Wattzzup
Well-Known Member
I’ve done 8 and 4. I feel like 8 large colas (mine didn’t veg long enough) would be fine. I just thought if I did 16 or 32 would it accomplish the same as a scrog? If so I’m wasting my time mainlining.
The Main-Lining Thread
- Thread starter nugbuckets
- Start date
RandomKindness
Well-Known Member
kind of second-guessing myself here, but I figured the root-system is well established at this point & the plants can handle it
BUT I could wrong! I wouldn't be surprised.
either way it's an interesting test and I will learn something regardless of the outcome
captainmorgan
Well-Known Member
Growing indoors I prefer 8 but have done 16, if I lived in a more southern climate and could do outdoor I would do 16 - 32. It all depends on your situation.
RandomKindness
Well-Known Member
I am in Hawaii and flowering outdoors, I am trying around 16 tops this time & next ones will be 32
captainmorgan
Well-Known Member
Indoors I sex new seedlings as soon as possible and then take the top for a clone in case she's something special. Quickly mainline to 8 then into flower to see what I have. If she's special I'll vertical scrog her from then on.
RandomKindness
Well-Known Member
dang quickly mainline to 8? maybe that's what I gotta try
MAGpie81
Well-Known Member
I have a clone of a top that had been topped previously (cut 6th node on main, decided wanted to take off 5th as well; Durban Poison).
It lives, and essentially looks like two separate plants growing from a leafy stalk in the ground.
Going to try and spiral them up around tomato cage.
Do you think “mainlining” (if I can still call it that) the two stalks would be beneficial?
ComfortCreator
Well-Known Member
I had never considered mainlining for outdoors. But with a strain that has strong branches, a 32 or even 64 top tree would be epic. No limits on sun or space you could grow a 5lb plant easy imo. I can get a half lb off any strain indoors in a 10gal. Outdoors inground omg what a grow. I would want a really deep plot of quality soil.
grimweeder
Well-Known Member
Using a bioavailable form of silica/mono silicic acid like aptus or power si really helps in preventing branches from snapping or breaking. It makes them super durable.
I’d suggest only using the more expensive silicic acid forms as it’s available to the plant immediately whereas most of the cheaper versions use potassium silicate or similar which needs to be broken down first before it’s useable by the plant which can take weeks or even months to happen so for mainlining it’s not ideal as you need to train and bend early on.
I’ve just started using it this grow and an mainlining again. I always top and train and bend plants to some extent but don’t mainline often but I do still bend/train a lot. still usually I end up with only a few plants that are really easy to bend and don’t need to be worked a bit to prevent breaking or even taped up as they broke off or snapped. It’s been a common issue for a long time now. This is the first time I’ve used silica and I got the aptus regulator as power si wasnt available in the smaller bottles where I am and Aptus fasilitator isn’t available either.
Anyway every single plant (7 strains, 11 plants) was really easy to bend and not a single one even came to close to feeling like it was going to snap or break. They all were literally jus begging for me to bend them over backwards. It’s made a massive difference to the durability of the stalks/stems compared to every previous grow of not using it.
It should also help in ensuring the plants can support their buds more during flower although it’s best not to use it all the way through flower from what I’ve read.
I’d suggest only using the more expensive silicic acid forms as it’s available to the plant immediately whereas most of the cheaper versions use potassium silicate or similar which needs to be broken down first before it’s useable by the plant which can take weeks or even months to happen so for mainlining it’s not ideal as you need to train and bend early on.
I’ve just started using it this grow and an mainlining again. I always top and train and bend plants to some extent but don’t mainline often but I do still bend/train a lot. still usually I end up with only a few plants that are really easy to bend and don’t need to be worked a bit to prevent breaking or even taped up as they broke off or snapped. It’s been a common issue for a long time now. This is the first time I’ve used silica and I got the aptus regulator as power si wasnt available in the smaller bottles where I am and Aptus fasilitator isn’t available either.
Anyway every single plant (7 strains, 11 plants) was really easy to bend and not a single one even came to close to feeling like it was going to snap or break. They all were literally jus begging for me to bend them over backwards. It’s made a massive difference to the durability of the stalks/stems compared to every previous grow of not using it.
It should also help in ensuring the plants can support their buds more during flower although it’s best not to use it all the way through flower from what I’ve read.
