Ase's Perpetual Quadlining In Coco

[Asesino85]

April 1st was my first day of flipping the lights to 12/12. I basically have just let them grow since then. One thing to note was that my ties were no longer really doing anything so a few days ago (about a week into stretch) I took all the ties off the plants. Once the plants are done stretching I will do my major defoliation and then let them go!

Plants on April 1st.

0CDF226B-2882-4F4A-8254-73538945B846.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 1, 2020

Plants today. They are starting to look like bushes and I am very happy with 3 of the 4. The Green Crack is just small and I wish it had more time to get bigger but it was one of the last seeds planted and I knew it wasn't going to be great from the beginning. The other 3 are really solid though. The Gorilla Glue #4 is one of those plants that gets really droopy before lights out and lights went out a few minutes before I snapped the photo. I pretty much work 9 of the 12 hours the lights are on so I'll try to get a picture right away to show it looking happier next time.

Blue Dream - Back left, Gorilla Glue #4 - Front left, Red Dragon - Front Right and Green Crack - Back right.

BF44E099-67BB-4027-8B97-C549B3F92FA7.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 10, 2020

 

[Asesino85]

April 1st was my first day of flower so it is pretty easy to keep track of how many days into flower these girls are. Usually plants stretch for about 14-17 days from flip and today is day 15. Since I am a grocery manager I really don't have the energy right now to come home and do a bunch of work on my plants with this whole Covid-19 virus thing so today is my day off and it was time to do my post-stretch defoliation. For those that do not know, as soon as stretch is over or coming to an end I like to clear out a bunch of the plants and essentially lollipop them. I've grown plants where I quadline and leave them alone and they get too bushy. You then have to worry about the plants getting proper airflow which can cause mold if they aren't. I have found that if I do not heavily defoliate them that a lot of the mid to lower budlets end up just being larf (buds that are super airy and not really good for a whole lot). I've come across a number of people who disagree with this part as they can use those larfy buds for oils and such but I'd just rather the plants focus their energy on the top buds and stop sending any energy to larf. Also to note since I grow in coco the plants respond faster than in soil. If I were growing in soil I would not defoliate quite as hard to not stress the plants out so much.

Basically any branching at this point that is really small or kind of flimsy gets removed. As soon as buds start packing on weight these branches will just sag and fall over and we don't want that. For the most part I get rid of any branches whose budlets don't make it to the canopy. This step saves a ton of frustration at the end when you are trimming. It's really time consuming to trim up larf and basically get no weight out of it. If you really want to savor every last bit of the plant then just do a light defoliation but the real weight is in the big buds that reach the canopy. I would also argue that since now the plant will be focusing all of it's energy to the top, you are going to get bigger buds that will weigh more and more then make up for the larf you are getting rid of now.

Here is an example of the Blue Dream plant I have going. I was maybe a little more aggressive than I normally am but I have grown this plant before and I know it recovers fast. Plus this thing just tries to get more and more vertical so I am hoping this slows that down now as it recovers. It's about as tall as I want it. You can see it is pretty dense in the middle of the plant and it is really hard for airflow to penetrate the center. Also as buds grow bigger in that area they will run into each other and with little to no airflow you are inviting mold to the plant. Once mold hits it's game over. Lucky for me the weather in the Pacific Northwest is getting hotter and less wet so these are flowering at a perfect time. I still want to be cautious though.

E9D1FE94-D4FD-4D69-BBF4-8852D7AF1451.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

After I was done chopping away. As you can see I really went hard on her but the end result will be great. You can also see that I kinda of make a line in the middle of the plant and trim everything off below that line.

728C58E6-9AE6-4244-BB4E-D96DF02A5504.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

Sideshot of all the girls before defoliation.

4B86E567-3CA0-48DD-B589-07C693FC89B6.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

The Gorilla Glue on the left and the Red Dragon on the right are good examples of my normal defoliation. Not quite as hard as the Blue Dream but still a lot of the lower and middle stuff cleared out.

02E25B4A-F3DD-4924-B433-8B88D5502577.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

Canopy before defoliation.

50A92AE4-0DE5-4297-890B-CB5DBC15EBA1.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

The canopy after defoliation still looks pretty filled out. You can tell there is a little more space but that will get filled in as these girls recover pretty quickly. I did elevate the Green Crack in the back right so it is now even with all the other girls and will get the same light.

