Take your time in the vegetative stage

Many hybrids stretch significantly once they hit the flowering stage. However, Purple Urkle tends to remain on the squattier side with short internodal spacing. For this reason, it’s important that your plants have plenty of time to grow before flipping to the bloom phase. As a good rule of thumb, wait until it has established a thick, wide foundation during the vegetative stage. Too short, and you’ll wind up with a tiny, low-yielding plant.

Growers who are able to extend the 18:6 light cycle for a few weeks before switching to 12:12 tend to produce much better results. 

Manage foliage

Because Purple Urkle has a dense, hedge-like structure, it can produce a heavy, self-shading canopy if left unchecked. This can lead to trapped moisture within the plant, resulting in tiny microclimates that can encourage powdery mildew or bud rot.

Selective defoliation during weeks 1-3 of the flowering stage can help you avoid challenges like this. Safely snip away the large, wide fan leaves blocking the center of the plant and clear out the lowest 20% of the plant’s growth. Also known as lolipopping, this technique encourages your plant to redirect its energy upward while improving horizontal airflow at the same time. Keeping humidity levels below 50% during this period can also make a significant difference in your final results. 

Encourage vivid purple tones

Purple Urkle has Mendocino Purps to thank for its trademark shade. Your plants are naturally equipped to produce lovely, purple tones, but this process needs to be triggered by the right environmental conditions.

During the last 2 to 3 weeks of the flowering stage, intentionally drop your nighttime temperatures to 60°F–65°F when the grow lights are off, while keeping your daytime temperatures at around 72°F–75°F. This daytime/nighttime routine mimics the autumn chill of Northern California and will help break down chlorophyll, allowing a deep grape shade to bleed into the flowers and sugar leaves.