Mainlining - how many nodes before flip?

[Misanthrope]

I'm not new to mainlining or manifolding, I've got the topping/training down cold. Despite this, I can't get the big donkey dicks I see others achieving. I think I've been flipping them too early because space was a concern and I was worried about the stretch. I've got a bigger tent now and can let them veg as long as I want. How tall should the tops be before going to 12/12 or more specifically, how many nodes since height can vary so much from strain to strain.

 

[Imzzaudae]

If you want big bud . Get big bud seed like Baba Kush and give the plants time to grow big in huge pots. If you want big buds it takes big plants to make them and they need time to grow big. Don't hurry them along.

 

[growsince79]

I'm not new to mainlining or manifolding, I've got the topping/training down cold. Despite this, I can't get the big donkey dicks I see others achieving. I think I've been flipping them too early because space was a concern and I was worried about the stretch. I've got a bigger tent now and can let them veg as long as I want. How tall should the tops be before going to 12/12 or more specifically, how many nodes since height can vary so much from strain to strain.

With the right strain you can get baseball bat size colas on 3' plants. When to flip depends on strain. What do you have-pics?

 

[Misanthrope]

Not the best pics but here's an example. First pic just before the flip, second just before the chop.
Strawberry Banana (Canuk)
5 gallon sub irrigated planter with 70/30 coco/perlite
Fed Lucas Fornula for veg plus 1mL/L KoolBloom and 3mL/L of Sticky Bandit (sweetener) during flowering
pH 5.8-6.0 ec ~1.7

Vegged for 10 weeks, had some severe pH issues early on that cost me at least 3 weeks growth. I got some very nice bud in the end but only 35g.

 

[Dub_City405]

You want big buds. Veg for a little longer. And on day 21 of flower clean up the plant besides the top 3 nodes on each branch. You'll have something nice.

 

[growsince79]

Not the best pics but here's an example. First pic just before the flip, second just before the chop.
Strawberry Banana (Canuk)
5 gallon sub irrigated planter with 70/30 coco/perlite
Fed Lucas Fornula for veg plus 1mL/L KoolBloom and 3mL/L of Sticky Bandit (sweetener) during flowering
pH 5.8-6.0 ec ~1.7

Vegged for 10 weeks, had some severe pH issues early on that cost me at least 3 weeks growth. I got some very nice bud in the end but only 35g.

Those heavy fast blooming indicas are going to need more nodes at flip, whereas later flowering sativa cross might flip at 3 weeks and make giant colas. These plants flipped 17 days from sprout.

 

[Saron_Grass]

I'm not new to mainlining or manifolding, I've got the topping/training down cold. Despite this, I can't get the big donkey dicks I see others achieving. I think I've been flipping them too early because space was a concern and I was worried about the stretch. I've got a bigger tent now and can let them veg as long as I want. How tall should the tops be before going to 12/12 or more specifically, how many nodes since height can vary so much from strain to strain.

I am on my second grow and am trying to mainline as well did you ever find a good answer for this? I am having the same exact question. If I keep removing growth lower than the top there will be nothing except the little tiny top at the end of each stem. How many nodes did you flip at and how did it work out/ what would you change?

 

[greentomatoes2025]

Also interested to hear some feedback on this!

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

Certainly, as others have mentioned, the strain has a lot to do with the growth of the plant. Additionally, the lighting and stretch matter. My approach, however, has simply to grow healthy plants.