Training/plant support options?

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Innerorbit

Well-Known Member
New grower who has previously experimented with low stress training by tying branches down using garden twine and using bamboo stakes to support branches later in flowering. Now I'm looking for a more efficient way to both help train and support the plants and looking for options.

I am running 3.5 gallon hempy buckets so I don't think a trellis or scrog net type option would be ideal as I hand water and need to move the plants around. I was thinking of something like tomato cages or something similar that I could put in the buckets in early-mid veg and leave through flowering. I plan to top the plants early on and possibly try supercropping to train and support the plants around the cage in order to even out the canopy prior to flowering.

I figure this will help me get the desired results while still allowing me to easily move the plants around as needed and sounds easier then a bunch of ties and bamboo stakes. The downsides I can see are that tomato cages may force me to keep the light further away from the plants in the first part of veg due to their height and the fact that tomato cages aren't really the ideal shape being narrower at the base. I'm thinking maybe it'd be possible to buy specialized cages that'd be a better fit or modify one somehow.

Any ideas on what you'd recommend in this scenario? The tomato cage thing is just my best idea so far but I'm definitely open to other ideas from more experience growers. Thanks!
 
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Innerorbit

Well-Known Member
Any opinions on this? I'm still thinking cages are going to be the best option for my setup but I'm still not 100% sure. What do you use for plant training and support that is mobile in each grow container (as opposed to a trellis or something)?
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
I tend to stake down the sides of the pot and super crop. Sometimes I will zip tie a naughts and crosses frame over the plant to pin her down and splay her out more before flower.
Sometimes I will add an individual net and take the time to scrog properly.
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Stick 3 or 4 bamboo stakes in each pot to hold up a screen then the pots can be moved around and if a foot above the top of the pot no problems watering. I use sheep fencing with 4x6" holes and If I want to tie a grow tip down to cross a void I just tie in some twist tie off a roll to bridge the gap. A properly done ScroG like that can more than double your yield while keeping the canopy at a uniform height.

Here's one I did with DWC. Same idea. One plant and got 8oz of dry bud and the same in popcorn and sugar trim.

ScroG.jpg

This one Hindu Kush is flowering now. Tall plant I repotted into a 7gal pot on it's side and whipped up a 3x3 screen. First pic is pre-flower.

Hindu06121902.jpg

I'm going to want to put other plants in pots in there soon and she's hogging up a lot of floor space so flipped her sideways and put an angle on the light to aim at the wall. Easy-peasy.

VertScroG05.JPG

Lots of ways to skin a cat!

:peace:
 
I

Innerorbit

Well-Known Member
Cool, thanks for the advice. This go around I'll try topping and supercropping for my first time with those techniques but I'll look into picking up some fencing and zip ties to experiment with a type of Scrog net set-up like you suggested. Having the potential of doubling the yield seems well worth the effort!

It's basically just a matter of threading the branches up and down through the wire openings as the plant attempts to grow upwards, correct?

Is 4"x6" your ideal opening size? Wondering if smaller opening fencing would be better suited to smaller setup as I don't think I'll use anything as big as your 3'x3' in my space with the smaller buckets (about 10" in diameter). Thanks!
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Innerorbit said:
Cool, thanks for the advice. This go around I'll try topping and supercropping for my first time with those techniques but I'll look into picking up some fencing and zip ties to experiment with a type of Scrog net set-up like you suggested. Having the potential of doubling the yield seems well worth the effort!

It's basically just a matter of threading the branches up and down through the wire openings as the plant attempts to grow upwards, correct?

Is 4"x6" your ideal opening size? Wondering if smaller opening fencing would be better suited to smaller setup as I don't think I'll use anything as big as your 3'x3' in my space with the smaller buckets (about 10" in diameter). Thanks!
Click to expand...
I like to tie down the grow tips with short pieces of twist tie. That way if later you want to re-position a branch it's easy-peasy and I almost always want to move things around to fill empty spaces. You only need 2 or 3 pieces at the end of each branch so it's not a big deal.

The size of the holes is immaterial but too small is not so good so chicken wire is out tho if that's all you got you can cut wires to open up spaces where needed. Once the plant is grown into the screen it supports the screen and the plant continues to grow in height. This is why I wouldn't recommend a solid frame like many do. The plant can split open at joints trying to push the screen up. Not fatal but not great either. That's why I suspend my screen so it can 'float'.

For those smaller buckets a 2x2' screen will let you put a few in a 4x4 space and have a nice level canopy to make best use of your light.

This is my ailing girl on day 21 of 12/12. 7gal pot and the ScroG was horizontal until a week ago when I flipped it sideways to open up floor space for more girls soon to come. Have 24 in 3" pots since June. :)

I repotted her from a 1gal pot sideways just to fit this idea in my head. She was 4' tall and now lives on a 3x3' screen. Flipped her on Dec. 11 so that's day 1 to me.

HinduGirl Day21010120-1.JPG

:peace:
 
Hust17

Hust17

Well-Known Member
Damn OMU that’s an insane rack!

I’d just train and top them well OP. Keep them a nice little bush and then flower. Most hybrids and indicas can support themselves.
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Hust17 said:
Damn OMU that’s an insane rack!

I’d just train and top them well OP. Keep them a nice little bush and then flower. Most hybrids and indicas can support themselves.
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Thanks. That's a Hindu Kush that goes almost black it gets so purple in late flowering. buds are soooo tasty with a good cure.

That's her in the back left. Ak47 up front all over the pic. lol Couple of ISSxBB back right.

ISS-B_Hindu_AKjpg.jpg
 
Hust17

Hust17

Well-Known Member
OldMedUser said:
Thanks. That's a Hindu Kush that goes almost black it gets so purple in late flowering. buds are soooo tasty with a good cure.

That's her in the back left. Ak47 up front all over the pic. lol Couple of ISSxBB back right.

View attachment 4448053
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Holy poop! I thought those colours were only in the ads ;)

I had a Hindu Kush 2 grows ago and she never changed a bit. I always dunk my night temps too :(
 
I

Innerorbit

Well-Known Member
Awesome info and pics, thanks for sharing. I'll try that on grow 4 after this one finishes. Its fun trying different things and getting better each time, hope I grow something that impressive sometime!

In your opinion, all other things being equal, would you expect a higher yield from maybe 6 plants with a smaller screen or 9-12 plants without a screen and just topped/supercropped?
 
SimonBarSinister

SimonBarSinister

Well-Known Member
Innerorbit said:
Any opinions on this? I'm still thinking cages are going to be the best option for my setup but I'm still not 100% sure. What do you use for plant training and support that is mobile in each grow container (as opposed to a trellis or something)?
Click to expand...
I've used tomato cages but I don't get the light spread or the canopy I like, Still can't beat plant yoyos or bamboo stakes though !
 
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