Super cropping/ bending in flower?

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
This is my first grow. I topped once on the main stem 3 weeks into vegging. Ended up vegging for 5 weeks (longer then I wanted to or was expecting, I did 2 flushes at the end).

So now Im about 4 days into flowering. The plants are tall as hell already, going to be too tall. I never bent or super cropped them in veg. Im wondering if its too late now or later in flower? In these photos I bent some under the trellis to keep them down, is that a good idea? Or should I supercrop (snap them) later in flowering





You can see how tall theyre getting
 

Cascadian

Well-Known Member
I have supercropped at one week into flower with no problem at all. I definitely would not supercrop anytime after week 2 IMO.

Bending them under the trellis is a better idea than supercropping. How much room left do you have? How tall are they? Indica or sativa?
 

rikdabrick

Well-Known Member
Maybe you are actually supercropping them, but I don't see any supercropping (breaking of inner cell walls along the stems) in the pictures. You can bend them as necessary through out flowering and it won't do any harm IME. Lots of growers train their plants through at least the "stretch" that happens in the beginning of flowering. I train my plants through flowering and haven't found any plants that respond poorly to it. As for actual supercropping, I supercrop during veg, but haven't tried it during flowering. But, I know at least one grower on here with plenty of experience that supercrops all the way through flowering and he wrote that he believed it actually increased his yields.
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
Indicas, id say I have 2-3 feet left. They look like theyre reaching for the sky. Im kind of scared to supercrop cause Ive never done it before
 

Cascadian

Well-Known Member
Not sure it is a good idea to experiment with supercropping in flower if you have never done it before. Wouldn't want you snapping off a good top...

2-3' seems like it should be enough space based on the size of them. If you do supercrop just do it to the tallest tops. The trick is to crush the stem a bit with your fingers then bend back and forth a bit then twist a bit. Finally you bend it over just until you hear it or feel it give or snap just a little bit. If you overdo it and actually snap the stem then you might want to put some duct tape around the break for 4-7 days. Just make sure the stem is crushed a bit and getting flimsy before you bend it over for the supercrop. Maybe look at some youtube videos on it as well... Good Luck!
 

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
Maybe you are actually supercropping them, but I don't see any supercropping (breaking of inner cell walls along the stems) in the pictures. You can bend them as necessary through out flowering and it won't do any harm IME. Lots of growers train their plants through at least the "stretch" that happens in the beginning of flowering. I train my plants through flowering and haven't found any plants that respond poorly to it. As for actual supercropping, I supercrop during veg, but haven't tried it during flowering. But, I know at least one grower on here with plenty of experience that supercrops all the way through flowering and he wrote that he believed it actually increased his yields.
I accidentally supercropped one of my Clones that was 18 Days into Veg
I was attempting to LST but the bend became a snap - like bending a drinking straw too far and causing a crease.
Now it's DAY 20 and I see no adverse affects.
On DAY 13 I topped her (as part of 5 plants topped) and, by DAY 18, she had two wonderfully symmetrical (and vigorous) stems
(they look like the horns of an Impala!).
That's when I attempted the LST that became a supercrop.

On DAY 17 I topped a further 8 clones
and successfully began LST on 2 clones
by attaching tie-wraps and weighing down the tallest growths
by bending the main stem.

SUPERCROPPING - Yield VS Time....
I'm new to all and have only been attempting Topping, LST and (accidentally) Supercropping over the last week
but I have done considerable research and read that:

'although supercropping may significantly increase yield (or not - it's very dependent on particular strain reaction)
the amount of time needed to complete the grow is vastly increased.
Some growers have mistakenly thrown out supercropped plants
in the belief that they were not flowering after weeks of 12/12 lighting.
They were simply needing far more time to show the start of buds....'
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
i super crop late into flower and never had an issue, nor did i see it extending my flowering times by anything noticeable..

my $.02
 

NorthofEngland

Well-Known Member
i super crop late into flower and never had an issue, nor did i see it extending my flowering times by anything noticeable..

my $.02
In the GREG GREEN Growers Bible he writes quite a bit about supercropping increasing yield
but extending flower time
The way he writes it
it seems that the supercropped plants take far longer
to show signs that flowering as started.....
which would mean that the supercropping
took place during the Veg phase.

