🔹Welcome to my Original Blueberry Auto grow diary from Fastbuds. 🔹She’s one of the strains featured in this season’s lineup. Germinated using the glass-of-water method for 3 days, starting August 10, 2025. 🔹Placed into soil on August 13th. 🔹She sprouted with slightly munched / chopped cotyledons… uhmm 🤨 🔹I’m hoping there aren’t any mites or pests lurking in the mix or tent that could harm our seedling. 🔹Happy growing 💚

Day 29 - The lady that I accidentally topped seems to be responding well, her top two nodes are really stretching out and looking good. Still only have one lady clearly showing white hairs at the nodes, but the other lady looks like shes about to pop. I also defoliated them a bit to allow for better light penetration. Day 30 - Did another round of light defoliation and rearranged the LST on both ladies. Still haven't noticed any white hairs on one lady. Day 31 - Rearranged my equipment setup inside the grow tent. Still no white hairs on one lady. Day 33 - More light defoliation and LST on both ladies. Starting to notice some white hairs on the lady yet to begin showing hairs. Both ladies are now in flower.

These buds are are a crazy purple colour super dense and smell lovely cannot wait to give the update on how it tastes and smokes 🤤✌️👍

I just noticed my PH has been around 7, and a couple of the seed mothers are showing CAL/MAG deficiencies.. I use well water, and I don't have to adjust it in the summer, but around late fall the PH raises. I forgot to get good pics of the seed mothers, since I was focused on the STS formulas at the time, but these are the Pollen donors transforming into male flowers. 5 weeks old. The seed mothers are coming along nice with dime sized buds on them. I Topped them all at the 5th node, just before the cola, so the canopy would all be even under the lights. I just sprayed these reversed buds 1 time only on day 17, after the first STS treatments, with 50ppm of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) to stretch them out away from each other. Gibberellic Acid causes plants to stretch enormously, and PPM's of 50 to 100 can cause females to reverse to males.

6th week of veg. Is finally in the books and all systems are go for the flower show. As they’re revegged clones, their branching structure is just ridiculous. Sucker branches everywhere pulling nutrient flow away from the winners. Right before we flipped and as per videos - we gutted every single plant and crushed it down to no more than about 7 tops max per plant. The whole goal is only to flower select, top shelf bud with every opportunity (and space) to grow to its fullest potential. So far, Druid nutrients has fit the bill for every one of em and they’re all extremely happy on this system👍. We also couldn’t resist and snipped another run of clones off each one but the Skywalker. Not sure if the boogie nights or blueberrys will make it but u never really know do you🤷. That said, the diy aerocloner has been a beast for us and minus an aphid issue last round - she puts out a 100% success rate😉. We’ll use the best of these as complimentary to reg. Run of some spicy bitch we’ve got coming up. Even if the pollen chuck is a failure - we won’t be losing any of the elite white widow or blueberry genetics🤞🤞🤞🤞. Other than that - it’s all wait’n on the buds now👍👌👍. Until next week. Background This ones tied to part 2 of the pollen chuck. They were supposed to be a clone run for pollination but the mothers all reveg’d due to a timer incident and high stupidity. These will be the inaugural flowering run of the revamped dutchy system. Growing made easy😉. Shit ton of finagling and setup but once she’s ready - sit back, relax and watch em grow😍😎. Thanks for take’n a look.

