An lb from a 400HPS? 15 trained Sweet Cindy

[Guest]

This is my last go around with Sweet Cindy for awhile. She has been my girl for almost two years now and I have been quite pleased with every aspect of the plant. It clones well, does not have an overpowering smell, is quite potent and it's covered in trichomes for skuff production. She is undemanding with nutrients, can be very compact if you grow her that way and aparrently performs equally well being grown under little HIDs like mine or under multi thousand watt flowering rooms with large colas on each plant. Here are some of the 16 clones total I started with. One did not make it to the flower room.

I clone in plain water just like they did way back when. If you look closely you can see the fully developed roots floating in the water

then transplant the stem with roots to the small cups above

I'm using Pro-Mix cut with 1/3 perlite and Schultz Expert Gardner chemical ferts. In veg I use a 3-1-1 and a 10-15-10 in varrying combinations depending on age. I also add kelp extract at 1/4 tsp per gallon and usually add epsom salts with each watering for magneseum. I use Superthrive with every transplant and am getting less and less convinced of it's necessity in my room.

The Pro-Mix has gnats, like most every other commercially available potting soil. I add a layer of perlite to the topsoil to control them early and lessen any effect on rooting success.

I transplant to one gallon pots when fully rooted to the small clear 4 oz cups to introduce them to veg and for the initial training period

 

[Guest]

The plants wont be trained until they show some new growth in the gallon planters. That way I know the roots have struck and the soil is healthy.

I use the LST (Low Stress Training) method, where the plants top is moved horizontally to a minimum right angle or even inverted, with as little stress as possible. The goal is to promote growth from the branching below the top while at the same time keeping the primary grow tip intact, unlike a technique like topping, which removes the most developed part of the plant. (to it's detriment, IMO)

For example, this well developed plant was slowly pulled horizontal over the course of 10 days or so. Why would anyone want to remove that top to deveop less impressive branching?

 

[Guest]

The key to LST is to keep the top below the next highest branch. Doing this redirects a plant hormone called auxins whcih normally accumulate in the very tip of the plant and are responsible for directing the primary grow point on the plant, usually the top. As a defense mechanism, when the top is bent or inverted (or cut off entirely), auxins begin accumulating at all the branching below the top in fairly equal amounts (see pic above). This would seem to be to insure that whatever portion of the plant remaining from it's "damage" is able to continue on, one of the many reason why this species can take almost any abuse humans heap on it and still make harvest.

Another disadvantage to topping is you remove the auxins stored in the top as well as the plant material. By bending the plant, the auxins accumulated in the top are redirected instead of removed and dont have to build up so much in the branch tops.

 

[Guest]

I showed a right angle example above, here is an inverted top. By gently turning the top down and using a very loose tie, you dont stress the plant and forms a nice 'S' shape that creates two nicely positioned tie points.

This isnt the same plant, but an effective example of the effect of LST just the same. This plant will get a bit bigger in this planter before being transplanted to the 3 gallon for a week of veg before flowering. The points where the two ties are attached are pretty much where the twine encirceld the plant for initial training. After releasing (about a week) you need a tie at the base throughout veg as a verticle support, to act against the horizontal pull. Note that the top is still not the highest point on the plant. It will try and try to resume it's original mission but you must keep it down.

 

[Guest]

Here are the 15 fully vegged in the one gallon containers. They have been inverted, trained for a week, released, and tied once to the containers. This is nearly transplant time.

They are quite ready for new soil

The three gallon planters have about 10 screws inserted into the rim as tie down points. You can tie several to one if necessary. This plant is untied to the new planter, but will not be done differently than with the one gallon. Branching is still too small to be tied for height control

Here they are after a week of growth in the new home.I have added a few ties as branching gets above my canopy line. This is the second stage of LST, keeping the top as even as possible by tieing branching to the outsode of the planter, preferrably someplace that has no branch in it. An even canopy line allows your flower light to cover the maximum amount of space in the most efficient manner. I will continue tieing branching as the plant progresses through the stretch. There are three others under a different veg light since this one only does 12

 

[Guest]

A very good thread Caprichoso, lots of great info here!

I'll second that. This is why I love this site. It's like going to MaryJane University.

