Autos v. Photos - A 5x5 No Rules Fight for Yield: A Jon & NickHardy Gig

[CaptainLucky]

How far are you from the MLB stadiums in Florida?
Might be easier for you if it's held in Florida.
More expensive for me though
But a flight to either destination is easy for Nick and I.
Just a thought.


Stay safe
Bill284

Bill is wanting a little Florida vacation time with the ball game. You can’t blame him for not wanting to be in the Northeast. lol CL

 

[Bill284]

Bill is wanting a little Florida vacation time with the ball game. You can’t blame him for not wanting to be in the Northeast. lol CL

I was just trying to make it easy for Jon.
The fact we can charter a boat and go shark fishing would just be a little bonus.
Either way I'd be happy just to see the pair of them.
Even if it was Alaska, I don't care.
Odds are slim either way, cuz you know.
But I'm happy just to be thought of.


Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Jon]

I was 15 when I started working in a wood machining yard with zero H&S
I quickly lost my hearing in my left ear, nearly lost my sight in one eye but the owner didn't care a jot
We had a huge 3 ton press for laminating which required the scraps of glue which had seeped from the seams to be cleaned manually by climbing between the press plates [making diner tables]

One day the boss thought it would be funny to switch it on while I was cleaning the plates, and I'm claustrophobic already
So I freely admit I went to the wood stack through the skylights one night and burned the whole place down

Don't feel at all guilty, more like I saved some other kid from losing their eyesight or hearing to earn £5 per hour
£5 buys a crappy sandwich these days, or less than a Gal of fuel [3L], or a pint of beer

Knocked a guy out once for head-butting his girlfriend with babe in arms in a pub - I can't tolerate that
That's my entire rap sheet, honest

All I see is entirely justifiable violence. Heh.

 

[Jon]

Mail

The mailman has been good to me lately.

Thanks so much @sensibleseeds, today I received your seeds from the contest win. Greatly appreciated and thanks for participating with us!!!

 

[Jon]

Strawberry Banana Auto
Addition through Subtraction

Deflarfing complete. This is what I took, how she looks now, a shot of the cleared out center, amd an attempt to show the “bud zone.”

Watch those colas get generous now. As the title of this post implies, and as counterintuitive as it may be, by taking all those shoots I have actually increased the yield.

Addition through subtraction. Heh.

Forgot to note this earlier -

I would suggest that when you strip out your flarf from the undercarriage, you take the shoots but leave the leaves. Especially with a non leafy plant like this. Otherwise you run the risk of a plant that doesn’t have enough engines left to power it home properly. Example below.

 

[Jon]

There be budlets here! Yay! Now let’s see these colas become whatever they’re gonna become!

 

[Jon]

I lit up this branch to highlight the stuff I decided to keep. If you want to know something, seek the counsel of an expert. Hey @InTheShed, I have a question for you. I have seen you go through these type of decisions more than once. It seems to be the toughest decision(s) to make when you’re deflarfing. So here you can see everything I kept on this branch. The question is about the two offset shoots at the base. Those are the lowest I kept. And they’re also the ones I had the great debate with myself about. Keep them? They’re getting enough light. Won’t grow together with the rest though, may just be single little buds. Maybe if I took them the top main cola bud will be bigger. Etc. Lmao. You know that debate? I bet you do. And you always seem to get it mostly right.

So would you keep them? This is not just a question about this branch, this IS the debate for each branch. Is it not? How high do I strip on this one?

Thanks Shed! I learned this from you but obviously I’m not done.

 

[Jon]

Apple Fritter

We’re now in whatever the fuck works territory with this plant. I have begun integrating the long white tent poles for support and to keep giant colas upright. Jesus. The buds are just too heavy for the stems by a ton. Idk how the middle ones and the huge main are standing up at all. It’s a miracle I don’t have any breaks yet. And no *visible* signs of bud rot yet. Don’t kid yourself. It could well be started already in the very inside and I just don’t see it on the exterior yet. Lol. Meaning if and/or when I do it’ll already be too late. Like I said before - I don’t need this. Lol. Sure I could have worse problems, but this is stupid. There apparently is a point where it’s just like come on this is too big and unmanageable. Didn’t think that existed. Lmao.

