How should I train my plants?

[ItsMOSH]

Start LST now? I have a mesh that I am going to use when they are bigger to create a canopy. I just transplanted them to their 3gal containers as the roots were coming out of the bottom of the cups they were in.

 

[hotrodharley]

Do you intend to top them at all?

 

[ItsMOSH]

I don't know, I haven't done it before and I'm afraid of messing it up.

 

[hotrodharley]

Make this an idea. Top, top, top and supercrop .

Top it, not now but soon, about 4 times. Supercrop it.

https://www.growweedeasy.com/how-to-super-crop-marijuana

There's a section on topping with Uncle Ben's "secret" which a Mexican showed me in 1966. Still the same.

https://www.rollitup.org/t/uncle-bens-topping-technique-to-get-2-or-4-main-colas.151706/

 

[hotrodharley]

This is what you get. Instead of some wild Bush it's spread out and open at the center on the top. No SCROG. A lot of the plants were taken for clones. Lots of clones. Too damned many clones.

 

[hotrodharley]

Forgive the light. I'm old and have tons of plant work to do. But check the center of this flowering plant. It fills in as it flowers and a lot of the fill is bud. Side buds on the stems you have horizontal.

 

[ItsMOSH]

So top it so I get 4 main stems and then super crop the 4 of them? wow those look exactly how I want mine to !

 

[hotrodharley]

So top it so I get 4 main stems and then super crop the 4 of them? wow those look exactly how I want mine to !

Practice with 4 main stems. I top so the opposing limbs can be bent out evenly. You'll see. Even if they aren't you can manipulate them. Feed cal mag with your feedings and the stems will take it.

 

[hotrodharley]

Do not top as soon as I did if you have not done it before. Others will agree. But it's a big reason I can keep them short.

This is one that got bent last night. 4 main stems. Then topped the ends of every shoot. Watch out. It's addictive but slows growth a bit. If you have time to veg you can raise a big one covered in buds.

 

[ItsMOSH]

So I should wait for one more node to grow then top the next one? and 3 more after those, then super crop them all, right?

 

[Michael Huntherz]

If you aren't running a lot of plants, in a SOG (Screen of Green) style grow, then you will probably want to top your plants to give them multiple tops. Supercropping is awesome. Keep some masking tape and or zip ties nearby in case you break them while supercropping, they will heal amazingly well if you repair it quickly. I like to pinch then twist stems when supercropping.

So I should wait for one more node to grow then top the next one? and 3 more after those, then super crop them all, right?

When you top it, it will split into two tops and often some of the lower branches join them at the top of the canopy, so you can start supercropping at that time, or top the top four tops again, wait for them to become 8-16 tops and supercrop those. You can make some really fancy plants this way with very little trouble.

I'm fully with ol' what's his name on this one.

Not really supercropping in the attached pics, just one of dozens of ways you can train plants. I used to use barbless fish hooks and fly line backing in fabric pots. Now I just supercrop.

I like to pinch the stem I'm going to bend and then twist the stem, when supercropping, rather than just bending it without a little conditioning first. I like to let it know what I want from it, rather than just bend it over without warning, which leads to a lot of breakage.

 

[ItsMOSH]

Supercropping seems as easy as it gets, I'm excited to start manipulating my plant but I'm hesitant on when and where to top it. My plants aren't really stretching right now where I can pinch/cut off a new growth node easily. Maybe make one a trial plant and wait for another node on the second?

 

[Michael Huntherz]

Supercropping seems as easy as it gets, I'm excited to start manipulating my plant but I'm hesitant on when and where to top it. My plants aren't really stretching right now where I can pinch/cut off a new growth node easily. Maybe make one a trial plant and wait for another node on the second?

Let it grow another full set of leaves, you could do it now, but I would wait for one more good node.