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Thinkin bout goin vert? Here's what you might need

I have a couple questions about vert growing.

Why do you guys pull fan leaves (defoliation)? I've always heard that removing fan leaves is generally a bad idea unless it's stripping off future popcorn (only 20% of the plant every 4-5 days, tops). what's with pulling all the old, established solar panels off? Is it just to intentionally stunt the plant so it has time to put on more growth in different areas?

The other question is this: how much cooler do cooltubes run on 600w lights than bare bulbs with fans under them? Is there a benefit to the cooltubes? and how much stretch does the start of flower usually bring on with larger, more well established plants? I'm planning on having the girls about 5 feet tall and incredibly wide if I can manage it... I'm trying to get 2 plants to completely surround 2 600w lights in a 4x4x7 space.
 

Zen Master

Cannasseur
Veteran
I'm defoilating pretty heavy on an almost weekly basis, I just flipped to 12/12 2 days ago though and will taper off my trimming.

I take off any fans that are shading direct light to nodes. Sometimes there isn't a leaf bigger than a quarter left, within a couple days, the plant has rebounded only the existing fan leafs didn't get bigger as usual, I just got a ton tighter node density which translates into a 'denser' higher yielding plant.

without heavy defoilation, the fans tip like solar panels and would shade TONS of areas that are now going to produce some rock hard lil golf balls.

I'm running a bunch of different OG Kush's (5 actually), GDP, Aliendog and a few more and so far every single one has responded positively to the defoil while under the vert light.
 
1

187020

How tall do you want your plants when you switch to 12/12 ?

how tall do you want your plants to finish? i like them 5ft tall and the bulb is hanging about 4-4 1/2 feet.

so flip them to 12/12 at 2 feet maybe, i dont measure the height, but i do inspect for stem thickness, i'll flower a sturdy 1.5 ft plant before a flimsy 2 footer. with the bulb orientation the stretch isnt straight up, it also leans towards the light.

try it out and find your sweet spot homie!
 

Crusader Rabbit

Active member
Veteran
@ Cravenmore

I was asking about height in reference to bulb orientation. They weren't T5's, but I once had a cabinet that was 5' tall with 4' fluorescent shop lights mounted vertically along the inside walls and doors. The plants grew up along the tubes. They got a little cooked from caressing the tubes but it was working out quite nicely. Had the tubes been oriented horizontally I think there would have been a problem with branches getting hung up behind the tubes. If the plants are short then much of the light from 4' lights would go unused. So if you flip at 2' then it would make sense to mount your lights on the wall with tubes horizontal. Just make sure that branches don't grow behind the tubes.
 

Marlo

Seedsweeper
ICMag Donor
Veteran
All that is completlely strain dependant Crusader. Thats why its usually better to work with a strain you are somewhat familiar with. I have a couple sour bubbles that barely stretch 50%, that have to be treated differently than my Sour Diesels or SFS that can stretch up to 2.5 times they're size.

Take whatever infor you have about the strain(s) you want to run and make an educated guess. Best thing is to run it a few times and make adjustments as necessary. No substitute for first hand experience bro


Devlove, checked out your grow thread.

Looks nice, man. Gonna be one to watch.

:yeahthats

The other question is this: how much cooler do cooltubes run on 600w lights than bare bulbs with fans under them? Is there a benefit to the cooltubes? and how much stretch does the start of flower usually bring on with larger, more well established plants? I'm planning on having the girls about 5 feet tall and incredibly wide if I can manage it... I'm trying to get 2 plants to completely surround 2 600w lights in a 4x4x7 space.

I don't have any experience with cooltubes so I can't really speak on them, but running bare bulbs in vert has alot to do with ambient temps and ventilation. Some growers have no choice but to use cooltubes, like in the summer for example.
Again, the stretch of your plants is completely strain and pheno dependent.



:tiphat:
 
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Crusader Rabbit

Active member
Veteran
Hi Marlo

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not giving advice about when to flip plants. I was relating my experiences with how plants interact with fluorescent lights mounted along a wall, in response to Cravenmore's query. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

Much respect for your style and how you present yourself here.
 

Marlo

Seedsweeper
ICMag Donor
Veteran
My bad CR, I thought you were sort of phrasing it as a question. Didn't want to give you some wrong info. Guess we just mistunderstood each other.

Either way, I think ur better off with the bulbs up the sides rather than horizontal. Have you tried those clear plastic flourescent tube covers they have at home de pot? It could protect some of your plants that rub up against the lights.
 

Crusader Rabbit

Active member
Veteran
Either way, I think ur better off with the bulbs up the sides rather than horizontal. Have you tried those clear plastic flourescent tube covers they have at home de pot? It could protect some of your plants that rub up against the lights.


