hey Happy Weednsday there VVD
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From my perspective, the only added benefit that I can see from defoliating is to increase air flow from the bottom up which aids to keep CO2 nearer the canopy, but also to keep heated air moving upwards with hopes that it will be sucked off.
Aside from that, it is being taught to me and I can clearly see that what I had interpreted as "good air flow" consisted of a lot of air moving directly through the plant with little interruption or turbulence created. This did little more than dry out her leaves near the end of veg/beginning of flower and almost brought her into an all out K-Potasium deficiency. I have since left all leaves on and as depicted above by AG, she treats her own ailments that are caused by me (the grower). It's usually hard for me to see under 2,100k HPS, but I was able to sneak in just before lights on with the 2-6,500k closet CFLs to get a few snaps and viola, a nice even green color. Her colas are forming out so nicely. Had I kept on with defoliating her nutrient caches, I really believe the colas I'm now seeing would be half the size or less and she possibly would've hermied on me.
Just my 2 pennies
I've had the same dilemma about pruning too... my rule of thumb now is of it comes away easily in my hand then fine... if not it stays, but each to their own
I'd give her another week
at this point the more pure water she'll drink the better.
You think so? Not much has happened in the past 5 days, i was thinking 2-3 weeks still
You think I should just be feeding with pure water and molasses? Basically start flushing?
Yeah I've got a microscope and that what I will be going on
As for flushing, I would start decreasing your feed seeing that there is still a big window between now and harvest (my assumption), until you are 1-2 weeks away. Then I would hit them with the 0 PPM flush
When you say flush the plant you mean to put a non nutrient solution through the growing medium to get rid of all nutrients out of the medium? As I'm growing in soil should I flush out the medium, then wait 4-5 days and do the same again?
Don't think I can manage 0PPM fluid will tap water left out 24 hours then put through a water filter?
Would you add molasses to this?
Well, I consider a flush to be the leaching of salts and chemicals from your medium and plant. When I grew in soil and under CFL, I would start my flush 2-3 weeks before harvest (depending on strain) by decreasing my feed. Since I was using FoxFarms line at the time I basically started decreasing feed strength based on their nutrient schedule.
>>Cool, get ya
I would decrease nutrient strength every time it was a 'feed day' (weekly) and continue to water normally in between.
>>Since the 2nd week of flower I have been feeding about every 5 days with 1.5l of fish tank water 2.5ml of molasses and 1/2 strength tomato nutrients. I haven't been watering in between. Haha, have I been doing it wrong?
When the last 'feed day' before harvest arrives, watering the plant with no nutrient solution is next. Whether you add molasses or not, depends on personal preference. Personally, in soil, I used molases through the last 4 weeks of flower, rather than a bulking formula. But in hydro, sugary substance like that is what I try to stay away from, due to the chance of pythium outbreaks....see using it is also situational.
>>Brilliant explanation AG, fully get ya
Don't worry about 0PPM fluid. I myself use tap water for everything (DE-chlorinated) with a PPM at 170! When you say filter you mean a DE-chlorinating filter or one that removes dissolved solids? I use a Brita faucet filter that removes chlorine, and other trace metals from the water, does very little to PPM though.
>>I see, 0PPM in an ideal world.
Yeah I've got that same brand of filter you have