Should I prune buds not getting any light? wk5 flwr

[Cvntcrusher]

hey guys, i'm pretty sure she's done with her main stretch. More and more trichs everyday, looks more and more like actual buds as the days go by, i'm on day 26/28 of flower. So i'm pretty much starting wk 5. I want to know... IF i cut the lower smaller buds that aren't really receiving any light. Will that benefit my plant or stunt her growth and fuck me over in the end?

 

[Cvntcrusher]

Bump

 

[spliffendz]

I think it was every 20 days you can cut lower growth and then allow for recovery, BUT I COULD BE TOTALLY WRONG AND DELUSIONAL, I'm actually even afraid to cut my own larf off

 

[spliffendz]

Yours look well trimmed already and I don't expect you to get much fluff tbf

 

[halfbreed421]

You could try tying the leaves so those buds get more light? They're not that far from the tops

 

[SpawnOfVader]

You could try tying the leaves so those buds get more light? They're not that far from the tops

What is the total depth of your canopy? Just using LEDs?
I try to keep my canopy like 18-24" deep and defoliate anything bigger than my palm on the higher branches. I keep anything big (leaf wise) lower in the canopy if it's not blocking a bud site and not laying on top of another leaf.

 

[Cvntcrusher]

You could try tying the leaves so those buds get more light? They're not that far from the tops

Please explain what you mean, tying... and which leaves?
Also, I'm kind of lost. I'm starting week 5 from when white hairs appeared vigorously.. and everyone else in "week 5" of flower looks way fluffier than my lady... what happens from where my plants at now? I mean a lot of hairs are starting to turn amber, trichome production is booming.. more and more everyday. is she just gonna start fattening up? remember this is my first grow guys i'm just curious as to what is coming in the next 3-5 weeks until harvest.

 

[SpawnOfVader]

Please explain what you mean, tying... and which leaves?
Also, I'm kind of lost. I'm starting week 5 from when white hairs appeared vigorously.. and everyone else in "week 5" of flower looks way fluffier than my lady... what happens from where my plants at now? I mean a lot of hairs are starting to turn amber, trichome production is booming.. more and more everyday. is she just gonna start fattening up? remember this is my first grow guys i'm just curious as to what is coming in the next 3-5 weeks until harvest.

It's probably the lights, looks like the blurple LEDs? Probably will mature a little slower than you'd expect.

What they are suggesting is using something like garden twine/twist ties to make the plants grow more outward. Like you see in my picture with the mesh- it makes the plants spread out further so the lower buds get more light....looking at the plants they're definitely not too tall for LED to penetrate if you train them.

 

[SpawnOfVader]

Since they're in flower ANYTHING you do has to be in moderation, they won't spring back as fast. I'd start by removing any leaf as big as your palm (if you have big hands) or your whole hand (if you have dainty hands)....take it off right by the main stem and be careful not to nip any other growth while you're in there.

 

[Cvntcrusher]

What is the total depth of your canopy? Just using LEDs?
I try to keep my canopy like 18-24" deep and defoliate anything bigger than my palm on the higher branches. I keep anything big (leaf wise) lower in the canopy if it's not blocking a bud site and not laying on top of another leaf.

I'm using 350W (actual wattage) of LEDs. My lights are at their maximum height. they CAN NOT go any higher unfortunately. My canopy depth is 17-21" Since i'm starting week 5, i really want to avoid any kind of defoliation or pruning. I just tuck leaves where I can. Some of my lower branches made it JUST above the trellis. so they're being blocked by the top of the canopy. and then on most of the branches, there are buds that aren't getting any light at all. I want to remove them but I don't want to do more bad than good and stunt her or anything of that nature.

 

[SpawnOfVader]

I'm using 350W (actual wattage) of LEDs. My lights are at their maximum height. they CAN NOT go any higher unfortunately. My canopy depth is 17-21" Since i'm starting week 5, i really want to avoid any kind of defoliation or pruning. I just tuck leaves where I can. Some of my lower branches made it JUST above the trellis. so they're being blocked by the top of the canopy. and then on most of the branches, there are buds that aren't getting any light at all. I want to remove them but I don't want to do more bad than good and stunt her or anything of that nature.

Defoliation in moderation won't stunt it and you'll get bigger buds. LEDs don't do great with penetration so if the canopy is too dense you end up with larf (tiny airy crappy buds) at the bottom... Just my experience though, I've run Viparspectra, HLG, and Mars Hydro LEDs.

