Side lighting

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
Just curious if anyone uses side lighting in your tent? What do you use? How do you do it?

My penetration doesn't seem too great with my quantum boards, I wanna get some more light down there and want to hear some ideas...
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
Thanks for the replies, I will definitely try more defoliation. I agree the hps penetrates way better. I have a tent with quantum boards, and I have a double ended gavita too and I don't have these problems with it. I get a lot of fluffy bullshit with my quantum boards. I guess I shouldn't be so scared to chop off a bunch of leaves? How aggressive do you guys defoliate?
 

Opie1

Master Grower
Thanks for the replies, I will definitely try more defoliation. I agree the hps penetrates way better. I have a tent with quantum boards, and I have a double ended gavita too and I don't have these problems with it. I get a lot of fluffy bullshit with my quantum boards. I guess I shouldn't be so scared to chop off a bunch of leaves? How aggressive do you guys defoliate?
What qb’s are you using? How far away? What strain(s)?
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
What qb’s are you using? How far away? What strain(s)?
I have 3 hlg 260 watts in a 4x8 tent. I run multiple stains perpetual and let them grow into the lights. So usually 2-3 ft away from lights when I put them in, and they usually grow to be about a foot away from lights after stretch is over. I don't have exact distances and I'm not home to measure.

Do you think it could be caused by my methods? That's how I always did it under my hps, and I never had this issue. But lately it seems like I have been throwing out the entire bottom half of the plant because it's all fluffy.

Could nutes play any role? I did switch nutes too...
 

lakegrow

PICK YOUR OWN
You always have killer looking weed so doubt nuits and such.
I run 2 X 300 watt hlg rspecs in a 4X4 and about 21 days in I take most all leaves off of plant. I take all fans and most all leaves except the top crown of 3 or 4 leaves at apex of buds. Any leaves that regrow to dim the center area I pull off, never seen a detriment and with in a few days of defol buds are ripping along. For me it is the only way I could get tight buds below the top running leds.
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
You always have killer looking weed so doubt nuits and such.
I run 2 X 300 watt hlg rspecs in a 4X4 and about 21 days in I take most all leaves off of plant. I take all fans and most all leaves except the top crown of 3 or 4 leaves at apex of buds. Any leaves that regrow to dim the center area I pull off, never seen a detriment and with in a few days of defol buds are ripping along. For me it is the only way I could get tight buds below the top running leds.
Dang, good advice. I'm definitely not defoliating enough, I'm gonna defol real good tomorrow on a couple plants and see how it goes. Thank you!
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
2-3 ft is a little too far in my experience, I try to keep mine at around 20” or less, even closer in flower.
What nutes are you using?
Using supernatural nutes. Ran a clone of my wedding cake s1 and it didn't bulk up nearly as much as when I used megacrop. The megacrop run was from seed tho, so I'm not sure if that had an effect. Hard telling exactly why tho, because my environment also differs a lot from Summer to Winter
 

JohnFonda

Tegrity Greenthumb
Methods for sure. Sounds like having the lights up higher/not enough wattage could induce more stretch and this translates to less bud the sweet spot. Scrogging or training can help as well. Less plants spread horizontal can yield better than more vertical is what I'm learning. Especially if running from seed.
 

LordKoos

Member
Defoliating can be overdone. Some say do it at week 3 and then again at week 6 or 7 (assuming a 60-70 day bloom period), but I've started gradually clipping off any leaves that are shading the bud sites starting at week 2. I don't do too much at one time until they are closer to finishing.
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
Defoliating can be overdone. Some say do it at week 3 and then again at week 6 or 7 (assuming a 60-70 day bloom period), but I've started gradually clipping off any leaves that are shading the bud sites starting at week 2. I don't do too much at one time until they are closer to finishing.
I'm kind of experimenting right now. A couple plants I'm going to defoliate maybe once near beginning of flower. But on a couple plants I'm gonna just kinda defoliate throughout and see how it goes
 

JohnFonda

Tegrity Greenthumb
C
I'm kind of experimenting right now. A couple plants I'm going to defoliate maybe once near beginning of flower. But on a couple plants I'm gonna just kinda defoliate throughout and see how it goes
Consider this. You dont want more than 24 inches of colas anyway per stem especially if you get them chunky girls that stack. Regardless the light can only be effective so far down while not burning the tops. Very selective defoliation can be effective but before you pull a leaf consider why you are removing it. This helps provide the ideal ratio you are seeking. Edit . Cola length lol
 

SoLowDoughLow

Mediocre grower
I'll stick with my hps. Works every time :alien:
As someone who runs both hps and led, I gotta say I have been more impressed with my hps plants. However, I started growing with hps first. But the yields were better and they were just as frosty, maybe even more. Growing under hps just seems easier to me for some reason. Not as many lockouts and deficiencies for some reason... Maybe it's just been my luck.

Maybe my environment is just better suited for it. I won't give up tho! I have some cobs coming to go along with my quantum boards, and I have a feeling this setup is gonna kick some ass!
 

BigBallzWillie

BE THE BALL
View attachment 57584
I use 2 of the 260w fixtures in a 4x4, this plant has been the tallest one yet at a little over 4ft.
View attachment 57585
it made a little over 4oz’s of dense, hard nuggets. Although after it was done stretching I left it in between the fixtures.
View attachment 57584
I use 2 of the 260w fixtures in a 4x4, this plant has been the tallest one yet at a little over 4ft.
View attachment 57585
it made a little over 4oz’s of dense, hard nuggets. Although after it was done stretching I left it in between the fixtures.
man, those Marlboro Lights look good!
 
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