Blooming question

dba1954

Well-Known Member
Does additional blooming lighting increase potency? Let me give some background ... I am growing a Northern light autoflower with minimal LST. I expect the plant to get~20-24" tall and is in a 3 gallon pot. The light I have been using is adequate so far (1050 par @18") but want to know if addition bloom lighting would help. I was thing that while the top of the plant would get 1050 par @18", the bottom would be getting significantly less. The question is if I were to hang an additional light directed at the lower part of the plant (which I have) running just the bloom lights during blooming will it help increase potency or hurt? I'm only growing one plant and don't want to fry it.

my light PAR output is as follows
6" 1600
12" 1575
18" 1050
24" 860

I was going to ask the vendor but they are out of business lol

My plant is just starting flowering

IMG_6339b.jpg
 
Consider using additional lighting for this_ side lighting - have some 12.by12 led fullcycle pannels and results are fanstic. BUT using side lighting is tricky too much and the plant tends to grow more lateral branching - therfore can shorten plants lenght _ generally run side lighting about 4-5 hrs once in flower (10am to 2pm)- side lighting in veg 9am to 3pm. See were Infinity Tents offers sidelighting for their corners. once you get it dow your yields cab increase by at least 25% -Now if you are growing to get the large, large center buds side lighting use can be tricky
 
Consider using additional lighting for this_ side lighting - have some 12.by12 led fullcycle pannels and results are fanstic. BUT using side lighting is tricky too much and the plant tends to grow more lateral branching - therfore can shorten plants lenght _ generally run side lighting about 4-5 hrs once in flower (10am to 2pm)- side lighting in veg 9am to 3pm. See were Infinity Tents offers sidelighting for their corners. once you get it dow your yields cab increase by at least 25% -Now if you are growing to get the large, large center buds side lighting use can be tricky
not so much trying to increase yield but potency and uniformity over the whole bud (s). Is that achievable?
 
no so much trying to increase yield but potency and uniformity over the whole bud (s). Is that achievable?

Potency i feel no genetics are genetics whats in the seed/clone is what you have.
Now uniformity yes that would be a more even spreading light or light placement or side lighting i guess.
Also push them on nutes and you could increase yeild BUT not potency.
Thats what i have found also most of my fails potency wise have been cure or taking early related.
Happy growing ;)
 
Potency i feel no genetics are genetics whats in the seed/clone is what you have.
Now uniformity yes that would be a more even spreading light or light placement or side lighting i guess.
Also push them on nutes and you could increase yeild BUT not potency.
Thats what i have found also most of my fails potency wise have been cure or taking early related.
Happy growing ;)
increase potency of the lower parts of the colas?
 
increase potency related of the lower parts of the colas?
Well i could call that just giving the lower buds the light they need to keep up with upper ones.
Some would part havest some would just use for oil/rso etc some would spread/train.
Some would not even have any as its all taken of to focus on main cola/colas.
So i guess your right it would increase potency But only by letting the buds mature which a part
harvest could also do depends on the farmer i guess.Does the extra power needed give you enough weight.
To even make it worth while i find worrying about pop corn buds dont make sense.
Anything below my lights penetration ends up in a bin bag or in edibles.
Hope that helps some :)
 
Well i could call that just giving the lower buds the light they need to keep up with upper ones.
Some would part havest some would just use for oil/rso etc some would spread/train.
Some would not even have any as its all taken of to focus on main cola/colas.
So i guess your right it would increase potency But only by letting the buds mature which a part
harvest could also do depends on the farmer i guess.Does the extra power needed give you enough weight.
To even make it worth while i find worrying about pop corn buds dont make sense.
Anything below my lights penetration ends up in a bin bag or in edibles.
Hope that helps some :)
last northern light I grew a few months ago had 16" long colas. That would make the par it recieved at the top around 1050, at the bottom of the colas 4-500 ... got me thinking
 
It's very very dark green.
It looks like it has too much N in it's system.
Also, the leaves are droopy, that means that the plant is suffering stress.
fox farm soil, fox farm soil nute schedule (every other watering). It did need water this morning before I took the photo. I took the green as a healthy sign.
 
Does additional blooming lighting increase potency?


definitely. i jump from 200w veg to 600w flower. i go from a 3x3 veg space to a 4x4 flower space as well.

for a single plant i'd say you have enough as far as par already. autos also don't like as much generally.



 
fox farm soil, fox farm soil nute schedule (every other watering). It did need water this morning before I took the photo. I took the green as a healthy sign.

It looks overfed.
Fox Farm's soils have nutes in them.
So you can go easy on the feeding.
I can't really tell if the plant is too dark green, because of the light.
But I am 100% sure that those droopy leaves aren't because it needs water.
 
fox farm soil, fox farm soil nute schedule (every other watering). It did need water this morning before I took the photo. I took the green as a healthy sign.


it doesn't look bad. keep going. everyone's got a bit of a knot.

I thought it looked a little over watered


i thought slightly so too. again, not bad.
 
The additional light will help the plant achieve its genetic potential of THC, also, IMHO, the plant has plenty of N, but not at toxic levels, there’s no tip burn or clawing. Continue with the FF nutes as recommended by FF. You may need to flush (3x the volume of the pot) with fresh water about the time you flip her.

Do not trust the soil probe moisture meter, they’re notoriously inaccurate! When the pot has been thoroughly watered, pick it up, note the weight, then when it’s dry, pick it up again, now you’ll know when to water.
 
Does additional blooming lighting increase potency?
My thought is that yes it will if the plant was not getting sufficient light to begin with. That is one of the reasons

I am a believer that best way to increase potency, increase number of buds and the size of the usable buds is to grow healthy plants. That means that what is needed is a good soil (if a soil grow) and a good watering schedule and a good fertilizing program and good (strong) lights of the right color. If not growing in soil then the fertilizing program amounts and frequency has to be geared towards the style of hydro.

Not sure which point is more important but they are connected. Slack on one point and the quality and size and amounts, sizes and potency of the buds will suffer. Slack off on all the points and everything suffers.
 
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