C2B90702-2292-42BB-AF0F-C59D80F2583F.jpeg

• Asesino85
• Apr 15, 2020

If this is your first time doing a massive defoliation like this it can be really intimidating and hopefully from here on out you can see how my plants adapt to this and finish strong. If you are staring at a branch and trying to decide if it should stay or go then it probably needs to be chopped. It can be tough to do since it feels like you are hurting the plants, and trust me after the first time it is a lot easier. You do get emotionally attached to these girls and it seems counterproductive to be removing so much of the plant you just spent all this time growing out. In the end its more than worth it though. This part is probably the most artistic part of the plant and will shape how they look in the end but there is a lot of preventative maintenance going on here as well to ensure the plants stay healthy and get lots of light and airflow everywhere.

 

[SamSmith]

You are a week behind me. I just did my major defoliation yesterday and today when I put up my new light.

Everything is looking excelent in your tent. Don't you ever get bored??? LOL Your level of conistancy is so spot on you almost could look at every grow going as planned every time. I never see you have challenges like the rest of us.

 

[Asesino85]

You are a week behind me. I just did my major defoliation yesterday and today when I put up my new light.

Everything is looking excelent in your tent. Don't you ever get bored??? LOL Your level of conistancy is so spot on you almost could look at every grow going as planned every time. I never see you have challenges like the rest of us.

I've always considered myself very lucky. I've had one bout with mold due to it being winter here and freezing cold. Other than that I feel very fortunate to not have had a lot of issues. Growing now is pretty routine for me. I get way more excited about my veggie and fruit garden outside than I do with these. Mostly it's because I haven't quite mastered outdoor gardening and my last years crop was only so-so. I'm working with a space that doesn't get as much sun as I'd like and I can't wait to buy a house to pick a great spot to start a better garden. The thing I still love doing is this post-stretch defoliation. It is different on every plant and requires some artistry. Shakes things up a bit.

 

[SamSmith]

I have noticed that I go on auto pilot with my coco anymore. I don't touch them with the exception of training and defoliation. Most of the good growers than have been at it for a long time say the same thing. Less is more.

The DWC is a little more challenging trying to keep them at that manageable size.

I am just amazed at the yeild that you are able to pull out of a grow. I am getting better at it. My last grow was the best I have ever had and I am still in awe at how you do that consistently time after time.

 

[DobeWan]

Ase, is this a long talked about favourites grow? Looks like it based on strains, if I remember correctly.

I just finished a run last weekend. Waiting for drying but it’s going to be my biggest pull yet. Fingers crossed - I think I may have broken a pound.

i just flipped my next round today, so I’m a couple of weeks behind on this one. I’m running Jack Herer, Tuna Kush, Glueberry OG and Tropicanna Glookies.

Hope you’re holding up well and getting through this craziness.

 

[Asesino85]

Ase, is this a long talked about favourites grow? Looks like it based on strains, if I remember correctly.

I just finished a run last weekend. Waiting for drying but it’s going to be my biggest pull yet. Fingers crossed - I think I may have broken a pound.

i just flipped my next round today, so I’m a couple of weeks behind on this one. I’m running Jack Herer, Tuna Kush, Glueberry OG and Tropicanna Glookies.

Hope you’re holding up well and getting through this craziness.

Technically it’s not because I’ve never grown the Red Dragon before. It just kind of worked out that Gorilla Glue #4 and Blue Dream are probably my top 2 favorites. Green crack is great but in terms of growing it isn’t my favorite because it always seems to be on the smaller side. Red dragon is a wild card but shaping up very nicely.

If I did a favorites grow it’d probably be GG#4, Blue Dream, CBDream and Trainwreck.

 

[SamSmith]

Ase, Do you have a preferred breeder that you use for your Trainwreck? I know I have seen you grow purple Trainwreck from HSO I thought. Also curious on your preferred breeder for your GG#4.