 

[KeithLemon]

Hopefully Jon you do not get bud rot as I am a believer that once it starts you are doomed. I watched it eat three good size plants. Now in my case the rot was my fault and mother nature. My plants were outside, and I could not move them. I am sure there are ways to stop it but I do not know how. But who say you are going to get it anyway. My case was different than yours I do not know what you do in a tent accept get the plant out of the tent if you have other plants in the same tent. Jon she is a beauty, and nothing says you will get the rot.

 

[Jon]

Hopefully Jon you do not get bud rot as I am a believer that once it starts you are doomed. I watched it eat three good size plants. Now in my case the rot was my fault and mother nature. My plants were outside, and I could not move them. I am sure there are ways to stop it but I do not know how. But who say you are going to get it anyway. My case was different than yours I do not know what you do in a tent accept get the plant out of the tent if you have other plants in the same tent. Jon she is a beauty, and nothing says you will get the rot.

Thanks Keith. The key to not getting bud rot in a tent is low humidity and lots of moving air. I have both in best case scenario. If it happens it won’t be my fault, lol. But the reality is that every once in a while a plant goes nuts and makes mutant buds that are huge in girth and super dense and heavy. Like these. Well, almost all of that weight is water. So there comes a point where no matter what one does one will have bud rot. I’m just hoping this is not one of those cases. I mean, literally that huge main is as big around as my calf. That means there’s a lot of bud for all that moisture to get through before it can escape. Regardless of my efforts. I think you’re right, and I think it will be okay. But I also think this will be an extremely rare time when I put a fan on the buds for a couple days upon initial hanging. That’s the other danger zone.

 

[Jon]

Unrelated Post

My first fish of the day. Two pound largemouth bass. Not bad for one cast. And this girl did me the favor of breaking water and getting about a foot of air! Only once but I’ll take it! The largies here LOVE the frog hula popper.

 

[Jon]

More related post, and lmao!

Anyone want to take a shot at whether or not this actually exists for sale? If so please post the link. I must have this. I suspect it’s a joke but my drummer sent it and asked me is this real.

 

[Jon]

Autos - Bigger Buds and Higher Yields
Random Thoughts that May be Helpful

There are many ways to get autos to make larger buds. In this post I’m talking about training related things you can do.

I’ve shown how I train many times for autos. And why. The Strawberry Banana here is another one. But I’ve been thinking about what it is that maybe I do differently than some others that has an impact on yield.

I said differently, not better.

That said…one thing I never do on autos that many do is splitting colas. Meaning topping a branch besides the main. I only top the main, wherever I top it. Never a branch. Many folks do too the branches too. It’s easy to think that it will give you more bud. I am convinced it does not.

I believe that you get the very best colas when that cola is connected directly to a main nodal branch off the main stem. Versus anything that comes off that branch or you create to come off that branch. The more you top, the more you lessen the size and quality of that branches output. While the size thing is basically a fact, we can argue if it affects quality all day. I believe it does. So I very much avoid extra topping with autos.

The result of this is that each of my colas is always a main branch cola. Being fed by a thicker stem. Better nutrient pathways. When you top a branch you get thin stemmed offshoots that make lesser buds. More, yes. Better? I don’t think so.

I also find that when it’s all said and done (and trimmed and jarred), you almost always get better yield this way vs creating more more more. For me, if you want more bud let the plant have more nodes on the main. Don’t split colas. The buds on main branches get denser and bigger and sweeter and after you take away non-jarrable buds and flarf when you trim, you get way more crap buds when you top a branch. It comes out that you get better yield with fewer large and proper colas than you do with dozens or more. The extra volume is an illusion. Least for me.

So there’s two cents of rumination for you, fwiw.

