Sorry! But im really trying to wrap my head around something to understand when/where i should be cutting precious buds to prevent mold. Obviously, i prefer to keep them before i go hacking my babes any further. Or have i done something wrong with my LST and now suffering the consequences?
What i don’t understand is how its ok for buds to touch each other when growing straight up the stem. (Of a non-LST) Isnt that what makes a cola?? - BUT if i understand properly, its not ok for 2 buds to touch if from different branches?
Im getting confused because with my training, my stem is horizontal and branches are curved and vertical… So heres some examples…
Cola #1 - If this plant were untrained, wouldnt all those buds just be growing straight up into each other (touching)? But because of the curve, im confused if their ‘side by side action’ is ok?
Cola #2 - The blue lines show two smaller buds growing side by side, up toward the top cola. So according to ‘no buds touching’ rule, i need to cut one of the side by side buds at the top of my plant???
Your plants are looking great, best advice I can offer is to continue LST manipulating each branch to grow in the direction you want while spreading her out. I start pinning or tieing each branch so the lower ones grow between the space of the uppers. Yours still have a lot growing left to do and the ones in your pics that are touching others from another branches will grow out… hard to do but don’t over think it
And yes, i had mine pinned down in an ‘amphitheater style’/bleacher arrangement for the light penetration, but then let them up for the aesthetic flat top and to make it easier to water underneath, and now in the process of pinning them back down again. Because youre right, it will help separate those buds. Lesson learned.
I can look at pics of others plants all day and it doesn’t help me imagine what the end result might be with mine, so its encouraging to hear you guys talk about growth still to come. Excited!
Heres a side question… Is it still important to keep the main cola tied down to be even with canopy level? I mean, is the ‘competition’ with colas still happening 3wks into flower? Lately, ive been letting it rise a few inches higher than the canopy.
But u cant compare ur plants with other peoples plants cause there all goin to be different in some way and most people that have these big beautiful buds and plants there been growing for years …u can get the big buds and big plants by training ur plants either by lst training and fimming or topping and lollipopping these things will help with getting bigger plants and bigger buds
Hey there @TheObserver1 , they look great! If you need to worry about something, worry about environment. I mean Temp 70-85’F, humidity 40-50%, lower as the buds grow, constant air flow. Bud rot can happen if you let the Humidity go too high usually in the dark times when the temp goes gown into the 40s -50s. Remember that bud rot is the curse of the successful grower. Hope this is helpful. They look marvelous!
@TheObserver1 , it’s called bud stacking. It is good, not bad. At about 3 weeks you are not quite 1/2 way flowered. After the stacking phase comes the fattening or bulking up phase where they slow down with the stacking and as I like to say “grow shoulders. Let’s see the whole plant. You’ll get great advise here.
Surely! And thanks to all of you for helping clear this up. Im afraid i may have already cut off a few buds that maybe shouldve stayed, but live abd learn! All 4 of them are the same strain but unique and beautiful in their own ways.
Heres pics from the current one that was just tied down/rearranged again. The last 2 pics are of the cola area, outlined in the bottom pic. Yellow lines are where the stem curves off to the left and the white arrow shows the direction that it normally receives light. *Notice that its currently bent down to canopy level, but NOT pointing straight up anymore. Still growing enough to go vertical again? Or untie a bit? Thanks again.
I would stop tying it down at this point. It is getting crowded at the base and will restrict airflow. I wouldn’t untie anything but just let it grow now.
That looks good! You have the correct idea re. LST to a flat canopy. I agree with @HMGRWN , leave it right there. clear out some of the lower larfy fans etc. for air flow. Give them as much light and feed as they can take and you’ll be happy, happy, happy in just a month or 2.
Thats just how some grow man better to have used them for butter and rosin then to throw away. If mold and bud rot is a concern id try to introduce more circulation to you your growspace and or a dehumidifier.