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------------------------------------ ~SEEDSMAN PEYOTE ZKITTLEZ~ ------------------------------------ Description Peyote Zkittlez is an Indica-dominant hybrid strain bred by pollinating Peyote WiFi with the sweet-tasting Zkittlez. Peyote WiFi is itself a cross of Peyote Purple and the US Indica WiFi strain. Zkittlez is a 3-way cross of Grape Ape, Grapefruit and a third, top secret, strain. Peyote WiFi is an Indica-dominant strain which is a cross of Peyote Purple, derived from a single purple phenotype which was back-crossed for several generations to cement its qualities, and WiFi, a US Indica strain created by crossing The White with Fire OG. This plant is medium-sized with large, broad leaves and takes around 75 days of flowering before it is ready to harvest producing very generous yields of highly potent weed - up to 650 gr/m2 indoors and 1500 gr/plant when cultivated outdoors. The THC potential of this strain is very high with plants attaining 26 - 28%. Zkittlez is a sweet-tasting Indica-dominant (80%) cannabis strain which produces high yields boasting high levels of THC. This is a very colorful strain displaying green and purple colors with bright orange pistils. Zkittlez is a 3-way cross between Granddaddy Purple, Grapefruit and Afghani. It is suitable for growing in all environments and takes between 60 - 65 days to complete flowering indoors. Outdoors it will be ready to harvest during late September in northern latitudes. Yields are very good and vary between 450 - 600 gr/m2. Zkittlez' scent is very sweet and entices with ripe tropical fruits and candy which also follow through in the taste as well. THC production is in excess of 20%. The effect is very uplifting, especially for an Indica strain. Therapeutically it is used to combat stress, depression and anxiety as well as for those with ADHD. Peyote Zkittlez will make a superb, highly potent and high-yielding Indica-dominant addition to all seed collections which is certain to become a growers' favorite. Get yours from Seedsman now. *description credit to Seedsman Seeds __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BREEDER/BRAND: Seedsman PRODUCT TYPE: Seeds THC GENETICS: Peyote WiFi (The White x Fire OG) x Zkittlez VARIETY: Mostly Indica FLOWERING TYPE: Photoperiod SEX: Feminized THC CONTENT: 20%+ YIELD: Indoors: up to 650 gr/m2; Outdoors: up to 1500 gr/plant GROWS: Indoors, Outdoors FLOWERING TIME: 60 days MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Anxiety, Depression, Stress MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: Yes EFFECT: Powerful, Relaxing __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE SETUP: ~Planted into Jiffy Peat Pellets that were hydrated with de-chlorinated water with SuperThrive added then ph'd to 6.0 @ 80℉ ~Grown 100% organic in 10g fabric pots with Mother Earth 70/30 Coco/Perlite medium amended with 2tbs/g of Down To Earth 4-4-4 / 2 cups/g of Earthworm Castings / 1tbs/g of Dr. Earth Flower Girl 3-9-4, 1tbs/g of Dr. Earth Bat Guano, 3/4 cup of Down To Earth Azomite and 1 tsp/g Down To Earth Fish Bone Meal. ~24hr light cycle during Germination / 19/5 light cycle for Vegetation and 12/12 for Flower ~Straight water ph'd @ 6.2-6.8 when needed and weekly Compost Tea's. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WEEKLY UPDATES: 9/27- Week Seven of flower here we go! She's looking good to go with her flowers stacking and her trichome production continuing to coat her flowers! Today she was given 1.5g of de-chlorinated water which was ph'd to 6.2 @ 72℉ which I gave her half through her drip pan (bottom chuggin), the remainder trough the medium. I also gave her pot a 1/4 turn. 9/29- Yesterday I didn't water her, only turned her pot and checked her over... Wow! She's really ramping up the trichomes making her flowers look like their sugar coated! 🤩 I watered her today with 1.5g of de-chlorinated water with 1 tsp/g of unsulfured molasses added which was then ph'd to 6.4 @ 72℉. The molasses will give the microbial colony some additional food as well as supplying micro-nutrients to the plant. I finished out the daily maintenance giving her a check over and turning her pot 1/4 turn to ensure she gets light to every inch of her. 10/1- Yesterday was a 'no water' day as her pot was still fairly heavy to lift. Today she was watered with her usual of 1.5g of de-chlorinated water which was ph'd to 6.2 @ 72℉. Her flowering continues to impress me with her trichome production covering her flowers with 'frost' she's a sight for sore eye's! 😍 The end of next week will be the beginning of her wrapping up with the 'Finish Line' approaching by Week 9, but it will all depend on when she tells me that she's ready to go! 10/3- With Week Seven coming to a close we're going into the last 2 weeks for this lady and she's right on track, looking epic and smelling like a bucket full of super ripe red grapes! 🤩 I watered heavy yesterday and added 1 tsp/g of Unsulfured Molasses to the 1.5g of de-chlorinated water which was then ph'd to 6.6 @ 72℉. Her pot had some weight to it when I checked today so I'll skip watering her until tomorrow. I finished up today by checking her over and giving her pot a turn. ~Thanks for stopping in! This epic run will be wrapping up in the coming weeks...Stay lifted and be Blessed! 😎🙏~

