Light cycle manipulation for big crops.

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Outdoors' started by stupidstuff, Jul 12, 2011.

  1. Hi, I am new here and thought I would share a method I use to get huge production. I have used this method for years now but you need to get it right or the plants will pull out of any type of production and just veg, you want them to do both at the same time.

    First off, I dont do any BS like PH the water and fancy soil. I use the water out of the river and use whatever organic soil they got at the local Ace store. I only use Flora Nova bloom and grow. So really simple. My THC content is good enough that the dispensaries medications are a bit to weak anymore. I believe if the finished bud does not look fake with crystals then something went wrong.

    There are three methods I use to grow out doors, the normal one is like everyone else. Here is a pic to help show the difference. Notice the length between nodes.
    [​IMG]


    I am sure others do this to>> Then there is the partial light shock/stress method. I get the clones in the dirt about the beginning of april. I put them under 20 hour on, 4 hour off HPS lighting until mid May. Then I move them outside with no transition. The natural light cycles make them go into a partial state of production, but they continue to grow vertically. The difference is the length between the nodes. They overlap for all new growth. These will be 4 ft tall and almost as wide and yield as much as 2 pounds. So if you feed it right it fills in very shockingly dense. Notice that you can not see through the top most cola, and this is still july, so 2 more months to veg.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Now for method three, hehe. It is the same as the last one execpt the plants are on 24 hour on lighting. No rest. Then move them out in mid May. These will not gorw as much but will be one huge bud, the entire plant. Mine are three feet tall and won't get much taller or wider, they are in a 2 gallon containers, and will give me between 3 and 5 oz each. I average 2 oz per foot on a good year. These already have insane crystals.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  2. those stalks look CRAZY huige!
     
  3. You are a rebel and a master
    (salute)
    I did basically what you did in method 1-2 by not transitioning the plant and now her new growth gas begun to stand tall. I'm serious!!
     
  4. I did things the traditional way until I got the nerve to try this and it worked well. Most think i dont know what i am talking about but the pics speak for them selves. For a 30" tall tree it has a 1" stalk, so huge is right and they can support a massive load without help. This is why I dont need very many plants to get what I need for a year for 3 permits.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Ok so which method exactly did you use to make the stalks the widest ?
    Because my clone here is still skinny but it's growing upward (second day outside)
    I would like for it to get close to that size as well
     

  6. Method two and three. I keep them dry and well fed. Two days of straight water and a third of heavy feeding, then no water the 4th if I can get away with it. Sometimes I vary the routine if the plants seem to need more of one or the other. I dont use much water so they stay pretty dry but not wilted dry.
     
  7. Looks to me like you know what you are talking about. I think that is the craziest node spacing I have ever seen. Keep up the good work. Looks awesome. Think I am gonna have to give that a try next season. Thanks for sharing.
     
  8. very very nice!who cares what people say or think cuz those plants are the shit.
     
  9. An update, and some pretty good progress. The buds are filling in nicely and if all goes well they will be monsters.
    [​IMG]
    And closer
    [​IMG]
    Closer, and I am hoping it makes it to the size of a football:hello:
    [​IMG]
    And closer
    [​IMG]

    The 18 hour light stress plants are even better. Here is a shot of the 19'' cola.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Nice lookin buds.

    Are all your stems purple on all your strains?
     
  11. Yes but it is darker on the Kind Bud and OG kush. The Blue Dream and Jedi only have purple stems on the leaves.
     
  12. #12 5150, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    You said in another thread your PH was 8.5? By looking at this chart you can see the nutes your plant is not getting. This is whats giving you the purple stems I am guessing.

    On the plants that you are using ph water. Are they the one that have greener stems?

    As you can see your on the top of nute intake chart. I had stems like that at one time. I was able to remove all the purple in about a week.



    [​IMG]
     
  13. #13 stupidstuff, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    Actually the ones I am PHing are the ones with the most purple. But i think it is more the strain in this case. The blue dream is green. I notice that they grow slower and stalkier with higher PH and are WAY stronger(THC) and the crystallization is WAY heavier. When it comes to quantity, well it is a moot point with the way i force the node length so close. I estimate between 1/2 lb and a pound from a 30" tall plant if they fill in properly..


    Here is the blue dream grown with the high ph water. So it may be a genetics thing that comes out under stress. But thats a guess.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. By the way I love your garden 5150
     
  15. Can you show the stems more to the top? Also the heavy purple ones?

    Purple strain stems are not really that many. Do you see other growers with the same purple in the same strains? If not then I would look to correct the problem next year. Did you lose a lot of yellow leafs fast?

    Also how are you PH'ing you soil? I use the 3 drop test tube type testing the water that runs out of the bottom of your pot. Thats your real PH. Cheap stick meters call be all over the place.
     
  16. #16 stupidstuff, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    I dont PH the soil I only do the incoming water. I do water testing for a living so I guarantee the results are accurate. I dont give enough water at a time to get water out the bottom(30 to 40 oz). No yellowing leaves at all. I will take some pics of the stalks further up tomorrow.

    The other problem with PH is alkalinity. Since few growers really understand the relationship between the two, almost no one is PHing there water right if they have high alk. :eek:
     
  17. Run off lets your plant piss out salts from your ferts and what not. So what Ph do you water at when watering?

    Put a glass dish under your pot and collect some run off water. Then PH test. I wonder what your Soil Ph is?

    Your plants are green so they must be getting nutes. Not saying change anything. Just wondering about your purple stems in most your plants with different strains.
     
