Top buds vs bottom buds (potency)

I’ve noticed for a while now that the top buds have a better terpene profile and potency compared to the larf at the bottom. This got me thinking.

If more light = more thc/terpens what’s the limit?

Could a blast of intense lighting last week or so increase the thc/terpnes?

Nutty sKunK said:

what’s the limit?

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2000 µmol/m2/sec

Hugo Phurst said:

2000 µmol/m2/sec

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So sunlight basically? Maybe I should finish my plants off in the sunshine?

Nutty sKunK said:

So sunlight basically? Maybe I should finish my plants off in the sunshine?

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If the nights are long enough, sure.
Winter & weather are why I grow indoors at all.

Nutty sKunK said:

So sunlight basically? Maybe I should finish my plants off in the sunshine?

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The bottom buds are premature if you are harvesting the whole plant at once. Try harvesting the tops, then wait for the lower stuff to finish

Nutty sKunK said:

I’ve noticed for a while now that the top buds have a better terpene profile and potency compared to the larf at the bottom. This got me thinking.

If more light = more thc/terpens what’s the limit?

Could a blast of intense lighting last week or so increase the thc/terpnes?

Click to expand...

I use vertical light bars on my poles.

will they hermi because of the lighting changes while in flower taking them outside ?

Blue_Focus said:

I use vertical light bars on my poles.

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That’s a neat idea actually!

I tend to harvest even if the lowers are a little behind just to free space for another. I do like the variation of high/flavour between the buds

kahoona said:

will they hermi because of the lighting changes while in flower taking them outside ?

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Every plant that’s gone from artificial lighting to sunshine loves it ime. Other way round they hate our imitation of the sun lol

kahoona said:

will they hermi because of the lighting changes while in flower taking them outside ?

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No but they will burn sun has lots of uv start by puting them for short periods of time or in shade to adapt to new enviorment

Question on the top vs bottom bud harvest. Getting ready to harvest for my 1st grow.
Do you people that do this cut entire top half of the plant stems or just pluck the buds ?
I suppose the main cola will get cut but other than that how are you harvesting ? TIA

sessybudfarmer said:

Question on the top vs bottom bud harvest. Getting ready to harvest for my 1st grow.
Do you people that do this cut entire top half of the plant stems or just pluck the buds ?
I suppose the main cola will get cut but other than that how are you harvesting ? TIA

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Cut the whole branch wherever the buds are not ripe. Don’t need to pick the buds but you’ve probably harvested already lol

Nutty sKunK said:

Cut the whole branch wherever the buds are not ripe. Don’t need to pick the buds but you’ve probably harvested already lol

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Thanks! Not yet, I try to plan in advance. Its in week 5 of flower. (Autoflower)

They dry first so I impatiently pick them as tasters while the rest of the plant finishes drying. I cut whole plant and dry trim though

Nutty sKunK said:

So sunlight basically? Maybe I should finish my plants off in the sunshine?

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I wouldnt do that. If they arent used to UVA/B, it will most likely, Fry Them.

Nutty sKunK said:

I’ve noticed for a while now that the top buds have a better terpene profile and potency compared to the larf at the bottom. This got me thinking.

If more light = more thc/terpens what’s the limit?

Could a blast of intense lighting last week or so increase the thc/terpnes?

Click to expand...

Well in my experience, I always give my plants light until harvest. Ive read give total darkness for a day or two. This doesn't make sense because a plant needs light and darkness and if you only give it darkness, how would it proceed to function properly in terms of growth?
I have no larfy buds because I use under canopy lighting. When I used extra lighting at the bottom my flowers turn into chunky clusters! I rarely defoliate and I only prune large fan leaves that get yellow or ones that I can't tuck away from flowering sites on plant. The more leaves I have and light the more productive my plants become .The pictures I've included are the lower buds that would have been "larf."

I use SF4000's and hang them both at an angle over the plants , sometimes I will hang them side ways so that the entire plant gets light from the sides. So the untopped, top Kola gets bathed in side light, top to bottom.

Not to mention the side kolas end up getting very compact and VERY dense.

When you put 2 x SF4000's facing each other with a plant in the middle, it makes the bottom buds SOLID, like ROCK hard.... instead of that "fluffy larf" that you speak of. Becareful though, cause if you get the lights to close to the plants that aren't used to the intense LED lights it will leave pin point spots on the leaves where the LED's focused their light and burned the leaves.

In the winter time, it gets cold in my basement so, I run the 1000W HPS(for the heat)over the tops and run the SF4000's on the sides.

Plants are left untouched with the exception of pulling large fan leaves off the middle to open up air flow. They grow 3-4 foot tall off the top of the 5 gallon bucket.

Harvest about 3/4's of a pound per plant but have had them drop 1 and a 1/2 pounds from time to time. every 90 days seed to finish, harvesting every 60 days.

Larger harvests come in the winter time when I can run my 1000w hps.

All my bottoms and mids are used for making hash or rolling joints..

It took a while to find it (it's available here) but the paper (attached) might be interesting. They studied "large" plants but I suspect that there's a similar impact on plants grown indoors.

Delps8 said:

It took a while to find it (it's available here) but the paper (attached) might be interesting. They studied "large" plants but I suspect that there's a similar impact on plants grown indoors.

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When I grow indoors, I have two shapes, no offense to anyone but, from the 2 different varieties of seeds I have bred over the years, my plants will look like Jewish Menorahs, or they will come out short and "spikey" a little bit like a Christmas tree, sorta.... and has a little curvy bend at the base, EVERY time hehehe...

I have 3 of these growing up in the field 1 is the spikey one is in full bloom on 14 hours of sun in my parts of the world and it's unexpected, I did not know it was an auto.... though I suspected such.

The other 2... are my Menorah plants.. however, they are now about 10 feet tall and they are no where near budding yet and look NOTHING like a menorah. but I suspect that may be due to the fact that they are in a rootbound 20 gallon bin that I have been dropping 2 gallons of Tiger bloom on each week but am cutting back now, they are deep dark green and I believe they have enough food in them to carry over to harvest.


They are stuffed and rootbound in a big 20 gallon bin. I have been dropping Tiger Bloom on them about twice a week and am now cutting back.

It's going to be an interesting experiment to see which comes out better.....

I have 2 in the basement that are 5 weeks from harvest, one is Spikey and the other is Menorah.

Alienwired said:

When I grow indoors, I have two shapes, no offense to anyone but, from the 2 different varieties of seeds I have bred over the years, my plants will look like Jewish Menorahs, or they will come out short and "spikey" a little bit like a Christmas tree, sorta.... and has a little curvy bend at the base, EVERY time hehehe...

I have 3 of these growing up in the field 1 is the spikey one is in full bloom on 14 hours of sun in my parts of the world and it's unexpected, I did not know it was an auto.... though I suspected such.

The other 2... are my Menorah plants.. however, they are now about 10 feet tall and they are no where near budding yet and look NOTHING like a menorah. but I suspect that may be due to the fact that they are in a rootbound 20 gallon bin that I have been dropping 2 gallons of Tiger bloom on each week but am cutting back now, they are deep dark green and I believe they have enough food in them to carry over to harvest.


They are stuffed and rootbound in a big 20 gallon bin. I have been dropping Tiger Bloom on them about twice a week and am now cutting back.

It's going to be an interesting experiment to see which comes out better.....

I have 2 in the basement that are 5 weeks from harvest, one is Spikey and the other is Menorah.

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Well, yeh, that's a large plant so that paper should help.

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