Cannabis Sensei

Aurora Indica Grow Journal: Week 5

Grow Guides · By Jake Willhoite · Updated · 2 min read

growing marijuana leaves
Contents

In week 4 of the Aurora Indica grow, we added more nutrients and continued to monitor growth. Entering week 5, let’s see how the plants are doing as they get close to flowering.

Legal note: Growing cannabis is only for adults 21 and over where state law allows it. State home-grow rules differ, so check yours first.

Under federal law, marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance unless it is in an FDA-approved drug or covered by a state medical marijuana license; a federal order moved those two categories to Schedule III in April 2026. A DEA hearing on rescheduling the rest of marijuana was set for mid-2026.

Day 29

I topped all of the Aurora Indicas (cut off the main growing tip) to prepare them for training before the move to a bigger grow space.

Day 30

All three Aurora Indicas have turned their leaves back up toward the lights. The two new main shoots on each topped plant are growing quickly, so they're handling the training well.

I also noticed a very low-hanging branch on Aurora Indica #2, a good candidate for a clone.

I snipped the stem at a 45-degree angle and potted it in a solo cup filled with Coco Coir mixed with 20% Perlite. I didn't use rooting hormone, but I scraped the outer layer of the stem near the base with trimmers, which many growers do to encourage roots.

A cutting has no roots yet, so it loses water through its leaves faster than it can take it up. I'm misting it several times a day to cut that water loss until roots form, and it sits on a stand to put it at a good height under the light.

Day 33

This strain is growing big leaves fast. I had squeezed four 3-gallon pots into my 40-gallon veg tank to share the light and make watering easier.

The Alaskan Purple got too big, so I moved it out to its own spot with its own lights. That gives the Auroras more room and more light on their lower branches.

The tied-down branches were spreading very wide, so I removed some garden ties. Within a few hours they straightened back up, which let more light reach the lower branches. Once the plants get taller, I'll train them outward.

The plants only have 4 more days in this small vegetative area until I move them to the grow tent. Once in the tent, they’ll have extra space to really stretch out those branches.

Follow along week-by-week to stay up to date on this grow!

Sources

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