Cannabis plants thrive in warm conditions, but in countries like the Netherlands, you may face the challenge of cold weather if you’re growing cannabis outdoors. Cold temperatures can lead to issues such as stunted growth and less robust buds. However, with the helpful tips provided in this blog, you can still ensure that your plants thrive in colder conditions.

Cannabis Growth and Cold Weather Don’t Mix Well

Cannabis plants prefer warm climates. They grow and flourish happily in warm summers and long hours of sunshine. So what happens when you face a chilly, cold spring or a gray, gloomy summer? Can cannabis grow in cold weather?

Fortunately, cannabis is a resilient plant that can tolerate cooler weather. Even in colder climates, you can grow cannabis. However, your plants will benefit from your close monitoring, especially if the temperatures drop significantly. Cold can negatively impact the growth and flowering of your cannabis plants.

Negative Effects of Cold

Two primary outcomes of cold weather on cannabis plants need to be monitored. The first is the impact of low temperatures on the roots and growth.

If the temperature falls below 12 degrees Celsius, the plant’s metabolism will slow down. In cold weather, cannabis can either grow very slowly or even halt growth altogether. The plant will struggle to absorb nutrients and oxygen, and enzymatic processes crucial for growth come to a standstill.

This results in halted growth, and your plants may begin to wilt. Additionally, a sudden drop in temperature can shock the roots. Freezing is, of course, extremely harmful to the root system.

Another issue in cold weather is mold formation. This is particularly common in cold and damp conditions, a weather pattern that the Netherlands often experiences. Water droplets can cling to leaves and buds, creating ideal conditions for mold. This can lead to rotting of buds and leaves, putting your yield at risk.

Tips for Handling Cold Weather

Since cold weather is detrimental to the growth and flowering of cannabis, it is crucial to monitor temperature closely. Below are some useful tips to protect your plants from low temperatures.

1. Pay Attention to Temperature Fluctuations

When growing cannabis in colder climates, it’s important to focus on significant temperature differences between day and night. The more consistent the temperature, the better your cannabis plants will thrive. Aim to minimize these fluctuations as much as possible, particularly in the second and third weeks of the flowering period. Keep the temperature differences to a maximum of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius.

If temperatures drop below 12 degrees, you can use heat mats to prevent the soil from cooling too much. This can avoid cold stress on the roots. If heat mats are not an option, protect your plant roots with a layer of mulch.

2. Keep Seedlings Indoors

Seedlings and young plants are particularly sensitive to cold. It’s a good idea to sow indoors and keep the seedlings indoors until they are strong enough to transition outside. Wait until there is no longer a risk of frost.

3. Grow Cannabis in Pots or a Greenhouse

Using pots can help protect your plants against the cold. If your plants are in pots, you can easily move them. You can follow the sunlight and, in case of frost, move your plants indoors.

A greenhouse is another way to ensure your cannabis plants continue to grow despite cold weather. It is a significant investment, but it allows you to enjoy your cannabis plants year-round. Make sure to provide adequate lighting and control temperature and humidity in the greenhouse.

4. Force the Flowering Phase

Is the weather looking bad? If you can’t adequately protect your cannabis plants, you can try to trigger the flowering phase sooner. You can achieve this by covering your plants with a tarp that blocks light.

This reduces the number of hours your plants are exposed to light, encouraging them to enter the flowering phase. As a result, you can harvest earlier before bad weather sets in.

Best Cannabis Strains for Cold Weather

If you live in a colder climate, growing cannabis is still possible. However, certain strains are particularly well-suited for cold conditions. Indica strains are generally better adapted to cold than Sativas.

Choose strains with genes from Canada, the Himalayas, the Netherlands, or Afghanistan. If your summers are short, go for strains that flower quickly or opt for autoflowers. They have a short life cycle and flower earlier, allowing you to harvest before autumn and winter set in.

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Outdoor cannabis cultivation carries many benefits. Your plants grow and bloom in the fresh air under a radiant sun, benefiting from everything that nature has to offer. However, it’s crucial to keep an eye on your plants’ health to prevent problems. In this blog, you’ll learn how to handle the maintenance of cannabis during outdoor cultivation.