I defoliate until week 7 or so normally.

 

[Cvntcrusher]

It's probably the lights, looks like the blurple LEDs? Probably will mature a little slower than you'd expect.

What they are suggesting is using something like garden twine/twist ties to make the plants grow more outward. Like you see in my picture with the mesh- it makes the plants spread out further so the lower buds get more light....looking at the plants they're definitely not too tall for LED to penetrate if you train them.

I'm using 2x Giixer 110W and 1 Bloomspect 132W

And I'm just not grasping this tying concept. Also, I have read numerous times. Don't remove big fan leaves in flowering even if they are blocking bud sites, because the fan leaves are what take in the light and send that photosynth to the buds.... I'm still in my learning phase. So is my plant at the stage where now all of her energy is going into trich production and fattening up the buds?

 

[SpawnOfVader]

I'm using 2x Giixer 110W and 1 Bloomspect 132W

And I'm just not grasping this tying concept. Also, I have read numerous times. Don't remove big fan leaves in flowering even if they are blocking bud sites, because the fan leaves are what take in the light and send that photosynth to the buds.... I'm still in my learning phase. So is my plant at the stage where now all of her energy is going into trich production and fattening up the buds?

That is correct, and yes they do BUT LEDs don't penetrate through multiple layers like natural sunlight would, it's just not as powerful....

So you have to optimize the plant- allow the light to penetrate further.

Re: tying, it's just LST



Just like you use starting in veg so that the plants grow wider and lower bud sites get exposed... you would just need to be MUCH less extreme than the image above because it would snap the stem during flowering.


(Not my image- my girls are asleep and I don't have a great picture handy)...

Normally I'd say week 5 is too late to start training, the branches are just too stiff but if you don't want to defoliate it's about the only way you're gonna get light penetration.

 

[SpawnOfVader]

Here's a look under my girl's skirts on the last defoliation day, you can see the training (but to make it that extreme you need to start within a few weeks of germinating the seeds)

 

[PadawanWarrior]

hey guys, i'm pretty sure she's done with her main stretch. More and more trichs everyday, looks more and more like actual buds as the days go by, i'm on day 26/28 of flower. So i'm pretty much starting wk 5. I want to know... IF i cut the lower smaller buds that aren't really receiving any light. Will that benefit my plant or stunt her growth and fuck me over in the end?View attachment 4703267View attachment 4703268View attachment 4703269View attachment 4703270View attachment 4703271View attachment 4703272View attachment 4703273

I would have done it a week ago or earlier, but it should be fine if you lollipop a little now. And yes, when you remove the lower branches the plant has more energy to focus on the tops.

 

[Cvntcrusher]

I would have done it a week ago or earlier, but it should be fine if you lollipop a little now. And yes, when you remove the lower branches the plant has more energy to focus on the tops.

SO, those lower buds. even though they have hella trichomes amber hairs etc. Would still be beneficial to the tops if I got rid of them? Good to know I can still do a minor lollipop one last time. Also, PW can you answer this: What is to come in the next 3-5 weeks before harvest? the buds will just get bigger from this point on?

 

[PadawanWarrior]

SO, those lower buds. even though they have hella trichomes amber hairs etc. Would still be beneficial to the tops if I got rid of them? Good to know I can still do a minor lollipop one last time. Also, PW can you answer this: What is to come in the next 3-5 weeks before harvest? the buds will just get bigger from this point on?

If you remove the tiny branches that aren't gonna give you shit anyways, the plant will focus its energy on the rest of the plant and the other buds will get fatter.

Take those early chopped buds and throw them in a paper bag to dry. My wife loves any early chopped stuff, but I prefer to let them fully mature.

And ya, the buds will just keep getting fatter and fatter as long as you don't kill them with kindness, or harvest too early.

 

[Star Dog]

I can't bring myself to pull off a healthy leaf, it's at the bottom but it's obviously getting light and providing food?

 

[PadawanWarrior]

I can't bring myself to pull off a healthy leaf, it's at the bottom but it's obviously getting light and providing food?
View attachment 4703370

I'm not talking about defoliating and removing leaves. I would remove all those spindly little branches on the bottom of that plant though. Try it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

[Star Dog]

I'm not talking about defoliating and removing leaves. I would remove all those spindly little branches on the bottom of that plant though. Try it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Even if they are reaching the canopy?