main-line topping ******best method******

[Seamaiden]

Clockworx is right, it will seal itself up, swear to God. Promise, even!

 

[Confuten1]

Thnx Clock, I can do zip ties.
Confu

 

[Botanikos]

I've done something similar to this but had 2 branches form a V to the main and kept everything at a level height, but didn't remove the growth. In light to this new method I'm in the process of testing out this method vs my traditional method with topping and super cropping in soil, I may also do a DWC just to see the yields I can get. I'm aiming to get roughly 32 tops for the "Main-Line" method and allow the base "Traditional" method to veg out the same amount of time, then SCROG the both of them and see what happens in the end. Should I be concerned about the growth of the first top vs the last one? Also any advice?

 

[clockworx]

I've done something similar to this but had 2 branches form a V to the main and kept everything at a level height, but didn't remove the growth. In light to this new method I'm in the process of testing out this method vs my traditional method with topping and super cropping in soil, I may also do a DWC just to see the yields I can get. I'm aiming to get roughly 32 tops for the "Main-Line" method and allow the base "Traditional" method to veg out the same amount of time, then SCROG the both of them and see what happens in the end. Should I be concerned about the growth of the first top vs the last one? Also any advice?

You dont scrog main-lined plants, the only reason to scrog is because you have lower lateral branches your trying to train as colas.....to scrog a main-lined plant is changing the method all together. You have no lower growth......if your going to scrog then you won't want to keep clipping growth, you would want all those bud sites to become tops..........mainlining you can choose the number of mains and just let them grow normal , its basically topping and tying instead of using a screen or net.....

 

[clockworx]

@Botanikos if your talking about mainline topping until you get a bunch of tops and then scrog those mains you will be wasting at least a month of veg just to get the number of mains your looking for, then to train those mains into the screen you will be wasting another month. If you did get a bigger yield from the method the longer veg will cancel it out...the idea is to finding ways to achieve better yield to time ratios. Time is yield in any method you choose so wasting time for a bigger yield is rowing upstream...

Personally, I feel like scrog is a great method for people that need to obey a plant count, but that's it...if your not watching count, sea of green is the better choice for fast yields. Sea of green ends up finishing just how a good scrog should but the time is cut down and the colas are all main tops = bigger buds and better quality ...I could root 50 clones in a tray (7days) put them in 1 gallon pots under 600w mh for (14days) flip the switch 12/12 and 55-60 days later harvest 40-50oz with a good yielding strain....it blows scrog out the water yield wise....

 

[caregiverken]

Some of the Carnage

...last year at this time, my seedlings looked like the ones in my Avatar

p.s. its Caps..not pm :)

 

[clockworx]

Some of the Carnage
View attachment 360804 ...last year at this time, my seedlings looked like the ones in my Avatar

p.s. its Caps..not pm :)

Nice,,,good luck man...keep us updated on your trial.....also, try to keep your fan leaves and only snip the branches when you prune , it will cut back your veg time by weeks, especially when they are young...after they get a little momentum its not as important but right now the plants have only those few leaves to store and process energy....cutting off 2 leaves when they only have 4 is a 50% energy loss

 

[caregiverken]

Nice,,,good luck man...keep us updated on your trial.....also, try to keep your fan leaves and only snip the branches when you prune , it will cut back your veg time by weeks, especially when they are young...after they get a little momentum its not as important but right now the plants have only those few leaves to store and process energy....cutting off 2 leaves when they only have 4 is a 50% energy loss

yeah...lol..now you tell me...lol..I left more leaves on some of the other seedlings..
The few seedlings (out a couple dozen) that I didnt top.....showed as males a day or two after the toppings.
Now..im thinking I should have waited!! :banghead::banghead:
:meh:

But, I have lots of seeds and lots of time..
:)

 

[clockworx]

yeah...lol..now you tell me...lol..I left more leaves on some of the other seedlings..
The few seedlings (out a couple dozen) that I didnt top.....showed as males a day or two after the toppings.
Now..im thinking I should have waited!! :banghead::banghead:
:meh:

But, I have lots of seeds and lots of time..
:)

AAah, no worries, as the new mains grow just leave some fans on, that's all.....your plants will be just fine.....next time just let them get moving a little before you behead them, its better in a way to start early like you did because it keeps the plant shorter. Once those get going they will have a nice stocky build.....