Inspection and maintenance of marijuana plants

Growing weed outdoors may seem easy: you sow some seeds, occasionally water them, and before you know it, you have a nice harvest in hand. And it’s true: cannabis is a robust, strong plant that can handle a lot. But still, if you’re working towards a splendid harvest, it’s best to regularly check your plants and perform maintenance during outdoor cannabis cultivation.

Doing so can prevent many problems. Even though weed is strong, your plants can fall victim to pests and diseases and grow too fast or too slow.

Occasionally pruning, providing extra nutrition, and protecting your plants against diseases increases your chances of a bountiful harvest. And that is certainly worth the extra effort, we think!

Below, we provide you with some simple tips to quickly assess your plants’ health. You’ll learn what to look out for and how to prevent or solve problems.

Signs of disease and pests

Fungi

It’s important to regularly check whether your marijuana plants are not infected by a disease or pest. Fungal infections can quickly rob you of a good harvest. They can occur in both indoor and outdoor cultivation.

Many types of fungi affect not only the leaves but also the buds. Two common fungi are mildew and bud rot (botrytis).

Mildew lies like a white, powdery substance on the leaves and can spread from there over the plant. The leaves turn yellow and eventually die.

Bud rot usually starts at the bottom of the plant stem and works its way up to the buds. You can see an infection by dry, discoloured leaves and withering buds.

Fungi are not easily controlled. Find the plants that have an infection and separate them. You can try to prune the affected parts, so the plants hopefully survive.

The best way is to try to prevent fungi. You can do this by ensuring your plants stand as much as possible in the full sun. If it rains for a long time, it’s a good idea to place a tarp above your plants. If your plants are in pots, you can, for example, bring them inside during heavy rain.

A lot of moisture is ideal for the formation of fungi. Try to prevent your plants from touching each other as much as possible to hinder the spread of fungi. The better the airflow, the better.

Try also to water your plants at the foot. When you spray or irrigate, fungi can multiply more easily.

Pests

During maintenance while growing cannabis, it’s also important to watch out for pests. Think about fungus gnats, spider mites, and aphids.

Fungus gnats can be in garden soil, but a high humidity level also attracts these annoying creatures. If you see them on your plants, you can combat them with neem oil or diatomaceous earth. Also, deploying their natural enemy (ladybugs) is an option.

Spider mites can also plague your marijuana plants during outdoor cultivation. These are small red or black spiders. They can reproduce quickly and love warm, dry conditions.

Many pesticides do not work against these mites. It’s best to prune the affected leaves and spray your plants with a mixture of neem oil and water. You can also use ladybugs to combat spider mites.

Then you can also get aphids. These can be very destructive. If you’re maintaining your weed plants outdoors, make sure you combat aphids as soon as possible. This can be done by removing the affected leaves. Also use water and neem oil and deploy predatory insects.

Better Harvest Through Pruning and Maintenance

Pruning and regular maintenance when you grow cannabis are good ways to keep your plants healthy and assure yourself of an optimal harvest.

Pruning isn’t just to give your plants a visually appealing shape. Marijuana plants can grow incredibly fast, and they can therefore become too big and take light away from other plants.

So, it makes sense to remove certain leaves. This ensures more light and air can circulate between your plants, enabling them to grow better. Conscious pruning also ensures your plant doesn’t put energy into the leaves, but into full buds. This is something you, as a grower, benefit from too.

There are different techniques you can use, such as topping, fimming, defoliation, LST, and supercropping. If you want to keep it simple, start by regularly removing unhealthy leaves (with discoloured edges or damage).

Keeping a close eye yields a lot

As you can see, regularly inspecting and maintaining your marijuana plants is certainly worth it. You can prevent many annoying problems and ensure healthy, strong plants. And it’s really not that much work. With a little extra effort, you assure yourself of a bountiful harvest.

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Most people enjoy warm weather, but it can pose many challenges when you’re growing outdoor cannabis. Weed is a very resilient plant, and many strains can withstand quite high temperatures. However, there are limits to what the plant can endure. In this blog, we’ll provide tips on how to guide your plants through a hot summer while still achieving a good harvest.

