Swazzing Experient

Alex_mir_doch in week two i removed leaves at the second internoide

Alex_mir_doch I've continued to remove the internodal leaves to support the growth of the side shoots. Now she's getting nutrients, and it's time to pull her apart with wire. Since I've just discovered the translate function, it's now in German.

Alex_mir_doch In week five, I discovered the first pre-flowers. So it's time for radical defoliation (swazzing). Either it works, or she's going to suffer. It took quite a bit of courage to cut off so much. I'm counting this week as flowering week one as well.

Alex_mir_doch Hooray, she survived! o/ Ten days later, she stands there as if nothing happened. So far, I've been watering with tap water and only adjusted the pH. My tap water comes out with a pH of 8 and an EC of 0.8. That was okay to adjust with pH- until now. Since I'm using more boosters now, I'm quickly hitting an EC value of over 2. That's why I'm switching to osmosis water from now on. After adding all the additives, the EC value is at 1.8 and the pH is at 5.5. I don't need pH- anymore because the additives already bring the value down. If I want it higher, I just add a bit of tap water. It's quite a balancing act to keep both in the green zone!

Alex_mir_doch flowering week three, or exactly 21 days after the first swazzing, the second one is now coming. this time a bit less radical since no more leaves will grow back. only the existing ones will get a bit bigger. from now on, I will hardly touch the plant anymore, and it can focus on developing fat buds. if they actually become really fat and heavy, I'll put a net in the tent. if anyone wonders why it's in the corner of a 100x100 tent: that's my propagation tent. there are still three photoperiod mother plants in there. but that's not what it's about.

Alex_mir_doch small jump in flowering week 5. she has recovered and is blooming away. I’m not doing more than watering and fertilizing. my impression so far is that the radical defoliation has rather hindered than enhanced the flowering growth. maybe I just did it wrong. in any case, the planned 7-8 flowering weeks will probably not be enough.

Alex_mir_doch Beginning of flowering week eight. This will be the last one. From now on, there's only pH regulated water. The buds have gotten a bit thicker and the trichomes are consistently milky.

Alex_mir_doch swazzing hasn't really brought an increase in yield when you look at the results of other growers here who worked without swazzing. although the yield is already quite decent. I'll weigh it only after drying. that brings me directly to the next experiment with dryferm bags. for comparison, I'll let one branch dry as usual.