Week 2 - Passion Fruitz 🌴🍍🌱 Hello everyone, and welcome back to another update from the 8×8 Adventure! For anyone joining this diary for the first time, this project follows multiple Zamnesia cultivars grown side-by-side under a 12/12-from-seed schedule. Most cultivars in this adventure are being documented as individual Pheno A and Pheno B diaries so each expression can be followed separately from seed to harvest. Passion Fruitz is the exception. And that’s entirely my fault. ⸻ A Quick Recap Originally, this cultivar was intended to have two plants like the rest of the project. Unfortunately, during the earliest stages of the run, one seedling never made it past the starting line. Looking back, the most likely cause was overwatering during the initial seedling phase. No excuses. Just a lesson. Growing plants is one of the best teachers of humility because mistakes happen to all of us. The important part is learning from them and moving forward. Fortunately, one Passion Fruitz seedling survived, and what started as a setback is quickly turning into one of the most exciting plants in the room. Sometimes all it takes is one healthy plant to tell the whole story. ⸻ Week 2 Overview The entire 8×8 Adventure continues progressing nicely as the plants move deeper into vegetative growth. Environmental conditions remained stable throughout the week: • Light Schedule: 12/12 • Day Temperature: 27°C • Night Temperature: 25°C • Relative Humidity: 55% • Solution Temperature: 20.1°C • Substrate Temperature: 21°C • CO₂: Ambient (~600 ppm) Lighting intensity was gradually increased to approximately 370 µmol/m²/s as the young plants continue demanding more energy. Watering remained consistent: • Day 8 – 250 ml • Day 11 – 250 ml Week-ending nutrient values: • EC: 0.9 mS/cm • pH: 6.0 Current feeding schedule: • Terra Grow – 1.8 ml/L • Pure Zym – 1 ml/L • Power Roots – 1 ml/L • Sugar Royal – 1 ml/L The entire room continues responding positively to the environment and feeding program. ⸻ Passion Fruitz – The Comeback Story If there is one word that summarizes this plant right now, it would be: Resilient. After losing her sister early, this lone survivor has continued pushing forward week after week. And honestly? She looks fantastic. The structure is clean. The leaves are beautifully formed. The color is rich and healthy. And the overall posture of the plant radiates confidence. This is exactly the kind of growth that makes growers smile when opening the tent each morning. ⸻ Loving the Transplant One thing that became very clear this week is how much this plant appreciated the transplant. Last week’s move into the final container appears to have been received extremely well. Rather than slowing down, the plant responded with renewed vigor and noticeably improved growth. Leaf size increased. New growth accelerated. Overall health improved. The plant simply looks comfortable. And when a plant looks comfortable, growers usually know things are moving in the right direction. ⸻ Mycorrhizae at Work Another encouraging observation is the response following the introduction of mycorrhizal fungi. While we obviously can’t see what’s happening beneath the soil surface, the visible growth above ground suggests that the underground partnership is developing nicely. Mycorrhizae create a relationship between plant roots and beneficial fungi, effectively helping the root system explore a larger volume of substrate. The result can be improved nutrient uptake, better water access, and stronger overall establishment. Again, we can’t directly credit every leaf to the fungi. But we can say this: Passion Fruitz looks incredibly happy. And that’s always a good sign. ⸻ Plant Development This week the plant continued building a balanced and attractive structure. The node spacing remains pleasant. The leaf development is symmetrical. Growth appears consistent from one side of the plant to the other. Unlike some of her wonderfully quirky neighbors, Passion Fruitz seems determined to demonstrate textbook development. Every new set of leaves emerges larger than the last while maintaining healthy shape and color. She may be growing alone, but she certainly doesn’t look lonely. ⸻ The Importance of Keeping Records Because Passion Fruitz is our only representative of this cultivar, I thought this week would be a perfect opportunity to talk about something that often gets overlooked: Documentation. One of the most valuable tools in any grow room isn’t a light. It isn’t a nutrient bottle. It isn’t even a tent. It’s information. A simple calendar and a small whiteboard can become incredibly powerful tools. They help track: • Germination dates • Watering schedules • Feeding schedules • EC and pH changes • Transplant dates • Environmental adjustments • Flowering transitions • Observations and notes When problems appear, records help identify causes. When success happens, records help repeat it. Memory is wonderful. Written notes are better. The larger the project becomes, the more valuable those records become. This is just my personal approach, of course. Everyone should develop the workflow that works best for them. But I genuinely believe that a calendar and a whiteboard are among the most underrated tools in any garden. ⸻ Room Life The room continues operating smoothly and providing a stable environment for growth. This week’s photos also captured some of the everyday details that make documenting a grow enjoyable: • Room-wide views • Equipment monitoring • Environmental management • Nutrient preparation • Water reflections and lighting effects And of course… Mr. Baggy remains employed. Current responsibilities include: • Security patrols • Plant inspections • Morale management • Looking suspiciously important in photographs • Supervising absolutely everything His performance reviews remain excellent. ⸻ Looking Ahead Next week should bring another noticeable jump in size. Expected developments include: • Larger fan leaves • Faster vegetative growth • Increased root establishment • Stronger stem development • More vigorous canopy expansion • Continued adaptation to the final container If the current trend continues, Passion Fruitz could become one of the surprise stars of this entire run. And honestly, she’s already making a very convincing argument. ⸻ Final Thoughts Week 2 has been a fantastic week for Passion Fruitz. Yes, she began this journey alone after her sister failed to establish. Yes, that was a lesson learned. But sometimes setbacks become part of the story. And this plant is turning that story into something special. Healthy. Vigorous. Balanced. Beautiful. The transplant appears to have been a success. The mycorrhizae seem to be doing their job. And the plant continues rewarding patience with excellent growth. A huge thank you to everyone following along and supporting this project. Special thanks to Zamnesia, Plagron, Future of Grow, and all the partners helping make this adventure possible. And as always, thank you to the community. Your support, encouragement, shared experiences, and willingness to learn together are what make these diaries worth creating. Thank you for stopping by, and I’ll see you all next week for another update from the 8×8 Adventure. Growers Love DD 🌴🍍🌱💚