Leave of remove top cola

I have two plants in a 5x3 grow box. One is at 3 wks while the others is 8 wks into flower and is roughly a 63 day strain(1 week left ). After its stretch I had to place the one plant to the side of direct light while the 3wk old is sitting right under. The reason for this is because I have run out of space and the 400 watt hps bulb was burning the top cola. Everything is looking good and frost but my question is, would you recommend taking the cola off and harvesting it now and movin the plant back under direct light to finish it off or should I leave it as it is and where it is and just harvest the plant in a week. Thanks in advanced for the input.

If the top cola is ready with mostly cloudy trichomes, but the rest of the plant is a little behind, then go ahead. Take what's ready. If it's not ready but you want to give the plant more exposure to light, you can try tying the top cola to the side a bit.

Even if it's a "63 day strain" that doesn't mean it's definitely going to be ready on day 63. You'll have to see. So it might be longer than that. I don't think you can make a tragic mistake either way here -- yes, you might harvest the top cola a little early, but then the rest will have more light and ability to mature. I think it's a pretty even draw.

JMHO. Good luck! Sounds like you're close to a nice harvest either way.

As long as some residual light was getting to it I would leave it. It will continue to fatten and ripen. If you can get a CFL hanging close to it that will help too, but I don't think that's essential. Maybe consider some reflection below the plant too perhaps, blast some light back up at it.

Seems pointless to me to remove a cola with only a week to go for any reason other than it is so clearly ahead of the rest of the plant that it has to be harvested separately. Doing it coz the cola isn't getting much light will only likely harm your yield imo at this point.

I would. But dont cut the stem. Cut the multiple buds from the stem leaving like a pole.

But if you can leave it just leave it. I had a cola burn up and turn to shit for the same reason. I had it lst'd the string broke and the but fried so i removed it and the bottom nugs blew up and ripened nice. No delay for the most part. But i had to. Do you HAVE to. Think of it that way

Also is it 63 days from youswitching or is it from the day you seen pre flowers. If so you might be a week ahead in counting. I always just let em go now and dont count on the days. Jus the trichomes