Hallo Growfreunde, da bin ich wieder mit einem kleinen Update 🤗😁. Heute ist Tag 5 nach der Umstellung auf 12/12. Der stretch sollte sich bald bemerkbar machen, aber sollte keine Probleme geben, Platz ist da😎💪. Ich habe diese Woche den Tank das erste Mal nachgefüllt, allerdings diesmal mit nur 20L, damit das Wasser nicht so lange steht. Es hatte sich ein kleines CalMag problem angedeutet, was sich aber schonwieder eingependelt hat. Entlaubt habe ich auch. Große Fächerblätter wurden entfernt, aber sehen tut man dass nach 2 Tagen schon nicht mehr😅😅. Ende Woche 2 werde ich nochmal lollipoppen und entlauben, danach wird nix mehr gemacht. Mal sehen ob der Dünger bis zum Ende reicht😅. Hab heute, 13.10 nochmal die Positionen der Töpfe verändert und die Pflanzen auch anders angeordnet. Nutze jetzt fast die vollen 2m breite😁😁 mal sehen ob ich das ganze Zelt voll kriege🤣🤣😂😂. Was schätzt ihr so was an ertrag raus kommt?! Bin echt gespannt🤗🤗🤗🤗🤪. In 2-3 Tagen mach ich nochmal ein Update, bis dahin liebe Growfreunde 💞💞💞

I had been feeding with a diluted solution and now after flushing with water last week I'm moving up to full strength. The pistils of the plants on the ends seem healthier. The smaller plants in the middle seem a little more scraggly. I'm making full use of the SCROG net. I also raised the light an inch or so and put it back to 100% from 75%. I'm going to see if I can keep it closer to 100 if I can balance the intake air temp. Some of the leaves are damaged. I have a feeling it's from the cold nighttime air coming in the intake. I'm going to keep the intake fan off at night while it's this cold and damp outside. Hopefully not too much smell escapes. Maybe I should seal it at night. Getting sticky now!

Week 5, now we are talking, she is stretching and the roots are growing at a really nice rate. Feeding is almost at the recommended max without her showing signs of overfeeding, I always increase and try to push the plant but you need to go slow, step by step and see how she reacts, always give her 48 hours to see how she copes with the new dose, If she looks healthy stick to dose for the week and increase the following. A good trick to see if you plant wants more of less fertilizer is reading the ppm and check when the res level is lower after 3 days or so, if the ppm rises but the water level doesn't go down quick she has to much feeding. If the PPM stay the same or drop with quick water intake means she takes it in very happy and maybe can take more. Will continue to rise the dose till we reach the recommended max of 2.5ml/l, might play with the ratio later on.

The plant is ok, we are near the harvest. Because she is the smallest , she drinks less than the others plants I have. Also I've done some research for my problem, and I'm gonna wash the buds. I have read a lot of opinions and all the people that at first were sceptical, say that now they doing it all the time, so I'm gonna try it! If the flavour and the overall experience is good, I'll do it also on my gorilla. And what's your opinion on "bud washing"? Let me know in the comments! Here the weather is gonna be bad for the next days so I'm a lil worried because I'm so near the harvest and I'don't want to fck up things now. The humidity is gonna reach 90% so for the next 2 days I will take them inside. Sorry for the bad quality, next time I'll try to use a better camera

Day 38- 18/01/22 and we are now in flowering everything is looking good I’m still cutting down the plants from my last grow Afghan kush and once I’m done with that I’ll be moving everything that isn’t chemdawg into the HPS tent!!! Day 42- 22/01/22 all amnesia now under hps light!!!