 

[Jon]

Gorilla Cookies
Silver Phenotype
Final Product

This has been curing for about three weeks and is really starting to hum. Loudly. Still too early to provide a proper strain review, but I will say that this is some of the very best chemically fed auto bud (or any bud) I have ever smoked. It’s extremely strong. Way tasty. Stinky as all get out. Dense. Obviously off the charts frosty. And this plant yielded almost a half pound jarred. Both of the Gorilla Cookies came in at 7+ ounces jarred, buds just like this. It was an easy dream to grow. She fed heavy as hell and no problem. I can’t wait to grow it again and my people are already bugging me for more gifts of it. No downside. I’m putting it on the page of all time auto keepers. That page now has three strains:
- Watermelon Wedding Cake XXL Auto
- Platinum Mimosa Cookies XXL Auto
- Gorilla Cookies Auto

I’m about to smoke this.

 

[InTheShed]

So would you keep them? This is not just a question about this branch, this IS the debate for each branch. Is it not? How high do I strip on this one?

Are you talking about these:

That's the Strawberry Banana Auto yes? I can see why you're conflicted since the plant is so sparse you'd be tempted to leave them for some extra bud! Personally I'd take them off with no thought of increasing yield but to make it so I don't have to trim them later.

Here's another thought: would those flowers end up jarred given your jar-standards?

I've never claimed my #nolarf method increases total yield, just that it increases the size of the top colas and makes it so you don't have bits to deal with at trim time. It might increase yield, but the top colas might not increase by more than the weight you lose by taking the larf.

Hope that helps, and great work taking the flowers and leaving the fans on the cleanup. You've learned well!

 

[KeithLemon]

Looks yummy.

 

[Jon]

Are you talking about these:

That's the Strawberry Banana Auto yes? I can see why you're conflicted since the plant is so sparse you'd be tempted to leave them for some extra bud! Personally I'd take them off with no thought of increasing yield but to make it so I don't have to trim them later.

Here's another thought: would those flowers end up jarred given your jar-standards?

I've never claimed my #nolarf method increases total yield, just that it increases the size of the top colas and makes it so you don't have bits to deal with at trim time. It might increase yield, but the top colas might not increase by more than the weigh you lose by taking the larf.

Hope that helps, and great work taking the flowers and leaving the fans on the cleanup. You've learned well!

Thanks! Yes that’s the ones. Well, that’s what I thought you’d say. I just posted that I think it does lead to better yield, lol. But no question it leads to way easier finishing the plant as you note. Appreciate the education Shed.

 

[Jon]

Thanks! Yes that’s the ones. Well, that’s what I thought you’d say. I just posted that I think it does lead to better yield, lol. But no question it leads to way easier finishing the plant as you note. Appreciate the education Shed.

As long as I have you, here’s a question in a similar vein. The tops. Of the mains. Don’t think I’ve ever asked you specifically about them. Do you approach them differently? Since light is not an issue if nothing else? Or still strip them to one single large bud (taking anything that won’t grow together)? Also would this answer differ for indica/hybrid/sativa structures? This SB to me is on the sativa side of hybrid based on structure. You see how she is growing and beginning to flower. Lots of my hybrids show this type of formation up top. I tend to keep it all cuz I figure up there it’s worth it. Maybe I even keep stuff I wouldn’t down lower.

Here’s a main cola off the SB. You can see where I kept from. How would you have handled this same top main of the pair?

Thanks so much! I hope this is helping someone besides me.

 

[InTheShed]

Do you approach them differently? Since light is not an issue if nothing else? Or still strip them to one single large bud (taking anything that won’t grow together)?

For me, the decision comes down to "what's going to make up the top?" If there are buds far enough down from the end of the branch that I don't believe will connect to the main cola, off they go. That's a judgement call based on how you expect the plant to flower. Which leads me to this:

Also would this answer differ for indica/hybrid/sativa structures?

Absolutely! Many sativas don't put together a long connection of flowers to make main colas so I take a much lighter hand to delarfing sativa-style plants, since a larger percentage of the harvest weight might come from popcorn-type flowers down the stems.

As I mentioned above, that plant is so spare I'd be light-handed in thinning the flowers.

 

[Jon]

Trizkit and her yellowing leaves are trudging along and her buds are getting chunky as hell. I’ve never had a plant that was a nice hollow ring become an entire canopy before, but here we are. There’s just a ridiculous amount of bud on her.

I still say wow, she’s pretty quick to flower.