Weekly Update: Leaf Tugging, Taping Accidents & Fresh Nutes
Another week down! Since my last update on October 4th, the plants have been moving along, though Plant #1 remains a magnet for drama. Here is how the week played out inside the tent:
October 5th – October 7th: Smooth Operations & Topping
Nothing too major to report during the first few days of the week. Just routine maintenance like removing a few fan leaves here and there to improve airflow and canopy light penetration. I also went ahead and topped the main side shoots above the 3rd node on both plants to continue building out our mainlining structure.
October 8th (Thursday): The Care Bears Under Pressure
Decided to do a little bit of leaf tugging. Working with only one hand struck again. I managed to split a side shoot clean down the node on the already heavily battered Plant #1. I quickly wrapped it with some tape and braced it up. At this point, the Care Bears sitting in the pumice are working overtime… and honestly, doing a much better job than I am with my single hand!
October 9th (Friday): Full Reservoir Change
Time for a fresh start. Drained the buckets completely and mixed up a fresh batch of nutrient solution. Dialed in the parameters right on the spot: EC 1.5 mS/cm and pH 5.5. The roots welcomed the clean drink immediately. Good thing the buckets were already half empty from the girls drinking them down.
October 10th (Saturday): Zero Intervention
Life got busy and I didn't even get a chance to open the tent. Honestly, leaving the plants alone for a full 24 hours is probably the best gift I can give Plant #1 right now to let those taped nodes heal in peace.
October 11th (Today): Spontaneous Topping & Heavy Defoliation
I opened up the tent today to take photos for this weekly log and had a sudden change of plans. Seeing how much Plant #2 is outstripping Plant #1, I made a spontaneous decision: I topped Plant #2 again to aim for 16 main tops instead of 8!
This serves a dual purpose: it slows down Plant #2's vertical surge and buys much-needed time for Plant #1 to recover from her injuries and catch up. While I was in there, I also gave both plants a generous defoliation session to open up the canopy for all the new tops.
What do you guys think, when is the right time to switch to flower? Hopefully next week's post will mark the switch to 12|12!