I want to do as little as possible after the first 2 weeks of 12/12 flower.
The topping, cropping, training and tying are all things best done during VEG

THE VEGETATIVE PHASE is all about creating a FRAME that can best accommodate BUDS
Once BUDS are showing the only removals should be to create better light access to shaded areas.
At the VERY END of the FLOWERING PHASE
Defoliation can take place.

But, from DAY 15 of FLOWER
to the FINAL FEW DAYS of FLOWER
MAJOR PRUNING and DEFOLIATION SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
In the GREG GREEN Growers Bible he writes quite a bit about supercropping increasing yield
but extending flower time
The way he writes it
it seems that the supercropped plants take far longer
to show signs that flowering as started.....
which would mean that the supercropping
took place during the Veg phase.

I want to do as little as possible after the first 2 weeks of 12/12 flower.
The topping, cropping, training and tying are all things best done during VEG

THE VEGETATIVE PHASE is all about creating a FRAME that can best accommodate BUDS
Once BUDS are showing the only removals should be to create better light access to shaded areas.
At the VERY END of the FLOWERING PHASE
Defoliation can take place.

But, from DAY 15 of FLOWER
to the FINAL FEW DAYS of FLOWER
MAJOR PRUNING and DEFOLIATION SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
well super cropping is neither defoliation nor pruning..
 

jazlm

Active Member
Use the netting and gently bend them through without causing an accidental SC. The branches don't look very thick, so it should decrease the chance of the branch snapping. Take your time and fill the netting.
 

Rev. Chuck

Member
Use the netting and gently bend them through without causing an accidental SC. The branches don't look very thick, so it should decrease the chance of the branch snapping. Take your time and fill the netting.
Is there a preferred method to filling the netting? Also at what point should you introduce the netting?
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
Im about 2 weeks in now, theyre growing like crazy. Im kind of afraid to super crop them but Ill run out of height space. My hydro store recommended a growth inhibitor that you put in the feed.

I can either bend them around a 2nd trellis or SCrop them, whichever it is I have to do it now

 

Cascadian

Well-Known Member
Just giving my opinion here, I like the second trellis idea or a "light" supercropping and tying them down possibly...
I'm not familiar with any growth inhibitors (doesn't sound like a good solution). The hydro shop is almost always going to recommend that you buy a product for whatever you ask them about.
 

new99

New Member
I like others bend all the way through to keep growth level across the plants, they all grow different, cropping throughout flower IME helps promote growth of the inner bud till the end of the cycle.
 

neo12345

Well-Known Member
Im about 2 weeks in now, theyre growing like crazy. Im kind of afraid to super crop them but Ill run out of height space. My hydro store recommended a growth inhibitor that you put in the feed.

I can either bend them around a 2nd trellis or SCrop them, whichever it is I have to do it now
I think you've missed the point of the scrog net completely, as the plant grows up to the net let the stems grow 2-3 inches above the net then you gently tuck the stems back underneath. You let it fill the screen to say 50-75% then put the plant into flowering, then for the first 2 weeks of flower when the plant stretches you continue tucking the stems underneath. Then you let the plant finish on it's own and you'll find the cola's only grow to just above the scrog, say 6-8 inches.
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
I think you've missed the point of the scrog net completely, as the plant grows up to the net let the stems grow 2-3 inches above the net then you gently tuck the stems back underneath. You let it fill the screen to say 50-75% then put the plant into flowering
I dont flower and veg in the same tent, plants have to be moved. But I still need a solution now, Ill try the bending with the 2nd trellis and super cropping a few plants and see the difference in the end.
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
I super cropped half of them, and the other half I bent as much as I could under a 2nd trellis (couldnt get it too tight cause the fan space). Ill see what works best for me cause this is my first grow. Ill report back in a week.

 

DankkAbuser

Member
Interesting i was also thinkong of a second trellis
if supercroppingworks ill probly go that way
Looking forward to ur update
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
The ones I bent under the trellis are already bending up and around the trellis. I dont think its going to stop them much.
 

ZerocoolSmith

Active Member
Plants I super cropped are doing better. They look healthier. The other ones are getting too tall and getting heat stress and light burn. Next time I'll try super cropping in veg but the method seemed to work better then just the trellis.
 
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