Peyote Critical Grow Diary and Strain Review

This Peyote Critical run from Barney's Farm was my first grow with seeds from a proper breeder. I had grown before, but only from random seeds passed around by friends. This time I wanted to see what a known photoperiod strain could do in my own box.

I ran 4 plants indoors in a Mars Hydro 120 x 120 x 200cm (3.9 x 3.9 x 6.6ft) tent, under 2 Mars Hydro TSW 2000 LED panels at 310W each. The plants went into 18l (4.8gal) grow bags with Biobizz Coco Mix, and I used the GHE line for feeding.

24% THC

Peyote Critical (Barney's Farm)

• Photoperiod
• Clear-headed and relaxed explorer
• 650 g/m² indoors
  1000 g/plant in a greenhouse

Pack (number of seeds)

Out of stock

Starting the Run

Week 1-2

I germinated all 4 seeds in paper towels. They opened quickly and showed roots within 4 days, then went straight into the pots. Two days later, the seedlings broke through the surface, and I started counting the grow from there.

The first week was clean. The seedlings dropped their shells, and by the end of the week they were already working on the second level of growth. I watered around them with 300ml (10.1fl oz) of pH-adjusted water, keeping the light on 24h, with the temperature around 23°C (73.4°F) and humidity at 40-50%.

One plant looked odd in week 2. Its second set of leaves came out mutated, and the small round leaves yellowed early. It lagged behind a bit, but it kept growing, so I left it alone instead of trying to fix something I didn’t understand yet.

Week 3-4

The strange seedling actually turned into the most interesting one. After the third level, it started pushing 2 tops by itself. The rest of the plants looked normal, and the mutant wasn’t far enough behind to worry me.

I topped the other plants so they would branch more evenly. Around this time, I started feeding with FloraCoco Bloom, FloraCoco Grow, FloraMicro, and CaMg+. The plants were still compact, around 20cm (7.9in), but they were filling out well.

Veg Progress and Training

Week 5-6

During week 5, the weather got hotter where I live, and the box warmed up more than I liked. The tops started to show a bit of light stress, but I caught it early. I added an oscillating fan and raised the lamps, and the plants didn’t really slow down after that.

By week 6, they were drinking much more. Before that, I had been giving 2l (0.5gal) 3 times a week, but suddenly the same amount was gone in a day. I tried 3l (0.8gal), watched the pots dry in 2 days, and settled on 4l (1.1gal) every 3 days. The nutrient mix still went in once a week, and the plants were about 45cm (17.7in) tall.

Week 7-8

In week 7, I removed a few of the largest leaves. The canopy was getting thick, and I wanted more light moving through the middle before the flip. I also increased the feed to FloraCoco Bloom at 2.64ml/l, FloraCoco Grow at 2.64ml/l, FloraMicro at 2.64ml/l, and CaMg+ at 1.32ml/l.

At the start of week 8, I switched the light cycle to 12/12. The bushes were around 50cm (19.7in), with a lot of side branching and enough foliage to make the canopy feel properly built. I changed the feed for flower: FloraCoco Bloom at 3.96ml/l, FloraCoco Grow at 1.32ml/l, FloraMicro at 2.64ml/l, and CaMg+ at 1.32ml/l.

The reaction to the flip was quick. The plants started stretching almost at once, and stigmas appeared fast enough to make the transition feel smooth.

Early Flower

Week 9-10

The stretch was strong through weeks 9 and 10. In just 2 weeks, the plants reached about 100-105cm (39.4-41.3in). I removed some foliage to push energy toward the developing buds, and by the end of week 9, the upward rush had started to calm down.

Week 10 felt like the real shift from stretch to flower building. The buds became noticeably larger, and the box picked up a sweet fruity smell that was nothing like plain plant odor. I did a heavier defoliation, close to lollipopping but not quite that severe, especially on the lower parts of the plants.

Week 11-12

At the start of week 11, I put up a ScrOG net. The buds were not huge yet, but they were already joining along the colas and felt fairly dense. The tops sat around 116cm (45.7in).

The plants still grew another 10cm (3.9in) during week 12, even while the flowers were gaining weight. I added a second layer of netting to keep the upper growth in place. The smell got much stronger by then, and I was surprised by how clearly it leaned toward mango when I brushed the branches or touched the buds.

The feeding stayed the same as at the start of flowering. I watered with 3l (0.8gal), the coco dried in about 2 days, and the nutrient mix went in once a week.

Late Flower and Finish

Week 13-14

At the beginning of week 13, I started flushing. Each plant got 5l (1.3gal) of water every day for 10 days. The first trichome check in the middle of the week showed almost no clear heads left, mostly cloudy with a small amount of amber.

The flush continued until the middle of week 14. When I checked again, the amber had increased a lot, sitting at roughly 30/70 compared with cloudy trichomes. After that, I gave the plants 2 days of darkness and moved on to harvest.

Peyote Critical Yield and Final Thoughts

Chopping and trimming took me almost the whole day, with breaks. I didn’t expect trimming to feel like real work, but when there are more than 40 branches covered in resin, the scissors need cleaning all the time.

I dried the harvest in the grow box for a week. I did quick-dry one bud because I couldn’t resist, but the rest hung properly. In the end, 4 plants gave me 623g (22oz) of dry buds in less than 4 months.

I was completely happy with this grow. Even the early mutation turned out positive, since that plant ended up a little bigger than the others. All 4 plants stayed close in phenotype, with no real difference in leaf shape, size, or smell.

The aroma was already rich during flower, and after drying it became much clearer. It was very sweet and fruity, with citrus and ripe mango in the background. The taste followed the same line, maybe even a little too sweet for some people.

The effect hit hard and kept me pinned for a few hours. My first test was too much, and I basically stuck to the couch. In the evening, it made me sleepy, and the appetite showed up fast no matter what time it was. That’s exactly the kind of strong Indica effect I wanted from Peyote Critical.

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