Need help with ideas for tying up

Brittab

Member
Alright so I have 40 plants in the ground in a greenhouse. I began putting cages on the girls and I realized they are actually a bit to big for the cages I'm using and I always end up having to tie branches up to the cages anyway. So I'm trying to brainstorm a more efficient way to give the girls more support when they start blooming.

I had an idea of hanging a string from the ceiling above each plant that attaches to a horizontal metal ring with a bunch of fishing line hanging down, so as needed I can use tomato clips and hold the branches up. But the only problem is if the ring was hooked to fishing line from the ceiling it would move around as weight is added and that could cause branches to break.

My friend uses a stake with about 30 pieces of fishing line attached to the top and uses tomato clips with great success. I would like to use this method, but I've heard stakes should be added at transplant as not to damage roots. Do you guys think I could use the stakes still or have any ideas on how to give support from the ceiling?

I'm looking for something cost effective and that doesn't take TOO much time.

Thanks in advance! I uploaded some images of what I'm taking about in case my explanations don't make sense.
 

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calicocalyx

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't worry about stakes damaging roots, unless you are going right through the center or putting many stakes in. Cages seem like the easiest method, unless of course you wait too long. I'm guessing you've already stretched. If you have to attach each individual branch then it going to be tedious anyway you slice it. 1 stake with multiple strings doesn't seem like it will work. And anything worth while is worth doing right, or another way, you get out what you put in.
 

bravedave

Well-Known Member
I used bamboo sticks duct taped to my grow bags my first grow. Used tomato cages my next three. I extended my tomato cage in grow 3 with zip-tying another tomato cage section to the top. I overshot the tomato cage again this grow and this time I zip-tied bamboo sticks up the tomato cage to extend it.
 

Cuttdogg7

Well-Known Member
If you have been trying to keep your plants shorter and have been heavily topping them to a point where there are a lot of limbs, growing with cages is a must, I actually do an enter cage and a outer cage. The inner cage hold the limbs up so they can't sag down too far and cause stress to the tree trunk or possibly break off. The second cage holds the weight of the entire limb. I use this method for plants that are up to 6 feet wide, I may even put a third Cage for plants over 6 feet wide. A few weeks into flowering I use netting with a 6 inch web, spreading the web over the top of the plant and placing all of the tops in individual parts of the web. This keeps all of the buds properly spaced out and keep heavy tops from sagging.

First cage.image.jpg Same plant as the first picture with the second cage.image.jpgthis is a current pic, the light deprivation tent has been built over the plants, this tent is 10 foot wide to give you an idea of the size of the plants. In about three weeks from now I will be putting on the netting that I told you about with the 6 inch spacing putting all of the tops where they belong. Hope this helps you out a little bit and good luck man.image.jpg
 
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