Blue Cheese

Second grow. First was a bit underwhelming, but that's how we learn, right? 😉 I've got two 5 gal plants growing in some goodied up organic soil, under 2 300w LEDs (150w actual draw each), so here we go again.

The only notable difference this time around is the soil gnats, due to the fact that this round of soil came from an opened bag, stored in my garage. I've never had this issue before, so still reading up to figure out what to do about them. Obviously, any input is welcomed! Also, being a noob, I'm still building my grow setup and am just now getting around to getting a thermometer/hygrometer and a digital pH reader. As far as this particular strain, it seems about average. Thick stemming, evenly spaced nodes.

(My apologies for the "purple plant pics"... I'm not always around when the lights shut off, so sometimes I have to take pictures when they're on. 😕) BIG changes this week! This is my second attempt at main lining/manifolding and it was still nerve wracking! To top a wee bit of the next shoot is one thing... To cut half the plant off feels brutal and terrifying! Then, if that's not offensive enough to the poor plant, then I went and chopped everything else below the node I'm working with. 😮 It really is a savage ordeal for the plants! I'm still dealing with the friggin soil gnats though. They are getting really annoying, so now I'm trying a different product. As for the growth, it seems to be growing at an average rate, being only slightly slower than the other breed growing with it.

It's week 3, I'm still dealing with gnats, and my girls are taking quite the beating from the neem oil solution. 😖 To make things worse, this girl is not liking all the chopping involved with main lining. Very slow growing and foliage is sickly looking on mature leaves.

After a pretty dramatic slowing from the stress and damage of pesticide treatment and main lining, growth has finally picked back up after adding some nutes and cal mag. I still have gnats, but I had to stop the neem oil treatment, because it was killing the foliage. I have no idea if there will be a greater threat from the gnats, or if they are just more of an annoyance than anything else. For now, I've got to focus on growth, being so behind because of the main lining technique, so my pest problem will have to take a back seat. My guess is that main lining will add several weeks on to my total grow time, so I'm making a mental note to myself for future grow schedules. The whole point of trying this technique is to maximize your micro-harvest, so we shall see. 🤔 Though progress is slow moving, the plant has made a nice recovery with the trimming of the damaged foliage and the halting of the neem oil treatment. Should I keep treating the gnats, or should I leave it alone and chalk it up to a learning experience about soil prep? If I continue to fight the gnats because they pose a danger to my girls, should I try something other than neem oil? I have been using Garden Safe's, Neem Oil Extract.

The growth of this plant has been odd and asymmetrical, even with main-lining. It seemed as if one side was growing, but the other was stunted. I've slowly been increasing the nutrients, which seems to be helping the stunted side, while LSTing the other side that's markedly taller. Hopefully with training on the taller mains, and a little bit of catching up on the smaller mains, I'll have an even canopy. 😁 I suspect the gnats were getting to the roots and starving that side. After messing with gnats for weeks, I've decided to give diatomaceous earth a try. I scooped about a 1.5 inch layer of soil and replaced it with the powder. It's messy as hell! Fingers crossed!

A nice pick up in growth after fighting with gnats and stressing the hell out of this girl with mainlining. Gnats are gone. BASTARDS!!! Now I just have to deal with my own aggravation over the nasty, goopy mess that the fossil powder created in my grow space. 😡 So far, so good. 🙂

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Since the website doesn't seem to like blank weeks... There was no care given to this plant during this week and no pictures were gathered.

So as life does what it does best... Murphy's law came to rule at my home, I ended up sick in the hospital for a week. 😫 Therefore, I have no photo goodies to share for week 10, which would not have been very pleasant to look at anyhow..... Especially if you're squeamish. I thought I was going to throw up when I finally came home to them wilted, shrunken, droopy, and looking way beyond the need for simple intervention or any other form of TLC. I gasped and then cried a little. My 8 beautifully placed and spaced mains were all over the place and some got starved out for light and did not grow at the same height. My mainlining symmetry was gone! But to my astonishment, she came back for me with some watering, feeding, defoliation, and light LSTing. I've been fiddling with the gardening wire that I use for LSTing to get the tops even again and it's going pretty well. I even dropped the LED on her by accident two days ago and thought... this is the end. But nope! She's my rock star, this plant, and her partner in crime, Miss Sugar Black Rose! 😍😎

After a long break of recuperation from so much abuse, she's back on track and growing gloriously. 😊 Finally some more beautiful pics to share! 😍

Still going strong and getting fat, though most of the large fan leaf foliage has all but died. Not sure if this is ok, considering she's still got a few more weeks to go. Buds are heavy enough that I finally have to formally support the plant. Getting excited!

Flowers are really getting heavy now!

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Last week was not veg, but I can't figure out how to change that. I've got very little green foliage left but my flowers still look healthy and getting fatter. Still have a bit of time to go.

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This grow was tainted with so many obstacles it's a miracle I got a crop at all! I'm happy with the outcome and the strain.