Let me see the Northern Lights

Ok it's time to kick off a full length diary again! I have 3 RQS Northern Lights in Canna Terra medium with no nutrients yet. They have started in my small 40x40cm tent under 100w of light, and will be moved to the 2x2 tent with 150w once it's free in a couple of weeks. I am only picking the strongest female to put into a 5gal and I will use High Powered Organics Gro Dirt living supersoil. I do have some organic and salt based nutrients should I need them, but I may get through the whole grow without needing to worry.

They're growing really fast! They seem to be enjoying the high temps and I even lowered the light as they were praying. No issues to report so far.

Very rapid growth. So much so that I put them into 1gals until they show see... then I'll put the winner in her final pot. I topped around 5 days ago, and they responded well. I can now clearly see 3 different phenos. One is short and stocky with lots of branching, one is tall and thinner, and one looks like it will stretch like crazy with big growth between the branches after I topped it.

The plants are in need of a good defol. I have topped them all twice now, so I'll let them recover for a day or two then defol. I've added some lst clips to the taller pheno to keep it at a similar height to the others. This is day 25.

Growth is still going nicely with no issues. They are really out growing their pots, but there is method to my madness. I am actually trying to keep them as small as possible as i have another plant that is a couple of weeks behind that i wish to flower alongside. So i am just focusing on topping and keeping them level so when i put one or two of them into a 5 gal, they can have a week of veg and then flip. They are drinking a full litre a day and barely last two days at the moment. I'm thinking one more week, and i'll put one or two into a 5 gal. I was only going to keep one, but i might do two now.

A lot has happened since last week. I have now picked the two keepers, and have gifted the third to a friend. Why didn't i keep it? I have another plant in here that isn't a part of this diary (Barneys Farm Biscotti Mintz). Both plants got potted up into 5 gals, which Canna Terra. I have topped them both twice, and tied down the branches for an even canopy as well as removing fan leaves twice now. In reality, they are ready to flip, however i am waiting on my other plant (not pictured) to get a bit bigger before flipping. Maybe a week. One of the plants pictured looks a little droopy, but it just needed a drink which i have done since taking the photos. Neither would have rooted into their new medium yet so i expect them to start showing much more vigour in a few days as the roots start growing. The two lights i have in there are the original HLG QB288 which is 4 years old now, but still killing in. The second is the Viparspectra P1500. Both are at around 100w at the moment, and will get turned up to 150w each when i start flowering.

These things are exploding with growth. I had no choice but to flip, as they are just getting far too big. The left plant is drinking faster and is much bigger. I keep removing fan leaves and two days later it's like I've done nothing.

These things wont slow down. I've had stretch plenty of times, but these are on their own level. I've defoled almost every watering to try and get the light down into them and keep the air flow. I also have the light smashing them trying to stop the stretch, but it's just something i'm going to have to deal with. I will start with the bloom nutrients next watering. The flowering seems to be coming on very slowly, and I think these will be slow finishers. Whenever I see them in the afternoon (a few hours before lights out) they are all pointing up like you see in the photos, which almost makes it look like they aren't going to flower. I will have to check them in the morning when i can on the weekend, but I'm sure they are turning.

Thankfully the stretch has finished. My goodness. I had to take the lights off the ratchet hangers and clip them to the top of the tent just to get a bit more room. I was punishing them and getting burnt pistils, but I didn't want to dim them otherwise I wouldn't get as much penetration.