 

[friendlyfriend]

A lb. from a 400w HPS! Bet you did it!

A lb. from a 400w HPS! Bet you did it!

Indeed Caprichoso prehaps your moniker suits your intentions but I am not a betting man but I figure you smashed the 1 pound barrier with a 400w. So far very in formative and I clone the same or use a lil' bubbler for good measure! either way rooting is quick simple and secure. 15 under a 400w it will be interesting to see how this developes

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone, I just hope they stay healthy.


Here they are currently, the second day of 12/12

And the entre flower room. Out of the most intense light I'm keeping four fully seeded females in their thierd week, so actually I have 19 plants under this 400 HPS. It's covering almost 20 sqf but the most intense light is where my sensimilla is growing.

 

[Soggy]

nice info bro

nice info bro

Cap...

Have u tried topping at all? just out of curiosity bc u talk about all the negatives of it and doesnt seem like u use the tech...anyway I do both...topping can be and is a great thing...u can also top by cutting almost the whole grow tip off yet still end up with a top that regrows from that cut...so not only do I get two new tops filled with more budsites than an untopped plant...but then I train them down so that ALL of the tops are at the same level...trust me mang u should try it out...however what u seem to have going is working so keep it up!!! just wanted to make a point for topping as well! lets see about that LB shall we

grow on my friend

soggy

 

[Guest]

Excellent Job Cap glad to see someone else uses lst as well


psy

 

[bartender187]

Awesome thread Capri

I hope you reach your goal of a LB.

Very nice trainin capri, lots of good info in here

bartender187

 

[00420]

nice Caprichoso

nice Caprichoso

i did 1/2 of a lb with a 400 on my first grow ever..... i bet you can hit 1 lbow....... i might have to try with it again as i went to 1000's right after my 400 grow.......

 

[BuzzBob]

Awesome! Just what I needed on the subject of LST!

I hope you make your 1LB!!!

 

[amsterdame]

Super info and pics, Cap! I've been topping my plants and doing limited tie down of upper branches, but never as early as you and others are doing. What I'm seeing is that I'm getting a nice little canopy, but losing a lot more girth in horizontal growth from basically the ground up.

I've been considering scrogging, but have been turned off to the amount of maintenance it seems to take to do it right. Anyone know first hand how the yields of LST compare to scrog?

Looking forward to tying, er trying, this technique in depth.

Peace and happy gardening~

A*dame

p.s. me too, 00420 - got 3/4 lb from my first grow last fall under a son agro 430.

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys

>>Have u tried topping at all?

Many times Soggy. I was never very impressed to be perfectly honest. It didn't seem to do as well at height control or give up as many usablt main branches as triaining. Dont get me wrong, I believe topping is as viable an alternative as any other, I just like doing it this way.


amsterdame, never scrogged myself, but I would think yields would be comparable. Ive been getting 35 - 42 grams per plant when I grew only nine in this space, so i adjusted the 400s position over the area slightly and added the extra plants.

Good to see so many of you have become so efficient with your 400s. I've never gone for a pound before, only keeping the ine plants mentioned. Eleven or so would probably be my best to this point, using strains not known for tremendous yields.

I'll get a pic of the room and some of the plants up tonight.

 

[Bucket Boy]

CAP

CAP

GO CAP GO!!!!

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Having seen your results with my SC99...

Having seen your results with my SC99...

I believe what you believe can be accomplished.

I believed when I started this SB project that I could get a pound. BOG

SC99 yeilds just as well or better than SB...

I used 1000 watts however...maybe 2000

 

[mybeans420]

i have seen a grow by a friend of mine whos also a member here (though he doesnt post very often). his space was less than 6 sq. ft and yielded 7 oz with a 400 watter.
the strain was sensi star so i dont know how that would compare yieldwise to sweet cindy.
but if he can get 7 oz from 6 sq ft then i wouldnt doubt you'll get a lb with your setup

good growing
beans

 

[00420]

[/quote]
p.s. me too, 00420 - got 3/4 lb from my first grow last fall under a son agro 430. [/B][/QUOTE]



i wish i had the 430 hps.... i might have got 3/4 i used a mh with a shity bulb it quit right after that grow and i have not used it sence then

 

[racketeer]

With enough plants you would have no problem at all... filler er up