The Main-Lining Thread

[Sevren]

Thanks, yeah my setup is pretty simple. Wardrobe UHaul box taped up with panda film, Fulham workhorse 8 ballast, makeshift reflector from white styrofoam board, hang it off the clothes rack in the box. 2, 120mm computer fans for exhaust. The 2g11 base lamps are basically T5H0 bent in half, don't produce a lot of heat, and do a pretty bangin' job. At the base of the box, getting ambient room temps; an inch from the light, only a 6 degree difference.

 

[greenghost420]

im about to go look at some totes and cfls...

 

[Redoctober]

Okay so I know nugs isn't around anymore but maybe someone can help me with this issue. I am trying to mainline some clones which have at this point lost their symmetry (two branches at each node). So I face the problem of holding back the main stem whilst the nearest side branch catches up, and they become equivalent. Now I know the side branch may never equal the apical stem in size, but it does not seem to want to become more dominant no matter how much I hold the apical stem back. It stays skinny. I even pinch the apical stem in an attempt to slow it down and give the other branch time to catch up but it doesn't seem to help. How have you main-liners out there been able to overcome this difficulty when dealing with an already established plant and not a seedling?

 

[greenghost420]

i had the same trouble! no matter how much i pinch or bend they wouldnt catchup. i had 2 branches shorter than 6 others.

 

[geekmike]

Okay so I know nugs isn't around anymore but maybe someone can help me with this issue. I am trying to mainline some clones which have at this point lost their symmetry (two branches at each node). So I face the problem of holding back the main stem whilst the nearest side branch catches up, and they become equivalent. Now I know the side branch may never equal the apical stem in size, but it does not seem to want to become more dominant no matter how much I hold the apical stem back. It stays skinny. I even pinch the apical stem in an attempt to slow it down and give the other branch time to catch up but it doesn't seem to help. How have you main-liners out there been able to overcome this difficulty when dealing with an already established plant and not a seedling?

Take off a couple fan leaves from the dominant side.... hold it down w/ some wire or twine after. keep it like tied until the non dominant is the dominant. Sometimes it just doesn't work and you need to start w/ a new clone. Get as much light on it early on to keep those nodes super tight.

Using a clone from a topped branch is a nice way to start as well.

 

[Redoctober]

Thanks geekmike! I never thought to take the fan leaves off, but that does make sense. I'm playing around with different lights to see which makes the tightest nodes. I've heard plasma does a nice job with node structure, but I don't own one....yet...lol

I like to take my clones from the top as well, if that is what you meant. In fact, as I've gotten better at cloning, my favorite clones have become the topped apical stem itself. Maybe they take slightly longer to root but they turn into really nice beefy plants!

Now I just have to get these main-line clones to cooperate and share dominance!

 

[geekmike]

Thanks geekmike! I never thought to take the fan leaves off, but that does make sense. I'm playing around with different lights to see which makes the tightest nodes. I've heard plasma does a nice job with node structure, but I don't own one....yet...lol

I like to take my clones from the top as well, if that is what you meant. In fact, as I've gotten better at cloning, my favorite clones have become the topped apical stem itself. Maybe they take slightly longer to root but they turn into really nice beefy plants!

Now I just have to get these main-line clones to cooperate and share dominance!

I really like vegging under a 1k HPS but a 600 HPS is good too. I find i get thicker leafs (leathery) under the HPS lighting (just a personal observation)

 

[Redoctober]

Do you find that vegging under HPS makes the node spacing further apart, or the plants stretchier?

btw I just defoliated two apical stems and tied them down with wire...let the main-lining begin!

 

[cannav0re]

hey nugz, how do you keep a nice canopy? whenever they flower, some stretches more than others. and if you have a nice canopy with leaves filled up the canopy, will the bottom part be able to grow just as big and mature? since all the leaves are blocking the light.

 

[cannav0re]

Okay so I know nugs isn't around anymore but maybe someone can help me with this issue. I am trying to mainline some clones which have at this point lost their symmetry (two branches at each node). So I face the problem of holding back the main stem whilst the nearest side branch catches up, and they become equivalent. Now I know the side branch may never equal the apical stem in size, but it does not seem to want to become more dominant no matter how much I hold the apical stem back. It stays skinny. I even pinch the apical stem in an attempt to slow it down and give the other branch time to catch up but it doesn't seem to help. How have you main-liners out there been able to overcome this difficulty when dealing with an already established plant and not a seedling?

read page 9. maybe itll help. nugz said to make sure you bend the higher branch along with the apical stem, so that the bend will be down to the lower branch; which will then shape out a V. i think that's what he meant....

 

[whitey78]

hey nugz, how do you keep a nice canopy? whenever they flower, some stretches more than others. and if you have a nice canopy with leaves filled up the canopy, will the bottom part be able to grow just as big and mature? since all the leaves are blocking the light.

I think you need to start this thread from page 1... Not being a prick but the whole thread is literally about canopy management/mainlining/modular scrogging and 100% of your question is answered literally on the first couple pages way more than once... But I'll answer it for you seeing I ask the same type a questions that are easily answerable..... the point of all of the mainlining and all of this is to keep all the lower secondary branches (actually all of the secondary branches on the mains) that produce junky fluff bud pruned off before you enter 12/12, you have to prune quite a bit to get the desired effect, but by the end of week 3 on an 8 week strain I'd say that would be the end of pruning... As far as letting one main get higher than the other, thats what the rings and bamboo posts and strapping is all for, when one gets too high you pull it down so they are all the same height.... Its literally as easy as nugs and all the other pros here make it look if you invest the time and energy into it....

