Yo Bro,
1 of my Mangoes stayed squatish, 3 want to reach for the heavens. The real way to test plants for finding a production clone is to JUST flower the clones. It has been my experience that a substantial difference in most aspects of growing is possible from seed to clone. Sometimes, clones produce 99% similar growing plants to their respective seedplants, but sometimes, there is a very real & quantifiable difference in things like stretch, bud density, flower time, yield respective to other plants in same run, etc. Seems to me that the resin production, vigor, and 'type' of effects stay relitively close from seed to clone but the other traits can and do vary. I've found that clone to clone to clone is the same plant, regardless of the 'generation' of the clone. Bubba is 25 years old, as are some of the OG cuts, and they are being passed hundreds of generations deep (generations from seedplant - ie: the first cut off of a seedplant is the 1st generation, & cuts off of a first generation clone are 2nd generation, etc...) with the same traits time after time. I flowered these seedplants because they were huge & in my current area, even the lower grade indoor homegrown will blow patients minds, lol. Studies have shown a 10-15% increase in cannabinoids from clone flowers versus from the seed plants. More fans in veg/stretch & a 2nd screen would have kept the canopy a little shorter too. Keep in mind I have 6'8" TOTAL height in that tent. I'd be fine with these height plants if I were in a bedrooom with standard 8' ceilings.
Hey Mu
I generally groom everything. If I'm growing moms for clone production, I groom for shoots. If I'm taking cuttings to stick as clones, I groom lower growth to concentrate hormones, If I'm growing an indy or a single cola dom plant, I lollypop. If I'm under a screen, I do whatever I can to get maximum budsite lighting. With big sativas, I prefer to stick em in the ground & bend pvc hoops over them to toss netting on lololooooo. But inside, I gotta do what I gotta do
I prefer quality too, but there is a trade off I'm willing to make right now for some weight, speed & bag appeal. Quality is a MUST, but so are the other traits this time. I'll keep a killer low yielder, but first & foremost I need to find something that will feed the masses, lol. So far, the 2 fastest & heaviest LaNina in my tent have great resin production & smell killer. Honestly, I'm not feeling the smells fromt he Mangoes yet, but they are just getting going. All of them have a woody/earthy smell going on. No fruit, no fuel, no floor cleaner, no incense. 1 Lanina is straight fruity floor cleaner & another is oniony fueley. Both of those are dripping & I'm not yet at 5 full weeks.
For what it's worth, these plants were sprouted with the intention of filling up any leftover space for a 6k run that was going to be predominantly Exodus Cheese & ECSD. I was going to take clones, but they were not going to be the focus of a 'clone hunt'. That 6k didn't happen & guy killed or so stunted the cuts that I just killed them & said fukkit, I'm going clone hunting.
Pic dump coming tonight. Enjoy the first sloppy weather of the year, east coasters