There apparently is an optimum time to disbud in order to get full advantage of the procedure. The question of 'when is exactly the right time' is the grower's call to make. My observations have been that when I disbud, upward stem growth stops and hopefully, then, energy saved from blooming will be diverted into bulb building. But upward stem growth is not the only thing that stops growing--the leaves stop growing as well. They won't get any longer or wider or become spaced farther apart for optimum light reception as well. So, I think it is possible to nip the bud head too early. My practice is to wait until I can see the stem of the bud head (about half inch or so) and then nip the whole thing. What's your practice? Any thoughts, theories or ideas on this topic?
