Lighting Off topic but still relevant - autocob big plants and training

[lunarman]

I for one would love to see an AFN board just for plant training/pruning topics. I wasn't sure where to post this since there isn't a board area on the topic. But I have no doubt my (bigsmo's) autocobs have put me in this great position so I'll post it on this board. Besides I like the vibe on this board.

I am on my second indoor grow in a tent. First one was 4 plants that was a great learning (lots of mistakes in other words) experience. I find my second grow is giving me much bigger plants than the first. In part due to the lights. And I'm not used to them.

What I'm finding is my plants are super bushy now. Lots of foliage up top, on the sides ,and underneath. And I have had multiple sessions with pruning shears but its like it just grows back in a couple of days.

This is a Dutch Passion Auto Ultimate. If the pictures are not the best for reading the plant let me know what pictures would be better.

It was topped at the 4th set. And lots of LST pulling out lower branches early to the sides to flatten out the canopy. And then lots of defoliating in the last week. It's preflowering and I think pretty close to flowering.

I could trim this plant lots more. Or I could leave it for now. Or something in between the two. One thing I notice is the bigger cola's are on the outside and there are smaller ones in the middle. Was wondering if it would be good to prune of the middle lower ones.

 

[IraqJack]

Depending on whether you're growing autos or photoperiod, my advice would be different. I always avoid any cutting on autos, and I will defoliate only fan leaves that block bud sites, and only around week 3 of flower. Best thing to do (imo) would be to trellis a large or branchy plant, OR use plant stakes made of gardening wire. Make a hook on one end, hook to branch and stake or tie branches down, or "bend her over" from the main cola which will open the plant up, and promote lateral branching without have to top your auto and slow it down. You can also pinch the upper new fan leave on branches you'd like to slow to develop an even canopy.

 

[IraqJack]

Also its a good practice to remove any fan leaves that touch the pot/ medium. Good way to give scaffolding for spider mites to craw up.

 

[IraqJack]

The reason the outer branches are larger is simply because you topped it. So the older lateral branches are higher, or even to the branches growing where you topped. The plant will send more nutrients to the higher branches.

 

[bushmasterar15]

@lunarman here are a few threads that might be what your looking for.
www.autoflower.org/threads/auto-topping-thread-pushing-the-auto-limits.57281/
www.autoflower.org/threads/hst-topping-scrog-mainline-fimming-circular-training-supercropping-by-budelee.54176/

 

[IraqJack]

Tomorrow I will photograph the inner canopy of the SODK I'm growing so you can see the bend, where my top is in relation to the lateral branching etc so you can see what I'm talking about, and how you can achieve the same goal as topping. With Autos anyways. I'm testing not topping on photos while trellising as well, and it worked equally as well.

 

[lunarman]

Depending on whether you're growing autos or photoperiod, my advice would be different. I always avoid any cutting on autos, and I will defoliate only fan leaves that block bud sites, and only around week 3 of flower. Best thing to do (imo) would be to trellis a large or branchy plant, OR use plant stakes made of gardening wire. Make a hook on one end, hook to branch and stake or tie branches down, or "bend her over" from the main cola which will open the plant up, and promote lateral branching without have to top your auto and slow it down. You can also pinch the upper new fan leave on branches you'd like to slow to develop an even canopy.

so you avoid cuts on autos. Does that mean you only pinch off leaves when it comes to autos? I have done cut and pinch and notice no difference with the plants I have grown to date.

And you defoil around week 3 of flower. I thought it was best to do it all before flowering starts. That's what I read about lollypopping I think it was. And the plant in the pictures above have had some medium defoliation done on it twice in the last couple of weeks where I removed a lot of the leaves and stems from underneath. That way during the first weeks of flowering the plant is not wasting energy on parts that are going to get removed anyway. And it lets the primary bud sites get more light etc at the start of flowering.

I do have a trellis. It was just not in the pictures. My two big plants ready to start flowering are about ready to get on this trellis.

 

[lunarman]

The reason the outer branches are larger is simply because you topped it. So the older lateral branches are higher, or even to the branches growing where you topped. The plant will send more nutrients to the higher branches.

So should I remove the bud sites in the middle of the canopy that are quite low? I am not sure they will develop in to much of a bud/cola.

 

[lunarman]

@lunarman here are a few threads that might be what your looking for.
www.autoflower.org/threads/auto-topping-thread-pushing-the-auto-limits.57281/
www.autoflower.org/threads/hst-topping-scrog-mainline-fimming-circular-training-supercropping-by-budelee.54176/

Wow. Holy cow. There are over 150 pages in those two threads. I think I have seen a couple of them in past searching and its how I got some of my ideas. But I think these deserve more reading. Looks like lots of info on training in those two threads. Going to bookmark them too. Thanks.

 

[lunarman]

Hopefully this is a simple question and easy to answer.

Since I topped and LST'd and pulled big stems to the outside and they are looking like dominant cola's, what do I do about the little ones in the middle of the plant? There are quite a few of them. Is it better to prune them out now as preflowering bud sites and hopefully the dominant cola's get some benefit from that? Or is it better to leave them and do some leaf tucking etc? I also found on my first grow I could harvest in stages staring with the dominants and then a week or so later do the smaller ones.