First Grow! Ethos, Purple City, Mephisto

Day 29, AM: We made it to week 5! The soil was dry again today (and even the leaves felt a little crispier than I'd like), so I gave them a huge drink of water, about 30oz per plant this time. This still resulted in almost no runoff, so I suspect I under-watered last time. But immediately after watering, the leaves started drooping severely. I'm not sure if that's because I was pouring from a mason jar and splashed some of the leaves, or if I drowned the roots temporarily. An hour later, they've mostly perked up, so I'll be more careful next time to avoid hitting the leaves and see if there's a difference. I also moved the light closer to increase the DLI from ~30 to ~40. Photone recommends (https://growlightmeter.com/autoflowering-cannabis-lighting/) between 40–50 in the 5th week, so I may need another increase soon, but I want to proceed gradually and not shock the plants with a massive change all at once. Another issue I'm wrestling with is whether to top, FIM, LST, or just let them grow. The deadline for making that choice is approaching fast... I see pistils! Day 29, PM: I decided against any high-stress training techniques; the plants are already behind schedule, and I can't afford to lose any more growth. So that would leave low-stress training, but the plants are so stocky and short that I can't pull the main cola far without bending the entire stalk. And anyway, since this is my first grow, I'd like to interfere as little as possible so I can gain a better understanding of how a plant naturally grows. But the main cola blocking the lower leaves IS a problem! So I compromised on the least invasive "training" method I know: ponytailing. I don't read much about ponytailing, probably because it's either ineffective or inappropriate for most grow situations. But I think my husky little plants just so happen to be very well-suited for it (I say to myself confidently... as if I have any idea what I'm even doing). So I'm starting with 4 hours of light, extremely gentle ponytailing today, then maybe 4–6 tomorrow and Saturday. I'll reassess after seeing how the plants respond. Day 31: Yesterday I worked from home so I used the opportunity to do another 8 hours of ponytailing. They seemed to respond well, although the ponytailed leaves wilted hard and took a while to recover. So that was probably too long. But this morning they looked healthy again, so I did another 2 hours before having to leave for the rest of the weekend. It seems to be working! The undergrowth is filling out, with no obvious signs of stress to the plants. Day 32: We were away for most of yesterday and today so I worried the plants would miss having me around, but it seems like the opposite. I came home to a healthy-looking tent—they’re still very short but filling out well. I’m doing another 2 hours of ponytailing tonight since it’s (apparently?) working well so far. Day 32, PM: The "another 2 hours of ponytailing" turned into about 6 hours because the undergrowth still seems like it could use a boost. Day 33: The soil was finally dry enough (probably too dry) that I felt it was safe to water. Each plant got about 64oz of water, with almost no runoff, so I likely waited too long. But the plants aren't showing any signs of discomfort, so who knows. I also put their top leaves up into ponytails again, and trimmed a few small leaves that were touching the soil. During that whole process, I noticed a white mark on two leaves, which I worry is WPM, but looks more like the mineral deposits we get on our Brita filter pitcher. And the last time I watered a few days ago, I used unfiltered water straight from the tap AND I splashed the leaves quite a bit. So hopefully that's all it is. Day 34: I haven't had to run the humidifier in a few days, the moisture in the plants and the soil has stabilized. Day 35: It's approximately the halfway point of this grow, and everything is finally progressing nicely. At this point the Ethos OG Kush is growing most vigorously, followed closely by the Purple City Razzberry Gastank. The Mephisto freebie is lagging behind with the fewest fan leaves and bud sites. But it IS growing very neatly, and seems healthy. It looks like the flowering stage is coming soon, and I'm excited!