I bought a bunch of Green House Seed Co Trainwreck seeds. The end product is really good but it's a crap shoot on the phenotype. Some plants are more sturdy and show some of the indica side and then some of them are sativa leaning, tall and spindly branching that has to be tied up. The one I have growing now in DWC is the latter. I had to wrap her in a net to contain all floppy branches and she is every bit of 5 foot tall. I love the strain but it is not for an inexperienced grower.

 

[Asesino85]

Ase, Do you have a preferred breeder that you use for your Trainwreck? I know I have seen you grow purple Trainwreck from HSO I thought. Also curious on your preferred breeder for your GG#4.

I bought a bunch of Green House Seed Co Trainwreck seeds. The end product is really good but it's a crap shoot on the phenotype. Some plants are more sturdy and show some of the indica side and then some of them are sativa leaning, tall and spindly branching that has to be tied up. The one I have growing now in DWC is the latter. I had to wrap her in a net to contain all floppy branches and she is every bit of 5 foot tall. I love the strain but it is not for an inexperienced grower.

Wow, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I've been MIA! I really like HSO in general but I do not have a specific Trainwreck seed company yet. My next seed order I will be trying to get some straight Trainwreck so at some point it'll end up in a journal I'm sure.

 

[Asesino85]

Day 32 since 12/12 light switch

Well as most of you know, this is what I consider the boring part of the grow. It's fun watching plants stack and flower but you can't do much besides feed and watch so likely my lack of journaling lately. Also my outdoor veggie garden has taken up a lot of my days off so that is probably part of the reason too. I've taken pictures a couple of time of the grow tent and then just never ended up posting anything that day. Anyways, I had a little free time tonight so here ya go!

The whole tent. The Blue Dream kept growing like I thought it would and is so tall. I may try to do a one plant in a 4x4' tent again and if I do I will choose this strain to do it. It's a great strain but it just grows and grows and grows. All of the other girls are staying the same size and turning into bushes.

A5483053-8C7C-407D-946E-68818986A006.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Gorilla Glue #4 and Blue Dream

16358636-5B08-41A8-961A-1C75DDA8A681.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Red Dragon and Green Crack

03A26949-138C-4735-AEB4-9485BAAC4FE9.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Blue Dream

EC8044EC-807F-4785-BF8C-5EE77A007F50.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Gorilla Glue #4

F481203D-CE24-450A-9156-426F8407FC96.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Red Dragon

C561862F-EAFF-48CF-A726-D89DB24EDE9D.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Green Crack

1BC573C7-20A7-4705-BE32-BA2A5EE7D8B9.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 2, 2020

Pretty happy with how things are going and might do a small defoliation soon on some of middle part of the plant but now just about 5-6 more weeks left and another grow in the bag!

 

[Asesino85]

7 weeks into flower which means these girls come done in 2-3 weeks. Starting to get a bit of nutrient burn and some small issues on the leaves but with just a couple weeks left I'm not really concerned. I will continue to push them hard with the feedings for another week or two and then taper it down for the end.

5F7C5758-0893-4F13-BCA0-D90137E677C7.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 13, 2020

 

[Trala]

Hi there

I‘m new to this indoor growing and I think I might have nabbed a mentor who has advised I try quadling. I have a limited space and I’m nervous I’ll fuck it up.

I have already topped and I’m going to quadling or what ever you call it today. My question is what do you use to tie down the 4 branches? My plant is really stumpy. From what I have read I take off the first 2 sets of leaves, is that correct?

 

[Trala]

P.s. seeing your magic makes me embarrassed to share my set up!

 

[Asesino85]

Hi there

I‘m new to this indoor growing and I think I might have nabbed a mentor who has advised I try quadling. I have a limited space and I’m nervous I’ll fuck it up.

I have already topped and I’m going to quadling or what ever you call it today. My question is what do you use to tie down the 4 branches? My plant is really stumpy. From what I have read I take off the first 2 sets of leaves, is that correct?

I would encourage you to go to the quad squad thread and read the first post there. It’s got all the information you need to quadline!

I use ground stakes with tomato wire attached to hold the branching down.

 

[SamSmith]

Looking good there Ase. You are week ahead of me. I love watching the things fill out towards the end of flowering. I just dread the trim fest that follows.

 

[SamSmith]

P.s. seeing your magic makes me embarrassed to share my set up!