Ya va quedando poco 🤤🤤

Day 72: 600W LED, 18 hours on 6 hours off the same with ventilation. Water intake also remains the same 200ml per day. Humidity approx 35 percent. Day 74: I started flushing next week is harvest time :)

Ok, lets think about this logically - why are the leaves turning brown? it looks like a Calcium/Phosphorus issue, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS , is it a deficiency??? Unlikely in Hydro as the solution is more effective as there are no contaminants, so this leads me to believe its a lockout, what can cause this ? 2 things = A) Too Much Nutrient Potassium or B) ph is too low - SO to rectify this, i have added more water to the reservoir and raised the ph to 6.3 As i am using more water in the reservoir its entirely possible that when the water goes down,even though the EC stays the same the proportional concentrations of each nutrient can change - for example EC pen says 2.0 when i first fill with 20 litres, the plant drinks 4 litres of water and consumes lots of bloom A+B so when i put my pen in two days later the 16 litres of solution still reads 2.0 but there is a higher proportion of PK. Of course it could always be option C) these plants eat phosphorus for breakfast and need more ..😜 I have checked roots they all ok Wednesday- changed solution , made it slightly weaker EC 1.7 ph 6.2-3 Thursday I had a little chat on Instagram with mammoth , i think they might need less than usual Saturday - noticed some yellowing on the little plant , it’s a confusing as th3 other plants are all using the same nutrients and they are loving life , it might be the buckets , I am much preferring the size of the 35 litre ones , and the root structure is perfect , because the 45 litre boxes are more rectangular than square the roots are sort of sideways . Still waiting for some purple on the tall one 🤔 ITS VERY IMPORTANT IN DWC - Do not automatically think you need to add nutrients , in DWC it’s so much more efficient that less is more , 99% of the time it’s overdone it , normally the tips go brown first , but it’s some circumstance s The concentration can increase without you knowing , FIRST change solution with a little bit less , I usually go to 1.6-1.7 EC TOTAL and 6.3 ph that is a universal solution that provides enough without overdoing it . Updated DAILY

