This week the photoperiods really settled into their training rhythm. Early in the week I introduced silica into their watering for added stem strength. Midweek (Sept 4) I topped the plants above the 4th/5th node, leaving clean spacing to avoid splitting, and also removed the lower nodes to simplify their structure for the 32×32 tent. By the end of the week, each plant was forming four healthy mains that should train out evenly.
Early in the week I also cleaned up the soil surface by pulling out some weeds that had sprouted in the cover crop mix. I originally mistook them for thyme, but once they developed it was clear they weren’t. Removing them freed up space and ensured the true cover crop and main plants had full access to water and nutrients.
The plants showed no stress from topping or pruning — leaves stayed a strong, even green, and they were “praying” toward the light after each adjustment.
I also uppotted them into their next pots this week. Roots had begun filling their containers, and the timing lined up well with topping. Each transplant went smoothly, and the plants showed no signs of shock afterward.
On the feeding side, I watered with silica and began brewing a compost tea (worm castings, kelp, a touch of fish emulsion) for a 18–24 hr cycle to use in the next watering. Watering cadence was every 2–3 days, depending on dryback.
Overall, week 5 was about building structure and resilience. The plants bounced back quickly from topping, are holding great color, and are on track to fill out the tent evenly as training continues.