Light height for a 400? photos included - advice?

[Fuzzy Duck]

I

I hope they don't take forever to flower - they will get too big! I am in day 10 now and barely seeing anything but tiny tiny signs of bud life - is there a point when they just take off and start budding? should i be on the lookout for a sign?

Their comes a time with a every strain depending on flowering time involved with strain type indice, sativa or hybrid pending on dominate genetics...


I only grow indica's myself due to shorter flowering times, bigger yields when compared to sativa & with a large majority of budding/mass occurs throught the 3rd to 7th week on a strain which may require up to 9 weeks to flower !

I do use some tricks to speed up trichome developement to induce earlyer harvesting tho but may effect total yield mildly...


I'm just cost effrective when it comes to growing tho & each to their own in their chosen growing style !

 

[ontariogrow]

Really would love to hear your tricks! I am growing lemon skunk feminized seeds from a reputable toronto shop. all five plants you see are from those seeds which all germed perfectly.

I just have no clue WHAT and WHERE to trim them! At this point - I'm not concerned about cost or anything - just want a successful grow and dont want to waste any yield if i can help it

 

[Lurch Farmer]

The fans man get rid of the fans
Since you already in flower wait till day 21. remove All fan leaves accept the top 2 or 4
any place a fan leaf meets the main you will see a side branch this is where the buds form. remove the fans as close to the trunk and as clean as possable.
post 10 or so are pics of my trims
all 3 of my journals have trim jobs in them. tht firs trim of the rack gave me a pound and a half of fan leaves , and still have more to give.
10x10 RDWC

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Now 12/12 is the standard lighting regime assoicated with MMJ & works perfectly fine... if ya in for the duration !


But some strains don't develope the ol amber trichomes or turn that misty for optimal THC content under that current lighting regime... very strain dependent tho, but does happen on some ! which i've not really looked in depth on the subject but may be related to light timing ?


Now it all depends on your own preference regarding the high you recieve from end product or how ya like ya smoke... !



Whilst the trichome developement is a majority cloudy colour that is is considored optimal THC content.

When the trichomes start turning amber in colour that gives you a more of body/couch lock high... which may well be very strain dependent between indica, sativa or hybrid strains pending on genetics !

More of a case in dialing in ya grow for individual taste of that particular strain if grown multiple times... can not give details for short term grows of random strains with out learning on whats best over a period of time !



Now what i do to speed up earlyer harvest times to what i considor to my taste is... & that you may have two options aviable !


I use DLR aka diminshing lighting routine which is the other part/side of GLR aka gas lantern routine used in veg, but DLR is used for flowering !


Now i grow strain which may require between 7 to 9 weeks to flower/harvest from clones from a mother plant for several grows.


If using 12/12 start to finsh i can expect a trichome devlopment of around 50% clear, 50% cloudy aprox ending at 9 weeks.

If using DLR starting at 11/13 to finsh 9.5/14.5 i can expect a trichome develope of around 90% cloudy, 10% amber, minor % clear aprox ending at 8 weeks.



I know what i prefer of my current strain which has several grows over the past year, grown as a pertual grow style & which i harvest every 8 week/2 monthss on a perpertular grow cycle to support my own medical MJ needs of a few plants.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Alternatively ya can flip to 10/14 for the last 2 weeks of flowering to speed up trichome development....


Just trying this with present grow to see difference !

 

[ontariogrow]

The fans man get rid of the fans
Since you already in flower wait till day 21. remove All fan leaves accept the top 2 or 4
any place a fan leaf meets the main you will see a side branch this is where the buds form. remove the fans as close to the trunk and as clean as possable.
post 10 or so are pics of my trims
all 3 of my journals have trim jobs in them. tht firs trim of the rack gave me a pound and a half of fan leaves , and still have more to give.
10x10 RDWC

ok - i've been reading all day I have seen your journals and some screens and some trimming but hard to know how much you took off...

Are you saying to wait 21 days into the light switch? It's been 10 since I switched to 12/12 - so should I wait 11 more - then start trimming fan leaves like a madman? I'm just scared to start hacking at the plants - it's all new to me. I spent so much time on the science of making the environment nice for them and tending to the watering and nutes (knowing nothing and learning as i went) that I sorta gapped on how big they were getting.

you're saying ALL fan leaves on the plant? just leaving the top 2-3 sets?

as for the screens you used in yours - just keep tucking new growth under the screen to keep the canopy at the same height?

FUZZY : is that 10 hours on, 14 hours off? I've read differing points on success there - how did you find it?

 

[Lurch Farmer]

I used the wrong word should be defoliate not trim
The lem skunk can take the mass loss of fans
first trim I take just the fans, leaving 1-2 sets on each branch
at 45 days I have figured out where I want bud sites and tops to be for rest of grow
then just bend and twist to keep even.
if you work it right you should get 1 branch per square of screen

I just learned about glr so will try next round, suppos to show sex as early as 3 days
I tryed dlr can't say it helped or hurt

 

[ontariogrow]

So should I get these girls trimmed up (defoliated) right now? Like I said I can do the work, just want to be doing it at the right time - again I am 10 days into the 12/12

Thanks!

