So I’m 2 weeks into flower. My plant has a bunch of crapppy little shoots burried down at the bottom that will never become much of anything. I didn’t LST at the start because I didn’t find this forum until a few weeks ago, but I separated and pulled out the branches with some LSTish effect just before the plant started flowering, and I think it was helpful to 75% of the plant, but the stuff at the bottom that is coming in now has little hope:
I think I’d like to clean up the bottom of the plant and remove all the hopeless shoots so the plant focuses it’s energy on the buds that matter.
I’ve got plenty of root tone, so why not give them a chance and see what happens.
The only reason not to do this is if I will negatively affect the mother plant. Ie will removing extraneous shoots and foliage from the bottom of the plant help, or will it be harmful. I read one blog that said not to clone your auto’s because you might kill the plant (?). I also don’t want to impact the ongoing flowering. I really want my first plant to succeed because I’m low on smoke, and honestly even with a medical card the dispensaries are still price gouging, so I’m done giving money away.
So… Can I clean up the bottom of the plant without negatively affecting the flowering cycle or health of the plant.
I had thought about taking a clone and see how that branch grew. If it would grow as a normal branch. I have a friend that just took a cutting from an RQS diesel auto to try. And it will only help your plant. By removing what doesn’t get light. It sends more energy to grow to the top. I my self wait till week 3 of flower. To make sure the stretch is over.
I clean my autos from the bottom for the purposes of focusing energy on buds further up, and defoliation etc etc
So you can do that.
but I’m not sure about cloning. I’ve heard it’s not worth cloning autos, because of their genetic clock. But that would be dope if I could use the lower shoots of my autos as clones. Good question.
@darkillusion3526, I know it can’t be cloned to make another plant. But it seems at least the branch should grow Odds are I will forget abut trying that by the time my next grow is here. I am to far along to try it now.
I’m pretty sure I would grow 1 big juicy bud using a branch that if left on the plant would produce a piece or 2 of popcorn.
But, I can’t afford to mess up the mother plant on my first harvest, I’m on a collision course for running out of smoke and harvest. If cleaning the bottom of the plant was beneficial on auto’s like it is on Photo’s this would be an easy decision.
But with people saying cleaning up the bottom could be harmful to the mother, I’m going to hold off until my second harvest, and probably clean out the bottom just before flowering and see what happens.
Not trying to tell you what to do here But this is one of my autos from last grow. You can see she is stripped bare on the lowers. These are not much different than photos other than you can’t clone them
@Not2SureYet,
I am going to do this with my 4 girls this weekend. Did my first LST with this grow, so my grow looks like your picture.
My question is; by cleaning do you take everything off the bottoms?
Including little bud sites, along with leaves?
Thanks in advance
Looks like a pretty awesome grow. I’m going to leave the first 2 alone, I’ve got a couple more a month behind, and I’ll feel confident experimenting if I’m sitting on a few ounces from the first 2 plants. It’s just hard to watch them every day and do nothing but water and adjust lights. I want to do something to make the outcome better.
@EYE69MYSELF, I would start thinning every thing on the bottom that is not equal to what is up top. Or any thing that is not getting enough light that it will grow big. You are better to trim now. It will put more effort up top for growing the other buds. It may seem like you are removing some thing that may grow. But they will all be light and fluffy. Better to grow solid buds up top
@Not2SureYet,
I am in the 2x2 grow tent. The picture is the only Tangerine that sprouted out of 3.
The other 3 in the tent are MaxiGoms.
Sorry if the pictures aren’t the greatest. I can get them all out this weekend when our house guest is gone.
@JimHigh, I would trim up about 8" and the post a picture of what you have. We don’t want to take more than you need. As in a few weeks. You can start removing a few of the larger fan leaves to get more light towards the bottom. I still have one that looks like cousin it. She has needed trimmed for a few weeks. I have had some much going on that I haven’t got to her yet. I just finished the final trim on 4 plants I just harvested. I guess I should up sate my journal too lol
Okay… Will do @Not2SureYet!
After I clean them up this weekend, I will post pictures and tag you.
Really stoked about this second grow. Learning as I grow again.
Thank you very much for your time, and insight.
@Coen3440 yeah I did. I put minimal effort into it. used a 100 watt led equivilent floodlight from costco, and put 14 cuttings into styro cups filled with a 50/50 mix of vermiculite and soil, I used cheap root hormone from Menards - it was $4 for the jar of powder. I sprayed them with water ever few days and kept them under a dome. I checked after 10 days, then 14 days and no roots on the cuttings I checked. Kind of gave up on it and the cuttings yellowed in the third week. Checked for roots again after the end of the third week, and the 12 that were left all had roots. A few were very unhealthy looking though and probably wouldn’t have made it. I picked the best 3 and put them in a 5 gallon grow bag.
So it can be done, but it’s not worth it tbh. I’d rather just buy more seeds and grow more new auto’s than put the effort into cloning auto’s. The pay-off just isn’t worth it especially with restrictions on the number of plants I can keep, but even without a legal max, why grow what’s above, when you could be growing what’s below - both pics are after about 6 weeks (1 seed below - 3 clones above)
Odds are I will forget abut trying that by the time my next grow is here. I am to far along to try it now.
But this is one of my autos from last grow. You can see she is stripped bare on the lowers. These are not much different than photos other than you can’t clone them
