Training

[Mr Pot]

Hey folks

How are you guys doing? Now we're back I need to ask.. I've been wondering about defoliation a lot these days. I'm in veg for two indicas and a sativa indoors. Would you say that when it comes to mainlining a plant without topping the second time (let only "4 main colas" grow) should I pluck certain leaves near the first topping for a better airflow and light penetration? I'm in late vega (w7) and Belladonna is the sativa (first picture), is it better if I lollipop and rip all of or just choose the tiniest growth tips and focus on the biggest - even if it's near the topped main stem? I'm doing different training on them and thinking how can I optimize my yield. I've supercropped already and topped some branches just for the thrill of it. The first one is Belladona, the sativa, and the two others are indicas. Do you have any tips for me? They're in day 46 and 10-12 inches tall.

I was thinking about scrogging but I don't have nothing to remove the runoff water and that would be tricky for me, I'd have to think of something.

I was wondering about watering also. Belladonna and Xingu (2nd photo) was being watered every two days (1L each) and are in coco + perlite (5 gal smart pots) without run off so far. Durga Mata (3rd photo) has the same schedule but her medium is another and the runoff it's good (I don't know how to translate to english, but the seller said it dries out faster lol).
I've just made a test and watered 1.5L and both on coco had no runoff, the other had 350mL and I'm thinking about giving them 1.5L every three days now. I've read somewhere that people goes up to 2.5L on 5 gallon pots when a week to harvest or so and at this time in my last run I gave about 1.5L only. What would you say? The tricky thing is that coco is drying very fast and there wasn't a runoff so far. I don't know how to evaluate that because they look very healthy.

Any experience from other growers is welcome,
Thanks a lot,

Mr Pot.

OBS: Please don't attach a GWE website topic, thx

[Mr Pot]

They're in 5 gal smart pots, w/ 250W MH bulbs and a 6 x 2.6 x 2.6 ft tent.
pH it's 6.4-6.2 and ppm near 650.
temps are 77F @ night and around 82F @ day, RH around 55-70% with lights on/off and is getting hotter/more humid.
summer it's hitting here in 2-3 months so I'll have to deal with in it late flowering..

[Greenthumb75]

In my experience, if the plants are mainlined throughout their life and have strong stems you shouldn't need a Scrog net. I pluck most lower growth as soon as it appears to get nice clean thick stems and no popcorn. Id only defoliate leaves that are overlapping or blocking light from other bud sites. The plant is essentially its own net as long as you lst to keep the tops even. However there is an easy trick to find out if your plants need water. You pick it up. Soon you will know the weight if dry vs. Wet and know when to water. I don't measure runoff, ph or any of that but i grow in organic soil. Hope this is of some help.

[Mr Pot]

Greenthumb75 have u seen the 1st picture? She has four tops and a few growth tips growing at almost the same height. My question is if I should keep these growth tips that are from the first or second node or if I should clean all of them and concentrate the buds on the 4 tops.

I mean, the growth tips I'm talking about are kinda same height of the 4 tops but they're very close to the plant base, do you consider that popcorn and just rip it off?

[Mr.furley]

Mr.pot,
First off your plant's are beautiful.
Yes you are correct relativity to the canopy is what's important growing under a light your top buds are going to grow bigger faster if it's at the top it going to be a cola. Anything growing low on your plant Under The Canopy it's going to be taking energy from your top colas grow, still bud just not a big one, my opinion is a week before your 12/12 flip lollipop you plants (all leaf and small buds sites from the bottom 1/4 of your plant) and at the 3 week mark in flowing remove some of the biggest fan leafs and any colas you decide not to keep.
Remember you can't put them back, and if you cut nothing off it will still do it thing.

[Mr Pot]

I've suffered with popcorn buds before and because of the conjecture I had a bad outcome (not even an ounce from one plant). I'm doing several different things this run (supercropping, freestyle topping and I'm using CaMg, rapidstart and I'll use molasses in flowering). I'm only concerned about lollipopping but I guess if I do it this week it'll recover in time.

Thanks for the compliment guys, I'll probably read a bit more about it and then decide.

[Mr.furley]

In my opinion thing like lollipop and removal of fan leaf do not slow down growth of a healthy plant in fact it can increase it, things like transplanting and topping can, I would not (if it was mine) remove any growth tip from the 1st and 2nd nodes that have reached the top canopy unless they are crowding. Mr.P from the sounds of it you have all the right information and are looking for the best way to apply it all, do take a minute and do some re-reading on GWE.com. as I see it you are well on your way to more then your last harvest

[D.A.A.S.69]

Try to keep your canopy even, let the tips keep growing if their that tall. Get them big fans off if they get in the way of bud sites if you can't tuck them. Very nice job so far MP.

[Mr Pot]

Thanks mate,
I'm concerned that I can't tell which tips that aren't tall right now will be in a few weeks and just chop them, u see? I've never done lollipopping although I did defoliated last run..

[D.A.A.S.69]

Mr.Pot , just don't cut any of those top bud sites. If anything I would get some of them big fans . Nice plants

[Mr.furley]

I second, third, and fourth that!

[Mr Pot]

Fuck.. I've done this three days ago. Only the sativa from the first picture is mainlined. The others are kinda freestyle and I did topped like the two tallest (and older) bud sites from each. I knew it was something wrong about that. I'm a week and a half from switching, do you think that with the stretch of early flowering it'll grow fine? Only the indicas, not the sativa.

[South Sierra Dude]

Defoliation is great in veg within limits. Your plant should always display vigorous growth before you cut it and if there are not nodes ready to replace them, the colas have formed flowers, don't unless is to let in light or shape your canopy,