Hey THseaman...I have re read and caught up the past few weeks I have not been on your thread. As you know, I grew from seed in hempy and after week 2, it was explosive and lush throughout the entire grow and I had 2 different strains. After re reading this thread, the only difference I see was the nutes used and the size of the containers. You kept them in cups for a looooong time. You said 44oz but they sure looked slim in width but maybe were 44oz deep. That male you plucked had quite a few roots which might have slowed growth. My containers were a good 10" wide and just as deep. I started in that size and finished in that size. That might be one of the reasons why you experienced the slow growth.
I've got another "lifeless medium" grow going but this time in coco coir. No journal or pics yet, but its going very well just as the hempy did.
Looks like its all worked out now and I cant wait to see the new pics