RDWC - 4 bucket system, trimming advice needed!

I'm based in the UK so restrict myself to 8 plants total to keep me under the 9 plant 'personal use' category if I get caught. So my aim is to maximize the yield from 8 plants.

I have a space 10 x 8 feet that I have divided up into two areas, one smaller for vegging. I have made two home built RDWC systems using 4 and 5 gallon buckets. so I have 4 vegging and 4 flowering at any one time. The vegging ones are under Plantphotonics LED panels, the flowering ones I've just bought two new and very sexy DimLux 600w HPS lights and the Maxi controller, with temp, humidity, and IR sensor camera.

Up till now using a different lighting set up (LEDS over flowering, CFLS's over vegging) I've been getting around 22-26oz from 4 plants. I've been doing this for about a year and after suffering with high humidty and mold I've invested in the new DimLux set-up and moved the LEDs to vegging.

So my question is on trimming for maximum yield. I don't scrog though I have done this before in a small tent setup. So what I do at the moment is pinch the top of the plant out when I get about 8-10 branches, then start to trim out the bottom leaves that don't get much light, then I cut out all the new side shoots on the 8-10 stems as they start to appear. I vegg the plants for the same time it takes the ones switched to flowering to finish (so I crack new seeds as I'm cropping) which is about 8-9 weeks on average. This usually gives me plants that are about 2 foot high before they get moved over to flowering.

Once they are flowering I tend to trim off bottom leaves to allow as much air flow as possible, and cut any weak thin stems that don't look like they are going to reach the top of the canopy. I don't super crop or do any bending of branches as I find the space I have is already filled by the plants as is. I know I should be getting a better yield but have struggled with maintaining good environmental conditions, hence investing in new lights with a much better controller.

If anyone can suggest better trimming or anything else really to help get the absolute max out of the plants. I use top quality fertilizers, root accelerator, and budding liquid already.

You say you don't supercrop and why. Have you seriously considered SCROG? With that many plants in that space max yield is going to come from even light dispersion over as much of the canopy and as evenly as possible. Topping only works for so long and then you basically have a SOG anyway.

And pics please anytime possible when asking for advice. With any HID lighting off if possible.

LST is also a useful option.

Sounds like you're doing good with what you got. Genetics may be your next best option for improvement if you can't upgrade your grow.

Switch to a screen. I almost doubled my harvest last grow using screens.

Vegging for two months you need bigger reservoirs. A 5 gal bucket holds like 3 gallons once rootmass is taking up space. Which is when plants drink the most.

Not only will you have less feed and pH fluctuations but your roots will grow bigger. Bigger roots = bigger plants.

Id make 2x4 screens per plant and put two under each light. Should fill that screen up easily in 2 months. Each screen should put off a lb. 2lb under each 600w is nice numbers.

I just chopped over 7oz from one plant in a 2x2 screen regular dwc. So a lb per 2x4 rdwc is possible.

I mount my screens directly to my bucket lids with nylon bolts and nuts. Made the frame out of 1/2" cpvc with holes drilled in horizontally so i can thread twine thru to form my grid. I do 4"×4" grids.

Supercropping forms scar tissue type "knuckles" that will help strengthen the stems so they can hold up big buds.

Ive never done it but thats the theory.

Thanks chaps, really useful stuff. One of the reasons I haven't scrogged with this new setup is that I have to move the plants once vegged to the flowering room, so I can't scrog as I presume this can only work if you leave the plants where they are as I did with my last system.

I'll take some pictures once I get my new lights installed.

I made a screen that mounts to the netpot. Transfer is as simple as lifting the bucket lid and moving it to another bucket.

spannerhead said:

Thanks chaps, really useful stuff. One of the reasons I haven't scrogged with this new setup is that I have to move the plants once vegged to the flowering room, so I can't scrog as I presume this can only work if you leave the plants where they are as I did with my last system.

I'll take some pictures once I get my new lights installed.

Click to expand...

You can also just scrog the first few weeks of flower to maintain an even canopy.