TropicGrow's OG - LED - Coco Journal - 2016

[TropicGrow]

Hi everybody,

I know its been quite some time since I've updated. It was a long weekend where I'm at and took a short trip out of town. Couldn't keep my mind of my grow room though, was so excited to come back to it and see all the progress and make all the changes we've been discussing the last few days.

I took a few photos of the two plants I'm raising for the sake of this journal. Nice to see that the growth rate seems to have picked up after getting them a little bit closer to the bulbs. I will most likely look for the reflecting canopy today after work (I'm at the office writing this at the moment lol.. slow day), as well as find time to tape up some aluminum foil to maximize that vegging room. So these shots are of day 17 vegging. Growth seems good, the topping seems to have worked just great and the new shoots are forming quite nicely.

Red cup from the top view at day 17

Red cup from the side view at day 17

Black cup from the top view at day 17

Black cup from the side view at day 17

And heres both of those together at day 17

I know it looks like I've got some deficiency or some yellowing on one of them. Im not too sure what its about but I have a feeling it may have just been some collateral damage from cutting the clone off the mother its always been like that and the rest of the plants growth and color is unaffected. Ill monitor it to see if it worsens but I really think its just some yellowing from when it was cloned.

.. So after reading some of your comments and advices on vegging times I think I'll definitely be spending a longer period in vegging that I anticipated but the journey should be every bit as exciting. Especially once I load on those reflectors I hope to see these ladies starting to bush out especially around the mid regions of the plant where the light may not penetrate so well. Thats all for now will add a few more photos probably tomorrow when I have time to modify the vegging room.

Cheers guys

 

[Manic4organic]

Theyre looking niceeee Tropic
How long are you planning on spending in veg now exactly?

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[TropicGrow]

Theyre looking niceeee Tropic
How long are you planning on spending in veg now exactly?

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I'd like to get these guys to be a foot high at least before sending them into flowering. Might be another 20 or so days longer than I originally anticipated. By this i mean that all the branches are forming an even canopy, about 8-10 tops each at 1 - 1 1/2 foot, that sounds about right i think. my Lights are led and can't allow for too much height as the bottom buds don't get the sufficient light otherwise.

 

[Manic4organic]

I'd like to get these guys to be a foot high at least before sending them into flowering. Might be another 20 or so days longer than I originally anticipated. By this i mean that all the branches are forming an even canopy, about 8-10 tops each at 1 - 1 1/2 foot, that sounds about right i think. my Lights are led and can't allow for too much height as the bottom buds don't get the sufficient light otherwise.

So are you planning on employing some different training techniques now in this longer veg time?

 

[TropicGrow]

So are you planning on employing some different training techniques now in this longer veg time?

From past pictures you can see I've already begun topping, super cropping and bending some of the branches to make them have those knuckles to promote water and nutrient flow to the top colas, as well as LST'ing the branches when needed for a nice even canopy. I plan to insert screws around the edges of the pots to tie them down too, I've seen very nice training techniques i hope mine can come aesthetically close.

 

[Manic4organic]

They are beautiful already, got me drooling. So going all out on the training i can see you doing nice of this one!

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[TropicGrow]

Got some updated photos for you all today this would be Day 23 of flowering though when the photos were taken, so we are well into week three (3) nutes at this point, full dosing them . I proceeded with the topping the two new shoots that popped out from the first topping and will be monitoring the growth of them. Growth is steady as she goes hehe.

Day 23 of Veg

Day 23 of Veg

Day 23 of Veg, both the ladies from top view

I hope you guys can see the photos clear enough, the girls are getting a little bushier, and its height is picking up like a runaway train now - and taking those close ups of the tops are getting a little bit more difficult., having to position some leaves down for their photo op's This is a good problem to have I'm guessing hehe.

Leads me to a question I'd like to ask... Ive read a ton on this but if any LED growers can put their input on the sensitive topic of defoliating.
Worth it or not with LEDs? Ive read manufacturers websites even recommending on freeing up the middle of the plant by defoliating, and that it is especially important with LED grow lights. Any truth to this? Thanks for keeping locked.