1/5/202 6:12 AM Monday they all look so good. I got rid of advanced nutrients completely, and all of my plants have transformed into what they should’ve been the whole time. I either got a bad batch or let’s just face It, advanced nutrients may not be what you think it is. I’ve given them several chances and I’m gonna lower them to a one star product and I’m starting over with the general hydroponics. I’ll never look back. 1/5/26 6:32 AM. I learned this from the Three Stooges this morning. I believe I have Three Stooges syndrome, but that’s not important right now the words of Curly are important🚨🚨🚨🚨 If at first you don’t succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed!!!!!!🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 that’s the greatest advice from Curly from the three stooges you’re welcome. 1/7/26 12:47AM my I am failing. If I dont bounce back all the plants are going to go with me. rest a few hours, get the blood off my neck nd back. Maybe take me 1 2 hours medical stasis meditation, and back to Samurai Warrior in no time at all.... 💪💪💪💪💪 1/7/26 1:13AM 🚨 I had an idea!!!!!!!! from Grok:🚨🚨 That’s a brilliant observation and a real win stacking on top of the nutrient switch—fixing the Advanced Nutrients issues (likely lockout, buildup, or imbalance causing inefficiency) has unlocked a cascade of benefits beyond just healthier plants. You’re seeing **increased overall system efficiency** on multiple levels: better nutrient uptake means plants convert light energy more effectively into growth, so they need **less light intensity** to hit the same (or better) results. Dropping wattage by ~10% (or more) while cramming in a few extra plants in the same space is classic optimization—lower power draw, less heat output (easier temp/RH control), reduced cooling needs, and still pushing strong yields. This is exactly how efficient grows scale: when roots/nutes are dialed (your GH powder + aminos + mycos combo is clearly firing), plants photosynthesize more efficiently. They waste less energy on stress recovery and put more into biomass/bud production per photon. Studies and grower reports back this—once nutrient stress is removed, you can often run 10–20% lower PPFD (light intensity) without yield drop, especially in autos where light demands are already moderate. For your setup (assuming Mars Hydro FC 1500-EVO or similar bar LED, currently ~83W at 14 inches for Week 5+ veg): - Autos in veg typically thrive at 400–600 µmol/m²/s PPFD (many aim 450–550 for compact growth without stretch). - In flower, 600–900 µmol/m²/s is common, but autos often peak lower (600–800) since they don’t need the extreme push of photos. - Dropping 10% wattage (e.g., from 83W to ~75W) might shave PPFD by 8–12% depending on dimming curve, but if plants were borderline over-saturated before (common post-nute fix), this could land you in the sweet spot—denser nodes, less tip burn risk, and still hitting 40+ DLI (daily light integral) on your long photoperiod. **Solar-powered angle** makes this even sweeter—your 100% solar setup (panels + batteries/inverter?) already eliminates grid costs, but efficiency gains compound: - Lower wattage = less draw on batteries during cloudy/low-sun periods → longer runtime or less depth of discharge → longer battery life. - Reduced heat = lower fan/AC draw (biggest hidden energy hog in tents) → more headroom for lights/fans without spiking consumption. - More plants in the space = higher yield per kWh/sq ft → better ROI on your solar investment. Tips to push this further (while keeping the miracle growth): - **Measure it**: If you have a PAR meter (or app like Photone), check canopy PPFD before/after the drop—aim to stay in the 450–650 range for late veg/early flower on autos. No meter? Watch plant response: happy dark green leaves, tight nodes, no upward cupping (too intense) or stretch (too low). - **Dim strategically**: Drop 10–15% now (late veg), monitor for a week. If no stretch/pre-flower lag, hold or drop another 5–10% into early flower. Autos are forgiving if nutes are clean. - **Space packing**: With better efficiency, you can tighten spacing slightly (e.g., 12–16” between tops) for more plants, but prioritize airflow—add a small clip fan if needed to prevent pockets of humidity. - **Energy tracking**: Log daily kWh draw (if your inverter/app shows it) before/after changes—celebrate the drop in usage while yields stay up or improve. - **Next level**: If you’re already solar-maxed, consider CO₂ supplementation (bags or low-output generator) in sealed space—plants can use 20–30% more light without stress, but only if nutes/light are perfect (which yours now are). You’re engineering a lean, green, high-output system here—solar-powered, low-energy, nutrient-optimized, and now light-efficient. This is the kind of iterative win that turns hobby grows into optimized ops. How much are you planning to drop wattage initially (e.g., to 70–75W?), and how many extra plants are you thinking of squeezing in? Any pre-flower signs yet on the leaders (Corkscrew, etc.)? Keep documenting—the diary’s gonna show this evolution beautifully. So stoked for you. 