Are they done yet? What does "done" look like?

RM3

Well-Known Member
Well the first thing I would say is, if you're gonna defoil you only do in veg. looks like you figured that out on your own LOL And I have often wondered if the growers doin scrog, like yourself, tried growing normally before they chose whatever method to see what the actual difference is, or would be?

I also very well understand that some growers have situations that require a different way of doing things. Living situations, legal situations etc. and I have seen some incredible things done to by growers to achieve a goal. I myself have defoiled in veg a few times and gotten good yields from doing so. I switched to monster cropping because it offers great results with little time and effort. I look at it like while fiddlelin with em might increase output it also takes time and that extra 3 or 4 weeks of veg to get there could be a whole other grow in the span of a year. IOW you can measure output by GPW within each grow or you could look at it as grams per year and truthfully I very rarely even weigh my grows as I don't care about yield. My preference is towards gettin in 4 runs a year instead of 3 simply because my focus is on breeding. My guess is your focus is on providing meds for yourself at a reduced cost since you are growing one plant in a small space.

My problem with the defoil drill is not about maximizing options but rather the folks that do it to get more light to buds and not understanding that buds are sinks and that sinks don't use light. Tis the sources that use light and the sources are the leaves. I have no issue with folks training a plant and then veggin it long enough to recover to reach a desired goal.
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Well the first thing I would say is, if you're gonna defoil you only do in veg. looks like you figured that out on your own LOL And I have often wondered if the growers doin scrog, like yourself, tried growing normally before they chose whatever method to see what the actual difference is, or would be?

I also very well understand that some growers have situations that require a different way of doing things. Living situations, legal situations etc. and I have seen some incredible things done to by growers to achieve a goal. I myself have defoiled in veg a few times and gotten good yields from doing so. I switched to monster cropping because it offers great results with little time and effort. I look at it like while fiddlelin with em might increase output it also takes time and that extra 3 or 4 weeks of veg to get there could be a whole other grow in the span of a year. IOW you can measure output by GPW within each grow or you could look at it as grams per year and truthfully I very rarely even weigh my grows as I don't care about yield. My preference is towards gettin in 4 runs a year instead of 3 simply because my focus is on breeding. My guess is your focus is on providing meds for yourself at a reduced cost since you are growing one plant in a small space.

My problem with the defoil drill is not about maximizing options but rather the folks that do it to get more light to buds and not understanding that buds are sinks and that sinks don't use light. Tis the sources that use light and the sources are the leaves. I have no issue with folks training a plant and then veggin it long enough to recover to reach a desired goal.

Yes, my first few grows were done "normally." I did 4 plants, vegged for 4 weeks, in a 4X4 tent with a 1000w. Once I got dialed in I was yielding about 1.5 pounds or more. The first time I scrogged I did 3 plants, vegged 8 weeks, with 2 x 600w and yielded about the same.

So exactly right... it's my situation that pushed me towards scrog. Low plant count. Less heavy work. I do two runs a year for my meds and I need to maximize yield as best that I can... so shooting oneself in the foot (like defoliating in flower...hahahaha) is something I try to avoid. So after reading the bits I have about defoliating I wonder if I might be doing that in veg a bit too, as they do tend too stall if you get too aggressive. I'm not sure how much difference that makes, as my experience is still limited.

So naturally, I wonder if there's a better way... like monster or super cropping... I like to do four plants per garden and veg for 8 weeks and I have the room... that might be a route to go, because in all truth when I defoliate I just feel it's unnatural... and guilty and cruel...lol
 

pineappleman420

Well-Known Member
I felt the same way. I just switched how im going to do it this round. No more scrog after 8 years. I am going to top for 4 colas( well the one is a trifoliate and i'm hoping she will have has 6).
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
@RM3