The situation I described was twenty years ago. I'm using CMH now. Growing horizontal. Vegging under horizontal shop lights.

Hoping to do a vertical sativa run soon and how these will get vegged is still up in the air. Maybe with 2' fluorescents mounted vertical? Do T5's run cooler than old style fluorescents? Seems that they must if they're more efficient.

Been watching your grows with great interest. I'm here to learn, and contribute where I can. Again, I'm sorry if I came across as claiming expertise that's not mine.

Much respect bro
 
1

187020

my pathetic attempt at marlo screens

my pathetic attempt at marlo screens

a tomato cage and stake combo...heres the back of a couple plants, they are very bulb oriented, and yield very well with minimal fuss (perfect for this lazy ass)

picture.php


picture.php


use the force bare bulb jedis, never touch a light sabre !!
 

AugustWest

Active member
Veteran
marlo & friends..


how many plants realistically would you flower under a single 1000w?
lets say 6 week veg, in a 3 gallon container.. and a medium to heavy stretcher, like sour diesel or something similar..

also how much space would i need to dedicate to that setup?

thanks :)

PS: craven.. i dig the tomato cages.. they appeal bigtime to my lack of DIY skills and laziness :)
 
A

apep

Hey Marlo, great thread man! Would you suggest trainning plants as opposed to just spinning them a quarter turn everyday? Sweet trellis by the way. Thanks
 
The tomato cage wire Bud-Boy uses, is that one piece or a bunch of smaller ones put together? I can only find the small ones. Thats the setup I'm gonna do next. Maybe I could fasten the small ones to the 5 gallon bucket I use for dwc? My brain is just going nuts I have a harvest ready and my next round waiting and I'm going vert this round. This week!!!!!!!!!
 
1

187020

marlo & friends..


how many plants realistically would you flower under a single 1000w?
lets say 6 week veg, in a 3 gallon container.. and a medium to heavy stretcher, like sour diesel or something similar..

also how much space would i need to dedicate to that setup?

thanks :)

PS: craven.. i dig the tomato cages.. they appeal bigtime to my lack of DUI skills and laziness :)


homie 7 x 3gals around a 600w gets a pile of sticky sour with that vegg time you'd be sittin on 21+oz, gram per watt...

with a 1000w hps i would prolly go 5 gal buckets, the fat tree trunk would suck the water out of a 3gal container every day !! coco/hydro 3 gal would be sufficient, this is promix/hand water easy pleasy...

peace homes
 

Marlo

Seedsweeper
ICMag Donor
Veteran
how many plants realistically would you flower under a single 1000w?

no experience with 1k's but, I'm leaning toward what Craven says.
6 weeks veg will give you some nice sized girls. Especially if you finish in a 5 gal. I'd love to see it. You can do eet!

As far as space, you'd need approx 18" btwn the bulb and the plants, which would be 36" all the way around. If you go the tomato cage route, that's almost 2' more all the way around. That'll put you close to 7x7.

But keep in mind, this is just a guess based on no experience w/1k's.


Hey Marlo, great thread man! Would you suggest trainning plants as opposed to just spinning them a quarter turn everyday? Sweet trellis by the way. Thanks

Wsup Apep. Most vert vets believe spinning or rotating plants in a vert setup is unnecessary. Some believe it is counterproductive (so do I).
If you ever watch a plant grow in vert, they always lean towards the light. The fans turn sideways to "catch" the light, and even the stems start to curve towards the light. (big reason for trellis, stakes, etc...) If you turn a plant daily that has settled into its place in your vert room, it will spend a considerable amount of time and energy "repositioning" itself to properly catch and face the light. IMO that's time and energy that can be spent producing buds.

The tomato cage wire Bud-Boy uses, is that one piece or a bunch of smaller ones put together?

I think it's 2 of the large ones put together. I always see them at the Home de Pot.
Good luck on the switch bro!

:tiphat:
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Hey Marlo, great thread man! Would you suggest trainning plants as opposed to just spinning them a quarter turn everyday? Sweet trellis by the way. Thanks

yep, like Marlo said, no need to turn the plants... The plant doesn't care if the bud is perfectly symmetrical... That's humans.
 

mg75

Member
yep, like Marlo said, no need to turn the plants... The plant doesn't care if the bud is perfectly symmetrical... That's humans.

right...

i have found that if you don't turn the plant, you get bigger buds. i suspect that turning the plants causes it to spend energy on leaning towards the light and not making buds. try hanging reflective material behind the plants.
 
A

apep

Thanks for the answers guys, you all have me convinced vert is the shit. Next run its on.
 

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