The dangers of warm weather in cannabis cultivation

We always look forward to a wonderfully warm summer. But if you’re growing outdoor weed, you know that your cannabis plants can be affected by the heat. The sunlight itself is not the issue: plenty of light during the long summer days causes your plants to literally bloom and form beautiful buds.

The high temperatures are what can make it difficult for your plants. The heat can cause heat stress, which has various implications for marijuana plants.

Decreased transpiration

As it gets warmer, your weed will transpire, which isn’t different from what humans do. Transpiration provides cooling. If the air humidity is low and the soil is dry, no transpiration can take place, and your plants can quickly become too hot.

Curling leaves

The heat and dry air can cause your plant’s leaves to curl. Sometimes it might not even feel that hot to you, but the low air humidity can cause your precious weed to dry out just like that, which can have disastrous consequences.

Light buds

The cannabis plant responds to the damage to the leaves by forming qualitatively poorer buds. The buds become misshapen and have less potential. They may also have white pistils, looking as though they’re not ready for harvest. The buds are fuller at the top than at the bottom. This is a clear sign of overheating.

If the weather is warm, keep an extra close eye on your cannabis during its growth. Watch out for signs of heat stress, such as curled leaves, airy buds with strange shapes, and stunted growth in seedlings.

Which cannabis strains can handle heat well?

If you know a hot summer is coming, it’s wise to take this into account when buying seeds. Not all cannabis strains can cope equally well with scorching summers. Below are examples of cannabis strains that can withstand heat well. But keep in mind that they bloom longer and are not suitable for cooler conditions.

It’s mainly strains from the Haze family that are suitable for warm weather. And that’s not so strange. These strains were developed in California, where summers can also be dry and hot. The foundation lies with Mexican, Thai, and South American genes, which love sultry, hot summers.

Super Silver Haze

If you want to grow outdoor cannabis and your plants need to withstand warm weather, you’ll quickly arrive at Super Silver Haze. This strain is specifically suitable for warmer weather. The advantage is that the flowering time isn’t even that long (9 to 11 weeks).

Amnesia Haze

Amnesia Haze is also a real sun worshipper. With the right care, she can withstand high temperatures of 30 degrees and yield delicious buds with an earthy, spicy scent and taste.

Tips for caring for cannabis in heat

Your plants need some extra TLC during radiant summer days. Here are some handy tips to ensure your cannabis can continue to grow and bloom, even in warm weather.

1. Watering: moisture and cooling

Your weed plants need regular water, but in the case of high temperatures, they could use some extra. You want to prevent them from drying out. In the heat, your plants drink more than usual, but it’s also true that more water evaporates from the soil.

Especially if your plants are in pots, the soil in a pot can dry out completely in a day. So it’s important to keep a close eye on this.

Therefore, give your plants a bit more water (it may be necessary to do this daily) and do this early in the morning. During the day, part of the water evaporates, providing necessary cooling for both the roots and the environment.

You can also spray the leaves with a fine mist to cool your plants. Don’t be afraid of the myth that the droplets would act like a lens that could burn the leaves. That’s not true.

2. Protect the roots

If your plants are outside in pots, protect these against heat. The temperature can, especially in black pots, rise quite high. This can cause the roots to burn. Protect your plants by painting the pots white or place the pot in a second outer pot. Ideally, this one should be white. This provides an extra insulation layer, keeping the inner pot cooler.

3. Provide shade

Sunlight is of course essential for a good yield, but there can be too much of a good thing. In bright sun and high temperatures, it’s better to provide some shade. If your cannabis plants are in pots, you can move them to a shady spot. If they’re in the ground, put up a banner or set up a parasol.

4. Extra nutrients and supplements

When growing outdoor cannabis in warm weather, you can further support your plants by giving silicon. This mineral helps make them more resilient against heat. An additional benefit is that the branches become stronger, so they won’t easily succumb under the weight of full buds.

It’s also a good idea to provide seaweed and kelp as extra nutrients. This gives your plants more minerals that can help them better cope with heat stress.

Warm weather can cause quite a few problems for cannabis during growth. Fortunately, you can relatively easily protect your plants and help them through the heat.

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If you’re planning to grow weed outdoors, you’ll need to make a few important decisions first. A cannabis plant in your backyard will only thrive if you plant the seeds in the best spot. Once you’ve found the ideal location for outdoor weed cultivation in your unique garden, you’re all set for a grow with a spectacularly bountiful yield!

