MAIN LINING - Exactly what is it...?

NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Hello
Several times I've read reference to 'mainlining' plants.
From the context of the writing I assume it is some kind of pruning technique...?

If anyone could take the time to explain the process to a newbie (me) I would be very grateful.

Cheers
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
https://www.rollitup.org/subcools-old-school-organics/542308-main-lining-thread.html

Basically you want to get as many side branches from a single node, forming an even canopy similar to scrogging.

When a flowering girl displays a christmas tree shape, it is showing apical dominance, that is the top bud site [apical meristem] is getting all the goodies 1st, mainly light and the plant's own growth hormones and nutrients. Take that away [bending, pinching, trimming, LST, etc] and the plant tries to push hormones to each branch left-over, more equally. This gives you top cola's all over the canopy not just one single cola.

It can be taken farther, by trimming out all the undergrowth [NO popcorn buds] all thru flowering, so that the main sites you have trained are always been supplied and the plant in theory isn't wasting energy on underdeveloped bud sites [shadowing]...

hth a little :peace:

That's probably fairly intricate, but the thread link undoubtedly explains in great detail.
 
Cascadian

Cascadian

Well-Known Member
Go to "search forum" and click on "advanced search" then write in "mainlining" and choose "all forums" click search... Read
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
https://www.rollitup.org/subcools-old-school-organics/542308-main-lining-thread.html

Basically you want to get as many side branches from a single node, forming an even canopy similar to scrogging.

When a flowering girl displays a christmas tree shape, it is showing apical dominance, that is the top bud site [apical meristem] is getting all the goodies 1st, mainly light and the plant's own growth hormones and nutrients. Take that away [bending, pinching, trimming, LST, etc] and the plant tries to push hormones to each branch left-over, more equally. This gives you top cola's all over the canopy not just one single cola.

It can be taken farther, by trimming out all the undergrowth [NO popcorn buds] all thru flowering, so that the main sites you have trained are always been supplied and the plant in theory isn't wasting energy on underdeveloped bud sites [shadowing]...

hth a little :peace:

That's probably fairly intricate, but the thread link undoubtedly explains in great detail.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much.
A wonderfully concise and informative explanation.

The 'Mainlining Thread'.
As with most threads that have run for some time and received hundreds of contributing posts, actually entering the discussion is difficult.
'The English Growers', 'The Irish Grower'. 'The Arizona Growers' threads are all similarly long running threads that become a little bit of a closed shop.
Without being apart of these discussions from the ground floor or reading them from the first to the last post (and MANY, MANY of the posts are irrelevant to the actual topic) there is little opportunity to join in and realistically expect serious answers to questions posed.

The guy who followed you on this thread is a prime example.

He has the time and energy to contribute but chooses to do so in an unhelpful and sarcastic fashion.

Unfortunately ALL internet forums have a massive number of adolescents (of every age) with second rate intellects who attempt to be clever and usually lower the standards of the discussions.
Sending PM's to similarly minded members is the only way to avoid such people.
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Cascadian said:
Go to "search forum" and click on "advanced search" then write in "mainlining" and choose "all forums" click search... Read
Click to expand...
Is this an attempt at sarcasm?
I already tried a search.
Every post containing the word 'mainlining' was highlighted.
about 16000 of them
And not one of them seemed to define what mainlining actually was.
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
NorthofEngland said:
Is this an attempt at sarcasm?
I already tried a search.
Every post containing the word 'mainlining' was highlighted.
about 16000 of them
And not one of them seemed to define what mainlining actually was.
Click to expand...
Don't worry about it NoE.

Mainlining is actually the art of having multiple single dominant colas on one plant.

You want as little secondary branching as possible.

By bending and tying the plant like NUGBUCKETS tutorial shows you, it evenly spreads the auxins around the remaining tops. Very similar to topping but in more of a controlled manner.


I've followed NUGBUCKETS tutorial myself.

Last run with a DINAFEM critical+ plant I got bang on 4oz 112g of dry smoke from the entire plant.

This time I'm expecting 1-2oz more from mainlining the same plant.

Luckily phenotype variation is almost non existent in the critical+ so its going to be pretty good to see the difference in weight.
The current critical+ has all of its buds within the top 12-15" of a 2.5ft tall plant.

Whereas before I had buds forming lower down as small popcorn stuff on a 3ft tall plant.

My smallest bud on my current critical+ is around 1" wide by 2" long. Nothing smaller!

Pruning is a key part though of mainlining to reduce the amount of popcorn you get left with.



J
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
jondamon said:
Don't worry about it NoE.

Mainlining is actually the art of having multiple single dominant colas on one plant.

You want as little secondary branching as possible.

By bending and tying the plant like NUGBUCKETS tutorial shows you, it evenly spreads the auxins around the remaining tops. Very similar to topping but in more of a controlled manner.


I've followed NUGBUCKETS tutorial myself.

Last run with a DINAFEM critical+ plant I got bang on 4oz 112g of dry smoke from the entire plant.

This time I'm expecting 1-2oz more from mainlining the same plant.

