I heard somewhere that if one had a plant near harvest he or she could harvest the top layer of plant and leave the other bottom layer(s) to get more light for a few weeks, then harvest the rest of the plant. Has anyone does this? Harvesting in a tiered way is appealing to get fat buds on the bottom of the plant just like on the top (obviously). But would this stress the plant too much? Any info is appreciated. I tried searching a number of different phrases but couldn't find anything that way.
It won't stress the plant too much, but it won't make the bottom buds as fat as top colas. It will just give them time to grow and mature a little more. It's something a lot of experienced growers do.
In my situation, I'm thinking this is the best move to maximize yield. I plan on using most of the undergrowth nugs for concentrates so I'm not gonna be too picky on the quality of the layer harvest but don't want the extra couple of weeks that i (shouldn't have) left it vegging to go "to waste" .. Thanks for the tips!
^ Yes, you can harvest in layers; you don't need any more input. Your killing your plant anyways; who cares about the stress your causing her? If you want a revege, leave some of the plant and never cut off more than 1/5 at any one point. Rationalize it this way : Top buds are amazing. Bottom buds meh. You harvest the whole plant. Or Top buds are amazing. Bottom buds meh. You harvest the tops, and stress the hell out of your plant. Shes stressed. Shes flowering. Shes stressed. Shes still flowering. Even with the stress those 'meh' buds will mature more. At this point your ahead of the first scenario. Why do you care about stressing the plant at this late stage? Worst case scenario is that you get hermy sacks - all the good buds are gone already anyways; you can see and pluck off the few sacks that pop out; this late a polination wont really seed the remaining bud; even seeded lower nugs will have higher potency than scenario A lowers == comparing, at time of cut scenario A = scenario B. You give B some time, they get more potent, but after a week are polinated. Another week passes, B matures a little bit slower as energy is spent on seeds but B still adds THC and resin to its buds. You harvest. No seeds will have grown in 2 weeks, except for very immature things.
Does cutting an apple tree of some of its apples stress the shit out of it? Not really. Major outdoor growers growing 30+ lbs have to harvest in layers because of the sheer quantity and how big the plants are. Didn't seem to stress them enough to be noticeable.
[quote name='"washedmothafuka"']Does cutting an apple tree of some of its apples stress the shit out of it? Not really. Major outdoor growers growing 30+ lbs have to harvest in layers because of the sheer quantity and how big the plants are. Didn't seem to stress them enough to be noticeable.[/quote] Exactly!
I'm not super experienced, but this is how I operate (and how I will do things on Sunday). Cut the top buds, maybe harvest and trim away the first 1/3 of the plant. Then give the bottom nugs a week (or a week and a half) of extra light, and BAM! You've increased your yeild. I've watched the lower nugs fatten up with an extra week of light. It works and the stress is minimal.
But what about flushing? If I flush mine, harvest the top and let the rest grow for another week or two what should be done about nutes? Just continue with straight ph'ed water?
^ Yes, continue with pHed water. The point of the flush is to deprive the plant of nutrients so it uses any and all salts stored in its tissues. The colas you leave on will just be even more deprived than the earlier cuttings; however, also take into account that less plant = less nute usage (IOW, the remnants left will be enough to feed the lower portions in a reduced plant, ideally). However you don't want to run the risk of ruining your taste by feeding them followed by a chop
You don't need to pH your water you are flushing with since there are no nutes to be locked out. pH'd or not the plant will do the same thing (feed of itself). Also I just wanted to add I have a mutant strain where the bottom (even if more shaded) mature faster than the tops! The tops may be 75% white hairs where the bottom is 75% amber.
^ if you change the soil pH, such as by not pHing the water at the end, you will stress your plant. I don't know to what degree or if it will affect the final flush (and thus taste - I know it won't be affecting yield) but I try and minimize stress until the final chop. Here's my reasoning : Non-pHed water will change the pH in the soil and thus the plant tissues: This is seen in both the damage and the appearance of leaves that are pH shocked. It is my thought that an off pH can cause nutrients to be locked out INSIDE the plant. Ppt'd or otherwise locked nutrients, or adverse growing conditions, will slow maturation and thus usage of the nutes in the plant. IOW, non-phed water will slow the feeding of stored nutrients.