Your Own Outdoor Weed In The Garden

If you have a little space in your garden, you can easily grow your own cannabis and secure your own supply of top-quality outdoor weed. All you really need to do is order weed seeds from a supplier with a good reputation. You’ll always find a suitable strain for outdoors that matches your taste. A cannabis plant is meant to thrive in the open air, and cannabis is tough enough to fully earn its nickname ‘weed’.

Once your weed seeds are in, it’s time to determine two crucial factors of a successful outdoor grow: perfect timing and an ideal location for your plants.

Depending on where you live, it’s often a good idea to germinate your seeds in April or May. If you plan your outdoor weed season well, you can harvest between August and October, depending on the variety you choose.

The Best Spot For A Cannabis Plant In The Garden

Once you have your chosen cannabis seeds at home, you need to decide what the best spot for a cannabis plant in your garden is. Every garden is different, with its own advantages and disadvantages, so we can’t just point out that ideal spot for you. What we can do is list the most important factors, so you can find the best spot for a cannabis plant in your garden yourself.

Three Important Factors

If you want to find the best spot to grow weed outdoors, you need to keep an eye on three factors: the number of hours of sunlight, protection against bad weather, and optimal soil conditions. If you balance them, your plants will benefit optimally from what your garden has to offer.

1. Sun Hours and Position

Your plants need a lot of sunlight for photosynthesis. This biochemical process provides the energy to become a strong mature plant full of tasty buds. So, you want to give your outdoor weed as many hours of sun as possible each day.

If possible, choose a spot that faces south or southwest, as you’ll get the most sun per day. If that’s not possible in your garden, pay close attention for a day to how the sunlight moves through your garden. Choose a spot that catches at least seven hours of optimal light: more is usually even better.

However, beware of overheating. Stone surfaces reflect heat and absorb it to radiate again later. (Ambien) If this becomes too intense, it can damage the leaves and cause heat stress. If you plant your weed seeds too close to a wall or fence, you can also block the airflow, so give your cannabis garden a bit of air and space.

2. Shelter

The sun is your best friend, but if you’re not careful, the weather can also become a problem. A severe summer storm or early autumn rain and fog can greatly spoil your growth and harvest chances.

That’s why sufficient shelter is important at the best spot for growing outdoor weed in your garden. Try to make use of the bushes, trees, and fences that are already there, as long as they don’t block all the sunlight. If you know the usual wind direction, you can usually balance the sun and the wind well.

3. In The Ground Or In Pots?

Does the best spot to grow weed in your garden offer full soil? Then by all means, plant your weed seeds in the ground. Full soil with good drainage (essential for healthy roots and water/nutrient uptake) usually offers enough natural soil life and valuable nutrients for cannabis plants, although additional nutrition sometimes remains necessary. In addition, the roots get all the space, allowing your plants to grow into meter-high weed trees if you go for that.

If you plant your weed seeds or seedlings in pots, this also has advantages and disadvantages. Pots can be moved for even more sun hours, or a quick evacuation if a storm is coming. However, they do not have the buffer effect of full soil: water evaporates much faster in a pot. Always make holes in the bottom of your pots for drainage and give your plants enough space for a strong, healthy root system.

Now that you know the most important factors, it’s time to spot the best place to grow outdoor weed in your garden!

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There are quite a few people who, despite their green thumbs, hesitate to grow their own cannabis at home in the garden. That’s a real shame, because growing cannabis outdoors yourself is easy. Therefore, at least read through this short blog: before you know it, you’ll be very satisfied harvesting your first yield of home-grown outdoor cannabis!

Growing A Cannabis Plant In The Garden, Is That Difficult?

We can be brief about this: no, growing a cannabis plant in your garden yourself is a piece of cake. The nickname for cannabis is not without reason ‘weed’. Cannabis grows like weed – once they take hold, it’s often more difficult to keep them out of your garden than in…

Everything you need to easily grow cannabis outdoors is contained in a cannabis seed. And because ordering cannabis seeds online is so simple, you only need some space in your garden. The rest comes from nature, including sunlight, water, and nutrients from the soil.

