for helping bring additional light into the deeper areas of the canopy.
Thank you to TrolMaster for helping keep the environment stable behind the scenes.
And finally...
thank you to everyone following along.
Every comment.
Every question.
Every message.
Every person stopping by to watch these girls evolve.
It genuinely means a lot. ๐
This 8ร8 Adventure continues to show us something I never get tired of seeing:
Put different genetics into the same general environment...
and they will tell you completely different stories.
Black Diamond Pheno A is telling us a particularly beautiful one.
๐๐
Strong.
Dense.
Beautiful.
Heavy.
Loaded with colas.
And apparently completely unwilling to accept the idea that only one cola can be the main cola.
๐๐๐ธ
She's doing her thing.
I'm doing mine.
She's growing.
I'm observing.
And for now...
that's exactly how I like it.
So let's give her the spotlight she deserves.
Let's let her shine.
Let's keep watching those flowers bulk.
Let's admire that giant main cola.
Let's admire all those beautiful side colas.
And let's see just how much more this amazing phenotype has left to show us.
Because honestly...
I'm excited.
Very excited.
๐๐ฟ๐๐ฅ
Growers Love, my friends. ๐๐ฑ
See you next week in the 8ร8 jungle...
where one cola is apparently never enough,
the main cola is becoming a baseball bat,
the side colas are pretending they're mains,
and Black Diamond Pheno A continues to make the definition of "main cola" completely irrelevant. ๐๐๐๐ธ
Let her shine. ๐