Operation: Heady Energizers

This is my first try in a very long time and certainly the first time where I feel like I have a "complete" setup. Previously, I've done a few moderately successful plants using the "closet-under-the-stairs, as cheaply as possible" methodology. Now, I'm finally in a financial position to build out a real indoor tent and I'm just so tired of getting mediocre flower of unknown origin through a third (or fourth, or fifth) party. However, I'm a greenthumb with quite a lot of non-cannabis growing experience (both edible and ornamental), so I will be monitoring the conditions closely and noting my thoughts and observations on a fairly regular basis. I will be selectively applying some complementary training methodologies as I see fit. My plan is to begin with a top around node 4-5 to break the apical dominance and then start LST bending the new mains horizontally. I will consider topping each main a second time depending on how vigorous the growth seems and then install my ScrOG net to help spread the canopy across the whole tent. Finally, I will do some selective defoliation in the lower half and insides to keep up good airflow and minimize the amount of leaves that are receiving close-to-zero light. 7/10 Temp controller keeping tent between 69-75 Fº. Will adjust a bit warmer over the next few days. The RH in my basement is ~50% ambient, so I'm hoping the damp starter plugs might increase it a little in the tent, at least until they start poking out. Obviously, nothing has happened yet. 7/12 Morning Check: Still nothing popping out of the soil. Tupperware getting too humid again, took the lid off. Hit them with the tiniest bit of Garden Rich Root and Grow. Mixed at ~half recommended ratio and watered with just a few mL on each plug. Evening Check: We have liftoff, couple tiny necks poking out. One of each variety so far. 7/14 Morning Check: Everything is looking pretty healthy. All the initial leaves are now exposed. Maybe a tiny bit stretchy imho. Checked light, don't have a lux meter but I do have a footcandles meter... noted plant-level of ~600 fc = ~6500 lux, which is not enough. Based on some googling, decided to bump that up to ~1500 fc = ~16,150 lux (plus, apparently, the uncounted light from the UV/infra). Maybe that will help. I kept the light turned down and a bit closer to the plants because I don't really see a reason to blast it at full power from far away. Will continue to increase over time. Evening Check: Lookin good. Turned a couple of them so they would straighten out a bit. 7/15 Morning Check: Things are going pretty great so far. They don't seem to be exploding vertically since the light change yesterday (👍). I want to monitor the overnight conditions (mainly RH) and I'm probably going to buy a humidity controller similar to my temp one. I figure I'll wait and see how things progress as it's only day 6. Overnight conditions: Temp Range: 69-77.5F (exactly as expected, it's on a controller) RH Range: 51%-74% (hypothesis: 51% was probably when the exhaust was on... it's on a cheap timer that can only do 15 minute intervals, my ambient basement is 51%.) I'm happy in the RH=60-70ish range for now, but will want to dial it back a bit eventually. Will continue to monitor but I probably should just shell out the 40 bucks for the controller so I can be more lazy without having to worry about it. Update: 10:30AM - Inspected the starter plugs and realized the tap roots were already exploding out the bottoms and getting tangled in the netting. Wasn't planning on putting them in the pots yet but, fuck it, they are in the pots now. Cut the netting off with sterilized scissors being as careful as I could to cut around/not disturb the exposed root, but one of them got damaged anyway. They are thus far happy, healthy, and getting a minor dose of rooting chemistry/hormones, so I doubt it's going to hurt the plant much if at all. Honestly, don't feel like I really need the starter plugs anyway. I have a billion plastic nursery trays/pots in the garage, I don't know why I didn't just use that stuff with a handful of starter dirt like I normally would. Evening Check: SLH 1 is looking a little yellow for my liking but I'm just gonna assume I shocked it a little bit and it's fine. It's the one where the end of the tap root got damaged. Everyone else looks healthy and not stretchy. 7/16 Morning Check: Day 7 since the first 18/6 light cycle, tomorrow starts week 2. Looking pretty good, but I definitely feel like they weren't *really* ready to transplant. Still, standing tall. SLH 1 (slightly damaged root) is still a little on the yellow side, but it seems fine otherwise. Overnight conditions: Temp Range: 69.5-78F RH Range: 47%-73% Going to start warming this up a bit and dialing it in on a tighter range shortly. Probably ~74-79F. Don't like that 47% RH overnight, so I ordered the new temp/humidity controller (this time w/ wifi real-time data logging). That should be pretty cool to play with. Evening Check: Looking pretty good. First set of leaves is coming in nicely. Goodnight week 1.