So... playing a bit of catch up on my grow diary after several weeks of being away. Photos are actually from Week 8 - but I'm new to Grow Diaries and don't know how to change this, lol.
Having survived my fungal gnat infestation and installing my A/C solution to combat the hot summer temperatures, I think my girls are bouncing back nicely!
My Tangerine Dream auto has begun to flower - perfect timing as I had just bent her the week before and was concerned the stress might affect her flowering. Nope! This girls looks happy to me.
My CBD Blueberry was already showing positive signs from the topping I did - the secondary shoots are beginning to grow new branches. My Diesel (no training thus far) is looking a slightly lighter green with dark green veins in the leaves. I'll keep an eye on her to check for deficiencies but otherwise, she looks healthy.
I had heard great things about Blumat water emitters and wanted to give these puppies a try to see if I can take some of the guesswork out of watering. These devices work with the natural suction of the plant - emitting water as the plant draws on the soil for more moisture. Setup was a bit of a learning curve but after watching a Youtube video or 2, I was off to the races. After the first few days or so I noticed that my food-grade reservoir (5gal bucket) actually had its walls completely sucked it! Definitely user error - I had sealed the bucket with its lid to prevent dust and debris but didn't about how much suction these plants would create! I've since pulled free to spout cap on the lid and set it on the spout loosely to allow for air exchange.
Last, but not least, I tried my first attempt at an organic tea. Using another 5 gal food grade pail, a dual output air pump and a 4" round air stone from the local pet store. Using a recipe I found online through another organic grower I started with 2 gallons of RO Water and added unsulphured blackstrap molasses, kelp meal, compost, worm castings, insect frass and a few other amendments into an old sock (aka. my "tea bag") and hung this in the bubbling water for roughly 12 hours. By the time it was done, the mixture was very frothy (a good sign I'm told) and decanted into a watering can to administer to the plants. The mixture may have been a bit strong as the girls looked a little shocked the next day or 2, but came back after I added a bit of plain RO water to the soil.
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