Should I lollipop and when?

[Makeminefullgrown]

Hello all, I’m trying some new training with my current grow, which is 2 plants, both feminized diesel, grown from seed, and currently in their 7th week of vegging.
Growing in Coco, amended with dry organics. Growing under a HLG 320 LED, currently set at about 75% intensity and 24” above the canopy.
Last week I transplanted from 1gal into a 5 and 7 gal pot. I thought I wanted both in 7gal’s but once I saw how huge it was, I chickened out and put the second plant in a 5gal.
I usually top plants a couple times and then lollipop it leaving the top 1/3rd.
This time I decided to top once and follow up by bending things over, opening it up and evening out the canopy.
All the training plus a bit of defoliation has slowed their growth down a bit, but they seem to be hitting their stride.
My question is should I still lollipop anything below the top 2/3 nodes??
I guessing any site that’s getting direct light should be left alone…..
I’ve just never had a plant that was butterflied like these are.
They are mighty short and I’ve never flipped a plant that was 10” tall, but I’m thinking of flipping in about 2 weeks.
Does that sound like a smart timeline? I’m sure all the tops should grow a bit before the flip and could stretch a good amount.
I don’t wanna flip them and have 2 bushy plants that yield 1- 1.5 oz each.
What are your thoughts ??

 

[Peat Phreak]

If you are only growing the top 1/3, you are sacrificing a lot of usable yield. I remove the bottom third. Sometimes less. Everything left over is typically potent buds if they get good light exposure. If some of the bottoms aren't fully formed, they get made into tincture.

 

[SmokingWings]

My question is should I still lollipop anything below the top 2/3 nodes??
I guessing any site that’s getting direct light should be left alone…..

Keep in mind that the leaves are where photosynthesis takes place. Once the plants start to flower the amount of new fan leaf growth pretty much stops. That means whatever leaves you have is it and the plant is not going to produce any more. Yes, there are some small fan leaves growing in the flower buds but it will not be enough.

Lopping off 2/3 of the leaves is removing 2/3 of the future photosynthesis area which can mean a slowdown in final flower production and maturing. It could be even worse if the plant starts to draw on the available leaves for the stored nutrients, minerals, etc that are in the leaves and eventually lets them fall off after it has sucked everything it can get from them.

As @Peat Phreak brings up, you could be loosing a lot of usable yield.

They are mighty short and I’ve never flipped a plant that was 10” tall, but I’m thinking of flipping in about 2 weeks.
Does that sound like a smart timeline? I’m sure all the tops should grow a bit before the flip and could stretch a good amount.

The plants look good and healthy so I am sure that there will be some more growth and like you said, there should be a good amount of stretch once the plants start their flowering stage. Though 'stretch' does not always mean an increase in weight or even size of the buds but the potential will be there.

I don’t wanna flip them and have 2 bushy plants that yield 1- 1.5 oz each.

I look at it as "quality first and quantity second". Looking at the plants I see potential for a good quality harvest but I have no idea of how much it will weigh.

 

[Hafta]

@Makeminefullgrown

Your plants are gorgeous.

I agree whole heartedly with @Peat Phreak and @SmokingWings about leaving enough fan leaves to power the plant's roots.

Here is a photo of an auto grown using a method I call "skirting". I remove more fan leaves from the upper third than I do anywhere else. The plant never starves for power.

This was the result

It yielded more than 10 ounces. It was 18" tall.

 

[SmokingWings]

Here is a photo of an auto grown using a method I call "skirting". I remove more fan leaves from the upper third than I do anywhere else. The plant never starves for power.

Now that is impressive. And the concept behind the "skirting" looks very basic so it should be simple.

Off to look at the 'Skirted CST' link in your sig file...

 

[Makeminefullgrown]

Now that is impressive. And the concept behind the "skirting" looks very basic so it should be simple.

Off to look at the 'Skirted CST' link in your sig file...

That’s a nice job and exactly what I’m trying to do.
I plan on leaving most All big fans , especially the ones that are down low and not interfering.
When I lollipop I take the newly formed bud sites but generally leave the bigger leaves.
You are so right, they really help bolster the plant’s reserves and are important solar panels.

 

[Buds Buddy]

The way you defol, train & lollipop kind of depends on how you want your buds to grow.
On this plant I removed all the bottom 3rd growth & all the skinny twig branches that wont hold up a large cola.

