Ghost Train Haze - Week by Week Grow Diary & Strain Review

Papa_T grew Ghost Train Haze indoors for this WeedSeedsExpress sponsored run.

The plant was named Helena, and from the start she looked like the stronger seedling, moving fast through germination and setting up the kind of structure you want before training begins.

This run had a bit of everything: living soil, dry amendments, strong HLG lighting, topping, LST, HST, defoliation, and a move into a larger flower tent once Helena started demanding more space.

She was not just left to do her own thing. This was a hands-on grow, with the plant shaped early and watched closely through every stage.

Grow Setup

Grow Diary

Week 0 - Germination / Early Seedling

The seeds hit water on September 17 with Supermax added to the soak. Plant #1 broke soil in under 60 hours, pushed roots through the starter pot fast, and became the keeper.

Papa_T named her Helena, moved her into a one gallon pot, and by Day 7 she was already 2 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and pushing her second set of leaves.

No Week 1 was logged in the source diary, so we go straight to Week 2. Clean and accurate.

Week 2 & 3 - Early Vegetation and First Topping

Week 2 was steady growth under 18 hours of light. By Day 14, Helena was stacking her fourth set of leaves, with branch shoots already forming at the lower nodes.

Week 3 brought the first proper move. Papa_T topped her, removed the first-node branches, and started building the plant around the stronger structure above.

She barely blinked. Big fan leaves, fast growth, and no early sulking. Good start.

Week 4 & 5 - Final Pot, LST, and Explosive Veg

Week 4 was busy. The light was changed, the bottom branches were topped, LST started, and one top branch popped at the knuckle during training. Not ideal, but not a disaster.

On Day 27, Helena went into her final 5 gallon pot. Week 5 was pure structure work. Fan leaves came off, LST resumed, and growth was described as insane.

Week 6 & 7 - Flip and First Flowers

Week 6 gave the grower an even canopy and enough confidence to flip. Day 39 was the first day under 12/12, although Papa_T counted the next week as the first flowering week.

By Week 7, calyxes and stigmas had appeared, confirming she was female. A top dressing went in at the end of the week, and Helena was already stretching into flower. The switch was clean.

Week 8 & 9 - Bigger Tent and Bud Build

Week 8 moved Helena into the 4x4 flower tent under the HLG Scorpion Diablo. More space, stronger light, and more room to stretch. A few leaves and two weak branches were removed, then the buds started to become more obvious by Day 52.

Week 9 was steady flower work, with Dynomyco added as a top dressing and the buds developing day by day. Nothing flashy. Just the plant doing her job.

Week 10 & 11 - Deficiency Checks and Top Dressing

Week 10 brought the first proper issue. Helena started yellowing near the top, so the light was reduced to around 750 PAR at the canopy. Older lower fan leaves also showed deficiency signs, with the grower suspecting low phosphorus.

Supermax was used as a stopgap, then a heavier top dressing followed. Week 11 was about patience. The damaged leaves kept fading, but the problem was not racing through the plant.

Buds got frostier, pistils started turning orange, and the smell shifted into tropical fruit.

Week 12 & 13 - Purple Hues and Heavy Flower

Week 12 looked better. The top dressing started holding her steady, purple hues showed up, and the top colas were described as being as big as the grower’s hand.

Week 13 kept the same energy. The smell got louder, the top colas reached around 5 inches, and another top dressing went in on Day 87.

She was still consuming some lower fan leaves, but the buds looked strong and the room smelled amazing.

Week 14 & 15 - Ripening and Harvest Window

Week 14 was maintenance mode. There were still a few issues, but nothing that changed the direction of the grow. By Christmas Day, the breeder’s 8 to 9 week flowering estimate had Helena close to the finish line. Week 15 was fade time.

Papa_T decided not to top dress again and let her use what was left in the pot. By Day 105, the scope showed plenty of milky trichomes, and harvest was only a few days away. Smart call. No need to feed hard when the axe is already in sight.

Week 16 & 17 - Harvest, Dry, Cure, and Smoke Report

Week 16 ended the grow. On Day 109, most trichomes were milky with very few clear, but Helena was still pushing some fresh pistils. Papa_T waited one more day and chopped her on January 6, Day 110 in the daily notes.

Week 17 covered the harvest update, drying, trimming, jarring, and smoke report. The dry room was too dry and would not get above 38% RH, so the buds overdried, but Boveda packs helped the cure along.

After around six weeks, the smoke came through smooth and flavourful, with citrus leading, followed by tropical and floral notes. A creeper high, daytime-friendly, and still a strong finish.

Observations & Reflections

Ghost Train Haze showed real strength in this run. Helena was fast from seed, rooted quickly, and handled early topping and LST like she had somewhere to be. Some plants sulk after training. This one pushed forward.

The grow was not spotless. The popped branch in veg, late flower yellowing, possible phosphorus shortage, and leaf fade all had to be managed. But Papa_T did the right thing by staying measured.

Reduce the light, top dress when needed, and do not start throwing bottles at the problem like a panicked beginner.

The dry was the biggest hit to quality. The room humidity stayed too low, the buds overdried, and the grower believed some flavour and terpenes were lost. Even then, the final smoke still came out smooth, citrus-forward, and enjoyable after cure.

That says plenty about the genetics and the grow.

Challenges & Solutions

The run had a few bumps, but nothing that knocked Helena off course. The first was a small starter soil issue, then a popped branch during training.

Papa_T kept it simple, watched the plant closely, and let her recover instead of overreacting.

The bigger challenge came in flower, when yellowing appeared near the canopy top and older leaves started showing deficiency signs.

The light was reduced, Supermax was used as a short-term support, and a heavier organic top dressing followed. Good, measured growing.

Drying was the roughest part. The room stayed too dry at around 38% RH, which caused the buds to overdry and likely cost some terpene expression.

Boveda packs helped the cure recover, and the final smoke still came out smooth, citrus-heavy, and enjoyable.

Final Result and Strain Review

Ghost Train Haze finished this run as a proper win for Papa_T. Helena was fast, strong, and trainable from the jump, then went on to stack fat top colas with a loud citrus, tropical, and floral profile.

The late flower issues did not sink the grow. The rough dry did not ruin the smoke. She still came out smooth, flavourful, and worth the wait.

The final smoke report called the high more of a creeper than an instant hit. That is classic haze behavior in the best way. It builds, lifts, and keeps moving.

Papa_T described it as a good daytime smoke for getting things done, which fits the energetic and creative effect profile perfectly. Not couch glue. Not a sleepy nightcap. This one had legs.

This diary shows that Ghost Train Haze can put out a serious harvest when the structure is built early and the flower room stays mostly under control. Helena was not perfect, but she was tough, productive, and loud enough by the end to make the grower excited for the smoke.

Ready to get these results? Buy Ghost Train Haze Seeds Here.