The Main-Lining Thread

You guys ever have 1-2 tops behind all the others? Just let them be or what.
If you mean nodes, I'm having this problem too. I've got 5 plants and one is running away from the others. 2 are middle of the pack and two are lagging behind by 2 nodes.

I topped at the 3rd node again for the second topping but 2 of them could have used some extra time.

I still can't determine sex yet and I'm ending week 6 or starting 7. I wonder if all the stress from topping and defoliation is causing that. :confused:
 

Deadneck43

Active Member
So did I leave too many secondary branches on this Blue Dream? Did I defoliate too much? I'm 4.5 weeks into flower and everything else in my room is stacking and filling out nicely but this plant has nothing but tiny bud sites all over. What can I do to improve the quality of this strain next time I grow?IMG_6989.jpgIMG_6990.jpg
 

KanaGirl

Member
Hi Everyone,
I'm jumping in here with my mainlining structure fully complete - they need to veg a bit more to be above the top of the ring and then I will secure the 8 main colas to the ring. However... I don't know where to go from here with defoliation? What do I defoliate BELOW the 8 tops? there are side shoots already coming from below the top nodes - do I take those off? I didn't defoliate all the fan leaves as I was mainlining, because they started off a little rough. Now they are growing vigorously, all of them have 3 toppings, and are probably just a couple weeks from flip. I would love more detailed info about what I should be taking BELOW the 8 mains. Thank you for your help!
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Should I be taking these new bud sites off??

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seymour b

Active Member
Just topped for the 2nd time last night. Was away from the grow for a bit, and let them run too long between toppings and they got away from their training...is this my 3rd cut for the 8? If that is my next cut, wait until they show 3 or 4 more nodes and then top and super crop the taller one down? I was just confused as they started alternating. Thanks!
 

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Northwood

Well-Known Member
Just topped for the 2nd time last night. Was away from the grow for a bit, and let them run too long between toppings and they got away from their training...is this my 3rd cut for the 8? If that is my next cut, wait until they show 3 or 4 more nodes and then top and super crop the taller one down? I was just confused as they started alternating. Thanks!
I think that's okay, but I would stop picking off the innocent fan leaves on each node along with the suckers. You can pick off a sucker without removing the leaf. It takes a bit of practice. Better than lighting up your soil with the electricity you (and our environment) pay for, plus your plants will grow faster and you'll have bigger buds from more energy utilization.
 

seymour b

Active Member
I think that's okay, but I would stop picking off the innocent fan leaves on each node along with the suckers. You can pick off a sucker without removing the leaf. It takes a bit of practice. Better than lighting up your soil with the electricity you (and our environment) pay for, plus your plants will grow faster and you'll have bigger buds from more energy utilization.
Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I guess I got caught up in seeing everyone not doing it and didn't even consider that. At what point do you start (if at all) defoliating? Just move them around so they don't touch for now?
 
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Northwood

Well-Known Member
Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I guess I got caught up in seeing everyone not doing it and didn't even consider that. At what point do you start (if at all) defoliating? Just move them around so they don't touch for now?
I start defoliating in early-mid veg, when I selectively remove only leaves that are overlapping to the extent that the lower leaves are in darkness. So the lollipopping slowly begins. The plants will lollipop themselves eventually, but facilitating the process helps air circulation and prevents a bunch of dead/dying leaves hanging in your canopy. But I start "suckering" even before that, when I'm deciding which branches I want to keep. It's not a precise process, but it's veg anyway so if you remove too many growing points you can just wait a week and they'll be more to play with.

Defoliation should be a twice or thrice a week maintenance throughout the grow in my opinion. I don't do "major defoliation events", but instead get a leaf here and there while pinching off suckers. Once I flip, gradually the suckering activity is reduced and the defoliation increases. Below where the buds just start on the colas, I want an uninterrupted layer of leaves. I don't want to see soil when looking down on this layer, otherwise I'm wasting photons. Any growing tips (suckers) are removed that will not make it out of this solid green layer. Then as flowers appear and the cola's extend during the stretch, I gradually remove the major fan leaves on each node along the cola tops to allow light to hit the entire length of the flowering stalk from all directions.

Of course I don't always do everything I say on every grow because I can get a bit lazy. lol
 

NightSpider

Active Member
Hello people. Plant topped once. Was attaching cable to bend it down and one of the stems just dislocated. I would say only %10-20 percent of it was still attached only. My questions are:

What are the chances it will heal

If it heals, that half of the plant will be behind the other half. Does it make sense to accept a longer veg time, cut the damaged branch off, leave only the other side and top that 3 times to make 8 colas? Technically once I remove the broken branch the plant will only have 1 left. After that it will be symmetrical? Does it work that way? Or do I hope it heals and if it does, keep it?
 

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