Nimer's First Grow

[Guest weekprik]

supercropping is BS yeah more sites etc but the same dry bud at the end.

[Buster]

Nimer,

I have 2 plants growing ATM, one of them has been topped and one of them has been trained by using the low stress tying down technique that Mick666 has mentioned.

 

The topped one is noticably smaller in main stem size and in over all growth than the trained one. IMO the time it took for the plant to get over being topped was the cause of this.

 

I have read that when you top a plant you are removing the growth hormone that's in the growing tip and the plant takes time to build it back up again and continue growing. When you bend the main stem over and train you are keeping the growth hormone in the plant so it can travel to the new growing shoots straight away and continue growing and causing less overall stress to the plant.

 

 

Buster.

[hydrodude]

COuld you please explain your method buster:-D excatly what u did with pics if possible. Would that be alright ;-) I am now convienced that i am not topping my plants thank you case settled. Now to train them BTW the only reason i am doing this is for more buds not because of room. I have like a 6foot cieling. Does training still apply to me?

[Buster]

I did it because of height restrictions and just to experiment and see the differences between styles. Don't get me wrong, I may still top a plant in the future but I do think it adds time to the veg period.

 

I haven't really got to many clear pictures that would help you to understand the process so I'll try to explain as best I can.

 

When the plant gets to around 6 inches you bend the top growing tip over so it's at an angle of around 90' to the main stem and tie with garden twine to the pot so it's held in place. The plant growth then slows in the tip you have bent over and puts it's energy into the next growing shoots below the bend. Be careful not to snap the stem when training it over, you shouldn't have a problem as the plant is young so will be very supple but if you have trouble then don't force it, just bend it as far as you can then day by day you can bend it slightly more.

 

When the new growing shoots get to a size where they are supple enough to be tied down you can pull them out from the main stem slightly and tie them to the pot so as to enable light to penetrate through the plant and promote new growth.

 

Keep doing the same thing with the new growing shoots and you'll end up with a short but very bushy plant with loads of smaller tips/bud sites.

 

I hope that made sense, let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

Buster.

[hydrodude]

SO if i lett em grow Straight up do u think my yield will be diminished? or is it better to let em shoot for the sky? i dont want 1 biug bud up top i want like 5 medium ones.

 

Thanx buster

[Buster]

I don't think your yeild will be diminished but if you can open up the canopy and let light access areas which it otherwise wouldn't be able then it can only have good effects

 

I've included a pic. You might'nt be able to see it for the angle of the photo but the one on the right was topped and the one on the left was tied down. The one on the right has got 2 yellow pages under it to bring it up to the same height as the one on the left so the light is at the same distance for both. The main stem and branches are all thicker on the left plant.

 

 

Buster.

Edited May 28, 2003 by Buster

[Mick666]

Another good thing about tieing like Smokinravs idea is the main female hormones (something like that) is at the top which is why its best to take clones from the top of your plants... when you tie the main stem horizontal like mine it spreads the hormones evenly thru all the bud sites... I'll hopefully have some pics soon just waiting for lazy mate to come over with digicam hopefully before the weekend...

 

Mick.

[hydrodude]

Buster what do u think your plants would have done had they not been tied/topped??

[Buster]

Seeing as my plants are a sativa dominant cross I think if I hadn't of tied down/topped then they would've shot through the roof by now! As I said earlier I had height restrictions when I began this grow so that was my main reason for it. Now that the stretch has slowed, they are about 2.5 ft from the medium but they would have been nearer 4 -5 ft without training I guess.

 

 

Buster.

[hydrodude]

alright thatnx mate :-) i will do it to one in particular it is twice as big as all the others :-) i might move it off the milk crates and into a bigger container.