 

[geologic]

Some of the Carnage
View attachment 360804 ...last year at this time, my seedlings looked like the ones in my Avatar

p.s. its Caps..not pm :)

I've found it beneficial to do your cut/pinch in the middle of the internode,
instead of so close to your new mainstem node.

The new mainstems seem to grow quicker,
taking energy from the part of the remaining stem cut at mid internode.

Don't worry about open hollow stems--
never seen a problem with 'em...

 

[PButter]

Bravo! Nice tutorial. I can't wait to see the experiments roll in.

PB

 

[caregiverken]

I've found it beneficial to do your cut/pinch in the middle of the internode,
instead of so close to your new mainstem node.

The new mainstems seem to grow quicker,
taking energy from the part of the remaining stem cut at mid internode.

Don't worry about open hollow stems--
never seen a problem with 'em...

Great tip! I think I am seeing that happen on the couple I did that too!

 

[geologic]

Great tip! I think I am seeing that happen on the couple I did that too!

Yep--
I actually tend to cut highter than mid-node...

 

[clockworx]

What I'm working on now is using 3/4 of a 8main skunk#1 base (for its massive root structure and skinny tops) and grafting new 7inch main tips from clones on top, I'm trying to see if I can use the fully developed roots and frame to flower the clones with zero veg, then harvest the top buds by snipping them off and grafting new ones on....basically just keep using the roots and frame to cut out veg all together ......if it works I will make a frame with 40 mains and use that to attach clones to it and flower, and up pot every now and then. I figure the roots will continue to grow and every time I will get bigger buds with absolutely no veg..just healing time..don't know if its gonna work but its fun and i've never seen anyone try it.....

 

[geologic]

Wow--
what a fantastic experiment...

 

[clockworx]

Wow--
what a fantastic experiment...

I figure its as good as any other....It would cool to take 10 strains and flower them real quick with a full root system and then snap new ones on and do it again.....really cool :)

 

[Confuten1]

heres what i did so far; these are 4 HellsAngelOG X Afghan. they had all been topped a week ago forcing the lower side branches to grow already.
#1 is the biggest with the best side branches, I left 1 extra bottom nodes branches so i can take them as clones a lil later.

#2 not as strong of side branching yet

#3

#4

Excited to c what comes of this, thanks again for the post @clockworx

confu

 

[clockworx]

@Confuten1 dude you should totally tape those containers up, light isn't good for roots, it stunts growth....nice tho

 

[Confuten1]

@clockworx , jus did it, they have been under low lights i did that on purpose to see the root development on them. the containers were hidden from the light due to the canopy, but not anymore due to the topping, hence me taping them up.
thanks for looking out.

confu

 

[geologic]

I just hope they still show sex while doing this so young..
I dont want to train a bunch of males like this

I think you should let a group go 'till they can be sexed, cull the males;
and prune the females all the way down back to the first node that has leaves with three leaflets.

I know this sounds like yer wasting a buncha grow time, but you'll find that that's not so; and you've got a lot of time to work with 'em. There's already secondary stems at that node, and the stalk and root system are much larger; and the new pair will take off like they're supercharged.

Let the new pair go ~4-6 nodes and do the same thing, take 'em all the way down; the new quad will jump like they're supercharged again.

Do it again for the third pruning with the doubled quads. I think this is in your time frame, but I don't know when you'll transplant. Give 'em a week before and after transplanting, then decide yer pruning program from there.

I'm sure you have the possibilities of some huge plants--
with huge amounts of huge Colas de Zorras...