Supplemental low lighting
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Just for a laugh, let's talk about an old-school farming technique. Have you ever heard of inserting a nail or pin through the xylem about a week before harvest? My relative introduced me to this method when I was around 12 or 13, and it seems to significantly increase resin content. This was particularly noticeable with a notoriously bad-smelling strain, and it didn't worsen the quality at all. I used this method in a few outdoor crops, the ones not eaten by wildlife. But, in retrospect, I'm sure I was smoking some bugs due to my lack of knowledge. I didn't get into indoor cultivation until I was 19, which was a game-changer. However, I was likely smoking mildew at the time. As a youngster, I probably even bragged about how pale my buds were, asking if anyone wanted to try the greener ones.
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The extra energy consumption may not be worthwhile. With the correct pruning technique, most of the bud should fall within the light penetration zone. You can repurpose any smaller buds to create infused oil for cooking or encapsulation.
While there might be a slight increase in cost due to the addition of extra lights, I usually reduce the intensity of the primary lights, which could even out the energy usage, or possibly even increase it slightly in total.
Reflecting on a past cultivation experience, the extra lights did enhance the yield and cannabinoid production. They might have increased the production cost slightly, but remember, I didn't use the auxiliary lights at full capacity. If I hadn't used the extra lights, I would have increased the intensity of the main lights.
However, I concur that additional lights are unnecessary if you properly train the plant to maintain an even canopy and remove low-hanging growth, like in the screen of green (scrog) method.
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Travis Brown mentioned:
Just for a bit of fun, this is something from the past. Have you come across or ever tried this? Certain factors can boost trichome production, such as defoliation, chemical exposure, or physical harm as you have suggested. Personally, I wouldn't do it and would probably just opt for jasmonates if I were to follow that path. However, this method does come with a price... like yield versus potency, but I'd favour potency... it's slightly troublesome to acquire that stuff, I can source 2 gallons of it for around $300? I can find out more if you're interested. I just feel that with the varieties we have these days, there isn't much need for it... there are other techniques, like dry cycles that can also enhance trichome production...
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If you've already got an additional light fixture, why not give it a try? It could potentially benefit your plant's lower buds, and you'll know whether to use it for future growth cycles.
Back in the heyday, during my initial indoor gardening attempts in the 1970s, I used fluorescent lights and arranged single tubes vertically throughout a small 3x3 garden, with 16 tubes spaced 12 inches apart. These lights didn't have great penetration, but arranging them vertically offered some improvement. Despite the challenges, I took great pride in my modest harvest.
At present, I'm using a vertical UVA in my garden, although I haven't added any other fixtures yet. I'm aware that it can boost THC levels and overall yield – thanks for the helpful link. I'm curious how many others are using this method, given there are countless ways to cultivate plants. Training them to grow in specific directions isn't difficult and I'm willing to invest a bit more for quality produce.
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The idea of incorporating diodes into my trellis, which is made from fence lattice material, has been on my mind for quite some time. My plan is to use slim, spaced-out strips, likely from Samsung, and integrate them into the trellis, essentially creating a light trellis. I'm confident this would not only enhance the light exposure, leading to increased yield, but it would also look quite impressive.
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Paraphrased Text: The speaker has more than two decades of horticultural experience and has tried a range of different growing methods, including unusual ones like cultivating plants parallel to the ground. They found success in these unique approaches, such as cloning lesser exposed branches, which yielded quality buds almost on par with those from the top. However, the energy consumption of the lower 200-watt cob 630nm light didn't match the output of the top 1100-watt light. They concluded that it's not cost-efficient to use additional energy. If one applies correct lollipopping techniques, most of the bud will be within the light's penetration zone. Any small or less developed buds can be repurposed for making infused oil for culinary purposes or capsules.
