Here We Go (or How I Spent My Day Off - page two) (no, there is no page one)
Ok, Finally read an article that convinced me I needed to prune the ever loving SHIT out of The Monster.
Thank you all who could SEE it coming, and decided to let me learn on my own rather than telling me I was effing up, but not fatally.. (Would HOPE someone would point out fatal mistakes...)
Any How... Article some how sank in (8th time's the charm, right?) that my anticipated 2nd harvest of "lower bud" Was NOT gonna be worth much - it might mature behind the top colas, but not WEEKS behind - once the tops are gone, they get better light (especially after dropping the lights) They'll tighten up, and ripen RIGH up - and be small, weak, and been sucking up resources that COULD have gone into making the GOOD buds better, stronger. So, last night, I broke out the Dykes (wire cutters, to most) and gut the living SHIT out of her "skirt" of low branches, started to clear out the "inside" skinny stems.. many had knobs of early bud, and all had "crotch tips" in pretty much every node. Today, I got in to the core, and cleared out a lot of the stringy shoots, and went to work - after all, Waste not, Want not, right?
Lessons Learned (which, I'm sure most of you know, but if there's other n00bs reading...
1) when it's (about) time to harvest, take as much of the Sun / Fan leaf as you can - it's easier to get BEFORE you cut the stem
2) any 'wet trimming' fans, and or sugar leaf you're taking, do it RIGHT away
3) HANG That Shit!!!
Jeeminy Crisp bits, yesterday's clips have the texture of wilted spinach.. Yuuggg...
Ok, so the pix... Goldie, post prune - looking a LOT less scary / more like other people's grows, close up on her base, you should be able to see the MASSIVE trunk / branching going on. You may note the chopsticks, wire, and the healed "split zone" - remember when THAT happened, when I re-potted her? (Mid Sept, Imma think? )
Top colas are over 12", and I elevated the lights a tad...
Obligatory Bud Pr0n
The trimming tray I'm using is nominally 30"x18", vintage "snack / service" tray First pic, yesterday's lower branches are on the left, today's "innards" are on the right (can you see the salad bowl?
Took me over three hours (more like 4) to clip the fans, then buck the big nuggs, then the "armpit" q-tip looking stuff. Don't expect the leaf to be worth much, will likely ship it off to the Butter Maker to play with... Have pic of the final result of today's "harvest" , then some branchy bits, then the total "harvest" SEVERAL ounces of leaf (still WET) and a notable quantity of immature bud that ought to be worth a bit of a buzz, any way?
And, now I get to practice drying / curing on "bud lite" before it actually matters... Yay go me!
Bottom line, take aways? clean up the plants EARLY, don't waste the nutes, promote the main colas, all the usual shit, blah blah blah...
Funny how "best Practice" becomes "common knowledge" eh?
Anyway, on to the pix.. (First one is from last Sun, unmolested)
