Stalk thickness/ how many colas is too many?

Mcsketcher · Mar 7, 2022

This is a LA Confidential plant. I've got her in about 13 gallons of soil. I had a failed fimming attempt (the plant just stretched) but I was able to top it to get to 32 colas. She looks healthy but should the stalk be bigger for that many colas? I just super cropped those stretching above the canopy as well. I'm using all organic stuff. Dr earth for the base and supplementing with down to earth stuff. I know Im overdoing something cause my leaf tips are burning a little. Pistils appeared 5 days ago so she's just starting to flower. My question is really, is 32 colas too much? Or for how big a plant?? We can legally grow 4 plants here so I'm trying to maximize my yield per plant.

calvin.m16 · Mar 8, 2022

Looks great. I prefer less tops because it results in larger colas for me. I like to top the plants only once usually at the 6th node then I'll lollipop those 12 branches removing all auxiliary lower growth other than the very tips and grow them up into a net and flip into flower.

The more times you top an individual branch in my experience you're creating 2 branches with less potential to be large. You want to keep the heads on your branches other than the main branch head and instead pluck the auxiliary nodes away through veg other than the very tops. Once the plant flips into flower you'll see the difference.

More tops hasn't equaled more yield for me yet allowing the same veg period and even implementing main-line training and more.. The plant will distribute its mass and energy through the entire plant. That is going to be a lot of work to trim too lol think 12 colas vs 32 to trim, pluck hang etc...

Polly Wog · Mar 8, 2022

Very nice. I use Dr. Earth myself. 7 gal. here. I like variety and grow several strains in my 5x5. I shoot for 4 to 6. Then spread it and the center will fill in from branches. Bending the ends etc. I veg 5 weeks ish. I bow to your abilities.
:clap:

Mcsketcher · Mar 8, 2022

calvin.m16 said:
Looks great. I prefer less tops because it results in larger colas for me. I like to top the plants only once usually at the 6th node then I'll lollipop those 12 branches removing all auxiliary lower growth other than the very tips and grow them up into a net and flip into flower.

The more times you top an individual branch in my experience you're creating 2 branches with less potential to be large. You want to keep the heads on your branches other than the main branch head and instead pluck the auxiliary nodes away through veg other than the very tops. Once the plant flips into flower you'll see the difference.

More tops hasn't equaled more yield for me yet allowing the same veg period and even implementing main-line training and more.. The plant will distribute its mass and energy through the entire plant. That is going to be a lot of work to trim too lol think 12 colas vs 32 to trim, pluck hang etc...

That is a great point! The trimming process had not even played into my equation!!!! We can legally have 4 plants growing here so I'm trying to maximize my yield on each plant.

Mcsketcher · Mar 8, 2022

My last grow(I'm getting ready to harvest this week), I had fewer colas but couldn't get them to beef up as much as I would have liked. They are skunk berry strain and are a smaller plant. I think I'm going to get 8-10 oz off the pair. I don't really know if that's good. I'm trying to learn. I pruned a small bud last night and dried in the oven. Smooth, tastes good even after the oven. My last grow I got 7oz off 2 plants(big bud) in that same tent. If I get 8-10 I can say it's an improvement... Quality is going to be better I think. Buds are thick and dense. My big bud plants I got 7oz but the buds weren't that dense. Not bad weed, but I changed my feeding regimen because of the fluffiness.

Mcsketcher · Mar 8, 2022

I guess I'm worried because I have so many colas on the LA Confidential. I don't want the buds to turn out fluffy like the big bud strain I did before the skunk berries. Probably, won't happen... I am feeding a lot heavier... But I don't really know

Mcsketcher · Mar 18, 2022

The blooms are 15 days old. Quick photo update for any interested. I got a little over aggressive supercropping thus the wire support on that one branch. Other than that I think she's in good health.

Mcsketcher · Mar 21, 2022

Day 18 and trichomes appeared!!