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Is there anyone who has installed a blurp light or several on the lower branches? I used to do it and now I've switched to cob lights. They seem to be effective even with the blurpule lights, resulting in solid buds. However, I'm interested in hearing other perspectives. As far as I'm aware, no grow light manufacturer is not incorporating COB technology into their LEDs.
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Absolutely, I'm all for more illumination and more sweets, it would certainly be visually striking. We've constructed a smaller room within a larger one, roughly 8 by 4 in size, crafted entirely from timber. This structure includes two doorways or possibly windows. I am dealing with a leak that I am trying to locate, as I'm losing CO2, so I suspect it's located towards the lower part of the structure. My current cultivation project is still in the seeding phase at two weeks, and I prefer to maintain CO2 levels around 600-700 ppm.
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The original poster stated:
While adding extra lighting might appear to increase costs, this is offset by reducing the intensity of the main lights. The overall cost might be a little higher but the enhanced yield and cannabinoid production make it worthwhile. Also, these additional lights are not operating at full capacity; had there been no additional lights, the main ones would have been turned up higher.
However, they also agreed that this approach isn't necessary if the plant is being trained for an even canopy and the lower growth is being pruned (a technique known as 'scrog').
They mentioned that any small, inferior buds produced ('larf' or 'popcorn') are minimal but useful, as they use them to make a cannabis-infused coconut oil for topical use and a more concentrated version for gel capsules. It all boils down to personal preference and what resources are available.
In their 3x3 flowering area, with just 200 watts and a maximum of two plants, they usually harvest 10-12 ounces of good quality material. This includes around 8 ounces of premium buds and 4 ounces of lesser buds and trimmings for topicals and edibles. From a cost perspective, they feel it's a great success, as they're producing high-quality cannabis at a low cost.
They also mentioned that they currently have some plants in the late flowering stage.
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The initial post mentioned using a fence lattice material for arranging their photos. They entertained the idea of incorporating diodes into the lattice. They also considered the possibility of using thinly spaced Samsung strips, which they believe they could still locate, to create a lighted trellis. They preemptively dismissed any objections to their idea.
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The individual suggested using a trellis made of fence lattice material for scrogging, and shared a plan to incorporate diodes into the structure. They also mentioned the possibility of integrating narrow, widely spaced LED strips, presumably from a well-known brand, into the trellis, creating a sort of illuminated framework. They expressed confidence that others would find this innovation useful, and admitted they would certainly give it a go themselves.
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If you possess an additional light fixture, it would be worthwhile to put it into use. Test it out and observe if it aids the growth of the lower buds, and this will provide insight for future cultivation activities.
Reflecting on the early years of indoor cultivation, I remember utilising fluorescent lights in a confined growing space. I had positioned single tubes vertically across the area, which was roughly 3x3 in size, placing 16 tubes with 12-inch gaps in between. The light emitted from these tubes wasn't strong enough to penetrate deeply, but their vertical positioning offered some improvement. Despite the growth being less than ideal, I was immensely proud and appreciative of the yield.
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The individual expressed willingness to experiment with something in the future. They shared their continued interest in specific models of Samsung Hinflux strips. They also mentioned their recent browsing activity on Findchips, where they discovered a 2-foot strip equipped with LM301b diodes, from Samsung, priced at $1.73, with only one item remaining in stock. They ended their statement with a humorous admission of their current state.
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Has anyone tried installing a blurp light or multiple on the lower branches? I've previously done so and now I'm using cob lights. They seem to work fine even alongside the blurpule lights. All buds were firm but I'd love to hear more perspectives.
There was a study on this subject, but I can't locate it right now. The researcher discovered that royal blue light boosts production.
Interestingly, I just came across this while searching for that study.
From my own experiments, I've found that adding lights to the side or underneath the canopy eliminates larf and results in most buds being as good as the top ones. More light generally leads to better buds – but that doesn't mean just excessively increasing the lux on top. I have several research papers on this topic that I can share if anyone is interested.
There have been others who have successfully integrated under-canopy lighting as well.