Hi! I'm a well studied newb looking for advice I'll try to sum up to a degree what i'm doing and if you disagree with anything please let me know! I got theese Blueberry 3rd gen clones going. Wondering if i'm going about it right with the pruning and topping. What u see is the result of my topping/fim'ing after they've grown a bit, some grow in to 5 tops some in to 2 tops. I would think topping is more for later stage and fim'ing more if you get to be early? I got the space and lights to keep distance between the plants so they get light all the way down + the benefit of good air circulation. So i figure topping over fim'ing should be better?. I marked a line where i'd like to prune below + take clones as an example of my thinking. I'd also like to top the tops (circle mark) for a stunt in stretching and a more bushy grow for a couple weeks before putting them in the flower room. Just asking for an extra set of eyes to determine if i'm thinking straight =) Some grow info: I'm using biobizz all mix soil, biobizz grow for veg when i see the early start of deficiensies. 3.5 gallon fabric pots. blurple lights (YES i most def. will replace for better LEDs soon). Great ventilation 64.5 degrees at night, 78.8 at daytime. 18/6 schedule. Using tap water which is 8.5 in ph after 1-2 days of dechlorisation. Ph'ing down with Canna ph-pro bloom H3PO4 to about 6.3-6.4 before waterings(ph'ing after nutes added when feeding), runoff is 6.3-6.6. I do not have a TDS meter but i will get one soon! Sorry for the bad photo my camera is equal to shit, i'll get a new camera soon for better pictures when they get older or for other posts. If you want more photos before that u'll have to settle for this one hehe Thanks in advance for any constructive comments or feedback! =) Kind regards Salato.
When posting pictures asking for advice it's best if they are natural color white light flash photos with the purple light off. <- searching for anti-purple eye bleach by feel..... It's here someplace.. BNW
No, I would not top those. Topping should be done before the plant gets tall and stretched. You'll be cutting the best part of the plant off. If you have height, every effort should be made to get those top buds good light and support if they need it. if you are height challenged, then patient supercropping has bailed out more than one tall plant gardener. Compact bushy plants require attention from the start.
Ok, so i'll only prune and clone. how far up should i prune? this is the best photos i could produce with the lights off with my camera, sadly.
I just harvested a round of two different BB phenos. One is indica dominant with thick round buds while the other looks more hybrid with longer greasy buds. I didn't top either one, instead I just bent them over (cropped). Not saying topping is wrong or anything like that. I just prefer cropping. I've been running this strain from both clone and bean for a few years now cause it's easy and I had hundreds of beans.... and I can say that it always beasts out during and after training if the plant is healthy to begin with which is why I start bending em over way early. I broke a main cola on my last run while pinching and bending. I wrapped it in duct tape and it ended up putting out one of the biggest buds on the plant. That said, far as I can tell from the pic, you're on the money. You got multiple tops so yes you did it right...and yes defol on the lowers will definitely be a good move. I hope that you don't mind if I post a pic here to show the results of cropping for your comparison. Both are blueberry. I crop early enough to keep the sides up with the top. Not trying to "one up" you or anything like that with the pics. Just sharing. I hope that this help.
Oh, btw i ordered a 400gpd RO system, i suspect there's alot of crap in the tap water. And i'd like to gently move over to DWC bit by bit for easier maintenance.
Love the pictures 3Deez! I'll look more in to cropping and experiment may i ask why you prefer cropping?
It's just a preference thing. Ive noticed that alot of time when toping or fim'ing, there's a temporary slow down in growth. Usually takes a few days before I see any new growth...or at least it seems that way. When I crop though, the branches are usually trying to straighten themselves within the hour or by next day. I just keep bending them back over or I tie them down until the sides catch up and I end up with just as many tops as I would by doing it the other way.
I did DWC. Now in homemade organic potting soil. Only maintenance comes between grows when I add more chicken manure, greensand, phosphate rock, limestone and straw that has been in a chicken’s pen for awhile until is very well shredded. Water it and turn it once in a while while the next grow is going. Then use it again. And it does ok without any nutes added during the entire grow, start to finish.
Just read some text and watched a video after your post 3Deez. I'll definately read more and try it out! Thank you!..
I got a 12inch in diameter pot x 6 system laying arround with air stones and a central bucket for maintenance by the brand Urban R-DWC. Got it from a friend, never tried it out.
On my previous grows i did as stated earlier, topped for a stunt in stretching which worked for the purpose but did stunt not only height growth but also growth in general. should i instead after pruning and cloning from the bottom now just move them to flower? i don't really want them much taller. or should i wait a week in case they get a bit stressed by the prune, so they are ready for the light cycle change? considering i would rather test the cropping on clones that i have more than enough of, after they root and settle good in the new soil ofc.
Ah, I got so caught up in cropping vs topping that completely forgot why you're doing it in the first place ... I baked as soon as I woke up today Topping to slow or stop the stretch right..Only thing I can offer there is that IME, any major stress on the plant right prior to flip, typically results in me chasing problems throughout the flower cycle...but I also prune and defol right through the first few weeks of flower with no bad effects. Cloning sucks though once the plant starts switching gears.
We all have our rituals or "time off" Thanks for the insight 3Deez appreciate it! i'll clone and prune and wait a week before moving to bloom, and prune for a week after as i also have done earlier I swear i could see a big difference when i pruned half the bloom rooms plants only for the cause of the experiment. bigger top buds less trimming at finish =)
If it might help, I used some low power LEDs in the past, and what worked best for me was topping 1 or 1+½ weeks before switching light hours. Before topping I would take out at least the button ⅓ of the plant, and yes you can use them for clones. Usually LEDs light like that won't go very deep so lower branches will not be as effective, Scrog and all similar variants will be your friend with using LEDs since the best way to growing with them is a even canopy. I grow Amnesia Haze and I can tell you is not easy to make it even, but with BB you should be able to do very nice Scrog or similar training. Sent from my M2007J17G using Tapatalk
I'll do my best and thanks for all the tips i will try to show some continuation photos later of what was done and where they are in their life cycle before they're done, when i can =)