Confessions of a Home Grow: Vegetative Growth Weeks 4 and 5

By Jay Marsh

IG: @confessionsofahomegrow

Our little plants are growing fast! Keep a close eye on them and remember not to over water!

During week 4 our little plants are around 12-14” tall. You can now see why we “topped” our plant last week. You can now see that we have 2 new growth tips or axillary buds/colas(kolas) instead of the traditional 1 and the shoots will become beefy or look like they are muscular arms, this is to help support the weight of the bud during flowering. Additionally, during this week, I will add a screen across my plants and tent. This screen in referred to as a SCROG or screen of green. SCRoGing the plants allows more growth tips to be exposed to light, meaning more bud! What I did was placed a disposable netting (2”x2”) just above my plants. Once the plants start to pop up over or through the netting, poke or gently bend them back under the netting.  We are still on our 18/6 light cycle. You may also need to increase watering and I have also increased my feeding amount by using my fertilizer tea mix. 1 gallon of tea mix should be enough to thoroughly water your plants. On my 2nd water for the week I will add 2 tsp of Bushdoctor – Kelp Me Kelp You. This will help retain moisture and increase healthy microbes we may have lost due to heavier feeding.

Side Note: Many people wait until they start the flowering phase to start their SCRoG. I have learned this the hard way, because what happens when you end up with a male plant in the mix?? Well you must cut it out, then you are left with an open spot. Or only use female clones.

Week 4 Veg Terp Smoothie

Growth Tips

Week 4 Veg – With SCRoG


Week 4 push top under netting

Week 4 Calico Jack – Outdoors

During week 5 our little plants continue to grow large around 14-16”. You will still keep them on the same 18/6 light schedule. You will need to slowly increase the amount of water you give. I find myself watering them 2 times per week. I have also increased my feeding amount by using my fertilizer tea mix. You will want to continue to push any new grow down, back under the SCRoG netting. You may also need to secure your plant to the netting, I used a zip tie fitted loosely around the stalk and the netting. This encourages the plant to continue to grow horizontally, instead of vertically. 

Week 5 Veg – Before pushing tops down under netting

Week 5 Veg – After pushing tops under netting

My Fertilizer Tea mix:

  1. Left over coffee grinds from the morning (Leave in the coffee filter, tie filter with floss to create a make shift “tea bag”)
  2. FoxFarms Grow Big (2 tsp)
  3. General Organics CaMg+ (2 tsp)
  4. 2 TBS diatomaceous earth
  5. 2 TBS Dr. Earth Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer
  6. 1 Gallon Filtered water (or leave 1 gallon sitting in a white bucket in the sun for one full day)
    1. Mix all ingredients together
    2. Let them sit for 4-24 hours
    3. Remove coffee bag
    4. Stir and strain off any large pieces left behind

Happy Gardening! Remember to talk to your plants daily or play them a little Reggae music! 🙂