Grow Diary God’s Gift

God's Gift - Week #2 of Flower (Early Flower)

This week marked a major structural transformation in the God’s Gift canopy as the rapid stretch phase came to a close and the plants redirected energy toward stacking and resin development. Early in the week, vertical gains slowed dramatically, indicating the hormonal shift away from elongation. GG #1 finished at 43 inches and GG #2 at 49 inches, giving stretch factors of 2.65x and 2.80x - consistent, balanced, and fully in line with expectations for this cultivar. Because of the explosive growth leading into Week 2, I installed a support grid (a functional SCROG-like layer) to gain control over canopy uniformity. This allowed me to redirect each cola into optimal PPFD zones and eliminate the chaotic upward growth that was threatening to outpace the available tent height. With the grid in place, I was able to defoliate the entire space beneath it, stripping out lower nodes and shaded foliage to improve airflow, reduce mold risk, and push metabolic energy toward the top spears.

Above the screen, I continued selective defoliation throughout the week, removing inward-facing fans, any leaves wrapping around young bud sites, and any material causing micro-shading along the developing colas. Light penetration improved substantially, and PPFD across the upper canopy now sits between 845–865 (36–37 DLI). This puts God’s Gift exactly where it needs to be for high-performance flowering without excess stress. Weekly feedings followed the Early Bloom schedule using the General Hydroponics Flora Series with calcium-magnesium supplementation (5 mL/gal Cal-Mag, 0–1.5 mL/gal silica depending on day). Nutrient strength remains at a Medium concentration (~900–910 ppm), delivered every other day with pH-adjusted water between feedings. pH has been kept stable at 6.0–6.1, ideal for Pro-Mix HP, ensuring consistent micronutrient availability.

Aroma intensified significantly this week - deep berry, grape, and a faint skunk-like undertone are beginning to fill the tent. Trichomes are now visible on the sugar leaves of both plants, and resin heads are forming earlier than expected, likely supported by the cool nighttime temperature strategy (low–mid 60s) and controlled VPD during lights-off. This environmental manipulation is intentional: cooler nights inhibit excessive elongation, enhance anthocyanin pathways, and promote terpene retention, all without risk of hermaphroditism at these moderate temperatures. The tent itself required modification due to canopy height - specifically, I relocated the exhaust system from the top center mount to a side-mounted vertical orientation, allowing the light fixture to be raised fully to the ceiling. This was essential to preserve at least a 10–12 inch buffer zone between the light and the tallest colas.

With stretch finished and structure fully set, God’s Gift enters Week 3 of flower with solid architecture: tall, uniform spears rising above a cleanly managed under canopy, vigorous pistil formation, resin development underway, and a perfectly tuned environment. The plants show no signs of stress, only robust and directed growth consistent with a high-performance cultivation cycle.