No topping/fimming/LST. Will I still see a decent yield?

Hi all,

Growing 4 Nirvana Papaya in a 4x4 tent with 600w HID fixture.
Switched my first grow over to flower tonight after 5 weeks under a 2ft 4 tube T5, and 1 week under a 600w MH. Flowering under 600w HPS, have 4 plants in DWC buckets with House and Garden nutes running the full line (So right now they're receiving aqua flakes, multi zen, roots excel, and drip clean.) Keeping pH at 5.8 or so and making sure they get plenty of light in my 4x4 tent. I received the plants, however, after their 5 weeks under CFL's and my friend had done no topping/fimming/lst/etc. Due to time constraints I couldn't do any of it myself as they needed to be put into flower right away. Generally I see people predicting at least 2 ounces a plant after a long veg period in hydroponics, but since I used no topping/fimming/lst techniques I am worred I may have screwed my yield. Am I going to see a terrible yield from my first grow since none of these techniques were really utilized?

tl;dr: vegged plants for 6 weeks, 5 under cfl and 1 under 600w mh. Kicked over to flower today under 600w HPS. Did no fimming/topping/LST as of right now, so does that screw me yield-wise? Most people seem to always use at least one of these techniques.

The reason most people use these techniques is to get as many tops basking in the best light that produced from their lamps.


You will get one main cola with a few secondaries underneath. However only the top cola will be receiving the best light energy.


By using training techniques such as those you mentioned allows us to get more colas in the most light energy.

Yield sometimes increases from training methods depending upon what training methods you use.


Next time around I would recommend topping or LST as your first attempt.



Yield shouldn't be effected too much this time as long as you keep them happy and healthy.


J

Like jondamon mentioned, the benefit from training is an even canopy to increase the efficiency of your light.

Do what you can to maintain an even canopy without training (rotate pots, rotate plants, put taller plants and colas toward the edges of the light and shorter areas and plants directly under light) and your yield should be minimally affected.

You don't need to train to get a great yield!

Thank you! That definitely puts my mind at ease.

I'd wait for someone to confirm this because I only have a couple grows done, but I would recommend and don't think it's too late to... cut the very bottom branches off..one reason for airflow and the second because they are only going to produce very small "popcorn nugs"..Instead it will just make the main cola bud slightly larger...again I don't think it's too late Yet, but I'd wait for someone else to chime in.
edit: Only do this if you have plenty of head room it may make them stretch a couple inches more, or at least mine did in this instance, I have personally done this at beginning of flower and like it better then when I didn't.

^^^ do not cut anything off

Bandit1989 said:

I'd wait for someone to confirm this because I only have a couple grows done, but I would recommend and don't think it's too late to... cut the very bottom branches off..one reason for airflow and the second because they are only going to produce very small "popcorn nugs"..Instead it will just make the main cola bud slightly larger...again I don't think it's too late Yet, but I'd wait for someone else to chime in.
edit: Only do this if you have plenty of head room it may make them stretch a couple inches more, or at least mine did in this instance, I have personally done this at beginning of flower and like it better then when I didn't.

Click to expand...

He's already flipped 12/12, they'll be in vigorous growth right now so they don't need the stress.

I do prune off lower branches (leaving the fan leaves!!), but it generally has very little (if any) effect on yield, it just redirects the energy to the top colas.

However, you don't want to this after (or immediately before) the flip to 12/12. I prefer to prune a week before the flip. You don't want to stunt their growth spurt.