Supercropping ?uestions

Heya, just had a few questions about supercropping after doing some preliminary research on it. I'm too far into my current grow to try it now but definitely want to next time. I've read about a technique called "hurd-breaking" where you sort of squish the stem without actually bending it over--this is the method I want to try on my autoflower plant next time. It's said to have a similar effect to full-on supercropping in that it makes the plant think the main stem has been attacked by animals or whatever. My question:

* Does supercropping require any sort of ongoing upkeep after the initial application? Or can it be a one-and-done sort of deal?

* Also, which part of the main stem is supposed to be squished? Is it the part where it first becomes pliable & bendy? Like where the woody part meets the soft part? (Not interested in supercropping the side branches, just the main). Should you do just one spot on the main stem or multiple parts?

* Finally, how many times during your grow should you supercrop in total? And should it be done to the same spot each time, or in different spots?

I'm assuming supercropping should begin in veg once the plant is strong enough to withstand it & stop once the flowering stretch has ended & buds are starting to put on weight. I'd probably only do it a few times though just to be on the conservative side.

I'm not interested in anything that requires me to do complicated tie-downs or the like. LST is too hard for me to wrap my brain around, try as I might. (I have a learning disability that makes spatial stuff like that very hard to grasp). But I like the idea of other grow hacks that can boost yield & hardiness.

Thanks for any help you can give a noob!

Sexx Pistils said:

Heya, just had a few questions about supercropping after doing some preliminary research on it. I'm too far into my current grow to try it now but definitely want to next time. I've read about a technique called "hurd-breaking" where you sort of squish the stem without actually bending it over--this is the method I want to try on my autoflower plant next time. It's said to have a similar effect to full-on supercropping in that it makes the plant think the main stem has been attacked by animals or whatever. My question:

* Does supercropping require any sort of ongoing upkeep after the initial application? Or can it be a one-and-done sort of deal?

* Also, which part of the main stem is supposed to be squished? Is it the part where it first becomes pliable & bendy? Like where the woody part meets the soft part? (Not interested in supercropping the side branches, just the main). Should you do just one spot on the main stem or multiple parts?

* Finally, how many times during your grow should you supercrop in total? And should it be done to the same spot each time, or in different spots?

I'm assuming supercropping should begin in veg once the plant is strong enough to withstand it & stop once the flowering stretch has ended & buds are starting to put on weight. I'd probably only do it a few times though just to be on the conservative side.

I'm not interested in anything that requires me to do complicated tie-downs or the like. LST is too hard for me to wrap my brain around, try as I might. (I have a learning disability that makes spatial stuff like that very hard to grasp). But I like the idea of other grow hacks that can boost yield & hardiness.

Thanks for any help you can give a noob!

Click to expand...

Super crop in veg only once you flip don’t injure the plant you can do it as it grows in veg somewhat of a preference thing but the idea is to make knuckles on your stems by injuring the inside of the stem (gently pinch between your thumb and pointer finger and roll back and forth the stem should soften to the point where it falls over on its own). By doing this you create a bushier plant and where the stem is horizontal the plant will throw up more stems vertically. Usually I choose my location by moving down the stem from top to bottom and doing it just above where the stem is hardened off. You want to do it to the softer newer growth won’t turn out well otherwise. Get you a roll of duct tape because until you get practiced you will injure it a little, don’t stress if you do put a piece of duct tape around the part you split or wound to seal it off and wait a week or so and peel back off it will heal and harden. You’ll know you injured it you’ll get juice if you didn’t itll just go limp and fall over. No need to re injure the same point twice one and done. In a week or so you’ll get hard knuckles where you injured the inside of the stem. Takes some practice to get a feel but the main stem is where you want to start makes a bush without cutting on your plant.

i super crop in flower. if i have a stem or two reaching up way above the rest, i just kink em over, and make sure to pull the buds loose a little, they'll stand up and turn into little mini colas

-no, you can do it and leave it, or you can come back and do it in the same places or close to, once they heal they become very tough and knotted in the places you bust up the stem

-anywhere near the tops, you want more branch behind the supercrop than in front of it, new growth side should be shorter in length relative to length of branch behind the place you make the supercrop

-u chose, i let the plants tell me as i use it as a way to control their stretch/structure, if one branch is unruly, it might get supercropped, all throughout stretch, once stretch is done do no more, ymmv

Also I don’t think autos are supposed to be super cropped not sure because I don’t grow autos though. Here’s one example of what a plant that’s been cropped looks like.

i don't see why you couldn't super crop an auto, if it needed it.

I believe it has something to do with stressing a plant that finishes quick but again I don’t grow em so just heresay.

I super crop a lot, when I have to when stretch is too high and plant may burn. Always puts up to a week on my flowering time depending when I do it. I've bent the same part multiple times without problem ( not knuckle) some strains don't like it and end up not densing up. Make sure you bend the correct way , I squeeze stem first and then slowly bounce it over bit by bit

Thanks for the helpful infos! The diagram especially.

Maybe supercrop wasn't the right word. I read on Autoflower.net about auto growers doing "stem pinching" in veg & early flower to achieve a similar effect to supercropping. Just literally squeezing the main stem in 1 or 2 places to damage the inner hurd without breaking the skin or leaving the stem bent over. That's what I'd be doing since it takes time for the plant to recover from being supercropped and autos have a short lifespan.

I guess what I'm having a hard time picturing in my head is, what's the plant supposed to look like once the supercrop spot is healed? Should it stay bent over permanently, or will there just be a large knuckle with the stem standing up straight after a while? I don't necessarily plan to bend/break mine but I'm just curious how this works. I know with LST you have to continuously readjust the ties as the plant grows...I was hoping supercropping would be less maintenance, haha.

I often top and/or super crop the leading branches so the others catch up. I'm not anal about it but its handy to have a fairly flat canopy coming into flower.
Pic for ref (5 plants)

I super crop the shit out of my plants. But I found they often straighten out to a degree so I super crop each branch in two places, giving a 45 degree angle on each bend, giving a 90 degree bend across the whole branch making horizontal branches on the top half which I then tie to a stake and across to the opposite branch. The result is similar to a scrog but less packed, no net and less training time.

End of the day what ever works to get an even canopy.

I heard read supercrop is very correct for big cannabis buds. What is best node to use the technique of supercrop? I ask because i will grow my first grow of cannabis soon and i want like do correct teqnicue. What is best node or hight thank you

a little below where it will give you an even canopy. it might flop down a little right when you do it, but if you did it right it will rise back up to at least level, and get a big knot where you bent it over.