As stated above 
definitely get a digital ph tester for the water, just to make sure, the plants do look great, just trying to make sure all the bases are getting covered here.
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grow it and they will come grasshopper lol
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hey heather! nice to see the progress on your plants so far. it looks like theyāre growing and looking really healthy. one question, were your plants just watered in this photo? because the leaves look a little droopy. but again, overall very healthy.
are you still in the soil/coco mix? do you know what percentage youāve got that mix at soil and coco wise? i know others are mentioning the importance of ph testing your water. but i grow in soil and while itās my first grow, i have not done any ph testing yet. i just try to let my water sit for at least an hour (if not a day) before i use it to off-gas any chlorine or chloramine. i think coco has different requirements, so thatās why i ask about your soil mix. also your water could likely be a lot different than the water i have, so it might be more important for you.
but regardless, your plants look really good so iām not entirely sure if you HAVE to check your ph, because i know budget is also a consideration for you, so you canāt just be like āsure iāll buy a $100-200 ph penā.
looking at those ilgm nute bags, those look TINY! if iām reading your posts correctly, you at least got these packages for free with a coupon? but i agree i would be a little bothered if i had paid $50 for those bags. i know iāve spent a bit more than $50 for all of my nutrients and amendments, but i also know those boxes i have will last me dozens of grows, if not more. those ilgm bags look like theyāre maybe get you through a handful of grows? i could totally be wrong though.
you said youāre thinking of flipping to flower this week, but i might encourage you to keep vegging for a little longer. unless youāre on a timeline of some sort, i believe the bigger they are before flip, the more flower you will get. it would be unfortunate to go all the way through a grow and have a sub-optimal yield when a week or two more of veg would have given you a lot better yield. to me your plants still look a little small. if theyāre mostly indicas, they wonāt be stretching too much. but of course youāll have a better idea of what you want from your grow.
agreed with the other ogāers about pruning. i would really only remove leaves that are touching the soil or container, or that seem to be withering/dying, or if your leaves are creating moisture/mold issues. even the dying leaves iāll sometimes leave alone if i donāt think theyāll make the plant worse. if there are big leaves that seem to be blocking good growth underneath, you can try just tucking those big leaves underneath. that way theyāre still useful while not keeping the good stuff down.
as my plants grew bigger, it became more obvious to me what i wanted to remove and take away. it helped that i had one really big plant which i felt very comfortable trimming. for some reason, you can think itāll be good to remove a leaf, but itās only once you actually remove it that you realize right away whether it was a good idea or not. there have been one or two times where right after removing a leaf, i would think to myself āohhh, that doesnāt seem like it was a great idea after all.ā but you know, itās a plant and itāll grow more leaves!
are you sure your pots are 5 gallons? they look somewhat similar in size to my 1 gallon containers, which were about 8" across and 7" tall.
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Yes they were just watered an sprayed with some water. Iāve improved my watering skills finally lol Iāve been good since those Cinderellas were acting up
When I repotted I used soil, the only coco in there is what was around the roots
They were free so I canāt complain to much, unless it hurts my plants lol I watered a little in today. It says it will feed 5 plants start to finish, Iām not so sure
I donāt know if it was the correct choice but I untied them an cranked my lights up higher. Iām determined to get some kinda height outta them. They range anywhere from 6" to 3". So I did decide to give them more time to see if it helps an how the new nukes respond
Youāre probably right I think when I looked it up I read it wrong, it was 5 1 gal pots not 5 gal pots 
my plan is on repurposing some fabric grocery bags once I know what I want to keep
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repost had to blur information on the box
The plants seemed to like that new nutrients and lime powder mix I used. They are all standing tall. Itās wild how quickly they stood back upright after being untied. Still really small for their age 
They are beginning to smell soo good. I love walking into the house an getting hit with the smell
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oh yeah! now those are some happy looking plants, great job heather! it seems like the switch to soil has been good for you and your plants.
are those the final containers or do you plan to transplant one more time? if those containers are it, you maybe should flip now or soon? man they looked so much smaller in your previous photo.
edit: i re-read and you said you wanted to see their sex before transplant. makes sense. keep at it, youāre doing great. i think now you just have to worry about the upcoming heat with summer. are you growing any aloe or have you fed your plants any aloe yet?