Luckily phenotype variation is almost non existent in the critical+ so its going to be pretty good to see the difference in weight.
The current critical+ has all of its buds within the top 12-15" of a 2.5ft tall plant.

Whereas before I had buds forming lower down as small popcorn stuff on a 3ft tall plant.

My smallest bud on my current critical+ is around 1" wide by 2" long. Nothing smaller!

Pruning is a key part though of mainlining to reduce the amount of popcorn you get left with.



J
Click to expand...
What about time?
Does it need extra veg time to prepare for all that bud?
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
I'm a little nervous about attempting to manipulate how they grow.

I think I'm probably better off mastering lights/nutes/ventilation (etc) and, after a crop or two, start with the ties and secateurs.
But I am very intrigued by the concept.
 
ProdigalSun

ProdigalSun

Well-Known Member
NorthofEngland said:
I'm a little nervous about attempting to manipulate how they grow.

I think I'm probably better off mastering lights/nutes/ventilation (etc) and, after a crop or two, start with the ties and secateurs.
But I am very intrigued by the concept.
Click to expand...

By the hand of human cultivation itself, you already are. ;-).

If you don't do something with your plants, they are going to get too tall for you to be able to control and manage them.
 
zeddd

zeddd

Well-Known Member
Mainlining is a tech for seedlings not clones as clones follow a different branching structure to the binary pairing of seedlings, it is most useful for hybrids with good indica expression, if I grow seedling (im a clone only grower) I will remove the cotyledons and the first true node and cut above the second so u use the strong second node to build the manifold from....I like mainlining for 4 as its less stress and time....u get 4 donkey dick strain dependent and no popcorn....good for co,,ercial set up....does it add veg time...yeah week to 10 dys extra but u get it in yield...I goota perp so i veg train till there ready
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
NorthofEngland said:
What about time?
Does it need extra veg time to prepare for all that bud?
Click to expand...
Last time I have critical+ 6 weeks veg from seed with topping her only and a little LST.

This time I gave critical+ 6weeks veg from seed but topped and tied multiple times to generate the 8 mains.


J
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Hmmmm.....
Maybe a bit late for this crop but next one....
I am intrigued and that tends to be the beginning of something with me.

Intrigue - Dream - Plan - Action - Experience - Memory....
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
zeddd said:
Mainlining is a tech for seedlings not clones as clones follow a different branching structure to the binary pairing of seedlings, it is most useful for hybrids with good indica expression, if I grow seedling (im a clone only grower) I will remove the cotyledons and the first true node and cut above the second so u use the strong second node to build the manifold from....I like mainlining for 4 as its less stress and time....u get 4 donkey dick strain dependent and no popcorn....good for co,,ercial set up....does it add veg time...yeah week to 10 dys extra but u get it in yield...I goota perp so i veg train till there ready
Click to expand...
I'm still not comprehending the difference between a seedling and a clone.
The terms Seedling, Clone and Cutting seem to be interchangeable nouns that describe the same thing....?
 
Dannoo93

Dannoo93

Well-Known Member
So what is exactly the dif between mainlining and a combination of topping,lst, and super cropping. I end up with plants that u describe kinda. I too have never actually understand the real meaning of mainlinkng

Dannoo93
 

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Lemon king

Lemon king

Well-Known Member
While some of what is written above is correct, to answer your original question it is nothing more then a pruning method to control the height of plants, nugs used it to spread the foot print of the plants as he has height restrictions.

when growing indoors the light is only comming from the top and doesn't arc like the sun so advanced growers manipulate the plant to make most use of the light and control height.

as said above it is quite difficult to do on clones as the central hub idea goes out of the window.

what ever pruning you do is best done early on, distribution of auxins can be a good thing early on but can lead to reduced yeild if not given enough time to build to flowering levels....

hope this helps


lk
 
Dannoo93

Dannoo93

Well-Known Member
NorthofEngland said:
I'm still not comprehending the difference between a seedling and a clone.
The terms Seedling, Clone and Cutting seem to be interchangeable nouns that describe the same thing....?
Click to expand...
A seedling is a baby plant grown from seed.
Clones/ cuttings are the same thing . You take cutting of a specific strain/plant you want to keep. Clone those cutting then you have genetic copies of the plant you took the cuttings from. And seedlings will.never be the exact same as another seedling of same strain usually dif pheno types

Dannoo93
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Dannoo93 said:
So what is exactly the dif between mainlining and a combination of topping,lst, and super cropping. I end up with plants that u describe kinda. I too have never actually understand the real meaning of mainlinkng

Dannoo93[/QUOTE

That's one FINE looking canopy!
I'd fantasize about a canopy like that....sometimes during sex.
Click to expand...
 
NorthofEngland

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Lemon king said:
Have a read of Robert c clarkes book, it will teach u every thing
Click to expand...
Just to clarify - It's best to only attempt these mainlining, lst, hst techniques with small plants that you've grown from seed?

At the moment my plan is to take cutting from plants in the 2nd week of flower and propagate them a week to 10 days, before they go under the MH veg light.

I haven't attempted growing from seed, YET.

And THANK YOU
It helps a great deal.
 
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