How many times would you lollipop a Sativa Landrace in flower?

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wallywonks

Active Member
I lollipopped this Filipino Sativa Landrace at beginning of week 3 flower. She's nearing end of Week 4 and she stretched 16 inches in that time frame and there's a bunch of lower leaves in shade again.

They tell you not to defoliate the canopy on Sativa because the leaves are less and thinner but this girl is in a 4 sq ft footprint and lateral branches everywhere.

She's got 12 to 17 week flowering time and Almost done 4 weeks.


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wallywonks said:
I lollipopped this Filipino Sativa Landrace at beginning of week 3 flower. She's nearing end of Week 4 and she stretched 16 inches in that time frame and there's a bunch of lower leaves in shade again.

They tell you not to defoliate the canopy on Sativa because the leaves are less and thinner but this girl is in a 4 sq ft footprint and lateral branches everywhere.

She's got 12 to 17 week flowering time and Almost done 4 weeks.


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If I was to do it then I’d do it now but not much later. They still grow when flowering just not as much or fast. Happy growing. CL🍀. :thumb: :cheer:
 
I'd probably defoliate anything below the top ring of the tomato cage and maybe even a bit more.
What's your lighting situation like? I only ask because plants can stretch a lot when not given sufficient lighting.
 
CaptainLucky said:
Hey @Danishoes21 I thought 💭 you might be interested in this grow. CL🍀 :thumb: :cheesygrinsmiley:
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Thanks for the tag brother I sure do love me a good Sativa grow and landrace even more interesting.

My first question is to know where the genetics come from? A breeder notes on the strain could help you visualize the stretch.
Some landrace strains will stretch while budding, your Filipino landrace could well keep stretching until week 8-9, giving the extra 5-6 weeks to ripen and fatten.
Only way I find to control height on a Sativa dominant is HST and horizontal growth, but even then you run out of horizontal space… if you have another net and can put on a second screen that might buy you more time. Most likely she will stretch another 16 inches.

And yeah I defol up to 1/3 of total foliage at a time like 1 in veg, 1 early to mid flower, if needed 1 late flower. Most growers will aim at lower section of the plant, less light = less mass
There is a certain point that some big and old early fan leaves are no longer serving a purpose, I take those first.
 
I prune 2 weeks before light flip. Between 20 and 24 inches tall and wide it is ready for flower. Then two weeks after light flip I cut out the "sucker' branches from the lower half. Any branch that is not going to get enough light to produce. Those are my clone cuttings. Over the next 3 weeks it will stretch to5 foot tall and wide, drawing the nitrogen reserves from the lower shaded leaves. A leaf that is in the shade may not photosynthesis but it is still a food store. The plant will cannibalize any non productive leaves on its own as needed. The next defoliation is for the last week of flower leaving 2-4 fan leaves per cola. The stress makes the buds turn extra sticky. I remove all of the fan leaves 24 hours before chop. The defoliating at the end is to remove food stores to use up (flush) nutrients in the bud.
 
it's pretty standard to defol 2wks before flip to 12/12 and 2wks after flip to 12/12.

if you need to defol again it's best to do it soon as possible. defoling before bud set or just as it is beginning will send the plant's energy to build the other bud sites.

once it gets in too far all you are doing is removing bud that would have been built elsewhere if done earlier.

in your circumstance i would get in there fast and thin it out good, all on lowers :)
 
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