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While marijuana plants enjoy a summer solstice, lead farmer shares how he clawed his way in

Bruno Gagliardi transfers young cannabis plants into new substrates at Alien Labs in Phoenix on Oct. 17, 2025.
Tim Agne/KJZZ
Bruno Gagliardi transfers young cannabis plants into new substrates at Alien Labs in Phoenix on Oct. 17, 2025.

The six tiny Zpectrum plants had grown roots by the end of the last episode.

But they still had a couple days to survive outside of a humidity-control dome before they could go into their own pots. Next, the plants will spend a couple weeks in the vegetative room at Alien Labs. Think of it as mimicking the height of summer in terms of the daylight-to-darkness ratio.

The lead farmer has academic credentials which qualify him for agriculture jobs. But he had to move cross-country for a chance to scratch and claw his way into the marijuana industry.

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