PS: In true stoner fashion i have been slacking on setting up the reflectors... Ive been meaning to do this but between full time job / full time parent, balancing my free time is a little hard atm lol. I promise I will get this done though, its a holiday where I'm at this weekend so will have some much needed "Me" time! YES! Cheers

 

[TropicGrow]

I meant to say day 23 of Vegging in the first sentence up top * can't seem to edit the thread anymore.

 

[Alchemist420]

I hope you guys can see the photos clear enough, the girls are getting a little bushier, and its height is picking up like a runaway train now - and taking those close ups of the tops are getting a little bit more difficult., having to position some leaves down for their photo op's This is a good problem to have I'm guessing hehe.

Leads me to a question I'd like to ask... Ive read a ton on this but if any LED growers can put their input on the sensitive topic of defoliating.
Worth it or not with LEDs? Ive read manufacturers websites even recommending on freeing up the middle of the plant by defoliating, and that it is especially important with LED grow lights. Any truth to this? Thanks for keeping locked.

Good morning TropicGrow

Looking good over there with your little ladies. Defoliation is a hot debated topic. Those who do all have so many styles and schedules to how they do it.
I personally did a lot of topping and got them big and bushy. Then a few weeks before flower I Lollypopped them. I started light defoliation weekly after switching to flower but I am not one of the strip them bare people. Just large fan leaves blocking bud sites, and new under growth that is not going become nice buds. This next defoliation I might get a little more aggressive to get some light down to the lower buds.

So in my opinion, Keep topping and training. Clean them up a week or two before you switch to flower. Then light defoliation after switching to flower if you are going to defoliate. I have seen several people mention wait until the stretch is over in flower before defoliating, which I will agree withl. So wait 2-4 weeks after switching to defoliate so the stretch is over.

I will be here following along

 

[TropicGrow]

Good morning TropicGrow

Looking good over there with your little ladies. Defoliation is a hot debated topic. Those who do all have so many styles and schedules to how they do it.
I personally did a lot of topping and got them big and bushy. Then a few weeks before flower I Lollypopped them. I started light defoliation weekly after switching to flower but I am not one of the strip them bare people. Just large fan leaves blocking bud sites, and new under growth that is not going become nice buds. This next defoliation I might get a little more aggressive to get some light down to the lower buds.

So in my opinion, Keep topping and training. Clean them up a week or two before you switch to flower. Then light defoliation after switching to flower if you are going to defoliate. I have seen several people mention wait until the stretch is over in flower before defoliating, which I will agree withl. So wait 2-4 weeks after switching to defoliate so the stretch is over.

I will be here following along

Thats what i read up on too, after stretching just clear up some of the redundant leaves, try to make sure that the bottom buds aren't sitting in the shade after the stretch period. This is what i may be employing for training techniques later in flowering. Is it safe to defoliate all the way till the last weeks of flowering? Ive read that it could lead to over stressing the plant.

When people lollipop (I get the concept but haven't read too much on this, never liked the idea of stripping buds out). What maybe you can give me a summarized version of lollypopping? When is a good point to start doing this, which buds/leaves do i leave on? Just a little curious

 

[Alchemist420]

Thats what i read up on too, after stretching just clear up some of the redundant leaves, try to make sure that the bottom buds aren't sitting in the shade after the stretch period. This is what i may be employing for training techniques later in flowering. Is it safe to defoliate all the way till the last weeks of flowering? Ive read that it could lead to over stressing the plant.