RandomKindness
Well-Known Member
pretty sure it's a male & I don't mind
El Verdugo
Well-Known Member
Nice work
femalelovin
Well-Known Member
you dont mind its a male after putting all the time and work in.. pro tip take a clone off it early and flower it to see if hairs or balls come off will save you a month right there.. when mainlining wait for the 4th node or 5th just when your pant isnt having those seedling "feels" to it anymore and top it. leave all your fan leaves and when then lower branches "new tops" are long enough to chop get rid of them all except fan leaves and the very 2 top branches youll get a Y shape.. when the Y shape at the top is long enough top that, now you have 2 Y Y patterns or 4 tops, when theyre tall enough top them again now you have four Y Y Y Y patterns with 8 tops and i advise topping the 2 middle branches again not the outer 2 which will give you 16 tops the middle will be shorter and the light is always stronger right in the middle and the outer part of the plant will be taller and grow closer to the lights and you get a U shaped plant with 16 tops and trust me this is the BEST way to do it..
Hello, I have 2 Durban poisons (Nirvana) in ground that I will be topping to 32 colas by the end of this week. Growing in zone 7a, it looks like they'll flip by the second week of August, meaning it would be 4 weeks of veg time. My question is, should I top again on July 24th for 64 colas? That would leave 2 weeks of veg time for an expected natural flowering flip near August 7th. My goal is thicc fat nuggs, all quality not quantity. Also, should i be cutting the side shoots between the fan leaves before flowering? Thank you
Update, topped to 32 colas with an expected flip in 4 weeks. I'm still contemplating a 64 cola plant (anyone with experience please chime in as my goal is all quality not quantity) I'll put some posts down and scrog them in a week. I noticed going from 16 to 32 the 3rd nodes aren't symmetrical, one side is a few inches higher than the other. We'll see what happens at harvest, please disregard the watermelon vines on the bottom, it extended to 20 feet when the seed packet listed 5
insomnia65
Well-Known Member
Amazing mate, good luck
ComfortCreator
Well-Known Member
The branches wont be exactly the same size shape or grow the same length exactly. The plant still tries to favor certain parts and it's no big deal.
Outdoors a plant could be spread to any size and have unlimited tops and toppings until it switches over
Outdoors a plant could be spread to any size and have unlimited tops and toppings until it switches over
Thank you for the advice, and thanks Insomnia for the well wishes. How much veg time should be allocated before the flip? If zero, I could top another round for 128 colas, but would that affect the quality of the nugs. Finally, I read at page 310 that answered what to do about side shoots from the user H.A.F "If I want big cola I prune off every shoot below the tops that has it's own shoots. So if the sprout has a stem, and leaves just opening, I leave them. If a set of fan leaves has already opened on it and there is another one popping, it's gone" If there is any new knowledge or changes, please let me know
ComfortCreator
Well-Known Member
Indoors and outdoors have very diff results.
Indoors ime, pot size and veg time determine the end result or amount you will harvest when mainlining or manifolding. If you have 8 tops only and cut the rest you will have a similar amount to having 16 tops just smaller colas overall. 32 same thing etc. It just is a spread vs vertical thing.
Indoors I like 8 or 16 tops, and use topping in flower as a way to slow a dominant branch...i.e. 1 branch is 4 inches above others...top it and the couple days it takes to split and grow again lets the other tops catch up.
You see when you cut ALL those other nodes it does limit the final result a bit. But most dont cut every single node, in fact I find the 8 spokes to be ideal but happily grow many of the other branches up to the canopy from the other nodes.
So what I am saying is theres a limit and tradeoff to the benefits of topping a ton of times. Some plants have lots of side branching and that will fill it in great, others dont branch a lot and would benefit more from extra toppings.
Manifold was not designed for max harvest, it was designed to create multiple colas that were equal to what a typical plant's main cola are like. If you modify nugbuckets original concept with the idea in mind to harvest as much as possible of quality bud, then allow some side branching off the main branches and you will have that! 64 or 128 tops is cool but wont harvest you more in the same size pot.
A 10gallon pot will harvest more than 7, more than 5 etc.
If your plant is in its final pot then flip when they are at the appropriate height to allow for stretch. If you just transplanted give it a week.