My back is healing well, and yesterday I was cleared to go back to exercise and real life. No more brace. And I’m a fraction of an inch taller!!! LOL
And now I want to discuss my future grows and where I plan to go from here:
In Missouri, recreational pot is on the ballot Nov. 8th. If it passes, nothing in my grow will really change, except for the costs. Instead of paying $100 annually for my license to grow plus $25 for a med license (and the charge for the medical appointment, which is usually $99, They will have a three-year license that costs $50, I believe. I don’t have all the info, but it will be better.
I plan to grow four large plants in the 5 X 5 tent. I’m choosing indica varieties that are high yield, now that I have found that those grow best in my environment. Sativas are too tall and resistant to LST methods, and the branches break easily. Indica plants tend to have a lot of undergrowth, so the main idea is to keep that at a minimum.
The method I have finally found to work best is to have two nets; one slung low over the plants, used to scrog the branches until all the growth is as wide across the canopy as possible (or your preference.) The second net is about a foot up, and is used to support the branches as they develop.
It is important to trim, trim, trim as the plants grow, to keep them in the canopy. I’ve had them get away from me in a hurry, and then there is so much cleanup. Trimming saves time and nerves.
As you know if you have read my journal, I’m a hydroponics grower. I use the ebb and flow method in a tray.
The medium I finally have found to be best for my purposes is fiberglass blocks. The plants are rooted in a large square block, then another rectangular block is placed underneath to contain the root mass. The amount of root mass you allow is directly proportional to how large the plant will get. For four plants, one rectangular block underneath is enough.
I feed four times a day, every six hours, for 45 minutes total. The food I use is GH flora series, with cal mag and some of the additives. I have found that less is more, and I’m learning how to use some of the more complicated ways of determining water viability. I haven’t had serious pest or gnat problems recently, mostly because I don‘t allow them to get started. I use organic methods of breaking the life cycle rather than pesticides.
The tent is automated, using analog timers. Our electricity and our Internet are too unreliable otherwise. I did try total automation with Alexa and it failed. So safe rather than sorry.
I’m going to wrap this journal up here, and will be opening up a new journal in the future with my new grow.
with the surgery! 
for the update! Take care and heal quickly.
on all Pink! And the rest of us are shrinking a lot more than that. 