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I tossed one into a fabric bag last week an put it in the hoop house to see howād it work with drainage an what not. Seems to be adjusting okay, once sexed Iāll move more.
I have not. What role does aloe play? Do you water the juice in? Iāve seen some big beautiful aloe plants. The one Iāve had for years is so spindly. Would probably take the whole plant to get a useful amount lol
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Those look damn good @Heather420 You are a natural!! 
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apparently aloe is supposed to be just amazing overall for plants, and people as well! for plants i believe aloe contributes to root growth (maybe more for establishing roots rather than growing new roots? iām not totally sure), as well as overall plant health and vigor, including boosting plant health during drought and stress conditions. hereās a really good webpage about it, i think AzSea first linked me to itā¦
https://homesteadandchill.com/homemade-aloe-vera-fertilizer/
iām surprised you donāt have a strong aloe plant growing in your yard. my (pretty basic) belief was that aloe does well in dry arid conditions. alternatively, you could order some powdered aloe for now and add that into your waterings. i do about a tsp or tbsp per gallon of wtaer.
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Looking at aloes ideal growing conditions, it doesnāt seem to like the cold. Iām up in mountain far enough to get a pretty decent winter, in the growing zone of a 6/7. Iāll learn how to take a cutting and putting it outside for the summer, maybe itāll grow better
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wait till full bloom 
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How was the wind out there yesterday? @Heather420
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It was awful. The gusts were so bad the people across the street lost panels off their metal roof 
that was pretty cool to see fly away lol. I had the plants covered up tight all day. Got little a damage, nothing too bad. They are doing great overall
Iāve been planting sunflowers, and green beans on the side the wind hits to act as a natural wind brake. Added as many companion plants as I had around the outside of the bed to help with insect control. Marigolds, mint, basil, dill probably some others Iām forgetting. I want to look into getting a ground cover, like clovers to add into the bed
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Dad gave me this notebook an mustāve forgotten he wrote this in there. Iāll have to ask him more about it. Iāve never known him to be very deep or poetic. Heās always been the strong silent type. Anyways I thought it was beautiful an would share it here
āI left home in 1971 as a personal choice. Ended up in the merchant marines and have seen 22 different countries between 71 & 74.
Iāve been wet, cold, and have seen a lot.
I laughed out loud at the wind during a hurricane. Speaking to myself a thousand times about nothing.
Been to many wonderful places in Europe, Asia, Isreal and many other places.
Stopped many times to look out at the ocean and wonder in wonderment.
Learned to communicate with perfect strangers.
Got into a few tight spots but my guardian angel stepped in.
There is a peace in your soul watching a calm pacific ocean with no land in sight. Same as being in the woods listening to trees snap on a freezing winter day.ā
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My plants realllllly seemed to like that ilgm fert. Growing tall finally an looking happy! I had topped them before but I mustāve messed up, some didnāt split. So I topped them again today cutting a little more off
Got some soil today to prepare for up potting into fabric bags. Still waiting for sex to show more clearly. Iāve been checking the new growth daily. Gunna have to invest in some kinda magnification tool
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Beautiful 
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yea, things are looking really good now heather!
hereās a link to the clip-on magnifying lens that i use. itās super cheap on ebay (~$13). itās what i use to take the close-ups on my grow thread and iām really happy with the quality of the shots. i do have to take my phone case off to use it properly, otherwise the photos are a little fuzzy, but itās not a huge deal. great quality for the price.
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thank you for sharing his words. i can relate and feel him. this made me feel good. thank you @Heather420
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I wanted to get some mosquito bits but they only had mosquito dunks. How do I use these? Could I crush one up to sprinkle on top the soil? Does it desolve into water so I could water it in?
*Iāve done a h202 drench which took care of a lot of of the fungus gnats, sticky traps took out even more. Iām only seeing a few flying around but want to keep it under control. My dad gave me these to try. I dunno if they help but they smell really good
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I have never had to deal with either. So I got nothin sorry sucks
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