The old adage you get back what you put in is as true as it gets in this "hobby"..... I'm learning it still everyday myself....

 

[Redoctober]

read page 9. maybe itll help. nugz said to make sure you bend the higher branch along with the apical stem, so that the bend will be down to the lower branch; which will then shape out a V. i think that's what he meant....

Page 9 is one of my favorites I see what he was saying about the bends being at the same level. The Ace of Spades he was working with seems particularly suited to mainlining. I have a few more sativa-ish ones that are not as good, so actually I was just bending the apical stem, while leaving the side branch untethered so that it would essentially become equal to the main stem in thickness and vigor. I found that when bending them both, the apical stem would retain its dominance for some reason. As I said, my plants are a bit more uncooperative than the more Indica, tight node varieties. I also realize from that pic on page 9 that he really chopped everything off the plant except the last set of leaves; I don't think I went that far, but I'm going to do it that way tonight.

 

[maineyankee]

I like the old adage .... "Practice Makes Perfect". I am quite sure that "Master Nugs" at the beginning was just like us .... kinda dazed and confused on what to do. I am quite sure as we progress on this Journey of Main-Lining, we will get better at it. Peace

 

[ShotgunWally]

Disclaimer!!!!
.....this method only works with DANK!....thanks Subcool!..........seriously, some strains are better suited than others for this method, more on this in a minute....first things first.
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holy shit i can taste it already man best i ever seen job well done ol hippy Shotgun

 

[hyroot]

I discovered something else to mainlining and lst kushes. My lst master is doing much better than mainliner which I already have covered. Now I have a 4 top mainlined doing much better than either of others. Gnar donkeys. I expect to get more off 4 tops of master rather than 8. Next I have an lst 4 topper. Then lst to 4 then topped to 8 of same strain. My first 16's of cheese berry kush going in , all next week. I also have a romulan a king louis og and 2 indica phenos of hindu skunk. Nornal topped. No training. Will train clones of those next round. Im excited for the romulan. Shes a sexy one.

Also they are all in 7 gal. So imo with kushes, 80% indica or more. Do only 4 tops no matter what size pot you are using. Maybe 8 tops in a 20 gal... I only use 7 gal.

 

[nugbuckets]

I discovered something else to mainlining and lst kushes. My lst master is doing much better than mainliner which I already have covered. Now I have a 4 top mainlined doing much better than either of others. Gnar donkeys. I expect to get more off 4 tops of master rather than 8. Next I have an lst 4 topper. Then lst to 4 then topped to 8 of same strain. My first 16's of cheese berry kush going in , all next week. I also have a romulan a king louis og and 2 indica phenos of hindu skunk. Nornal topped. No training. Will train clones of those next round. Im excited for the romulan. Shes a sexy one.

Also they are all in 7 gal. So imo with kushes, 80% indica or more. Do only 4 tops no matter what size pot you are using. Maybe 8 tops in a 20 gal... I only use 7 gal.

i agree bro, main-lining kushes takes a bit more attention, and certainly more patience......my bubba crosses are slow as fuck to veg out......so slow in fact, i will probably not run them again.....will have to stick to the D-Train for the heavy indica in the garden.......my slower vegging, less stretchy phenos generally have 8 heads....moderate/vigor/stretch 16, and those uber vigor, stretch like hell strains i go 32.....the more heads you have, the less overall stretch you will see because all the energy going upward is distributed.....

 

[hyroot]

i agree bro, main-lining kushes takes a bit more attention, and certainly more patience......my bubba crosses are slow as fuck to veg out......so slow in fact, i will probably not run them again.....will have to stick to the D-Train for the heavy indica in the garden.......my slower vegging, less stretchy phenos generally have 8 heads....moderate/vigor/stretch 16, and those uber vigor, stretch like hell strains i go 32.....the more heads you have, the less overall stretch you will see because all the energy going upward is distributed.....

With vegging my kushes. I let them go a month longer than the rest. So I always have a batch of other strains that pass it up. Yield is smaller with kush too. But dang they are dank though.

I have a northern lights #5 (sensi seeds) x og( (cali connection) set to 8 tops. Each top has like 8 secondary's and all the same height with Super cropping. It veg's so fast. I think I could do a 64 on this one, no joke. Its like a 10 weeker.

I'll post pics later when they wake up.

Im thinking of grabbing a hans led panel For 2 kushes in the closet for personal meds. since too slow and small yield.

 

[frankfast]

TGA Qleaner & Deep Purple Babys

Few weeks later sexed and the main-lining started

HeadBand Day 55 Flower only 6 headed i messed the other 2 up in veg

OG Kush Main-Lined for 8-20" heads Day 44 of 12/12

Sour D x Chronic Day 49 of 12/12/ Main-Lined for 8,,,, haveing to wire the heads up there getting to heavy

 

[nugbuckets]

^^^^^^great looking plants bro!

 

[Mohican]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing