SuperSkunk Manifold

[H.A.F.]

I think I am officially done stretching her out. Didn't know how to explain it, but I am finally seeing some 'definition' between future-cola. Watered yesterday and got about an inch of top growth in 24 hrs.

Next feeding will probably be the final decision on what to keep and what to prune. By then I should really see what is taking off and what ain't.

 

[H.A.F.]

@Gollyboy made me think of it. If anyone hasn't picked up on it, I like reliability. I like things like my germ/seedling plan, because I have figured out what works for me, no more experiments needed. Next was finding the manifold thing. Now I am up to late veg with a definitive plan. So now my experiments are above the manifold. And so on.

On this plant I hope to see if there is a divergence between any of the various pruning I did on the limbs. If they all end up weighing about the same no matter what I do, then its back to the V-8 Lots easier to manage if there is no benefit to having the extra cola.

 

[H.A.F.]

But if everything is same and I snip all the larf, would it be better next grow to leave 'future-clones' on limbs that are growing faster and clean up the slow ones?

This grow I tried topping, and it gets crowded.

Food for thought, comments welcome. (^^^ thesis statement LOL)

 

[H.A.F.]

These are what I meant by "out-board" sprouts that will probably go. I snipped most of them, but these must have still had a chance or something.

 

[H.A.F.]

Happy plant Lights just wet out, and she's light enough already for more feeding tonight when they come back on. she had a gallon flower feed last Thursday, then a gallon of just water 2 days ago. I saw nothing but positive from the last feed, so I'm hitting her again at about 90% this time.

 

[H.A.F.]

Here's the schedule I arranged from the different FF feeding schedules. Only thing I'm not using is the "bembe" which is a sweetener and didn't seem right for spicy skunk. The other is the sweet grape which I got specifically for the GDP. The greyish area on the "Open Sesame" is because I only use it the last week of veg, so extended veg plants don't get it until ready to flip.

This is where I get my 50% or what not feed from. If I am only doing a quart or so I'll do the math and reduce each nute to what needs added, but if I'm doing at least a gallon, I mix exactly one gallons worth of nutes, but add it into more water - conversion on next post.

 

[H.A.F.]

And these are some handy conversions I put together. I use syringes to measure the stuff, so ml is easier to deal with.

 

[H.A.F.]

Just thought this was hilarious for some reason

 

[diggs99]

Hey HAF

Quick question.

Pic below is the girl I'll be manifolding. The 6th node is growing out now. Does this plant still seem small to chop back to 3rd node? Think i should wait until node 7-8 before chopping to 3rd?

3rd node just has small growth currently. It seems from the pics I have looked at, most of the plants appear bigger than mine. But all tutorials say to grow out 5-6 nodes then top to the 3rd so I dunno lol

 

[H.A.F.]

But all say to grow out 5-6 nodes then top to the 3rd so I dunno lol

The way I did it, I don't count the seed leaf node. so it would look like this, and I would cut at the purple line and no I wouldn't do it yet. And that would be the 4th node almost fully open, so if you count the lower three as ready, but 4 as not quite, then 5 and 6 as just showing, wait for 6 (whichever way you count it) to open fully.

Even counting the seed-leaf node, that would be 5 almost open, and by the time the 6th is open you should see some definition on those sprouts. I would definitely not cut now, but I would decide which node to keep and watch those sprouts. the leaf size on the very first node are what I would look for in the keeper sprouts BEFORE topping. They have to be able to support themselves, with basically 2 fan leaves once you do the dirty. Also look at those 2 keeper fan leaves. That might also help you decide which node to keep.

That said, I would decide which shoots to keep because you can start pruning away sprouts you don't need as soon as they are big enough to get at. Leave all the fan leaves, unless they are shading your keepers.

Looks like a damn fine plant though!

 

[H.A.F.]

@diggs99 Aren't mine pretty? LOL

Oh, and when you top, you'll have a ginormous clone, food for thought.

 

[diggs99]

The way I did it, I don't count the seed leaf node. so it would look like this, and I would cut at the purple line and no I wouldn't do it yet. And that would be the 4th node almost fully open, so if you count the lower three as ready, but 4 as not quite, then 5 and 6 as just showing, wait for 6 (whichever way you count it) to open fully.
View attachment 4269075
Even counting the seed-leaf node, that would be 5 almost open, and by the time the 6th is open you should see some definition on those sprouts. I would definitely not cut now, but I would decide which node to keep and watch those sprouts. the leaf size on the very first node are what I would look for in the keeper sprouts BEFORE topping. They have to be able to support themselves, with basically 2 fan leaves once you do the dirty. Also look at those 2 keeper fan leaves. That might also help you decide which node to keep.