Bucsfan80 · Mar 21, 2022

Looks good! I'm learning the defol/ lollipop process myself. I've been doing a little more each grow. I was really liking this one thru veg and kept it up decent then I got hesitant again after flipping. I wish I'd have lollipoped one more time like week 3 after flip but anyway it's a learning curve. My last one was about the same as yours now and had a lot of nice top buds. This one really wanted only 10 main tops but like I said I got scared lol. Keep it up, it's all about learning.

This is the one i have now, so I'm getting there lol.

Mcsketcher · Mar 21, 2022

Bucsfan80 said:
Looks good! I'm learning the defol/ lollipop process myself. I've been doing a little more each grow. I was really liking this one thru veg and kept it up decent then I got hesitant again after flipping. I wish I'd have lollipoped one more time like week 3 after flip but anyway it's a learning curve. My last one was about the same as yours now and had a lot of nice top buds. This one really wanted only 10 main tops but like I said I got scared lol. Keep it up, it's all about learning.
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This is the one i have now, so I'm getting there lol.

Yours look good as well... I haven't used a trellis yet. I've got a twine rectangle wrapped around to support the outer branches. The plant seems to be effectively defoling herself. I'm cutting off the leaves that start yellowing... It's working so far... I don't want to interrupt what's going on cause it looks good... I think I've decided that aside from strategic defol I don't make any significant changes to the plant after they're flowering... I've stunted a couple already... But I suck

Bucsfan80 · Mar 21, 2022

Mcsketcher said:
Yours look good as well... I haven't used a trellis yet. I've got a twine rectangle wrapped around to support the outer branches. The plant seems to be effectively defoling herself. I'm cutting off the leaves that start yellowing... It's working so far... I don't want to interrupt what's going on cause it looks good... I think I've decided that aside from strategic defol I don't make any significant changes to the plant after they're flowering... I've stunted a couple already... But I suck

Yeah I'm the same way. Once in flower I don't do much. Just be ready for some heavy branches that wanna fall over. It's not cool when something let's loose and every branch falls over and half break. I didn't have a good support net set up cause I suck lol. Luckily it was only a couple weeks till chop.

Bucsfan80 · Mar 21, 2022

Your good I see in pics now. I'd do another twine wrap close to the top and you should be good

ShawnSunshine · Mar 21, 2022

Mcsketcher said:
The blooms are 15 days old. Quick photo update for any interested. I got a little over aggressive supercropping thus the wire support on that one branch. Other than that I think she's in good health.

WOW, that's PRETTY

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

Bucsfan80 said:
Yeah I'm the same way. Once in flower I don't do much. Just be ready for some heavy branches that wanna fall over. It's not cool when something let's loose and every branch falls over and half break. I didn't have a good support net set up cause I suck lol. Luckily it was only a couple weeks till chop.

She's actually inside a wire utility shelf. Any branches that get too heavy I'll tie up... Literally... Same as I did with the 2 branches I got too aggressive with super cropping. You can see the green wire

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

Mcsketcher said:
She's actually inside a wire utility shelf. Any branches that get too heavy I'll tie up... Literally... Same as I did with the 2 branches I got too aggressive with super cropping. You can see the green wire

I'm hoping the way I topped her in such quick succession, so the distance between nodes is short, that it'll help distribute the weight...

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

So, I smoke a lot of pot and I'm not super tech savvy. I didn't know you had a choice about thumbnail photos or not until Bucsfan80 posted those photos of his lovely plant set up... So, I'm going to repost all mine bigger.

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

Bucsfan80 said:
Your good I see in pics now. I'd do another twine wrap close to the top and you should be good

Thanks for making me aware there was another option than thumbnail photo... I don't know what I just did but I think it just posted everything like 4 times... Wtf

Mcsketcher · Mar 22, 2022

calvin.m16 · Mar 23, 2022

Genetics, Footprint, Light(s) all come into the equation.

Stalk thickness/ how many colas is too many?

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