To Prune or not to Prune

[bubaroos]

I have finished my first couple harvests and am trying to figure out how to get these buds to dense up more.

I grow in a ebb and flow system in rockwool cubes over clay rocks. I use GH nutes with the liquid Kool bloom, and then dry Kool bloom at the end witha 1 week flush. I am using 1000W air cooled lights. I keep the PH at 6.0 nutes are showing at 1700-2000 PPM and the plants are green as can be! I have a temperature controlled room where I keep the temp at 65-80 degrees.

I pruned one of my four trays in the first harvest and got similiar results whether I pruned or not. The top flowers don't seem to connect to each other and they are just not seeming to really fatten up! They almost look like they are stretching. The other thing i have been told is if I prune more of the bottom stuff it will allow the plant to concentrate on the Bud production up top.

Should I be cutting off all the lower branches and just keep the top branches going?

Do I need to drop the light down closer to the plants to keep them from stretching?

Lights are at about 24-30" away 3 weeks into 7 week flower.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Livingstrategy]

I have finished my first couple harvests and am trying to figure out how to get these buds to dense up more.

I grow in a ebb and flow system in rockwool cubes over clay rocks. I use GH nutes with the liquid Kool bloom, and then dry Kool bloom at the end witha 1 week flush. I am using 1000W air cooled lights. I keep the PH at 6.0 nutes are showing at 1700-2000 PPM and the plants are green as can be! I have a temperature controlled room where I keep the temp at 65-80 degrees.

I pruned one of my four trays in the first harvest and got similiar results whether I pruned or not. The top flowers don't seem to connect to each other and they are just not seeming to really fatten up! They almost look like they are stretching. The other thing i have been told is if I prune more of the bottom stuff it will allow the plant to concentrate on the Bud production up top.

Should I be cutting off all the lower branches and just keep the top branches going?

Do I need to drop the light down closer to the plants to keep them from stretching?

Lights are at about 24-30" away 3 weeks into 7 week flower.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

It does seem like you could put your light a lot closer, especially if it's cooled.

 

[darkdestruction420]

have pictures?

 

[Leothwyn]

I prefer to prune - it seems to be working well for me. I top to get four main branches, then around flip I get rid of the lower stuff on those main branches.
I'd try to get the lights as close as you can without burning. For me around 18" works out.

 

[darkdestruction420]

if you want denser buds dont harvest em so early maybe? 7weeks doesnt seem like enough time, have you just been harvesting since its reached week 7 w/o checking the trichomes? your setup sounds excelent and i dont see any problems sticking out to me.

 

[bubaroos]

Good info Leo. I just dropped the light a bit closer as mine are so collo I could literally put them on the plant, I just don't want to lose the coverage by putting them to close. I haven't ried to top my plants yet. When do you prefer to top and are taking the entire top node or just snipping the top leaf cluster? Another idea I have been going over is simply doing 25-36 per 4x4 tray with a week veg and just do small plants with no pruning and just take the tops basically. Small plants amll problems.

 

[bubaroos]

Hey Dark,

The starin I am growing is called Green Ribbon and it technically harvests in 45 days! I wnt 48 in th elast one and only about 20% was milky so I am going to take this one a little further and keep an eye on the tri's. The concern my "mentor grower" has with keeping this strain too long is it will turn on you overnight with mold and rot as it is the dankest plant I have ever seen! Crazy crystals that feel like molasses when you come in contact with it and I think all that moisture and dankness make it susceptible to mold and rot. I think you are right though to try and go as long as I can to let them fatten up. Thanks for the feedbakc I really appreciate it.

 

[Silverwolf]

Sounds to me it could be strain specific, I have some of my own that just don't fill out and the only thing that does help (and only slightly) is removing more bud sights. Less sights mean more energy towards the ones that are there.

Now if you are going to prune them I would suggest doing so very early on within the first 2-3 weeks and leave it alone after that it just cause undo stress. And if your Lights are aircooled and you can bring them closer to your plants do so! More light more available resources.

 

[bubaroos]

Here is a not so great pic but as you can see it a little thin and trust me not super dense.

 

[darkdestruction420]

Hey Dark,

The starin I am growing is called Green Ribbon and it technically harvests in 45 days! I wnt 48 in th elast one and only about 20% was milky so I am going to take this one a little further and keep an eye on the tri's. The concern my "mentor grower" has with keeping this strain too long is it will turn on you overnight with mold and rot as it is the dankest plant I have ever seen! Crazy crystals that feel like molasses when you come in contact with it and I think all that moisture and dankness make it susceptible to mold and rot. I think you are right though to try and go as long as I can to let them fatten up. Thanks for the feedbakc I really appreciate it.

no problem, but why not just go buy a dehumidifier or 2? i got mine for $20 from fleetfarm. humidity is very bad during flowering like your mentor stated but i dont understand why he doesnt tell you to get a dehumidifier instead of telling you to chop early to avoid mold and mildew, the time is your problem, the last 2-3 weeks of flowering the buds increase in size greatly. your girls havent been given the chance to put all its remaining energy into the buds when it realizes its death is aproaching and it still hasnt been pollinated it puts everything its got into the flower clusters

 

[bubaroos]

Great info Dark. I went and got a dehumidifier today just for that reason. My mentor smokes alot too and isn't exactly on his game! LOL! Appreciate all the tips I will update with some photos here soon!