When people lollipop (I get the concept but haven't read too much on this, never liked the idea of stripping buds out). What maybe you can give me a summarized version of lollypopping? When is a good point to start doing this, which buds/leaves do i leave on? Just a little curious

Not the best example but here are my girls "Lollipopped" and well into their stretch.
Basically strip all the undergrowth under the canopy. Side branches that you can't get up even with the rest of the canopy, leaves, and bud sites that are just going to be popcorn on the under side.
When you are done you have stems underneath and a canopy on top so it looks kind of like a lollipop

 

[DankestBuds42]

Hey TopicGrow, cool looking plants you have there! I've never seen so many trident leaves on cannabis before. Not sure if that's a mutation or something else but I like how it looks. I think I have two clones that are special. All of my plants and clones grow leaves in pairs of two on each node. Except for two of my clones where they have three leaves per node. Looks very unique and interesting. Your topping looks to be quite the success. Stoked to see your girls flower out. Do you have a harvest goal? Have a great day bud.

 

[grimmreefer]

Hey hey. I grew a Chem dog that always grew 3 fingered leaves.
It was taken off a flowering plant and revegged. From then on, like 2 more generations, it grew only 3 blades.

As far a defol, personally I only take the very bottom off, I hate trimming popcorn. Granted these are outside but I do the same thing under the lights.

Looking up, not much sun hits the soil. I have always thought that light that hits the soil is wasted.

 

[TropicGrow]

Hello and sorry its been a while since I've gotten the chance to really check in here

Not too sure i understand what you mean by trident leaves?
you mean like 3 fingers on the leaves?

If yes then I really have no idea, the mother plant grows with 5, 7 like , i thought that maybe since I'm cloning them myself it was all part of the process of the plant getting rooted or similar. I haven't set myself with a goal yet but I hope its decent some photos are coming just now.

 

[TropicGrow]

Yes i have seen plants go from flowering to veg and they just turn all 3 leaves for quite some time.. Thing is though these girls were taken from a mother plant who's been in veg its entire life.. Kinda weird I'm not sure if clones go through the same effect as reverting a flowering plant to veg. Maybe the stress.

 

[TropicGrow]

Hows it fellow stoners, I know its been quite some time I have not had too much time to come around as often as id like and i apologize for this. But Ive got some good news at least and am happy to share that today.

So after procrastinating enough I decided to finally set up the grow cabinet with better reflectors. I was walking in the market the other day and as I was going down an aisle I see car sunshades for about a buck a pop. I went and picked a few up, and then I went to buy an aluminum oven tray to use as a canopy. So yes! I got that installed


Cheap-O Sunshades for Reflecting Walls

Cheap-O Canopy!

Now for the Ladies themselves... Growth is definitely good, so good ive had to even out the canopy a bit. I have bent the main 4 stalks to open up the middle and create a little bit of width for the plants. This should allow the plant to soak up as much of those LED lights as possible since leaf penetration isn't as good as your hid lights like high pressure sodium. Ive also prepped up 2 larger pots of by letting them rinse in tap water and letting it dry out before i charge it up.


Black Cup Veg Day 42

Red Cup Veg Day 42

Black Cup Veg Day 42 (From another angle )

Top View Veg Day 42

Ready For Transplant Very Soon

Happy Ladies in Veg day 42

All in all I'm quite happy at the girls so far, although I think most people would have a big ass bush by now... Steady as she goes though. Im just trying to pick a good day as I am ready to transplant and drill some screws into these new pots so i can control the plant like a puppet later along the lines. Thanks for staying tuned guys

PS: It looks like the trident leaves are starting to be replaced by more and more 5 fingered leaves in this later stage. Seems like its just a temporary thing with my clones, possibly the genetics has a part to play in this.

 

[pino0911]

What brand LEDs r u using for flower? Ur girls look really good! Great to b along on this one.

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Looking good TG! This was a huge help to me when I first started in coco. How I grow in coco Youtube videos and pics

Subbed

 

[Manic4organic]

On a note of the 3 fingered leaves, of my 3 lemon haze one of them had 3 fingered leaves up until around the 6th node whereas the other two where pushing out normal leaves at 3rd node. Thought i had a mutant on my hands.
Can anyone explain this phenomenon could it be a stressed plant thing?

 

[elcannasseur]

I love how leds perform in small spaces... too bad the cost is still too high for bigger tents and such.