Re-veg issues - need advice!

[DTOM420]

So, I re-veged a couple of photos I grew from seed. I flipped them to 12/12 at about 3 weeks of age and once I found the males I went to 24/0 for a couple of weeks and then to 18/6. Both were very compact plants from the get-go, with very tight internodal spacing. Please excuse the yellowing - they’re recovering from s serious issue from our well water. Anyway, now they’re SO dense with just crazy amounts of side branching off the 10 main side branches.

Here I pulled a side branch down and spread it out some so you can see more about what’s hidden in the foliage.

Here you can see how the bottom 1/3 is lolipopped:

Before I flower them, I’m wondering if I should go through and remove some of the upper side branches or whether I should
Go through and sort of lollipop each side branch, almost as if it was it’s own plant? OR, should I just let her go and see what she makes? I’m just worried that the main branches and 2 tops are so dense that they won’t allow enough light to penetrate to produce anything worth a damn.

Sure could use some advice here!

 

[Illuminate]

You just discovered monster cropping.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

You could have a ton of cuts or a lot of trash to thin depending on how you look at it...

 

[Scrappy-doo]

I'd remove the vast majority of those sucker branches all the way up to the tops. More you take off the easier the trim job will be.

I had a plant just like that recently except it wasn't due to reveg, it's just how she grows. Hacked off a good 70% of the branches even within the top colas so I could get some distance between the nodes. Best grow I've ever had with that plant although at the time I thought I took off too much.

 

[DTOM420]

I'd remove the vast majority of those sucker branches all the way up to the tops. More you take off the easier the trim job will be.

I had a plant just like that recently except it wasn't due to reveg, it's just how she grows. Hacked off a good 70% of the branches even within the top colas so I could get some distance between the nodes. Best grow I've ever had with that plant although at the time I thought I took off too much.

View Image

OK, thanks! I'l do that. Do I need to let them recover after the pruning before I flip or can I go ahead and flip them immediately? I really need to get them into flower so I can get done in time to start my plants for next spring's outdoor garden.

 

[DTOM420]

You just discovered monster cropping.

Yes sir. Lol! I couldn't find much info on what to do with the density anywhere I looked. I was pretty sure I needed to thin her branches out but I wasn't 100%.

You could have a ton of cuts or a lot of trash to thin depending on how you look at it...

I have a few cuts I made in case I like how they turn out but these are new strains for me and I don't need a ton of cuts. SO......Imma get to pruning! Thanks so much for the reply!

 

[St. Phatty]

I find if you chop up those growing shoots & leaves like chopped parsley or something, and then put it out for the birds.

Their reaction sometimes makes it seem like they really do catch a buzz off Cannabis.

They nibble casually at growing shoots coming out of the ground. Chopped Cannabis, they sometimes get a lot more excited about.

A Cannabis plant with a whole bunch of growing tips, then they really go crazy. Like how they react to raw hamburger.

 

[CosmicGiggle]

Hey Tim, I'm really curious as to why you didn't take the plant out of the original container when you transplanted, this q has been bugging me but I'm sure there's a logical explanation.

 

[DTOM420]

Hey Tim, I'm really curious as to why you didn't take the plant out of the original container when you transplanted, this q has been bugging me but I'm sure there's a logical explanation.

Good catch on seeing the 6” container! So, I learned about this system called the “insta-transplant” pot that you make by taking 2 matching plastic pots and cutting out most of the bottom and big slots out of the side of one of them. Then, you put it inside the other pot and fill the modified pot with your starter soil. When my seeds first pop or just emerge from a Root Riot cube they go directly into the ‘insta-transpkant pot and stay there for a couple of weeks. Then, you can pull the outer pot off, like a sleeve, and see if the root tips have reached the bottom/outside edge oof the soil. When you’re ready to transplant, you just slip that outer pot off and drop it into a hole in its final pot. This makes for ZERO transplant shock. It’s really designed for autos that have such a short lifespan and are really hurt by any shock. But, it works great for indoor photos as well. If you’re going to grow a tree outside you wouldn’t want to use it because the stem/trunk could get constricted. That’s not an issue for an indoor plant.

I wish I still had some pix of what the inner pot looks like but I deleted them. It came from AFN (Autoflower.net) and I’m pretty sure that, if you Google for “insta transplant pot” or “method” you’ll find it. It’s a great trick.

 

[CosmicGiggle]

Thanks Tim, I do something similar to achieve the same goals, use clear plastic beer cups (to observe the roots) filled with compost placed inside 1 or 2 gal pots filled with the same soil with fertilizer added.

When it's time to transplant I just take the plant out of the beer cup and put it in the perfectly shaped hole and imagine it feels right at home.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

You just discovered monster cropping.

Isn't that how those mendo dope guys grow their 5 pounders?

 

[DTOM420]

I spent a few hours pruning. The density of the branching was even more insane than I realized. I literally removed 50%-60% of leaves and minor branches and there’s STILL an absolute ton of minor branches with lots of bud sites.

Here you can see about 1/3 of what came off the darker plant. I turned the plant 3 times in order to get all the way around it; and cleaned up the pile each time:

Anyone know if I need to wait a few days, for some recovery, before I flip to 12/12?

Isn't that how those mendo dope guys grow their 5 pounders?

I don’t know but I can see how someone a lot better at growing than me could make use of it to grow a huge yield. I wish I had a CLEAR understanding of of which branches would produce the best/most Bud sites and had a precise system for selecting which branches and leaves to leave, and which ones to remove. A grower that knew that and had a lot of time could really have taken better advantage of that insane branching. Speaking of those guys, I’ve been trying to get some Mendo Seeds (I think it’s their seed operation or there’s some connection) and I can’t find anyone selling them and they dont reply to emails. Any idea how to get some of their seeds? Those Mendo Dope guys grow some amazing plants!

 

[dddaver]

How long have you been able to keep cuttings in stasis? I have read still viable 6 weeks by putting cutting in a zip-lock and store it in fridge. But never tried it myself.

But if your plant is reveged, don't you already have smoke from original to judge quality?


My thinking there is maybe you could take 5 cuttings or so and then flip. Later start those cuttings early humongous trees for your outdoor next year.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

I don’t know but I can see how someone a lot better at growing than me could make use of it to grow a huge yield. I wish I had a CLEAR understanding of of which branches would produce the best/most Bud sites and had a precise system for selecting which branches and leaves to leave, and which ones to remove. A grower that knew that and had a lot of time could really have taken better advantage of that insane branching. Speaking of those guys, I’ve been trying to get some Mendo Seeds (I think it’s their seed operation or there’s some connection) and I can’t find anyone selling them and they dont reply to emails. Any idea how to get some of their seeds? Those Mendo Dope guys grow some amazing plants!

Genetics play a role, but I wouldn't give it that much weight. You can still grow shit with good genetics, and can grow a monster with bag seed. A 100 gallon smart pot helps. Once they get big they'll drink 50 gallons of tea every 15 days.

As for trimming, keep topping the plant every time you can (make sure it's caged), once you're in July, start clearing the inside of suckers from the bottom up. Anything that doesn't or won't get sun comes off.

Having that, the only way mold can take hold is to have an injured plant. So all that cutting will create lots of entry points for mold. So spraying something other than foliar feeding becomes a task I'd rather not have.