Of course, you can help your cannabis plants by watering them well, fertilizing extra, using growing techniques, and giving lots of love, but all of this is extra. If you’re growing cannabis for the first time, you really just need to plant some seeds in the ground and wait for them to grow and bloom.

As you can see, growing cannabis outdoors is easy, so just order your first-class cannabis seeds and check if you are allowed to have plants in the garden where you live.

Growing Cannabis Outdoors Yourself, Is That Allowed?

The answer to this question largely depends on where you live. In the Netherlands, the home base of Amsterdam Genetics, small-scale home cultivation is tolerated by the police, as long as it doesn’t look like you’re growing for commercial purposes. So, with a few cannabis plants in the house, you should not have any trouble in principle – although things still regularly go wrong, even here.

In the U.S., what you can and cannot grow varies by state. So always check local regulations before getting started there, because every season new states are added where people discover how easy it is to grow cannabis outdoors.

Worldwide, cannabis legislation is constantly changing. Many European countries are flirting with the idea of legalization, with Malta at the forefront when it comes to tolerant rules. Thailand is also a strong example of how quickly regulations can change. But if you are not allowed to grow cannabis outdoors in your country (yet), do not look for problems. Remember, you can simply order cannabis seeds that you can store for years before you germinate them – you can nicely wait until your country legalizes home cultivation!

You Too Can Grow Cannabis Outdoors

Cannabis grows like a weed, but there are more reasons why growing cannabis at home is easy. Nowadays, you can easily order absolute top-quality cannabis seeds online. Online seed banks with a top reputation like Amsterdam Genetics have been perfecting their seeds for decades, so everyone can get started at home. Your first package of high-quality cannabis seeds is just a few clicks away – especially with our fast, discreet and safe shipping method!

In our webshop, you will find seeds that make growing cannabis at home easy for everyone, so also for you, wherever you live and whatever climate you have. Be sure to check out our growing collection of fast and super easy autoflower cannabis seeds, for the best results with minimal risks and effort.

Easily Grow Cannabis Outdoors In Your Garden Or On Your Balcony

We notice that beginner growers often doubt whether they can easily grow cannabis outdoors in their garden or on their balcony. So, you don’t have to be insecure about that, because with a few small adjustments, you can turn any spot into a perfect outdoor grow location. We have a whole bunch of special blogs to help you get started. We show you how to find the best spot for cannabis plants in your garden, how to get the best soil for easily growing cannabis outdoors, and how to protect your plants from mold, diseases and harmful bugs. Not sure whether to work in a pot or in the open ground? Don’t worry, we have all the info you need to set up your own cannabis garden perfectly!

Easily Water And Feed When You Grow Cannbis Plants Outdoors

In addition to free sunshine and your own garden soil, you mainly need water and nutrition for easy outdoor cannabis growing. Even though you don’t necessarily have to give your plants extra manure or feed, if you want to do so, you can often get very far with your own compost and food from the garden center. Also, check out our blogs about watering cannabis plants and choosing the right nutrients for a good start. You will notice how easy it is to grow cannabis outdoors once you give it a try.

Smart Tips For Beginners: Keeping A Grow Diary

If you are just starting with your cannabis garden, it is handy to keep a diary to see how your plants are doing. This way, you can quickly identify the cause of any problems and learn from your mistakes in your next round. Moreover, with such a grow diary, you can ask the right questions to experts from the grower community, like the many experienced hobbyists on Growdiaries.com.

Your Outdoor Cannabis Adventure Begins Here

So? Are you ready to get your green fingers a bit muddy? Are you eager to delve into the world of quick and easy outdoor cannabis cultivation? Head straight to our online catalog and select the flavors, effects, and properties that appeal to you. If you truly don’t know where to start, consider ordering our Exotic Purple Autoflower strain. This multicolored beauty combines a sweet candy taste with rapid growth and flowering, resulting in a smooth, easy harvest full of deeply relaxing purple-green buds.

If you have further questions about growing cannabis outdoors easily, read through our blogs or get in touch with our team. If you think you’ve learned enough, order your cannabis seeds promptly and get started – you could already be sitting outdoors in the sun enjoying your new green hobby!

