In this grow blog, I’ll take you through the complete grow cycle of three Fat Banana Auto plants in the Urban Chili 3.0 grow box. This all-in-one solution is perfect for beginners who want to grow high-quality cannabis at home – without assembly, tools, or stress. If you like plant timelapses, you can also check out my other grow projects like How to grow autoflower cannabis from seed or my plant timelapse equipment guide.
This grow journal documents the entire life cycle of three Fat Banana Auto plants grown in the discreet and stylish Urban Chili 3.0 grow box. From classic paper towel germination through topping, LST (low-stress training), and lollipopping, the limited space was used efficiently to produce high-quality buds.
The Urban Chili box impressed with its plug-and-play functionality, quiet operation, and efficient full-spectrum LED system. Switching the light cycle to 18/6 and introducing bloom nutrients at the right time supported vigorous growth.
Conclusion: a great setup for anyone looking for a clean, efficient, and discreet home grow – especially if you want a “living room friendly” grow box rather than a classic tent.
What is the Urban Chili 3.0 grow box?
Before we get into the grow itself, let’s take a look at the setup. The Urban Chili 3.0 (you can find all the details on the manufacturer’s website at urbanchili.eu) is more than just a grow tent – it’s a fully integrated, high-quality grow cabinet that blends seamlessly into any living space. With its modern wooden design and compact dimensions (65 x 45 x 133 cm), it looks more like a stylish piece of furniture than a grow box.
Key features
Powerful LED lighting
With 174 Samsung and Osram diodes, the 80-watt LED panel delivers a full light spectrum (380–780 nm) and excellent PPFD values for optimal growth and flowering. That means you don’t have to worry about choosing or mounting a separate grow light.
Efficient air circulation & odour control
Six ultra-quiet exhaust fans (around 33 dB) and an activated carbon filter system ensure continuous air circulation with minimal odour.
Low power consumption
With a total consumption of just about 93 watts, the system is energy-efficient and inconspicuous in everyday use. Combined with autoflowering genetics like Fat Banana Auto, this makes for a very budget-friendly home grow.
Plug-and-play setup
The unit comes pre-assembled and includes all technical components – all you need to add is soil, seeds, and nutrients. For a full breakdown of what else you might want to buy for time-lapse grows, see my plant time-lapse equipment guide.
These features make the Urban Chili an ideal solution for discreet growing in the living room, bedroom, or even the office. Curious? You can find more info directly at urbanchili.eu 🙂
Germination & early growth – Laying the foundation
I started with three Fat Banana Auto seeds (from Royal Queen Seeds) and used the classic paper towel method: moist paper towels sealed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm, dark spot. After about three days, two seeds had developed strong taproots – the third one wasn’t far behind. If you’ve never germinated seeds like this before, I also use this method in my How to Grow a Mango Tree from Seed (157-Day Time Lapse & Care Guide).
As soon as they were ready, I placed all three into high-quality soil, gently covered them with 1–2 cm of substrate, and put the pots directly into the grow box. Shortly after, all three broke through the soil surface – even the late starter! At this stage it’s mostly about stable moisture, gentle airflow and not blasting the seedlings with too much light.
Vegetative phase – Training & canopy management
One plant grew significantly faster than the other two. To even out growth across all three, I used several training techniques – very similar to what I do in my autoflower cannabis guide:
Lower defoliation
I removed some of the lower leaves and smaller shoots to improve air circulation and prevent mould. This also helps the plant focus energy on the upper, better-lit bud sites.
Topping
Once each plant had developed 4–5 active nodes, I topped the main stem. This encourages bushier growth and can increase yields by creating more main colas instead of one tall central stem.
LST (Low Stress Training)
The tallest shoots were gently bent down and tied in place to create a more even canopy. In the time-lapse video you can see how the plants turn back towards the light – a natural reaction called phototropism. If you enjoy shaping plants, you’ll probably also like my cannabis bonsai tutorial.
Here’s a picture shortly after LST – you can clearly see the flattened canopy and all the future bud sites getting equal light:
Lighting – One of the most important factors
The Urban Chili 3.0 uses a specially tuned LED spectrum for both growth and flowering. I set the light cycle to 18/6 (18 hours on, 6 hours off) – even though these are autoflowering plants and technically don’t need a dark period to start flowering.
Why give autos a dark period at all?
Autoflowers still benefit from a rest phase. Some leaves started showing mild stress symptoms (slight curling and discolouration), and adjusting the light schedule helped the plants recover and continue growing vigorously. If you want to dive deeper into light schedules for autos vs. photoperiod plants, check out this RQS article on autoflower light cycles.
Flowering phase & lollipopping – Focusing on bud production
Around day 40, the first flowers started to appear – a clear signal to switch from grow nutrients to bloom nutrients. From this point on, I used HESI Bloom fertilizer (you’ll find it in most grow shops or online). Just like in my autoflower grow, I always start with a bit less than the bottle recommends and slowly work my way up.
From then on, the buds really took off and grew bigger and denser day by day. The Urban Chili LED panel provided more than enough light for fat, resinous flowers across the whole canopy.
On day 55, I did what’s known as lollipopping: a pruning technique where you defoliate roughly the lower third of the plant. This helps conserve energy for the main tops at the top of the canopy where they get the most light. If you’ve never tried this before, this lollipopping guide is a great deep-dive.
The result: dense, frosty buds spread across the entire canopy, while the lower area remained clean, airy, and easy to manage. Perfect for small grow cabinets where every centimetre of light matters.
Conclusion – Is the Urban Chili grow box worth it?
Definitely. The Urban Chili 3.0 has proven to be a top-tier grow solution for anyone who wants a compact, quiet, and elegant indoor grow system. It’s beginner-friendly, discreet, and, with the right techniques, delivers excellent results – especially if you combine it with robust autoflower strains like Fat Banana Auto.
The Fat Banana Auto plants thrived under these conditions. With some training (topping, LST, lollipopping), I was able to significantly increase both yield and quality, even in the limited space. If you enjoy watching plants transform over weeks and months, don’t miss the full Fat Banana Auto timelapse below – and feel free to explore my other projects like growing cucumbers from seed or how to grow lettuce from seed.