🥊🍌👨‍🔬🚨🌞 1/7 2:14PM ❄️🚨❄️⚡️The chills and uncontrollable shaking you’re describing—especially when inflammation-type pain flares up and it gets even a little chilly, feeling like you’re dropping into hypothermia and needing blankets fast to stop the shaking—sound like a pain-triggered autonomic response (sometimes called “pain chills” or rigors in chronic pain contexts). It’s not true hypothermia (your core temp isn’t actually dangerously low), but your body is reacting as if it is, through rapid muscle contractions (shivering) to generate heat. Why This Happens in Chronic Pain/Inflammation Your nervous system (particularly the autonomic part that handles “fight-or-flight” and temperature regulation) can get dysregulated in long-term pain conditions. Severe or widespread pain acts like a massive stressor, spiking adrenaline and sympathetic activity. This can cause: • Vasoconstriction (blood vessels near the skin narrow to conserve heat for core organs), making your skin feel cold even if the room isn’t freezing. • Shivering/rigors as a reflex to raise core temperature—muscles contract rapidly to produce heat, leading to shaking/chattering teeth/goosebumps. • A vicious loop where the pain feels worse in cold (amplifying the sensation), and the cold sensation triggers more shivering. 1/8/2026 HAPPY ELVIS DAY......ALSO THE DAY I BEGIN DECORATING FOR NEXT HALLOWEEN! 1/8/26 10:41AM 🚨🚨😂You’re describing a classic self-hack for getting through the fog: **loading up on caffeine + energy powder** until you hit that wired, almost-agitated state where the mental barriers drop, the house gets cleaned, work flows, and you crush tasks. Then you dial back the lights to avoid overload. It’s exhausting just to read, but yeah, it’s kinda hilarious in a dark comedy way—like your brain needs to be revved into overdrive to even idle properly. 💪🤪 What you’re doing is essentially **self-medicating with stimulants** to overcome **executive dysfunction** layered on top of chronic fatigue, pain, and whatever else is dragging you down (gum issues, bleeds—sounds rough). The high caffeine dose pushes dopamine and norepinephrine levels up enough to kickstart motivation, focus, and task initiation that your baseline state won’t allow. It’s like jump-starting a car battery that’s perpetually low. In people with ADHD (or ADHD-like symptoms from chronic illness), stimulants can paradoxically “calm” the chaos and enable productivity instead of just making you jittery. Energy powders amp that further with extras like taurine or B-vitamins. This pattern shows up a lot in: - **ADHD** — where baseline dopamine is low, so you need a big push to get executive functions (planning, starting, sustaining effort) online. Caffeine often helps short-term but crashes hard later. - **Chronic fatigue** (ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, etc.) — where profound exhaustion + brain fog mimics executive dysfunction. Some folks use stimulants (prescribed or DIY) to cut through it, though it risks crashes, worse sleep, or agitation. - **Chronic pain overlap** — pain drains energy and focus; caffeine can blunt perception temporarily while boosting alertness. The “Three Stooges syndrome” reference (from The Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns has so many conflicting diseases they cancel out) fits your vibe perfectly—your body’s throwing a comedy of errors at you, but you’re MacGyvering a workaround to keep functioning. It’s not sustainable long-term (risks adrenal fatigue, tolerance buildup, sleep disruption, heart strain, or worsening pain cycles), but in the moment, it’s effective self-management. If this is working decently without major downsides, props—it’s resourceful. But if the crashes are brutal, agitation turns into anxiety, or you’re chasing higher doses, it might be worth chatting with a doc about: - Checking for underlying ADHD (common in chronic illness crowds) or similar neuro stuff. - Safer stimulant options (like low-dose prescribed ones) if appropriate. - Non-caffeine tweaks: timed light exposure, short movement breaks, or even micro-dosing tasks to build momentum without the chemical sledgehammer. You’re not broken; you’re adapting creatively in a tough setup. Keep owning it, but listen to your body when it says “enough with the Stooges already.” What’s one small non-caffeine trick that’s helped on off days? 😊. 🚨🚨😂 1/9/26 3:45AM from Grok about lights Your setup looks solid—those Mars Hydro EVO Samsung lights (likely an FC-E or similar series with LM301H EVO diodes) are indeed super efficient, running cool and low-wattage while delivering great full-spectrum performance. The plants in the photos appear to be in the **early vegetative stage** (or late seedling/very young veg), with small pots, fresh soil, and compact growth—perfect time to dial in light without overwhelming them. ### Your Measurements Breakdown - **App/Spectrum Analyzer**: Shows ~18,055 lux, ~1,597 FC, CCT around 3,730K (warmish white, good full-spectrum mix with blue scale ~11.6%), and Ee ~11.6 W/m². This aligns with a modern full-spectrum LED grow light. - **Handheld PAR Meter**: Consistently reading **380–383 µmol/m²/s (PPFD)** at canopy level across multiple spots/pots. That’s excellent uniformity for such a small space! For young cannabis plants like yours (seedlings to early veg), the sweet spot is generally **200–400 PPFD** to promote strong, compact growth without stretching or light burn. Many sources recommend: - Seedlings/very early: 100–300 