Closer Lights = More THC???

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by Spazik, May 6, 2011.

  1. Hey all. So had something kind of weird happen to me on my last grow. I had some plants going that were started at different times. I got my first batch of 15 from a crap club and most of them ended up dying, so after about half of them died I went to a good club to replace them, then more died and I went back to the good club and got more.

    SO anyways, 5 of the "original" ones that didn't die actually turned out pretty good. All the plants I got were supposedly "hybrid" but they branched up like a Sativa and had huge leaves (still flowered quick like indica though), and the younger ones were short and squat.

    Basically (convoluted story I know, thanks for reading this far if you're seeing this), since I was growing in a cramped walk in closet my lighting options were limited and I had to raise the main light up because the ones that had 5 weeks to veg were like 2 feet taller than the other ones and they were a lot closer to the light. So I harvested the plants and the ones that were closer are a lot stonier than the smaller ones. I was expecting smaller buds on the ones further from the light and wasn't surprised by that.

    So if you skipped all the way to the end, the question is does a plant that's closer to the right produce more THC than one further away.
     
  2. well. yes it does. i put them as close as i can without burning them. THC is like a sun screen for plants. Im sure Toasty will chime in and say OF COURSE DUH THE MORE LIGHT THE MORE THC DUHHHHHHHH. Anyway what did i want to say. Oh yes. you should try learning bonzai. i swear by it.
     
  3. Yea I wasn't sure if the increased lumens only increased overall bud growth or specifically increased THC production in addition as well. Good to know. SO then what about water cooled HPS that you can get super close like a flourescent? Is it worth it for the loss of lumens to the water?
     
  4. this is so funny, toasty sits up with his gigantic cigar and a martini and goes ahhhhhhhhh These noobies . Then drills his keyboard
     
  5. So does that mean yes the water in a water-cooled light deflects the UV effect which produces more THC, or no? Not really sure if that was a yes or no sorry.
     
  6. im not quite sure "closer lights" means more THC, or even Stronger lights, sure you'll need the minimum 75-100watts per plant, but THC production in the resinous glands is based on the plant's genetics, of course more light = bigger plants, but not necessarily more THC. and the trichomes (THC glands) that cover the plant are used to keep male pollen stuck to the flowers so the plant can pollinate and reproduce.

    im not quite sure what gokukamaya was trying to say about them being sunscreen:confused:
     
  7. More light definately means more energy for the plant to alot to all biological processes.

    My intuition would tell me this would mean more THC too.

    I actually noticed the opposite in my grow, the plants directly under my main light produced the most but the plants in side lighting from thr 400w and then some CFL on the side ended up unbelievably dank but were both just 20g each.
     
  8. Yea I don't know, it's weird. Like I'm not trying to "brag" or anything (it's on the internet anyways nurr) but the ones that were small and far away are just ho-hum like any $40 1/8th you can get at the clubs up here in Nor-Cal but the ones that were tall and closer to the light are like crazy mystical super stoney and I smoke like an 1/8th a day and it still is like one bowl knocks you over. But they're also different strains (Bubba Kush vs Purple Kush)

    Is it really just ALL about genetics? Sounds like finding the right plant to clone is a real pain in the ass ):
     
  9. Genetics is a huge part of it no doubt. I mean, some strains are like that yaknow.
     
  10. #10 Jellyman, May 6, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2011
    All lights over a certain brightness need to be spaced away from the plants, regardless of how they're cooled. A part of a plant burned from getting too much light is usually said to be suffering from "light burn" and no amount of cooling can prevent it. Here, check out the attached graph. In it, the most light a plant can handle is roughly at the 170% level. You just follow that level across the graph to find the minimum distance each wattage light must be from any plant parts at all times.

    It also should be mentioned that the plants need more food to make use of more light.
     

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  11. genetics, care and handling its all about reaching the strains full potential
     
  12. You mean it's not as clearcut as they told you at Oaksterdam? :)

    Yes, genetics are #1. Here's how someone like me looks for a mom: Start a pack of seeds and take clones from each plant. After they're harvested and test-smoked, narrow down the section to the most promising individuals and grow out their clones, as one doesn't begin to see the true expression of the plant until this point. After the following harvest, narrow the selection again and grow out the clones. Then, assess the situation. Elite commercial clones are worth thousands upon thousands of dollars for a reason.

    FWIW, I work with four moms that took years to find. Still, I start new seeds all the time in hopes of bettering what I have, and perhaps finding another suitable strain. Successful cultivation on a bigger scale isn't as easy the books and the forums can lead one to believe. Though on a purely personal level I find forum/book advice fairly entertaining, reality often paints a very different picture, as you're finding out.

    Simon
     
  13. #13 Spazik, May 6, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2011
    OOOOOHHHHHH, seed companies, good idea. I've never had to germinate a seed before but that sounds like an effective method. Just buy a little sample pack from some company with as many different ones as possible and see if you could find a good one to clone. I'm almost thinking I should go back to the crap club I got the Bubba Kush from and clone those but the ones I got from them had motherfucking Spider mites too! Crazy that it still turned out so good. Maybe I'll just do seeds instead.
     
  14. #14 SimonC, May 6, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2011
    Heh, I'd certainly suggest a more focused approach than buying a sample pack from a random breeder. Too, keep in mind that you'll never find anyone's elite commercial clone in a club, nor are you always guaranteed to get what you're paying for, just as you have no option as to the original genetics. It's all about the genetics. If the plant, itself, won't produce, if it lacks extreme potency there's nothing you can do to make it happen.

    As I'm writing this, I'm putting together a seed order. The strains I'm choosing have a good chance of appealing to the market, if I get a good plant, and I have some confidence in the breeder and the genetics. I've grown them all out before. If I hadn't, I'd be searching IC for reliable reports then contacting the folks individually, checking out grows to see the structure of the strain and consider its fit in my garden, and looking at the finishing flowers and the cured product. Every plant I grow takes space away from another. That other plant, the one that's not being flowered, has a real value so the stains I'll be starting better add something to the overall picture. I guess I'm trying to say that decisions like these are not taken lightly. If you want to take this seriously, then take it seriously in every respect. Genetics are your first determinate of success, assuming, of course, you can grow with some degree of proficiency.

    Simon
     
  15. #15 Spazik, May 6, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2011
    Oh, of course. I was looking on the internet awhile ago and there's a company based in Vancouver that won the cannabis cup a couple years ago that I wanted to try when I finally do outdoor. I think I want to grow purps because you can double the price on appearance alone.

    Edit: In LA where all the hip hop thugs want "da purps"
     

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