That said, I would decide which shoots to keep because you can start pruning away sprouts you don't need as soon as they are big enough to get at. Leave all the fan leaves, unless they are shading your keepers.

Looks like a damn fine plant though!

Ok thanks so much for the illustration , that helps me understand it so much easier lol.

Ya i also assumed it was still too small to be cutting yet, will take your advice and wait until it increases size.

Would you start pruning away unneeded stuff now? like the shady fans/new growth that are above the node i plan to keep?

 

[H.A.F.]

Would you start pruning away unneeded stuff now?

re-read last sentence LOL

 

[H.A.F.]

@diggs99

Leave all the fan leaves, unless they are shading your keepers.

This is my opinion as far as trying to generate growth in specific areas and not waste energy on others.

Fan leaves are producers at this point. You need as many of them as you can comfortably keep. So decide which set of shoots, then you'll know if other leaves are a problem.

Shoots are leeches at this point (except for 2), taking all the energy trying to make more leaves and more shoots. This is good for the keepers if you take away the others.

 

[H.A.F.]

Fed more than needed, but just more runoff and easier to get the nute dilution of about 80-90%. 1 gallon dose of nutes into 1.25 gal water. If she takes to this feeding I'll keep it up. Any bad signs and I'll back off, and maybe ad an extra plain water before the next feed.

This was also my main "that 's gonna be larf" pruning. Always painful, some more painful than others Some are curled and deformed from not getting light, or were side-nugs on the smaller cola, but a few were keepers there just wasn't room for. There ate still a few marked for death, but I gave 'em a second chance after some pruning gave them more light.

@diggs99 , so you know I wasn't BS'ing you, there are only a handful of fan leaves in that pile and a lot of non-productive shoots.

 

[H.A.F.]

another 8-ish hour time-lapse from last nights pruning and watering.

And I don't see any ill effects.
That makes 2 substantial feedings in 5 days with a watering in between. I'm done fighting with the humidity!

if the plants can take it low and thrive (genetics and strain specific I'm sure), the ability to push water and nutes (weight) because it dries out quickly - and almost zero chance of mold or rot is kind of cool. This could get interesting.

Only concern is the plant herm-ing because of stress, but if I don't let it dry out too much it should be cool.

 

[H.A.F.]

Once I get to flowers, I like to take pics after the lights go out with flash. It really makes the pistils and crystals pop, and sometimes you can see a hidden flower that needs more light that you didn't notice otherwise. After she gets big flowers then it just looks cool

Had to roll out my GDP harvest for its weekly air-out mid-cure, so I figured I'd toss the stash in too and post some bud-porn Primo GDP is to the left, (1oz each pile) the hermie nugs lower right is half an ounce, and the Superskunk tops from last grow is another oz.
I think this is why I feel comfortable playing around with this plant, as well as possibly wasting my time on the clones.

 

[Gollyboy]

@h.a.f so what you doing is mainling or manifolding and leaving a extra shoot off the main 8 nodes is it I'm doing 4 plants in 4 11 litre pots in a 90x90 room and I'm worried about mold and rot issues looking good though buddy

 

[diggs99]

Once I get to flowers, I like to take pics after the lights go out with flash. It really makes the pistils and crystals pop, and sometimes you can see a hidden flower that needs more light that you didn't notice otherwise. After she gets big flowers then it just looks cool
View attachment 4269444
Had to roll out my GDP harvest for its weekly air-out mid-cure, so I figured I'd toss the stash in too and post some bud-porn Primo GDP is to the left, (1oz each pile) the hermie nugs lower right is half an ounce, and the Superskunk tops from last grow is another oz.
I think this is why I feel comfortable playing around with this plant, as well as possibly wasting my time on the clones.
View attachment 4269440

beautiful buds HAF, i smoked GDP back years ago, loved it, havent seen it around here since. One of these days ill see it again, those buds are amazing to look at lol

i know what you mean about the lights out flash pics, def gives a different look to the plants.

 

[H.A.F.]

@h.a.f so what you doing is mainling or manifolding and leaving a extra shoot off the main 8 nodes is it I'm doing 4 plants in 4 11 litre pots in a 90x90 room and I'm worried about mold and rot issues looking good though buddy

What you see above is just for me. And that doesn't include what I have out to smoke now, budder, brownies, etc Yes, I just left extra shoots before the main cola on each limb, and on two of those limbs I topped them. Just random stuff to see if there's a difference in end-weight.

My last grow was crowded with just 2 plants in there and they were only in 3 gallon pots, but I got enough out of it to go easy on this grow. Next grow will be one plant as well, but in a 5 gal pot. I think that will be the norm for me. I have about 15 beans in the fridge, and I'll need to use them before they are not viable, but more plants means more issues, and I can tell you I'm much less stressed on this grow.