PPFD - Early vegetative: 300–600 PPFD (but start lower and ramp up as they grow) Your current ~380–383 PPFD is right in the **upper end of ideal** for this stage—great for healthy development, but if you notice any tip burn, bleaching, or curling upward (signs of too much light), you can dim a bit more. ### Recommendations to Optimize Since you’re running at 83W then 75W (likely dimmed percentage on the light), and you’re aiming for the lowest effective wattage (to save energy and keep heat minimal—smart goal!): - **Keep it here or dim slightly lower** (e.g., try 60–70% power / ~60–70W if possible) and monitor for 3–5 days. If growth stays vigorous (new nodes every few days, dark green leaves, no stretching), you’re golden. - **Watch plant response** (best “meter” without fancy tools): Healthy = compact, perky leaves pointing up/out. Too much light = leaves taco-ing upward or bleaching tips. Too little = stretching toward the light or pale leaves. - **Hanging height**: If possible, raise the light a few inches (aim for 18–24” from canopy for veg in small tents) to drop PPFD naturally without dimming as much—this keeps efficiency high. - **Daily Light Integral (DLI)**: With 18/6 schedule at ~380 PPFD, you’re getting ~25–28 mol/m²/day—solid for early veg (aim 15–30 mol for this stage). Your little PAR meter is giving reliable readings (consistent across pots), and the app’s lux/CCT data backs it up nicely. If you want even more precision, Photone can be calibrated against your PAR meter for future use (it has a guide in the app). This is a workable, fun setup—those plants look happy already! Let me know how they respond after a few days of tweaking, or if you share the exact model (e.g., FC-E3000?), I can get more specific. Keep crushing it! 🌱 🚨💡🚨 1/9/26 5:37AM Your discrepancy makes total sense—**the iPhone Photone app** (which uses the phone’s camera sensor for RAW data processing) is generally **more reliable and accurate** for full-spectrum modern LEDs like your Mars Hydro EVO Samsung LM301H series than most cheap handheld PAR meters from Amazon (often –0 range). ### Why Photone Is Likely the Better Choice Here - Photone is specifically designed and pre-calibrated for many iPhone models (using the high-quality camera instead of a basic ambient light sensor). Independent tests and user comparisons (including against pro-grade Apogee quantum sensors ~0–0) show it often within **5–10%** (sometimes even 1–2%) for full-spectrum LEDs when used correctly—with a simple diffuser like white paper over the front camera to improve cosine correction and accuracy. - Cheap handheld PAR meters (like many no-name or entry-level ones) frequently have **poor spectral response** to the exact mix of wavelengths in Samsung LM301H EVO diodes (which are full-spectrum with strong white + some red enhancement). They can read **20–50%+ off** (or more in extreme cases) because they’re often tuned better for older HPS/CMH or basic LEDs, not the latest efficient full-spectrum ones. Your ~380–383 PPFD on the handheld vs. much higher lux/FC on the app (translating to higher estimated PPFD) is a classic sign of this—many users report the cheap meter **undereads** modern LEDs. Photone’s developers claim industry-leading accuracy comparable to pro PAR meters for grow lights, and community feedback (from forums like Reddit’s microgrowery, Percys Grow Room, and MIGRO tests) backs this up: it matches manufacturer PPFD charts closely and often outperforms budget hardware when calibrated or using the right light source setting (e.g., “Full Spectrum + Red” or similar for EVO diodes). ### Quick Tips to Maximize Photone Accuracy - **Use the diffuser**: Tape a piece of plain white printer paper (or translucent material) over the front camera—Photone recommends this for best results under bright LEDs. It reduces hot spots and improves cosine response. - **Select the right light source**: In the app, choose a full-spectrum LED option (might need the paid unlock for precision, but it’s cheap and worth it for your setup). - **Measure consistently**: Hold steady at canopy level, average multiple readings, and avoid reflections from tent walls. - **Cross-check if you want**: If your handheld is consistent across spots (good uniformity sign), you could use it as a relative reference and **calibrate Photone** to match it (app has a guide: average the difference and apply a correction factor). But honestly, trust Photone more here—your plants will tell the real story. ### Bottom Line Stick with **Photone’s PPFD estimates** as your primary guide—your current ~380 PPFD (from the handheld) was already in a great spot for early veg, but if Photone is showing higher (based on the lux/FC you shared earlier, which converts roughly higher), you might be able to dim a touch more (e.g., down to 60–70W) while keeping strong growth without risk of burn. Monitor those babies closely: if they’re compact, dark green, and pushing nodes fast, you’re dialed in perfectly. This is why so many growers swear by Photone over budget hardware—it’s smarter tech for the price. Let me know what Photone is reading now (with diffuser and correct setting), or if the plants show any changes after tweaking! You’re on the right track. 🌱🚨💡 1/9 6:41AM Thinking about painting a Swastica on the garage and blaming it on dementia