  18. #18 stupidstuff, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    ok so the soil PH is 7.0-7.4. On the ones I am PHing and the ones I am not, the ph of the water after nutes is 6.5 and 7.0 without nutes.

    This is OG Kush and purple all over, This is one I am PHing. Also this one was not light shocked so you can see the node spacing difference and its a big difference.
    [​IMG]
    Jedi, PHing this one to, almost no purple
    [​IMG]
    Blue dream, PHing this one, only purple on the leave stems. Also no light shock
    [​IMG]
    Blue dream, Not phing this one, almost no purple
    [​IMG]
    Kind Bud, not PHing, Purple on all stems and stalks
    [​IMG]

    A shot of one of my larger BD plants and it has 8 arms that are 24" long and node on node all the way up. Light stress is the way to go for big buds
    [​IMG]
     
  19. #19 5150, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    Having red or purple stalks is not GOOD.. 99% of the time..

    Purple stems on your FAN leaves are NOT serious but should be kept under watch.

    Sometimes purple stems show u that something is wrong with your plant(s) i know this from experience.

    Magnesium (Mg) deficiency: Magnesium deficiency will exhibit a yellowing (which may turn brown) and interveinal chlorosis beginning in the older leaves. The older leaves will be the first to develop interveinal chlorosis. Starting at leaf margin or tip and progressing inward between the veins....This can be quickly resolved by watering with 1 tablespoon Epsom salts/gallon of water. Until you can correct nutrient lockout, try foliar feeding. That way the plants get all the nitrogen and Mg they need. The plants can be foliar feed at ½ teaspoon/quart of Epsom salts (first powdered and dissolved in some hot water). When mixing up soil, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil.
    If the starting water is above 200 ppm, that is pretty hard water, that will lock out mg with all of the calcium in the water. Either add a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of epsom salts or lime both will effectively reduce the lockout.Mg can get locked-up by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen. Don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients.

    Phosphorus (P) deficiency:
    Fan leaves are dark green or red/purple, and may turn yellow. Leaves may curl under, go brown and die. Small-formed buds are another main symptom.
    Phosphorus deficiencies exhibit slow growing, weak and stunted plants with dark green or purple pigmentation in older leaves and stems.
    Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.
    Purpling: accumulation of anthocyanin pigments; causes an overall dark green color with a purple, red, or blue tint, and is the common sign of phosphate deficiency. Some plant species and varieties respond to phosphate deficiency by yellowing instead of purpling.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To be honest I think you have a slight problem in some of your plants. Check other grows for same strain and purple. If you find other grows that do not have purple like yours then I would test on one plant to see if you can draw the purple out. I have plants wih the same purple/red stems like yours and was able to pull it out pretty fast.

    If I was you and was wiling to test on my budding plants. This is what I would do with the plant with the darkest purple stems. (after you confirm it is not a strain strait) I would flush the plant with about 30 gallons of water. This will wash out everything and let you start over. I would let the pot go dry. Next watering I would hit it with a hi P ferts. I know it bud season but this is what they plant is telling you.

    By guessing from what you told me this is what I think is going on inside your pots. You said you when you water no water runs out the bottom of your pots. This is letting salts build of in your soil. Your plants are not pissing so to speak. This is what I say flush the hell out of a plant. It never hurts anything anyway. Some plants turn the stems purple while other turn the leafs yellow. (Artical above). This is why you will see such dark leafs with purple stems.

    I have a thread from one of my first indoor grows. My plants looked just like your but not in flower. I got some good advice and took it. Within a week the purple was gone. Some little purple streaks for a bit then that was gone as well. I will see if I can dig up the thread with my pics,

    I say flush for your plants cannot take up any Phos. right now if they tried. Your Nute availabilty from the chart above will not let it even if you dumped 100 gallons on it. It just cannot do it. If not in the right PH range has no way to get any of the P. You right on the border so it is getting some but not enough. The flush will get rid of anything in your soil like the salts I am sure it has from not letting run off come out of your pots. I am willing to bet with a heavy P feeding after flush your purple will turn to purple streaks within a few days. The flush will drop your soil PH done inside the range that it can take up plenty of P.

    Do me favor? Put a glass dish under your pot. Water tha sucker heavy. Then pull the dish out and see what color it is. It will be really bright piss yellow. Now taste that water. Pure salty like the ocean. Ph the very first dish you collect under your pot. Then after you flushed test the dish. You should see a color change in the water as well as a PH change in the soil.

    My method of testing will not hurt your plants in anyway. It's worth a try. DO NOT do this to all your plants right now. Just one.

    Just wondering if they greener stem plants are in any bigger pots? A bigger pot will have a bigger buffer zone to salt buildup.


    I will now try to find my old thread. You will find it interested for sure. Same purple as you have.

    On your other plants I would water heavy to get rid of some of the salts. It cannot hurt anything.

    Good luck bro.
     
  20. #20 stupidstuff, Aug 8, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 8, 2011
    Very good advise. I generally flush before I switch over to bloom but haven't gotten around to it yet. Nor have I ever tested it or anything, so this is a good time to do this. Also I will monitor the color and see if it changes after the flush.

    So it looks like I would not have noticed any improvement with the lower PH due to salt build up. I normally flush around the 15 of August in preparation for the finishing but looks like I may want to do it a little sooner from now on.

    Here is the reading on the PH right out of the tank.
    PH 8.0-8.5 (this is what i have been using for years and have not woried about PH)
    [​IMG]

    This is after 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I am only doing this to 6 plants to see the difference
    PH 6.0-6.5
    [​IMG]

    And the run off and this is the first flush since planting in april.

    PH 7.5 on both the ones getting the lower PH water and the ones not.
    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page