Morn'n UB,
I'm at day 30 since SID. On day 27 I clipped everything above the second node. Most plants had 5 opposing nodes (some with the sixth one begining to show) but all had at least 4 (with the beginnings of a fifth). One interesting thing I noticed was that even before pinching about half of the plants had some pretty good secondary branches already forming at the first and second nodes while the other half only had just the tinniest indication that something was forming there. There was quite a distinct difference between these two groups.
I was wondering at what point you begin considering feeding with some additional ferts? I know I could wait until the plant starts indicating it wants more by having the leaves yellow (or develope other problems) bur I'd kind of like to avoid any of that all together. In other words preventative feeding instead of damage control or corrective action.
I've already given them all a little taste of the Alaskan Fish Fertilizer (@1TBS/gallon) when I watered them on day 19. That hasn't appeared to have hurt them as far as I can tell.
Also I've been reading on the various J.R. Peters Web sites. Particularly
http://www.jacksclassic.com/ . I was wondering what your recomendation would be for one of the specific products found on these pages. I've been checking my local retail sources and haven't been able to find any of the Peter's products so I'm gonna have to do a mail order. Do you have any particular web based businesses you could recommend for that?
I checked the PH of that potting soil mix I made up and it's reading a nice neutral 7. I do however know from past experience that due to the alkalinity of my well water that by the end of the grow it will most likely have crept up to where it gets to be around 8. In the past I've tried to bring this back down with Aluminum Sulfate additions to the watering.
I've got a small commercial green house right down the road from me that supplies a lot of the vegatable and flower plants for local gardeners in the Spring. In talking with the owner I found out that she uses an acid based fertilizer as a method of counteracting the general alkalinity of the water in our area. Being as this woman always has some very healthy, strong and vibrant plants to sell every Spring I figure she must know what she's talking about. I should have just bought some of it while I was there so I had it on hand (or at least written the name down) but I didn't and now unfortunetly she's closed for the Winter. Do you have any thoughts on the acid based ferts? I've noticed that Peter's has some of them.
O.K. I'm begining to ramble on so......
(Kirk out)
Jack