What he does is not magic. He just makes it look really easy because it is for him. He has done the same thing over and over many times. It is kind of an art form to shape a plant like he does.

The thing is that he tells you in his posts exactly what he does. You just have to re-read it multiple times to pick up on all the nuances but it's all there.

I have followed him for years and he has taken my grows and others from average at best to some pretty amazing plants. It's discipline and constancy. Too many new growers are constantly trying to change multiple things at once or try to incorporate the latest thing that they read into their grows. Come up with a plan and stick to it. Next time take what you learned and make it better. He is a great teacher. I don't do exactly what he does but I follow a consistent regime that works for me in my environment.

 

[Asesino85]

What he does is not magic. He just makes it look really easy because it is for him. He has done the same thing over and over many times. It is kind of an art form to shape a plant like he does.

The thing is that he tells you in his posts exactly what he does. You just have to re-read it multiple times to pick up on all the nuances but it's all there.

I have followed him for years and he has taken my grows and others from average at best to some pretty amazing plants. It's discipline and constancy. Too many new growers are constantly trying to change multiple things at once or try to incorporate the latest thing that they read into their grows. Come up with a plan and stick to it. Next time take what you learned and make it better. He is a great teacher. I don't do exactly what he does but I follow a consistent regime that works for me in my environment.

Thanks Sam! Well said.

 

[Asesino85]

9 weeks into flower and 3 of the 4 plants were ready to get harvested! The Blue Dream still need another couple weeks and I was able to get one of my lights higher so it could provide it with full light without it getting too close. A couple of the tops were getting light burned and I couldn't do anything with it due to the other plants being in there but now it is the only plant in a 4'x4' tent.

This picture covers about my entire tent so the Blue Dream looks kind of small in this picture but it's 3/4 or so up the tent in height.

FE710672-6087-4D41-A80B-6EF9AF9AEEE8.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

Here is what the girls looked like before any harvesting took place.

7BAD5FEA-E892-488D-8E29-D3E39118A3BB.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

First plant to get chopped was the Gorilla Glue. I forgot to take a before picture and a cola picture. I was eager to get chopping I suppose. It was the one in the front left of the picture with all them in it above. This one grew much better than the one I did in the previous grow.

EE8C546A-C368-4300-83AB-2E02491CBA14.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

Second one down was the Green Crack. The Green Crack smell is so dang good. I remember the same thing from the last time I grew it. This one ended up smallish and chunky. Remember this was the one that got started a bit late because something I had didn't germinate. If it had the same time as all the others I think it would be looked bigger. Either way it still did very well and I also think this one did better than the first one I grew a while ago.

Before

302F8974-FD15-4A74-A816-BF64AA6DB776.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

After

43256450-EA0E-4C29-AD0E-78EFE2DCCE48.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

Cola

E6C81095-ADA5-481C-8196-03B4B973BC3B.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

Third one down is the Red Dragon. Funny thing about this one is that it smells just like Gorilla Glue. Either way this is by far my best plant of the bunch. There are trichomes everywhere and I almost want to say it's the most I've ever seen on a plant that I've done. This was kind of the wild card of the grow and it's going to end up the best. Very happy with her.

C1CD2DD7-A440-42C6-99BB-6474D67F74C2.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

46F282CA-E3D8-440E-BC59-D8B95E005868.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020
• 1

4C7CFDDD-249A-4BFE-9E5F-02F9A637DE7A.jpeg

• Asesino85
• May 28, 2020

 

[SamSmith]

Well done there Ase. I am getting ready for trim jail here in a week or so myself.

How the heck to you strip all the leaves like that without the plant just falling over and the branches snapping? Do you trim it with scissors or hand strip them? Trimming is one of those things that I have little patience for in case you couldn't guess.

 

[Asesino85]

Well done there Ase. I am getting ready for trim jail here in a week or so myself.

How the heck to you strip all the leaves like that without the plant just falling over and the branches snapping? Do you trim it with scissors or hand strip them? Trimming is one of those things that I have little patience for in case you couldn't guess.

I hate trimming as well. I try to just do it for little bits at a time until it gets done. I guess my branches are just strong enough that they don’t flop over. Every once and a while I will have a floppy plant. My blue dream won’t be able to stand on its own when it’s done. Also I trim with fiskars scissors.