Couple Of Harvest-related Questions..

[LVSkunkWorx]

I always cut the lower stuff off way before I put the plant in flower, I start as soon as the plant is two weeks old, as well as start topping at the same time. Focus all the energy to the tops of the plant and the cola's will be thick as well as getting long, the bottom stuff isn't as potent as the top, what's the point of having bud you don't want to smoke? Besides turning it into something else

I just realized, I am kinda doing that too, although not by intent. Any plants that get ready for flowering, first I take a bunch of clones (planning for the future) and where do those come from? Bottom of the plant....

 

[xavier7995]

I just realized, I am kinda doing that too, although not by intent. Any plants that get ready for flowering, first I take a bunch of clones (planning for the future) and where do those come from? Bottom of the plant....

I think dropping the gradual harvest stuff would be a good idea. I get the reasoning behind it, but agree with mittenmed on it. I think if when you take your clones you just prune up a bit higher, you will wind up with better results.

For a constant easy supply, a perpetual grow is what I would think you want. Looking at your needs, i think the growing containers/medium are going to be your key. Something where you don't have to repot the plants or mess with any complex feeding schedules/methods. I am thinking something like a waterfarm unit. Basically treat each plant likes its own little "unit" that can then just be moved from the veg room into the flower room, they could be put on casters to help move them around if physical limitations are an issue. The wide variety of grow methods you are using makes it sort of hard to figure out, figure out the simplest most efficient one and go with that.

 

[LVSkunkWorx]

I think dropping the gradual harvest stuff would be a good idea. I get the reasoning behind it, but agree with mittenmed on it. I think if when you take your clones you just prune up a bit higher, you will wind up with better results.

For a constant easy supply, a perpetual grow is what I would think you want. Looking at your needs, i think the growing containers/medium are going to be your key. Something where you don't have to repot the plants or mess with any complex feeding schedules/methods. I am thinking something like a waterfarm unit. Basically treat each plant likes its own little "unit" that can then just be moved from the veg room into the flower room, they could be put on casters to help move them around if physical limitations are an issue. The wide variety of grow methods you are using makes it sort of hard to figure out, figure out the simplest most efficient one and go with that.

Greetings and thanks for the input. In many ways we think alike; for example, thats why I am standardizing on Autopots for now; veg to bloom move is simply lifting the plant/pot from one room and take it to another. Wheels would not help much for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is I have no level ground between the two. I have figured out work-alike components for the best parts of Autopots and Octopots (plus improvements I have made) with stuff I can find at Lowes (Home Depot, etc). Have one more problem to work out and will have the whole thing solved and will be able to make these things on the cheap....

Given the experience I just had with the gradual harvest (super-positive) I think I need to be in the camp of "show me the money"; IOW the only thing that will get me off of this is if I take two plants in the same strain/generation, trim one as suggested and the other like I do now. Gradual harvest the second, total-harvest the first and compare ALL the buds for quality, then add in quantity to see. I don't know any other way that could produce enough evidence to make me switch. As I may have said, for me this isn't a business and max-quantity, while desirable, is not the primary concern. "Boutique" gardening is how I think of it...used to brew beer the same way...

 

[xavier7995]

With you on the boutique gardening. I am firmly a science based guy, as such I grow with chemicals/salts as it makes the most logical sense to me based on the idea that a plant needs certain things to live/thrive and chemically you can better hit that exactly rather than brewing up an organic tea. However...I am starting to think I am wrong as I think I had a nicer end product with organics, so running a side by side with the same strain (wish it was clones but no luck) with one in organic soil and the other choc full of chems in coco. So far the coco size/vigor is blowing away the dirt, but that dirt looks like it will be mighty tasty. And this had no real point and i just veered off topic...

I think where I was going was something about the comparison you were talking about. Can't wrap my brain around the gradual harvest resulting in a better product, I just don't think teh lower would catch up enough to make it worth it. Agree with your sentiment though, just I am on the other side, I wouldn't be swayed towards gradual harvest without seeing it first hand.

 

[LVSkunkWorx]

With you on the boutique gardening. I am firmly a science based guy, as such I grow with chemicals/salts as it makes the most logical sense to me based on the idea that a plant needs certain things to live/thrive and chemically you can better hit that exactly rather than brewing up an organic tea. However...I am starting to think I am wrong as I think I had a nicer end product with organics, so running a side by side with the same strain (wish it was clones but no luck) with one in organic soil and the other choc full of chems in coco. So far the coco size/vigor is blowing away the dirt, but that dirt looks like it will be mighty tasty. And this had no real point and i just veered off topic...

I think where I was going was something about the comparison you were talking about. Can't wrap my brain around the gradual harvest resulting in a better product, I just don't think teh lower would catch up enough to make it worth it. Agree with your sentiment though, just I am on the other side, I wouldn't be swayed towards gradual harvest without seeing it first hand.

And thats exactly why I am trying to document the results. Before I started the gradual harvest thing I had maybe a dozen or more plant-harvests under my belt. Not alot but enough to know something needed to change. I have done the lollypopping in the past as a general trial but never under any conditions where I could easily quantify the results. The thing is, I have now seen first-hand how much better the lower buds get with additional time; almost zero wasted bud. I will document better next time.

I do side-by-side testing all the time; most of my pics show something or the other going on. While I do have a lot of different methods going on right now, think of this as my "proof of concept" phase. At the end of it I will know first-hand what works and what does not. Best of breed techniques will form the basis of my grows going forward.....

 

[tommy2snips]

Nice Buds there:cool:
As was mentioned...the SOG growing style is not Perpetual harvesting. Perpetual harvesting can be applied to almost any growing technique.
I was thinking that you're probably growing for personal stash, and you did mention that eventually...So I say giv'er with the staggered harvest if that's what works best for you. It's not hurting anyone, haha! Practice/experimentation with pruning could alleviate the complication of the staggered harvest tho....As could growing with a vertical bare bulb style