Other than trichromes, do you use additional factors to determine the best harvest date...such as the hairs residing and swelling of buds, etc....
The trichomes is all I go by. You see how the heads of some have turned an amber color... once you see them changing, its time. Wait too much longer and the THC will start to degrade that's what the amber color indicates.
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
The trichomes is all I go by. You see how the heads of some have turned an amber color... once you see them changing, its time. Wait too much longer and the THC will start to degrade that's what the amber color indicates.
Not always true, amber can in fact be a good thing and when it is they turn red then black when they are degrading. It is sad that so many confuse amber with brown.
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
Not always true, amber can in fact be a good thing and when it is they turn red then black when they are degrading. It is sad that so many confuse amber with brown.
That's just what I've always heard. I'm here to learn as much as any other reason. You seem to know your stuff, I've seen some of your post and read through some of your threads. You have me rethinking t5's after some of the pics you've posted and got me thinking about uv lights as well. I want to grow trics lol.
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
That's just what I've always heard. I'm here to learn as much as any other reason. You seem to know your stuff, I've seen some of your post and read through some of your threads. You have me rethinking t5's after some of the pics you've posted and got me thinking about uv lights as well. I want to grow trics lol.
a pic to illustrate what the amber to red to black looks like
stages.jpg
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
So, do you wait till you start to see a few turn that dark? For example, the picture you posted... would you harvest that now? Wait? Or is this an example of too late? Cause I can definitely see what you are talking about.
I usually harvest at 5% red on my strains that do the early amber, but also still look at the whole picture not just the trics.
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
I usually harvest at 5% red on my strains that do the early amber, but also still look at the whole picture not just the trics.
I still have much to learn. I can grow but not like that. Your pictures speak for themselves. You obviously know your mary jane.
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
Thank you, I try and share as much as I can. Feel free to check out my grow journal for more info & pics :bigjoint:
https://www.rollitup.org/t/the-leprechauns-pot-o-gold.855314/
Will do. Like I said... really rethinking my lighting options. And just curious, what light setup would you use in a 6x6 tent? I'm running a 1000w hps and a 600w hps with plans to ditch to 600 and go to 2x 1000x hps in the near future. A lot of light, I know. The hoods are obviously air-cooled. But wanting to at least supplement some t5's or uv lights.
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
Will do. Like I said... really rethinking my lighting options. And just curious, what light setup would you use in a 6x6 tent? I'm running a 1000w hps and a 600w hps with plans to ditch to 600 and go to 2x 1000x hps in the near future. A lot of light, I know. The hoods are obviously air-cooled. But wanting to at least supplement some t5's or uv lights.
in a 6X6 If I was to use hps, I would do 2 600's, but truth is I would never go hps and would never have a tent or air cooled lights, all of that goes against my growing style which follows none of the general forum rhetoric
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
in a 6X6 If I was to use hps, I would do 2 600's, but truth is I would never go hps and would never have a tent or air cooled lights, all of that goes against my growing style which follows none of the general forum rhetoric
I understand. I was just telling you what I'm currently running and what I might upgrade to. I know a/c hoods aren't ideal, as well as a tent. But I am in an unfriendly state so I have to do what I have to do. Anyways... I was hoping you'd say something like; That's nice, but here's what I would do... Like if you were setting up the tent from scratch. Its no big deal, just wanted a little insight
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
I understand. I was just telling you what I'm currently running and what I might upgrade to. I know a/c hoods aren't ideal, as well as a tent. But I am in an unfriendly state so I have to do what I have to do. Anyways... I was hoping you'd say something like; That's nice, but here's what I would do... Like if you were setting up the tent from scratch. Its no big deal, just wanted a little insight
It totally depends on what your goals are ? While I can easily pull a gram a watt with my T5's, it is not my goal. I grow to breed, because I love breeding and most times I don't even weigh my harvest, because it is just for me.

If I was growing for yield, I would do the 2 X 600 watts with T5 sidelights for the UV & Deep Blue
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
It totally depends on what your goals are ? While I can easily pull a gram a watt with my T5's, it is not my goal. I grow to breed, because I love breeding and most times I don't even weigh my harvest, because it is just for me.

If I was growing for yield, I would do the 2 X 600 watts with T5 sidelights for the UV & Deep Blue
That's kind of what I was thinking with the side lighting. Maybe I'll cut it back to just the 1000 so maybe, hopefully, I can kick the a/c hood and use an adjust-a-wing or parabolic and add t5s around the sides. I grow for me. So quality is of more importance than yield.
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
That's kind of what I was thinking with the side lighting. Maybe I'll cut it back to just the 1000 so maybe, hopefully, I can kick the a/c hood and use an adjust-a-wing or parabolic and add t5s around the sides. I grow for me. So quality is of more importance than yield.
Can't beat the quality from T5's, why I use em. Another member here, @DCobeen because of me, has set up a side by side with T5's vs HPS and so far the T5's have won everytime
 
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