Root_Report_1 ("The two sisters")

Rick_Root Last week was very rainy. There were hardly any hours of sunshine. Nevertheless, the "White Widow" grew to about 13-14cm. Due to the lack of light, both plants are leaning towards the window. The location is still the windowsill. The "Cherry Lady" has now grown to about 8cm. Both girls were watered for the first time with a larger watering can (24 hours of standing tap water). I was a bit too rough, causing the already tilted and somewhat weaker Cherry to be pushed down. I gave her a back support with a short wire and propped her up again. The proximity to the balcony attracts fungus gnats. I've already caught a few critters and sent them back outside. So, caution is advised. It has also been very wet the last few weeks. From this week on, the weather is supposed to get better, and the two girls can enjoy the sun on the windowsill (south side). I'm already thinking about whether and how I will train the plants. This is new territory for me as a grower. I've always let the plants grow as they wanted. I think I will start with LST around week 4. The "White Widow" will likely be topped for that. I'm curious to see how it will affect the plant. I'll let the somewhat weaker Cherry regain her strength for now. I can still think about it for a few weeks. Best regards peace

Rick_Root The two sisters are growing great. With the White Widow, I had to drill more holes in the bottom of the pot because the side openings weren't sufficient (see photos). A lot of moisture was collecting in the middle. However, it still grew to 20 to 21 centimeters. There are already three nodes visible. Maybe I'll wait until the fourth before I top it. The Cherry Lady has recovered nicely and has grown to 14 to 15 centimeters. She hasn't needed her support for days now. She looks good. However, there are some light spots on her leaves (pictures 4 to 6). I hope this isn't the tobacco mosaic virus. I have no experience with that at all. So far, everything has been going well with the homegrown. She will be monitored further. The good weather has really done wonders for both of them. They can stay on the windowsill. The fungus gnats haven't gotten out of hand yet. Occasionally, small critters are still flying around. But it's not that bad. I've already seen cheap washed play sand in the advertisement brochure. If there are too many, further measures will be taken. Best regards peace

Rick_Root The week was a bit rainy. But the windowsill is still a good spot. The Cherry Lady is now about 30 centimeters tall. She's still a little smaller than her sister, but she's doing well so far. The White Widow has now been tied down to about 28 to 29 centimeters. It's the first time I'm "training" a plant. I have practically no experience with LST. To prepare, I watched some examples here in the diaries and on YouTube. Then I drilled a small hole in the edge of the pot and secured the plant with hemp string. The root was already deep and firm enough without being pushed out. In the next few weeks, I'll remove the lowest node with its little side shoots. Once the top node has grown a bit more, I can top this pretty widow. I also have no practical experience with this HST at all. I'm curious to see how the remaining four nodes will develop. Only the fungus gnats are annoying... I might try using play sand. love&peace

Rick_Root In the fifth week, I took the plunge. After training the White Widow a bit, I cut it above the fifth node. I used my nail scissors for that (see video), which I also use to trim my toenails. 😅 Then I removed the lowest node. Now it has four nodes left that are supposed to grow into eight flower clusters. It was the first time I topped a plant. To tie it down better, I attached a hazelnut branch across the pot. This makes tying it down much easier. I'm letting the Cherry Lady grow without any training, etc. She's currently about 40 centimeters tall. Here, I'll just do a bit of defoliation in the next few days. The lowest leaves can be removed. They don't look very good. The Cherry Lady can also handle a larger pot. She will be repotted soon. The pH level of the supermarket potting soil is too high at about 8. The ideal range is between 6 and 7. I'll be getting rhododendron and hydrangea soil for that. A custom mix will be made. For now, she'll stay in her small pot, which I've given a coat. The jute bag is supposed to protect the plant from fungus gnats. The cut part of the White Widow will be experimentally placed in a small seedling container and kept nicely moist. I'm curious to see if I can manage to clone the plant. peace & love

Rick_Root Both plants have now entered the pre-flowering phase. The Cherry lady got a "pair of new shoes." Her pot was a bit too small, so she now has a 9-liter pot. I also removed the lower leaves and the last bud node. She already smells wonderfully good. The White Widow has handled the stress and topping well. She also smells a bit, but not as strong as her Cherry sister. The fungus gnats suddenly disappeared after the heavy thunderstorm and wind a few days ago. Only one occasionally flies around on the balcony. If I keep a close eye, the problem has resolved itself without any further measures.

Rick_Root Both ladies are doing well. The pot change has clearly done the cherry lady good. She's growing over ten centimeters a week now. She's already 72 centimeters tall. The White Widow is handling the LST very well. In the meantime, I felt like the growth slowed down a bit. However, she has now grown to 34 centimeters.