First grow: any tips

[SirHempAlot]

The 3 seeds I found unknown strain.







Picture of the biggest plant, any tips on trimming/lolly popping.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

Your going to get many different answers, if it is your first grow, maybe stay away from defoliating. Till you start to recognize how leaves grow. And how undefoliated plants look naturally. Some defoliate is good for sick dying leaves. I don’t see the point in cutting healthy green leaves though in my honest opinion. Alls it’s doing is making and storing sugars for growth. And it’s hard to do that if you remove these systems in charge of making food for the plant. Many experienced growers defoliate safely as they know which leaves are safe for defol. Whereas rookies and armatures tend to remove to much and harm and stunt growth. Due to not knowing how leaves work.
photosynthesis is primarily in the leafs and not the buds. Although I’ve read that with defol you can train the plant to force its buds to adapt to and photosynthesize more. Again wouldn’t suggest this as it is an advanced technique which probably took seasons to perfect on a single strain. As this type of stress would effect plants independently to their genes For damage and repair i would honestly think. Hermies tend to be the outcome of high stress in many strains. So read up and do plenty of research before trying something new bro

 

[SirHempAlot]

@Scottylikesbud Thanks , that's exactly how I'm taking it, these seeds where chaff anyway, so im not expecting much. Currently just LST them.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

Although I wouldn’t suggest defol to a newbie. I would suggest super cropping later on in veg. Has the benefits of topping the plant, encouraging the lower nodes to branch out, but here’s the best part. As long as you don’t tear that top off it will keep on growing. It slows vertically stem wise. But the leaves and nodes still keep growing day by day. I know this sounds horribly scary. And I felt the same way. Until I tried it earlier this year. Now lst and super cropping is part of the permanent inventory for shaping my plants.
maybe I’ll try defoliating some leaves my next grow in late flower when I noticed some very light leaves not getting enough light deep in the plant. Just maybe.

 

[SirHempAlot]

@Scottylikesbud Not expecting much from my first grow but to learn alot. my grow space isn't that big hence the LST and wanting to defol and keep the height of it low.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I'm not so sure I totally agree with Scotty but for 1 reason only. You say don't defoliate (Low Stress), But do Super Crop (High Stress). You're more likely to get a Hermie Super Cropping. The way I understand Defoliating you only cut off Fan Leaves that have have a leaf on both sides of the stem.
If there's only 1 leaf & not one directly on the other side of the stem .... leave it alone because it's a Bud Site. That's what I've been doing when things get really thick & haven't had any ill effects. In 2 weeks you'll never know you did a defol anyway. I had to defol my Afghan Kush twice this grow.
Here's what that plant looks like now with less than 2 weeks to harvest.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Here's what a Super Cropped plant looks like. 18 Branches were Super Cropped. Will be starting Harvest on this one this weekend.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

You say don't defoliate (Low Stress), But do Super Crop (High Stress). You're more likely to get a Hermie Super Cropping.

Huh I thought cutting the plant was considered high stress as well
The way I understand it low stress is moving the plant without harming it to much.
Hermies seem to be genetic the more I read into it. If it’s got the genes for it it’s going to herm out cause it was born that way. Stress might induce it earlier in flower though. But again it reads as genetic to me. So if you don’t want hermaphroditism get better cannabis genes

 

[Buds Buddy]

Huh I thought cutting the plant was considered high stress as well
The way I understand it low stress is moving the plant without harming it to much.
Hermies seem to be genetic the more I read into it. If it’s got the genes for it it’s going to herm out cause it was born that way. Stress might induce it earlier in flower though. But again it reads as genetic to me. So if you don’t want hermaphroditism get better cannabis genes

The main thing is, "Do as little as possible to it after 2 weeks into flower". If you need more air flow, tie your branches back farther.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

That’s something I can 100% agree with.