2B-Gorilla Glue.JPG

• Buds Buddy
• Jun 1, 2020

GG#4 Cola

2A-Gorilla Glue.JPG

• Buds Buddy
• Jun 1, 2020

GG#4

 

[Peat Phreak]

All dongs. There was still room for more in the middle without being too crowded tho.

 

[Buds Buddy]

All dongs. There was still room for more in the middle without being too crowded tho.

Yes there was. It was my very first time doing things that way.... guided by @InTheShed about 3-4 years ago. Had 3 plants that way. Smallest was a little over 9 oz. & largest was a bit over 12 oz. It was a huge improvement from my normal yield.

 

[Makeminefullgrown]

Yes there was. It was my very first time doing things that way.... guided by @InTheShed about 3-4 years ago. Had 3 plants that way. Smallest was a little over 9 oz. & largest was a bit over 12 oz. It was a huge improvement from my normal yield.

Man I would love to see a journal or some time line pics of that grow.
Obviously you have to have all other variables on point, plus genetics has to play some kind of role in the end result…..but what you were able to do is some next level stuff.
I’d ask questions but I don’t know where to start.
It blows my mind (which isn’t a tough task anymore) to see the bud growth so uniform from top to bottom. Did you run side lights?
The scrog concept is easy to understand and I can see its benefits. I just can’t really do it in my grow space b/c access to the plants is limited, so I have to remove them from the space (which is a 2’x6’x8’ closet) all the time to water/manicure/clean the space, etc etc.
The scrog is kind of what I am shooting for, but without the screen. An even canopy with all the tops getting close to the same amount of light.
But your grow is a different animal altogether…..unless you have side lighting, the bottom of the plant can’t be taking in what the tops are. So, how the hell do you end up with such mass on the lower part of the plant??
Forgive me for being so “new”……but up until recently most of my attention had to be devoted to getting all the other aspects figured out and dialed in. No amount of training can help you if your plants aren’t healthy and growing.
Anyway, like I said, I would love to see one of your plants in veg, right before flipping. And also see how much stretch you got as the flowers were stacking.
Thanks again for chiming in and sharing your advice and showing us those big giant donkey dongs…..they are something.
Cheers….and happy new year

 

[Buds Buddy]

Man I would love to see a journal or some time line pics of that grow.
Obviously you have to have all other variables on point, plus genetics has to play some kind of role in the end result…..but what you were able to do is some next level stuff.
I’d ask questions but I don’t know where to start.
It blows my mind (which isn’t a tough task anymore) to see the bud growth so uniform from top to bottom. Did you run side lights?
The scrog concept is easy to understand and I can see its benefits. I just can’t really do it in my grow space b/c access to the plants is limited, so I have to remove them from the space (which is a 2’x6’x8’ closet) all the time to water/manicure/clean the space, etc etc.
The scrog is kind of what I am shooting for, but without the screen. An even canopy with all the tops getting close to the same amount of light.
But your grow is a different animal altogether…..unless you have side lighting, the bottom of the plant can’t be taking in what the tops are. So, how the hell do you end up with such mass on the lower part of the plant??
Forgive me for being so “new”……but up until recently most of my attention had to be devoted to getting all the other aspects figured out and dialed in. No amount of training can help you if your plants aren’t healthy and growing.
Anyway, like I said, I would love to see one of your plants in veg, right before flipping. And also see how much stretch you got as the flowers were stacking.
Thanks again for chiming in and sharing your advice and showing us those big giant donkey dongs…..they are something.
Cheers….and happy new year

Here you go. Photos, Soil, Mars Hydro Grow
This is my biggest plant so far. 1.25 lbs. off her.

Aurora Indica Plant.JPG

• Buds Buddy
• Jul 31, 2022
• 1

 

[bluter]

i always train and take the bottom third out. start conservative in veg, then do a clean out at wk 2 after flip. screw the larf, i get plenty of sugar leaf without growing old trimming the small stuff.

take the small lower branching out, and leave the larger fans til later. the fans will provide a nutrient store for flower, and can be removed as they yellow after flip. leave the upper two thirds alone.

if you can swing side lighting all through, you can grow the lower stuff without defol as huge as the top 2/3's. that's how the best tiny turbo buckets do it. same happens in larger grows. not a lot of talk about side lighting any more.

 

[Hafta]

I agree with @bluter about the side lighting. Almost zero larf!