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Those planning to grow weed outdoors, naturally hope for a large harvest. To achieve this, attention must be paid to several different factors such as the quality of the soil, the type of weed you’re going for, and whether you use certain pruning and training techniques. In this blog, we’ll give you the tips you need to get that much-desired large weed harvest.

Which type of weed is best for outdoor growing?

When you’re ready to grow weed outdoors, the first thing you need to decide on is the type of weed. You can go for Indica, Sativa, or a hybrid strain. Each has its own unique properties that make it more or less suitable for outdoor cultivation.

Indica plants remain fairly small but can produce large fan leaves. They are robust and can handle cooler and unfavorable weather better. The flowering phase is relatively short. Sativa, on the other hand, is suitable for higher temperatures, they grow tall, and form long, slender leaves. They can’t handle the cold as well.

Then there are the hybrids, the crosses between Indica and Sativa. These were developed to obtain the best qualities from both parents. They grow tall and yield large harvests. A hybrid may, therefore, be a good choice for beginner growers.

Choose the best growing spot

Once you’ve chosen the best seed, it’s time to decide where to plant your weed. The best spot is sunny, provides your plants with adequate shelter from wind and rain, and there is good air circulation.

Wind

Pay attention to where the wind usually comes from. Place your plants in a sheltered spot. A little wind can’t hurt, in fact, it makes them stronger. But ensure they don’t get the full force of a storm. If necessary, you can put up a fence or hedge.

Sunlight

Place your weed plants in a sunny spot. They should ideally get six hours of sun each day. This gives you the best chance of a large harvest when growing outdoors.

Water

Also, consider watering. If it rains sufficiently, you won’t have much to do. But in dry times, you’ll have to water your weed plants. Make sure you have a water supply nearby or use an irrigation system.

If you plant your plants in the ground, you’ll need to provide permanent solutions for the above points. If you put your plants in pots, you’re more flexible. You can then move them in strong wind or bright sun.

Preparing the soil for outside growing

Essential for getting a large weed harvest is preparing the soil. If your weed plants grow in pots, you can buy ready-made soil. If they are in the ground, you can make adjustments to the soil yourself to ensure it has the right composition.

First, find out what the pH value of the soil is. You can mix lime into the soil if it’s too low (the soil is then acidic). Add sulfur to make the soil more basic.

You can also do something about the density of the soil. If the ground contains too much clay, it can become too moist and sticky. If the proportion of sand is too large, it doesn’t retain enough moisture. Therefore, you can mix other types of soil into the soil to get the ideal composition. Cannabis does well on a mix that contains both clay (20%), sand (40%), and silt (40%).

Large weed harvest by pruning and training

Pruning and training techniques are also ways to ensure a larger weed harvest. By steering how big and in which direction your plants grow, you also determine where light and nutrients can reach. The better you ensure an optimal distribution, the better your plants do, and the more chance of full buds you have.

For example, you can use Low Stress Training (LST), where you can control growth by gently bending the branches. Topping is also an LST. This technique involves cutting the main stem so that the side branches grow harder. This gives you twice as many buds and therefore a bigger harvest.

Supercropping is used to prevent your plants from growing too tall. In this process, you bend stems. Supercropping gives you the opportunity to control the leaf canopy of your plants, allowing them to make optimal use of light. This is also beneficial for outdoor growing, as plants can take light away from their neighbors. By ensuring that the leaf canopy does not become too dense, buds can grow well.

Preventing Diseases and Pests

Of course, healthy cannabis plants provide the best and most buds. Therefore, it is important to keep your plants healthy and prevent diseases and pests. Pests like bud rot and powdery mildew can ruin your harvest.

There are several natural ways to prevent diseases and pests. For example, you can use predatory insects to combat harmful species. Companion planting is also a good way to support your cannabis plants. Herbs like lavender and basil can repel insects or attract beneficial insects. Other plants, like dandelion, can improve the soil.

The less energy your plants have to spend on surviving and repairing damage, the more they have left for forming rich, delicious buds.

This shows how a bit of preparation and good care for your plants increases the chances of a large harvest. Start at the beginning and first make your choice from our wide range of quality seeds. Want to know more about cannabis cultivation, read our clear step-by-step plan to start quickly and well prepared with outdoor cannabis cultivation.

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