I'm not the best with organics but when I made peat based soil or even just soiless I would keep it moist with calcitic lime for at least a month prior. This is part of most people's cooking process but I imagine it plays a huge role in starting with and maintaining a proper Ph.
I have the pocket version of the Apera tester that has the replaceable tip. I love that it is easy to calibrate. You stick it in the solution, push the button - done. I do that at least every week or so which I think helps my grow in general. ALL pH meters are going to need calibration. Get one where it's easy - and accurate. But for soil, having two-point calibration and the pH down to the thousandth just ain't necessary.
There was a time, however brief, that I thought I was ....competing with @LubdaNugs. Then this MF'ER whips out a tape measure. I am now de mascualted lmao!
I don't feel like I got good results yet after using it on 3 occasions. I went back and re read the instructions and the troubleshooting guide. I feel a mistake I'm making when testing is not getting the soil hydrated enough 1st with ro water. I'm watering to runoff today to get it good and hydrated and will do some testing tomorrow.
it's a tad small but the features are perfect. It's a different color than the previous plant.......kind of a blue green.....is this the Mac? 
Love the stretch on yours, gonna have some good smoke in the end.
I have grown a lot of un topped plants over the years and have never had aggressive side branching like this. I don't know how they will develop but more than one have side branches that caught up to the cola. One has 6 or more side branches that are only a couple of inches below the cola. Spending a lot of time tucking fan leaves so they get light.
Were you getting staggered branching before you flipped? Could be that they weren't sexually mature when you flipped them.
I hope you are light depriving them if you are growing them outdoors...otherwise they won't be flowering until months after the contest has ended.
