The Cultivators Club testing program gives growers the opportunity to document genetics, equipment, nutrients, and other cultivation products under real-world conditions.
These tests are not advertisements. They are grow journals built around honest observations, clear photographs, and practical information that helps breeders, vendors, fellow growers, and the wider cultivation community understand how a product performs.
Testers are not paid for positive feedback, and favorable results are never guaranteed. We ask only that participants document their experience honestly, respectfully, and consistently from beginning to end.
A test may be documented in either of two formats:
- Individual test journal: Each grower maintains a dedicated topic for their test.
- Shared testing thread: Multiple growers post their updates in one organized Cultivators Club topic.
The test coordinator will explain which format is being used and provide any relevant title, category, tagging, or posting instructions.
Regardless of the format, every complete test follows seven primary reporting milestones.
Document the beginning of the test, from seed drop through emergence and the development of the first true leaves.
Include:
- Cultivar or product being tested
- Date germination began
- Germination method
- Date the seed opened or the seedling emerged
- Growing medium and container
- Photographs of the seedling
- Any germination problems or unusual observations
If a seed fails to germinate, report it honestly and contact the test coordinator before starting a replacement.
Document the first visible signs of sexual maturity, such as pistils or pollen sacs.
Include:
- Plant age or day number
- Date sex was confirmed
- Clear photographs of the relevant plant structures
- Whether the plant appears female, male, or shows mixed/intersex traits
- Any transition, stretch, or developmental changes occurring at this stage
For feminized genetics, this milestone still confirms that the plant has begun displaying female preflowers. Any unexpected pollen producing structures should also be documented and reported.
Document the beginning of visible flower formation.
Include:
- Plant age or day number
- First visible flower development
- Plant height and general structure
- Stretch and branching
- Training or defoliation performed
- Current lighting, environment, and feeding practices
- Photographs of the whole plant and developing flower sites
- Early aroma or other notable characteristics
Document the plant several weeks into flowering, with emphasis on its development and overall performance.
Include:
- Plant age or day number
- Current height, width, and structure
- Flower development and stacking
- Trichome or resin development
- Aroma and other emerging traits
- Nutrient, irrigation, or environmental information
- Plant health, deficiencies, pests, or other problems
- Photographs of the whole plant, side branches, and flowers
This is an important milestone for showing how the cultivar or product performs during active flower production.
Document the plant as it approaches maturity and enters its anticipated harvest window.
Include:
- Plant age or day number
- Flower density and final structure
- Bract development and pistil changes
- Resin and trichome coverage
- Aroma intensity and character
- Signs of senescence or continued growth
- Estimated time remaining before harvest
- Any late-flower concerns or observations
- Whole-plant and close-up flower photographs
Do not feel pressured to harvest according to a breeder’s estimated schedule. Record what the plant is actually doing and explain how you determined your harvest timing.
Document the conclusion of the active grow and the condition of the plant at harvest.
Include:
- Plant age and total number of days grown
- Harvest date
- Final plant measurements (when practical)
- Final whole-plant photographs before harvest
- Photographs during or immediately after harvest
- Wet weight (if recorded)
- General flower structure and aroma
- Any washing, drying, or processing method used (and reasoning behind it)
- A brief summary of the plant’s overall growing performance
If harvesting different portions of the plant at different times, document the staged harvest and explain why it was done.
This is the final presentation of the completed test after the flower has dried and, when possible, received some curing time.
Include:
- Photographs of the dried flowers
- Final dry yield, if recorded
- Flower density, appearance, and resin coverage
- Aroma after drying or curing
- Flavor and consumption observations, where appropriate and legally permitted
- Effects or overall experience, where appropriate
- Final assessment of the cultivar or product
- Strengths, weaknesses, and any problems encountered
- Whether you would grow or use it again
- Anything you would do differently during another test
Final observations do not need to be entirely positive.
Constructive criticism is valuable when it is specific, fair, and based on what actually occurred during the test. Please be honest but tactful in the way you present your observations.
The seven milestones are the minimum reporting points, not the maximum!
Growers are encouraged to post additional updates throughout the test. These may include:
- Weekly progress photographs
- Temperature and relative humidity
- Lighting schedule, intensity, PPFD, or DLI
- Growing medium and container size
- Nutrient and feeding practices
- Irrigation frequency and volume
- pH or EC information
- Plant measurements
- Training and pruning
- Pest or disease observations
- Aroma and structural development
- Product setup, adjustments, and maintenance
- Problems, corrections, and lessons learned
Frequent updates create a more useful record and allow other members to follow the plant’s development rather than seeing only isolated snapshots.
You may use the following template for each milestone or progress update:
Milestone or update:
Cultivar or product:
Plant age/day:
Date:
Growing medium:
Container size:
Lighting and schedule:
Temperature and humidity:
Feeding and irrigation:
Plant measurements:
Observations:
Problems or concerns:
Photographs:
Not every field will apply to every test. The goal is to provide enough information for readers to understand what they are seeing and how the test was conducted.
Whenever possible:
- Include at least one photograph of the whole plant.
- Add closer photographs of flowers, structure, symptoms, or product details.
- Use clear, well-lit images that accurately represent the plant.
- Avoid heavy filters or color adjustments that could misrepresent its appearance.
- Identify individual plants when testing more than one cultivar or phenotype.
- Keep photographs oriented correctly and add a short description when needed.
Take a deep breath. Stay calm. These things sometimes can (and will) happen.
Problems do not automatically make a test unsuccessful!
Germination failures, nutrient issues, pests, environmental problems, plant abnormalities, equipment malfunctions, and grower mistakes can all provide useful information when they are documented honestly. Sometimes it’s grower error, sometimes it’s the product, sometimes Murphy’s Law rears it’s head when you are a week from the finish line. Take a deep breath. Stay calm. We got this.
If a plant is lost or a test cannot be completed:
- Post an update explaining what occurred
- Contact the Cultivators Club coordinator or staff member
- Do not quietly abandon the journal
- Follow the coordinator’s instructions regarding replacements or final reporting
A documented problem is more useful than a test that simply disappears! A failed test does not disbar or ban you from the Cultivators Club, it means we found a way something doesn’t work (and gives us the opportunity to be proactive to fix it for the future!)
Cultivators Club testers are expected to provide truthful, independent observations.
Participants are not required to:
- Guarantee a positive outcome
- Provide a promotional endorsement
- Conceal problems or unfavorable results
- Change their conclusions to satisfy a breeder or vendor
We do expect feedback to remain factual, constructive, and respectful at all times. When reporting a problem, explain what happened, describe the conditions surrounding it, and distinguish between a confirmed product issue and a possible environmental or grower-related cause (ask yourself “have I done something that caused this?”)
The purpose of the Cultivators Club is to create a transparent record that benefits everyone involved. A successful test is not necessarily one in which everything performs perfectly; it is one that is documented honestly, consistently, and through completion.
Thank you for helping Autoflower.org continue its long-standing tradition of independent grow testing and community-driven cultivation education.