how many branches to leave on plants

[jackiee]

i root my clones in rootriot cubes under a fluorescent light for about 2 to 3 weeks, then i transplant them into pure canna coco,in 4" pots and move them under a 250 cfl for about 2 to 3 weeks feeding canna a&b rhizotonic and bcuzz root stimulator and a touch of liquid seaweed ec 0.8 to 1.0 ph 5.5 to5.9 then i transplant into 6.5 litre pots using pure canna coco slowly lifting the ec to 1.2 ph as close to 5.8 as i can get for 2 to 3 weeks then into flower using a 600hps on a light rail 24 plants 3 rows 2" between pots 4" between rows keeping ph the same but lifting my ec to 1.6 slowly my main problem is how many branches do i have to keep on the plants as a lot of my lower buds are fluffy, i forgot to mention i grow in a box 2 metres long 1 metre wide and 4 foot tall hence the light rail and i only average about 12oz per crop which barely keeps us in smoke. i was thinking just leaving 4 branches and a main cola might help my yield. i use the box and put a plastic polycarbonate lid on in the winter as it gets very cold around here i keep day time temp around 23 to 28 celsius or 73 to 82 fahrenheit night time 17 to 19 celsius or 62 to 66 fahrenheit i water to 5% runoff using rain water i have a 4" inline fan bringing fresh air in and another one removing stale air plus two oscillating fans any info would greatly help thanx
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[Dr Dog]

take a look at how far your light goes down effectively. Anything below that I would get rid of, or make into more cuttings

The one thing you dont really want are too many bud sites. that will rob you of yield.

so lets say your plant is 2 feet in height, anything below the 1 ft range is getting no useable light and is just wasting your plants main energy. You should have this doen before week 4 ish,(indicas) as after that it wont really make a difference

 

[jackiee]

thanx a lot dr dog all info is much appreciated

 

[robbiedublu]

You dont have enough light for a 2sq meter area. Even on a light mover 1 - 600watt light is not enough. A 600 will cover about half that area, maybe slightly more. I think you could get the same yield or more in half the space easy just by getting rid of the light mover.

 

[jackiee]

would it be better if i got a 1000 watt on its own or a 400 hps and added it to the light rail with the 600 for extra light which would be best? its got my head in bits

 

[robbiedublu]

It's not that complicated. I would add another 600 but if you cant do that right away, just grow in half your space for now.

 

[B.C.]

hmm...

hmm...

Assuming you have eveything dailed in, I think yul find some strains do better than others with less branches. It helps alot to run the same strains for a while to know how they react, then act accordingly. Most are gonna blow up if ya cut back on the number of branches, but some will anyway, no matter how many branches there is. It pays to find out so yer not cutting yer yeild down for nothing. Food for thought.... BC

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Like B.C. said, genes cause big variations in lower bud mass and overall plant and bud structure. Pruning the lower buds and branches is called lollypop these days. It probably doesn't increase yield, but it shifts the yield to the nicely formed, top buds. A better method is to bend the branches to the sides to increase the 'lightprint' of each plant. Whether you call it LST or supercropping, enlarging the lightprint of a plant will make a plant need more water and nutrients than any other method. And, more water/nutrients means more yield.

 

[jackiee]

first off id like to thank you`s for answering so im gonna get a 600 hps next week and also tie branches so they grow into more light (the 600 hps has now been ordered) any other contributions welcomed thanx