 

[Lurch Farmer]

I personally would wait 11 more ,let the fans pull some of the stech.if fans are streching other stuff ain't.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

FUZZY : is that 10 hours on, 14 hours off? I've read differing points on success there - how did you find it?

Yup 10 on, 14 off... well its my first time using 10/14 for the last couple of weeks, which my girls are still in early flowering... got a few weeks to go before i flip to 10/14.

Gonna keep a close eye on it tho but should be able to tell when i start noticing burnt orange pistils on the bud sites a sure sign of maturing plant... In the past when using DLR i've certianly had burnt orange pistils appear as early as the 4th week of flowering with current strain grown.

DLR is just matter of adjusting light timing by 30 minutes every 2 weeks.

 

[ontariogrow]

I'm currently in the process of changing my hours - trying to do it slowly to not really confuse the plants - i started with 9pm to 9am with lights on - but this in not working for me in terms of doing my work on the plants - so each day i am backing it up an hour, 8-8, then 7-7 until i get to 5pm-5am.

I hope this is not too stressful for the plants - otherwise I am screwing up a really successful(so far) grow

 

[ontariogrow]

An update for anyone who was following me on this one :

they are growing and showing me female parts on all I think - they have to be tied down every day - they're jumping up with good growth - will they settle down and just flower soon?

 

[Lurch Farmer]

sit back relax and watch the explosion.
Wait 2 more weeks

the streching should slow about day 45

 

[ontariogrow]

sit back relax and watch the explosion.
Wait 2 more weeks

the streching should slow about day 45

By day 45 ill be living in a jungle! I worry that by pulling down all the bud sites I might ruin them? These things are getting unruly... I take a few fan leaves every day but I think I need to get serious about trimming back soon?

Thoughts guys?

 

[ontariogrow]

And by pulling down I mean LST tying them

 

[Lurch Farmer]

If I was in your situation, (but haveing slightly more experience) this is MY step by step approach, to this MINOR inconvenience of to much plant and not enough room,
You ready, got pen and paper , there will be a test
Step 1 Get a good buzz on, I say buzz cuase it is safer to stick to plan, If I get stoned I get to creative and loose in the end yield

step 2 get comfertable ( tunes, seat stool of some sort) grab a pare o scizors and star trimming all fan leaves that are on the main trunk, these are usually masive by this point.
Some say pinch, Some say use sharp trimmers or blade,
I prefer trimmers, I cut the fan as close to the trunk as possable.
just past the bend on top you see the stump from the leaf. the stump on bottum was later trimmed tight

befor trimm and bend

after

top right corner 2 weeks ago

PAUSE FOR THE CAUSE

Step 3.
now that I got a good view up there skirts
I would take 4 of them and LST/Bend, at this time a screen for training is not wise, but 1 will be needed for support for end stage buds

step 4 . lady 5 gets her first 2 nodes (should be 4 branches) get removed.
I place thumb and for finger on lower node and same on top node and gently start twisting back and forth until it is weak .
The outer "skin" of the trunk will be tough but paitience will get this to soften, which will allow for approximatlly a 45 degree bend.
Fortunatly this grow is in soil as this will stress the lady by 4-10 days ,not a problem

Step 5. place this lady in the center and against the back wall top pointing out. Using some string I would criss cross a couple times to hold down
The light would be placed with the socket at the back wall so the 4 ladies on the side get better light coverage.

From this point out I will concentrate on the ends of the branches for colas
In a week or 2 it should look like a HPG HALF PIPE of GREEN

LURCH FARMS DICLAIMER
I make no promises this will work for you,
I do not have the ability to grow in soil,
I do ok in hydro
I await your follow up Questions

 

[ontariogrow]

ok - you knew i'd have questions - lol

I understand 1. and 2. - get the fans off and get some light through to the lower branches...

you lose me at 3-5... are you saying i should take one of the plants...(not sure why just one) and bend it's main trunk at a 45 degree? Im sorry for being dull man I just don't quite get why... and how this helps me - LOL

I have been pulling the tops down a bit and tying them so that i keep the overall canopy lower - allowing me to get nice consistent light to the tops of the plants without burning. Obviously though they just keep adding leaves and it's getting dense.. I'll rectify that with the fan-removal to some extent.

can you show me an example of your method at work? I want to understand it - and this is my first grow and I think I've done exceptionally well so far... i'm a smart enough guy

Looking forward to more details - sorry for asking

 

[Lurch Farmer]

If you google image search SCOG 1 of the pis looks kinda like a U
The biggest reason I try this way is to use as much of the light as possableThis is why I keep suggesting turning your light
The 4 just lst will grow up the sides ( direct light is better than reflected)
and lady 5 bent over will soak up all the down light

 

[ontariogrow]

still not sure where you are suggesting putting the light - it's a 400W HPS and i worry about mounting it to a plastic wall from a heat perspective... I am a visual learner - i'll try the search

thanks

 

[Lurch Farmer]

If you stand in front of your plants the tip of the bulb should point out at you

Hope this helps
here is what lady 5 should look like

her top is in the right corner