Doozy's 2300W LED - 5x5 - Dinafem Seeds - 1st Grow

[KingJohnC]

Can you go into a bit more detail there please skunnymonster and with the best time to do it? I have a very similar-sized grow to Doozy, but around three weeks behind and would appreciate a bit of help or advice with defoliation?

I have a much different understanding of defoliation applied at the proper time line to enhance vegetative growth and flowering. You can see examples of how I defoliate and train my plants in my Grow Journals and Reviews. I would defoliate in vegetative growth 10-14 days before flowering to remove excess fan leaves and open more light to branches and nodes that become bud sites and colas. I defoliate in vegetative growth by removing any fan leaves that are excessively shading the branches and nodes to encourage the nodes to grow larger and produce more colas. I use Low Stress Training to tie the branches of my plants to the outer edge of the rim of the pots and each branch becomes its own bud site and cola. When I defoliate in preparation for flower I leave no more then 4 fan leaves at each growing top and remove the majority of the fan leaves, any fan leaf that shades a top and lower growth, this is a perfect time to select cuttings to root as clones from the plants you are about to place into flower. I defoliate in flower at days 21-25 of flower when the stretch phase has ended by removing lower growth that will not produce anything except for popcorn bud and any fan leaf that shades a bud site and again if required at day 45.

KingJohnC's 400 Watt LA Confidential Seed Cabinet Soil Indoor Grow Journal

KingJohnC's Brainstorm Haze Soil Indoor Grow Journal

KingJohnC's Lush Lighting LED Dominator 2x Soil Indoor Grow Journal & Review

KingJohnC's Lush Lighting LED Lumenator 2x Black Widow Grow Journal & Review


There is a good example of how I defoliate in this Grow Journal and Review

KingJohnC's Twilight Groups LED 432W Spider COB Seed Cabinet Grow Journal & Review

 

[MrMysfyt]

I appreciate your advice KingJohnC and realise the word and subject of defoliation is surrounded by much controversy. The only real answer seems to be in individual experimentation with methods to achieve the desired results. I will be reading some of your grows for information though... thanks

 

[skunnymonster]

It's the same with any technique, try it a few times on different strains & see if you like the results. I find it increases the density & size of all the lower buds including popcorn, if you leave any. I didn't use to do too much defol in the past, I just went light on it. I then saw bassman's journal & gave his methods a go. I have to say I'm sold on it

Have a read for yourself, most of the info you need is in the beginning so don't be phased, thinking you have to read it all

Increasing yield with defoliation indoors: What's it mean? How to do it?

 

[MrMysfyt]

Yes, you're right skunnymonster. Being a scientist and keen outdoor gardener I have learned not to take all advice as gospel and experiment to achieve what plants like and dislike. Some of them are finicky and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. Sometimes it's a matter of trial and error. Learning is never finished and there's always something else

BTW does skunny refer to a popular seaside location on the east coast?

 

[cannilingus]

so true. the day i stop learning something each day, will be the time to do what the samaris used to refer to, as "the only honorable thing left"! lol.

 

[skunnymonster]

Yes mate, this is true. To perfect every strain by trying every technique would take more than a lifetime & this is why we never stop learning

Skunnymonster is actually a nickname I gained from some of my friends back in the 90's when bud became readily available & it was classed as skunk, it didn't matter what strain it was, everyone called it skunk. This was then renamed by one of us as skunny, not sure who came up with it but it stuck. So now we have our own slang term for bud I've always had a high tolerance level to any substance & back then we were all doing buckets & bongs with the herb. After smoking soap bar (rocky) for years, there were people pulling whities left, right & centre, yet I was always standing & ready for more. One day after consuming copious amounts of bud, someone said, fcuk me you're a skunny monster & my nickname was born

 

[MrMysfyt]

Ta for the explanation, I thought it may come from the slang name for Scunthorpe, but your story sounds much better. I love this site for the experimentation with new techniques and general friendliness of fellow growers who love spreading their new found knowledge

 

[cannilingus]

i would like to learn this tech. i have only done pots...so you have hydro. and the screen. makes flushing easy. just swap for plain, ph'ed water? so. why do the buds get so big, and plentiful with the nets.? what do the nets actually do?

 

[NorCalNuggets]

Nice looking grow!!

 

[skunnymonster]

Here you go MrMysfyt, I've done some before & after defol pics for you

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

I can see my coco

The removed leaves

All these were removed from low down as they will only produce popcorn.

I defoliate & lollypop 1 week prior to flower so there's less to do on day 21, here's one I did today.

I hope that helps you in some way & as you can see, even with 70/80% of the fan leaves removed there is still plenty of green

 

[MrMysfyt]

That's a massive help, thanks scunnymonster - I'll be giving it a go after the weekend now

 

[skunnymonster]

It's a pleasure mate, you'll have to let me know what you think at the end of your grow. I'm always happy with my yields & lowest buds are always nice & dense.

 

[c526]

hey doozy,I know your a busy man

how are the lights working??any problems?any changes for the next round?? power bill?

kicking ass bro

 

[Doozy]

hey doozy,I know your a busy man

how are the lights working??any problems?any changes for the next round?? power bill?

kicking ass bro

Hi mate,

Lights seem to be working fine, although the buds seem fairly small now, the advice i've been given is that they will (fingers crossed) fatten up soon.

Power consumption is basically on par with a 1kw HPS grow, but the use of the Gas Lantern Routine, and the 11/13 flower schedule should help to keep it reasonable. I have a digital ammeter counting the exact number of Kwh's used so i'll make sure i post the final consumption when harvest finally comes around.

Not sure i'd change much really, other than the veg time. I definitely veg'd for too long. I've found that i've removed quite a number of potential bud site that weren't going to produce anything as they were way below the canopy level and weren't getting any light, even after defol. I think i could easily shave 3-4 weeks off the veg time, and produce the same results in 7-8 weeks veg. It's quite incredible how much this strain stretched, but you live and learn.

All seems to be well, i'll try and get some pics up soon.

Hope everyone is good.

Doozy

 

[skunnymonster]

Looking forward to your pics

 

[c526]

but you live and learn.

name of the game,take each as a learning experience for the next round.

 

[HunterHunt]

PICSSSSS!!!!! =) cant wait to see your girls!

 

[Doozy]

Hi all, i've got a couple of pics but i'm mostly posting to ask a question.

I've done a fair bit of reading about this, however i'm yet to decide if i will actually add it, but i've just bought some Molasses sugar (unrefined) and some lemon juice (which apparently is needed to make the carbs work or something, sorry i'm not a very scientific person!).

If i use it i'm going to add it at 1/2 a tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of molasses sugar per 4 ltrs (gallon in US). I plan to mix it up in advance with hot water, then add to each res when it's cool.

I',m looking for opinions on whether this is a good idea, and also if you think my amounts are about right.

I know people usually use the blackstrap, but the crystal form is apparently much better in hydro.

Let me know your thoughts.

Here are the items i bought today -

And here are the ladies....some are progressing faster than others, so it looks like it will be a staggered harvest. I'm at about day 45 of flower since the white pistols appeared, so maybe another 10-14 days....perhaps more, i'm not going to pull them too early.

 

[c526]

holy shit they look good,Doozy

I would not add lemon juice to the water,it has had bad effects in my experiments---it is ok for soil grows.

GOOGLE--scoby--mother of vinegar--this is what grows when lemon is introduced to water growing.nasty slimy shit

 

[HunterHunt]

You girls are looking good! Why do you want to add anything? I would not add either products.