undeveloped lower buds

crack pipe joe

crack pipe joe

Member
i have 3 lemon kush plants that are about 6 weeks into budding, they have been topped twice so i have 12 top nugs that are look finnne:) the problem is that these plants are looking so healthy and bushy that virtually all lower nugs arnt receiving any direct light and as a result are VERY small and it seems like a waist to me. my plan of action is to harvest the top 12 nugs in about 2 weeks when tey look done and leave the bottom 2/3 of the plants growing so the other buds will amount to a bit more. my concern with this is that although underdeveloped they have around the same amount of orange hairs as the top nugs,
what i was wondering is should i just harvest it all at once and have small lower nugs or is it worth it to let the lower ones grow maybe a little longer that they should so they get direct light and fatten out a bit?

cheeers :)
 
Nullis

Nullis

Moderator
What is your lighting (just curious)? and how big are the plants?

Some times buds look like they mature from the top down, or the bottom up, or more consistently. It seems to me that with taller plants usually I want to cut the top colas and leave the bottom to mature for an extra week or so.

I usually prune the bottom-most shoots (typically the first couple sets) at least a couple weeks before blooming. Necessary pruning should take place before initiating bloom. There are other things you can do to increase penetration, though. Aside from simply getting stronger lighting, implement air cooling and use an enclosed reflector (with a lens) which will allow you to keep the lighting closer to the plants. Use a trellis, or stakes and ties to assist in spreading the branches. You can also tie or tuck very large fan leaves. Ensure the grow room interior has optimal reflectivity (walls, floor, ceiling of grow room...if so keep them clean).

And of course, you could implement additional side-lighting. Higher-wattage CFL's are popular for lighting the sides\bottom of flowering plants, can help significantly.

And lay off the crack.
​
 
Hugo Phurst

Hugo Phurst

Well-Known Member
If you have the time and space, sure, go for a second harvest. The buds won't get as big as the tops did, but the potency will be there.

Or - You could make ISO/BHO hash.
 
crack pipe joe

crack pipe joe

Member
Nullis said:
What is your lighting (just curious)? and how big are the plants?

Some times buds look like they mature from the top down, or the bottom up, or more consistently. It seems to me that with taller plants usually I want to cut the top colas and leave the bottom to mature for an extra week or so.

I usually prune the bottom-most shoots (typically the first couple sets) at least a couple weeks before blooming. Necessary pruning should take place before initiating bloom. There are other things you can do to increase penetration, though. Aside from simply getting stronger lighting, implement air cooling and use an enclosed reflector (with a lens) which will allow you to keep the lighting closer to the plants. Use a trellis, or stakes and ties to assist in spreading the branches. You can also tie or tuck very large fan leaves. Ensure the grow room interior has optimal reflectivity (walls, floor, ceiling of grow room...if so keep them clean).

And of course, you could implement additional side-lighting. Higher-wattage CFL's are popular for lighting the sides\bottom of flowering plants, can help significantly.

And lay off the crack.
​
Click to expand...
ive got a 400w hps on them in quite an inclosed space with mylar all over the inside of my grow space never had trouble with shity lower bud in the past. the plants are around 5 ft tall if you include the pot. cheers for all that advise! ive already tryed some of it and i will probably have a go at cropping in two halfs as it will be a first for me an ive been wanting to try it for a while anyway (Y)
 
Bigby

Bigby

Well-Known Member
I've given up worrying about the lower buds. As long as the tops look good you're getting what you want. Best way I found to address it was to do lst, flatten and bushy plants. Not possible with all strains or phenos, but get the right one and you can have a 3ft wide 3ft tall plant where the entire canopy gets equal light coverage.

To harvest and then give the popcorn more time is simply not viable imo. Either get used to enjoying smoking it, or like has been said, make hash or other extract with it.
 
crack pipe joe

crack pipe joe

Member
Bigby said:
I've given up worrying about the lower buds. As long as the tops look good you're getting what you want. Best way I found to address it was to do lst, flatten and bushy plants. Not possible with all strains or phenos, but get the right one and you can have a 3ft wide 3ft tall plant where the entire canopy gets equal light coverage.

To harvest and then give the popcorn more time is simply not viable imo. Either get used to enjoying smoking it, or like has been said, make hash or other extract with it.
Click to expand...
thats not really possible for me to grow plants like that because my grow space is about 4ft wide, 1.5 ft deep and 6.5 ft tall, and i like to grow three at a time so they end up taller and thiner, normally the lower nugs dont turn out bad i guess its to do with the strain.
 
Nullis

Nullis

Moderator
How large do you usually let your plants get? A 400 watt doesn't generally give you great penetration after let's say 4 feet. How old is the bulb, though?
 
Sir.Ganga

Sir.Ganga

New Member
Actually 2 feet below the light is the optimal grow zone for a 400 watt, 3 feet for a 600 and 4 feet for a 1000. With your space you have lollipopping would be the way to go, puts all the growing tips at the top of the plant eliminating all popcorn. Good Luck
 
crack pipe joe

crack pipe joe

Member
Nullis said:
How large do you usually let your plants get? A 400 watt doesn't generally give you great penetration after let's say 4 feet. How old is the bulb, though?
Click to expand...
i try na time it so the plants get to about 4.5 ft tall in the end so that there is still enough room for me to hang the light around 2 ft above the plant as sir.ganga says. the bulb is quite new, ive been using it for two grow cycles.
 
crack pipe joe

crack pipe joe

Member
Sir.Ganga said:
Actually 2 feet below the light is the optimal grow zone for a 400 watt, 3 feet for a 600 and 4 feet for a 1000. With your space you have lollipopping would be the way to go, puts all the growing tips at the top of the plant eliminating all popcorn. Good Luck
Click to expand...
yeh i keep my 400 around 2 ft above most of the time, ill have a look into lollipopping its not really something ive come across before
 
HeartlandHank

HeartlandHank

Well-Known Member
I recommend pinching out the lower buds early in flower. During week 1-3, try to predict which bud sites will become these lower sites that do not fill up. Simply pinch them out. If possible, leave the little fan leaves attached to the branch. Just remove the bud site.
You will see bigger growth up top that will make up for the loss of the lower spindly buds.

It works...
 
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