How to maximise yield

Sparky413 said:

Looking good. I don't know if I would do my plan of weaving her through the net to support her. For me, when I harvest, I just cut the netting. My new opinion is to flip her into flower right now. Try to spread her out a bit more if you can. I recommend a long flush with coco, 2-3 weeks to end her. There's a lot of conflicting information, lots of people think it's bro science. When I grew in coco, I used cheap dyna-gro, if I didn't flush it tasted like ass.

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Why should I flip it now? Would it be beneficial to get it a bit bigger? Or will it continue to grow in flower

Vincechase said:

Why should I flip it now? Would it be beneficial to get it a bit bigger? Or will it continue to grow in flower

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there is a stretch period during the first few weeks of flower. You won't know how big until you grow that genetic in your environment. If you spread her out more as she stretches, she will fill out most of that fence. I would mostly flip her now, because I think your fence is going to make harvesting a major pain in the ass. If you have a timeline because you are going to run out of weed and want to smoke it, I would flip sooner, to get a longer cure, but if you are just concerned with yield and not concerned with the harvest. Weaving her through the fence will combat a lot of the stretch and support her real good. You will get a bigger yield with the additional veg time. When harvesting, try to chop the plant in as few places, and cut the fence instead so you can get a longer dry.

Sparky413 said:

there is a stretch period during the first few weeks of flower. You won't know how big until you grow that genetic in your environment. If you spread her out more as she stretches, she will fill out most of that fence. I would mostly flip her now, because I think your fence is going to make harvesting a major pain in the ass. If you have a timeline because you are going to run out of weed and want to smoke it, I would flip sooner, to get a longer cure, but if you are just concerned with yield and not concerned with the harvest. Weaving her through the fence will combat a lot of the stretch and support her real good. You will get a bigger yield with the additional veg time. When harvesting, try to chop the plant in as few places, and cut the fence instead so you can get a longer dry.

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Thank you for taking the time to reply man! I really appreciate it.

My screen is made of plant ties so I'd planned on spending an hour or so undoing it when I was ready to harvest rather than cutting it but I see your point about how it could be a pain.

I'll probably let her veg for another week or so mostly because I up-potted yesterday and want to get a bit more root growth in the additional medium.

If she fills out a bit then great, if not I'll flip regardless.

One more question - I'm currently growing with an air cooled hood 600w MH but flower will be with an HPS bulb - it's about 60cm above my plant at the moment. Is that an okay distance or should I bring it closer/further to get more growth? When I had it 30cm from the plant there was pretty bad light burn so I'm hesitant to have it that close again.

Any advice would be appreciated

Vincechase said:

Thank you for taking the time to reply man! I really appreciate it.

My screen is made of plant ties so I'd planned on spending an hour or so undoing it when I was ready to harvest rather than cutting it but I see your point about how it could be a pain.

I'll probably let her veg for another week or so mostly because I up-potted yesterday and want to get a bit more root growth in the additional medium.

If she fills out a bit then great, if not I'll flip regardless.

One more question - I'm currently growing with an air cooled hood 600w MH but flower will be with an HPS bulb - it's about 60cm above my plant at the moment. Is that an okay distance or should I bring it closer/further to get more growth? When I had it 30cm from the plant there was pretty bad light burn so I'm hesitant to have it that close again.

Any advice would be appreciated

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No problem, glad I could be of some help. I don't have any experience with lights other than LED's so I can't be of assistance. For LED's it as simple as hang it at the factory recommendation. Not sure where you could find that information for your lights. Your girls look good, but if you do want to move the lights closer, do it slowly and back off at the first sign of light burn, don't go as far as you know you'll burn her. I would lollipop her on flip, and my defoliation tactic would be to pluck all the really green ones and ones that block bud sites that I can't tuck. I would do that until the 2nd week of flower, but that's just my style, not sure what the best way to do it is. Good luck with her! I'm sure she will be a heavy yielder.

Sparky413 said:

No problem, glad I could be of some help. I don't have any experience with lights other than LED's so I can't be of assistance. For LED's it as simple as hang it at the factory recommendation. Not sure where you could find that information for your lights. Your girls look good, but if you do want to move the lights closer, do it slowly and back off at the first sign of light burn, don't go as far as you know you'll burn her. I would lollipop her on flip, and my defoliation tactic would be to pluck all the really green ones and ones that block bud sites that I can't tuck. I would do that until the 2nd week of flower, but that's just my style, not sure what the best way to do it is. Good luck with her! I'm sure she will be a heavy yielder.

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Thanks, I'll probably just leave it as is for now unless I see a slowdown in growth.

As far as defoliation, what exactly am I looking to get rid of? Just leaves that are blocking bud sites or entire branches that aren't high enough? I just don't want to overprune

Vincechase said:

Thanks, I'll probably just leave it as is for now unless I see a slowdown in growth.

As far as defoliation, what exactly am I looking to get rid of? Just leaves that are blocking bud sites or entire branches that aren't high enough? I just don't want to overprune

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There's some good lollipopping and defoliation tutoriols on www.growweedeasy.com, much better than how I could explain. I remove the lower 1/3rd, all the branches everything, that doesn't reach up into the canopy. Your plant is going to grow the same amount of bud, the buds where there is more light penetration will be bigger. If you don't, the bud below the canopy will be very larfy and a pain to trim and not as potent.

Sparky413 said:

There's some good lollipopping and defoliation tutoriols on www.growweedeasy.com, much better than how I could explain. I remove the lower 1/3rd, all the branches everything, that doesn't reach up into the canopy. Your plant is going to grow the same amount of bud, the buds where there is more light penetration will be bigger. If you don't, the bud below the canopy will be very larfy and a pain to trim and not as potent.

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Legend! Thanks for that, I read a couple of posts and guides on here and other sites, I'll prune a couple of leaves here and there and see how much stretch happens when I flip it.

Thanks again for the help!

I'll post some photos in a couple of weeks if you're interested in seeing how she's going

Sparky413 said:

There's some good lollipopping and defoliation tutoriols on www.growweedeasy.com, much better than how I could explain. I remove the lower 1/3rd, all the branches everything, that doesn't reach up into the canopy. Your plant is going to grow the same amount of bud, the buds where there is more light penetration will be bigger. If you don't, the bud below the canopy will be very larfy and a pain to trim and not as potent.

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Here's what she looks like one week into bloom.

I've slowly been chipping away at small branches and new growth that's getting no light.

Could probably do a little more but I'm scared to take too much off.

Any thoughts?

I've done a few big plants with long veg times a couple times, this time I'm doing a bunch with short veg times. As long as the canopy fills the tent and the plants stay healthy I'll be happy.

Two weeks into bloom.

She filled out the full 1x1m space

Vincechase said:

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Two weeks into bloom.

She filled out the full 1x1m space

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next week is when you need to get in there and chop everything under the canopy for better airflow its called lollipopping your tops will get more energy directed to them you can even clone the cuttings its easy peasy i just hit week 3 and cut out at least 20 branches