I've installed the faux blumats and they are working. Not a lot of water is going thru these things but I think its enough to keep the plants alive and thriving once I leave them alone for a week. By raising the water reservoir there is a higher water flow than if they were sitting on the floor. Before I take off I'm going to top off the water reservoirs and nute, spray, and soak the plants.
So its Saturday and the faux blumats have kept the plants watered and healthy while I've been away. The bigger plant grew 5 inches and is now too near the lamp. Time to top which will show in the pix. I've also used soft wire ties to train the plant to keep it about 18 inches from the lamp on a 12/12 cycle. The smaller plant has gotten a little more frosty. The cola is still frosty white so it is still weeks away before harvest. Lookin' good!
Well I'm back and the girls have done quite well. They are moved into the basement (60F) because they got too big for the tent. They'll get LED light and natural light. I'll likely harvest the little one by Sunday. Can't really get close-ups to show the details of the trichomes. Looked thru a 10x loupe and they are getting frosty - some clear / some cloudy.
I'm pretty sure now that I have one Indica dominant plant variety and one sativa dominant. The smaller one I'll harvest soon is dark green, small, and bushy (Indica). The larger plant hasn't gotten frosty yet so it's a long way from harvest. The watering with the faux blumats is working quite well. I'll get the watering system set up today so I can watch it work for a few days. I'm only watering the large one. I gave the smaller one a last fresh water flush this morning.
So the little gal is cut down and hanging upside down to dry. The big gal is watered and continuing on a 12/12 light regimen with a little natural light thrown in for good measure. Gave her a little shot of nutes too. With the auto watering system - 3 of those faux blumats - in place it should be good for about 10days - long enough for my sister-in-law to stop in an refill and water.
The little one is dried and I'm going to put it in a jar this AM to cure. A little disappointed in the big one tho - I thought it would be a little frostier - pix to come. It's about 6 weeks of flowering time and I'm hoping that by sticking around for a couple of weeks of TLC she will be ready to harvest.
Could wait for the cure and tried some of the little lady. Pretty good buzz for such a small, stressed plant. Weighed out at 5 grams of dried bud. Put the rest in a cleaned Barilla tomato sauce jar to cure. btw: those jars seal up better any other jars I've used.
Got a better look at the trichomes and they're just getting cloudy with the lower buds still having clear trichomes - the hairs on the top buds are turning to a brownish color and I'm getting impatient but I'll wait a few more days before the harvesting ceremony
In a few weeks I think I'll buy some landrace seeds for a 2019 outside grow here in Michigan - I did an outside grow amongst the tomato plants about 40 years ago