Jump to content
  • Sign Up

Do lower leaves in a scrog grow really take nutrients away from the re


Recommended Posts

Hey Space,
"If we're talking about total yield, even the popcorn buds in a cannabis plant should be factored in, but if people are wanting to produce less buds of a more connoisseur quality, then perhaps a lower total yield is acceptable"
Sorry Space but I totally disagree with this statement. The popcorn bud I'm talking about comes from under the canopy and therefore gets very little in the way of direct light, it has very little body or weight to it. I have known growers who have taken the key or first harvest, then allowed light to get lower by trimming the canopy. Now although some of the bud did mature further after receiving the direct light, it never really bulked up like the buds from the key harvest. And although the buds haven't received the full wattage of light, being under the canopy, the whole plant has been in a 12/12 environment (light and nute) for what should be at least a minimum of 8 weeks, when many growers take the key harvest. So to then take the canopy and have the popcorn develop further to the point of weight would be difficult to justify by weight or smoke (nor the powerbill lol )

As I've stated before I run 12/12 for 12-13 weeks then take my key harvest, which is well worth it IMHO both in quality and quantity.
 
When I clean my grow I remove all timber much thicker than a match stick. Then goes in my bucket to be manicured. post-24238-0-78133400-1397751117_thumb.jpg
Then when manicured its placed in coffee tins post-24238-0-36446300-1397751495_thumb.jpg
This homogenizes my grow. Now I'm doing a SCROG so 90% of mine is crownies anyway but by removing all stem I'm left with nuggets. One handful is the same mix as the next.

 

I don't agree with the 'less bud' idea, but certainly less bud sites. The plant still holds the goodness it isn't using for the popcorn and therefore uses the goodness elsewhere, like the crownies, that's what I want :thumbsup:

 

Merl1n

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a few interesting threads on this subject at International Cannagraphic. I should have known to search for 'defoliation' before, when I was hunting for information on this topic - ROFL.

 

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=275852

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=284104

 

I'm still reading them and will add a precis when I have an idea of what the general consensus is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been growing with lights underneath for many a year. The yield obtained from under the plants can be just as thick and heavy as the top canopy if you get it right. Simply raise them slightly off ground level on a non conductive object. It is actually quite safe !

 

I only ever run them straight after netting down - and just before switching to 12/12.

 

You should try it Merlin - If you dont mind using a little more power and your ventilation can handle it - You will increase your yield considerably. ( I could PM you some pics and show you how it looks underneath with some good lighting ;) Im a little paranoid to post them here - still kinda new on the site and feeling it all out )

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

( I could PM you some pics and show you how it looks underneath with some good lighting ;) Im a little paranoid to post them here - still kinda new on the site and feeling it all out )

 

Just be careful if you took your photos with a GPS-capable device, like a smartphone. This may have included the location of the photograph in file metadata. There's a link in my signature for further information on the topic.

 

Thanks for your input!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By way of a follow up on my original query:

 

I left the lower leaves on during most of my current grow, and did not defoliate any leaves which were not yellow and depleted. The grow is now almost ready for harvest.

 

The best lesson that I learned from leaving all fan leaves on the plant whilst it was in the scrog screen was that the plant tries to form buds at the junction of the lower fan leaf petioles with the main stem. I can see now that these extra bud sites may in fact be what saps the nutrient of the plant and draws it away from the upper buds. Thus, possibly: the lower fan leaves do not draw nutrients away from the upper bud sites, but the lower bud sites do. Lower bud sites may be inhibited by defoliation. Defoliation is therefore probably a good idea if you're growing for quality of the top buds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Spiral,

You maybe correct in increasing yield by nurturing the popcorn, but for my medical needs I am after quality and not so much the yeild. I want all that goodness forced up into the crowns. Also because I flower mine for 12-13 weeks, these popcorn sites get less and less UV light as the plant density increases, which can help mould spores to develop

I have to agree with Frank in that I don't just remove lower leaves, I strip All the under growth back to stem. I do so carefully so as not to damage the stem tissue, but all undergrowth is removed.

 

And I HATE cleaning popcorn lol

 

Merl1n

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I ScrOG, I do it a little differently. I actually tie down the branches on TOP of the screen, instead of tucking branches UNDER the screen. This way you can completely remove ALL foliage and any shoots under the screen. This Definitely allows for better airflow and stops any popcorn buds underneath(which get no light anyway) that would take nutrients away from the main crown buds. You will notice the buds above will all be a lot bigger and chunkier.

Pics:

attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-14585000-1393952230.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-02582700-1393955572.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-08802500-1393954178.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-52957500-1393958481.jpg

 

attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-02672200-1393960516.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-66222500-1393960830.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-08938600-1397406322.jpg      attachicon.gifpost-53505-0-78160400-1397406740.jpg

BOOM!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using the community in any way you agree to our Terms of Use and We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.