Advice needed on placement of side lighting

I am about three weeks from harvest and recently trimmed up the bottom portion of my plant to give the smaller buddage a better chance to make a little something of themselves while also giving as much extra energy to the tops. I have a couple 26w cfls I want to add to the bottom half and hit those little guys. The question I have is whether or not cfl lights are just as effective when mainly hitting from the underside of leaves or are plants designed to absorb light only from the top of leaves? There will still be some light hitting directly from the side, but these additional lights will be resting at plant stalk's base and angled up at a 45 degree angle.

more light the better

what he said ^ but you don't really need any light coming from underneath the plant kinda thing. I believe only the top of the fan leaves actually take in light. Just try to cover the entire top half of the canopy with cfls. As far as developing the smaller buds, You don't necessarily have to harvest the entire plant at once. Harvest the top half of the plant, letting the lower half the plant fill out for another couple weeks.
peace

stonerman said:

what he said ^ but you don't really need any light coming from underneath the plant kinda thing. I believe only the top of the fan leaves actually take in light. Just try to cover the entire top half of the canopy with cfls. As far as developing the smaller buds, You don't necessarily have to harvest the entire plant at once. Harvest the top half of the plant, letting the lower half the plant fill out for another couple weeks.
peace

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Yeah I had heard about doing that. The buds on my cola have noticeably more red hairs now than most of the buds on secondary stems. I am sure the cola will ripen at least a week earlier than the other bud site(typical I suppose). How/where do I cut the main cola to avoid problems such as stressing and disease?

Also, not doubting you, but can anyone else verify the claim that leaves only take in light from the top? I can make the lights hit the lower portion of the plant pretty much straight on from the side with just a slight angle upward, but there is a lot of light that will be hitting the underside of leaves and buds slightly higher and want to know if those will absorb and benefit.

I harvest each plant over a weeks time, start at the top and work your way down, once the tops are off the plant will put it's enrgy intofilling in those fluffy lower buds. side lighting is good, get the cfl's alclose to the plant as possable 3"-4" awy from the leaves. just make sure you aren't creating exsese heat.

thegoodeye said:

Also, not doubting you, but can anyone else verify the claim that leaves only take in light from the top? I can make the lights hit the lower portion of the plant pretty much straight on from the side with just a slight angle upward, but there is a lot of light that will be hitting the underside of leaves and buds slightly higher and want to know if those will absorb and benefit.

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The light shines Though the leaves so I would think it will help, but yes the leaves are designed to absorb light from the top . too much under lighing can cause the plant to not grow upward, (it reaches for the light)

I thought about the factor of plants growing towards the light, but I figured this is so late in the process and there is enough lighting coming the top that it should effect the growth direction much.

What about the cutting of the cola stalk? How and where do I cut to do it right?Do I need to treat that thick, open stalk with something once I cut it to prevent problems?

I don't think cutting the stalk is that much of a delicate procedure. Ive hacked away at some of my plants buds, leaving only very small buds on it, come back 2-3 weeks later and theres another decent harvest waiting for me. Just make it a nice clean cut, simple as that.

Ok I won't stress about the cut. I'm a little worried about the possibility of stress and herming but not too much. I'll bet it turn out fine the majority of the time and it's worth it to let the entire crop be all it can be.