Different Potency On Different Plant Sections?

Wigiberto

Well-Known Member
Ladies and gents,

I've noticed when harvesting indoor plants that some parts of the plants are more developed ( more resinous, more evolved swollen calyxes, pistils darkened and sucked in by swollen calyx) than other parts of the plant, specifically the lower part which is getting less light.

I am wondering if this would affect potency....

Question: Would the upper part of the plant be more potent than the lower part? Any thoughts on this?

Your experiences and input is greatly appreciated!

W
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
sure, an under expressed bud can contain less active ingredients.
growers fix this with a staggered harvest, cut the top half first, and the bottom when finished to satisfaction, or
like I do, lollipop the stump to my light penetration about 20 inches from canopy, removing everything under the top four/six/eight colas. great air flow, no dirty splashed buds, no fluff, no sorry snips, and easier quicker trimming of most desired larger colas/buds.
some make their hash/oil with these lower buds, some cook with them. My patients dont want them, I dont either and hate to discard them to. laws govern my on hand weight and such, just not worth the hassle for me. My hash and oil comes from extra buds instead.
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
I look at it like grades of buds. The main cola is grade A. Popcorn grade B. The very low buds. Grade C.

As for potency. The main cola will frost the most. Gradually lessening in degree from the top cola to the bottom undeveloped buds.

In my own growing. The main cola is considered private reserve. Popcorn is what I share at gatherings. The grade C crap gets made into tincture or butter.
 

dynospec

Well-Known Member
"3.5 INHERENT VARIATIONS IN POTENCY The potency of a particular marijuana sample will vary because of many factors other then the variety. Many of these have to do with the natural development of the plants and their resin glands. Environmental factors do affect potency but there are large differences in any variety. These inherent factors must be explained before we can talk of factors outside the plant that affect relative potency. Strictly environmental effects are discussed in Chapter 19. Variations in Potency Within Varieties There are noticeable differences in THC concentrations between plants of the same variety. Differences are large enough so that you can tall (by smoking) that certain plants are better.
This is no news to homegrowers, who often find a particular plant to be outstanding. Five-fold differences in THC concentration have also shown up in research. However, when you consider a whole group of plants of the same variety, they're relatively similar in cannabinoid concentrations. Type II plants are the most variable, with individual plants much higher than other in certain canninbinoids. Variations by Plant Part The concentration of cannabinoids depends on the plant part, or more specifically, the concentration and development of resin glands to plant part. The female flower bracts have the highest concentration of resin glands and are usually the most potent plant parts. Seeds and roots have no resin glands. These shoe no more than traces of canninbinoids. Smoke seeds will give you a headache before you can get high. If you got high on seeds, then there were probably enough bracts adhering to the seeds to get you high.

{Figure 29 The highest concentration of stalked resin glands forms a cover on the female flower bracts Resin glands beneath cystolith hairs on a leaf petiole} Here are the potencies, in descending order, of the various plant parts: 1. Female flowering clusters. In practice you don't separate hundreds of tiny bracts to make a joint. The whole flowering mass (seeds removed) along with small accompanying leaves, forms the material. 2. Male flower clusters.
These vary more in relative potency depending on the strain (see "Potency by Sex," below). 3. Growing shoots. Before the plants flower, the vegetative shoots (tips of the main stem and branches are the most potent plant parts. 4. Leaves (a) that accompany flowers (small); (b) along branches (medium); (c) along main stem (large). Generally, the smaller the leaf is, the more potent it can be. 5. Petioles (leaf stalks). Same order as leaves. 6. Stems. Same order as leaves. The smaller the stem (twig), the higher the possible concentration of cannabinoids. Stems over 1/16" in diameter contain only traces of cannabinoids and are not worth smoking.
The small stems that bear the flowers can be quite potent. 7. Seeds and Roots. Contain only traces (less then .01 percent) and are not worth smoking or extracting. This order is fairly consistent. The exceptions can be the small leaves that accompany male flowers, which are sometimes more potent than the flowers themselves. The growing shoots are sometimes more potent than the mature female flowers. Samples of pollen show varying amounts of cannabinoids. Resin glands are found inside the anthers, alongside the developing pollen grains, and form two rows on opposite sides of each anther.
Pollen grains are smaller than the heads of large resin glands ({see Plate 7}), and range from 21 to 69 micrometres in diameter21. A small amount of resin contaminates the pollen when glands rupture, but most of the THC in pollen samples comes from gland heads that fall with pollen when the flowers are shaken to collect it. One study, using pollen for the sample, found concentrations of up to 0.96 percent THC, more then enough to get you high79. Potency by Position on Plant The potency of marijuana on any plant increases toward the top of the plant, the topmost bud being the most potent. The bottommost leaves on the main stem are the least potent of the useable material. Along branches there is a less steep THC gradient increasing to the growing tip. The ratios in Table 11 are representative of high-quality marijuana varieties. Plant no. 2 is an exception, with four percent THC in its lower leaves, a figure comparable to high-quality Colombian and Mexican buds in commercial grass.
Table 11 - Relationship of THC Content to Leaf Position (68) Percentage of THC by weight of Leaf from Position on plant Plant No. 1 (SP-5) NO.2 (SP-5) NO.3 (UNC-335) Top 6.1 6.9 4.8 THE MARIJUANA GROWER'S GUIDE..........by Mel Frank & Ed Rosenthal Página 29 de 137 Middle 3 5.5 3.1 Bottom 0.8 4 1.5 Ratio (gradient) 8:4:1 1.7:1.4:1 3:2:1 Notice the large difference in the gradients of Plants no. 1 and 2, which are from the same variety (SP-5). Like almost all characteristics of these plants, considerable variation occurs even among sibling. Our experience is that generally the better the quality of the variety, the steeper the gradient: in other words, the bigger the difference between top and bottom leaves. For example, the plants given here are high-quality type I varieties. Plant no. 1 is more typical, with its steep gradient, than no.2, where the gradient is much less pronounced. Lower-quality varieties generally do not have as steep a gradient and the ratios would look more like that of Plant no. 2."

taken from the marijuana growers guide by mel frank and ed rosenthal.
This pretty much sums it all up in detail

The big dumb of text is so you can read it and get a complete and thorough answer

Its on this list, if you want to read it

http://catnews.org/FREE Pot Books/
 
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