Fat Bastard Auto Week by Week Grow Diary

McBubatz wanted to see how big a WeedSeedsExpress Fat Bastard Autoflower could get in a tiny, well-equipped tent indoors.  This strain was known for having strong effects and colas with a lot of resin.  It promised a lot in a short amount of time. From seed to harvest, the plant grew for more than 11 weeks.  It got a mix of coco, perlite, and bespoke soil, as well as accurate nutrition scheduling and appropriate defoliations in weeks 3 and 5. The final result was a tiny but high-quality catch of 1.8 oz of dry from one plant. The buds were thick, sticky, and true to the strain's reputation for being hefty.

Grow Setup

Grow Diary

Weeks 1–2 (Seedling Stage)

The seedling sprouted fast and readily, and it was placed to the bespoke soil-coco-perlite mix under the Mars Hydro FC3000-EVO, where it would be secure. The temperature held at 24 °C and the humidity stayed at roughly 65%. Watering the plants lightly with water that had a pH of 6.2 kept them from getting overly damp. By the end of week 2, the first genuine leaves had stacked up well. This was a sign that the plants were growing well.

Weeks 3–4 (Early Vegetative)

We started giving them low dosages of Terra Aquatica fertilizers and added Plant Success microbial support. The first defoliation, which began in week 3, made the canopy more open and let more air through. The plant did nicely and grew to the side. As more leaves grew, the RH steadily dropped to 55%.

Weeks 5–6 (Pre-Flower)

Pistils showed up on week 5, which meant that blossoming had begun. The second time the leaves fell off was to reveal where the buds were growing. It was still possible to develop with the stretch formula, but the nutrient feed changed to Plagron Bloom. The FC3000-EVO stayed around 30 cm above the canopy and threw off full-spectrum light without any symptoms of stress.

Weeks 7–8 (Mid Flower)

As the bloom sites started to stack, the plant's scent transformed from sweet and gassy to rich and sweet. The main things to do when feeding were to add bloom boosters and keep the pH level steady. The temperature stayed the same all day at 23 °C and all night at 20 °C. To keep the dense bud formations from being overly wet, the relative humidity dropped to 45%.

Weeks 9–10 (Late Flower)

The plant worked hard to make the colas bigger, which made the trichome coverage stronger. We added a PK boost and slowly stopped giving the plants vegetative nutrients.  The smell got stronger and stronger. As the time to harvest grew closer, RH fell to 40%.

Week 11 (Harvest)

The last week was spent flushing with plain water that had its pH changed. The trichomes were at their strongest since they were primarily hazy with amber specks all over them. The plant was hung to dry for 10 days at 20 °C and 50% RH after it was picked. After that, it was sliced up to be cured.

Detailed Observations & Grower’s Reflections

Fat Bastard Auto did a good job at defoliating and didn't exhibit any signs of stress or halting. The mixed media let water and air pass through it easily, and the constant atmosphere of the 3×3 tent kept the plant healthy from beginning to end. The buds weren't the biggest, but they were thick and covered in frost. The complete spectrum of the FC3000-EVO brought out the flavour profile flawlessly.

Challenges & Solutions

One challenge was keeping the humidity in check during the weeks when the flowers were flowering a lot. The thick buds could readily hold onto water.   They employed a mix of faster airflow from the Spider Farmer and Marshydro fans and a faster Mars Hydro filter system to minimize RH. Another issue was keeping track of the nutrients in the mixed medium. This entailed cycling between days of feeding and days of just water very carefully so that salt didn't build up. The plant kept in the ideal range for taking in nutrients without scorching tips or having shortages because the runoff and pH levels were checked regularly.

Harvest & Post-Harvest Insights

There were a lot of trichomes on the buds, and they were dense and full of resin. They had a distinct sweet and gassy fragrance with hints of dirt. The smoke was robust and delivered a big, long-lasting stone that was true to its indica-leaning nature. The yield was minimal, but the quality was far greater than the quantity, therefore this run was a triumph in terms of potency and bag appeal.

Final Numbers