Larf is the wispy, loose, undersized bud growth that forms deep in the canopy, where light intensity is too low for flowers to fill out.
In practice
Larf forms where light drops off: indoors, light intensity falls fast below the top of the canopy, and lower sites receive a fraction of the top's PPFD. A plant with many low branches spends resources on sites that will never fill. Growers reduce larf by training for an even canopy (SCROG, LST, manifolding) and by removing the lowest growth before or in early flower (lollipopping). GenetixBay's "tuck, don't pluck" approach favours moving leaves and branches into light over stripping where possible.
Larf is still usable: it is often set aside for hash, edibles or personal use.
Don't confuse with
- Popcorn buds: small but dense buds; larf is small and airy.
- Foxtailing: spiky regrowth on mature buds from heat or light stress.
Photosynthetic photon flux density: the number of PAR photons landing on one square metre each second, in µmol/m²/s; the standard measure of light intensity at the canopy.An even canopy is one where all main tops sit at roughly the same height, so each receives similar light intensity and buds develop more uniformly.SCROG (screen of green) trains a few plants under a horizontal net, tucking shoots so the canopy forms a flat, evenly lit layer of many tops.LST (low-stress training) bends and ties stems so the plant grows wide and flat, exposing more bud sites to light without cutting or breaking tissue.Lollipopping removes the lower branches and small shoots on a plant, usually around the flip, so energy goes to the top buds and airflow improves underneath.Popcorn buds are small, separate buds, usually from lower branches, often sold cheaper as "smalls" though they can be the same quality as the tops.Foxtailing is the growth of new, elongated calyx spires on top of existing buds; it can be genetic, or a stress response to excess heat or light.Light stress is damage when leaves or buds absorb more light than they can use or dissipate, showing as bleached white or yellow tops nearest the fixture.The canopy is the top layer of foliage and buds across a grow, the surface that intercepts most of the light and where yield is mostly made.Nugs is slang for whole, trimmed buds of dried cannabis flower, as opposed to shake or trim.
