Afternoon GC! I started a grow journal but I haven't been getting many replies so I'm trying this thread. So I got my ladies in about 1-gallon sized pots; the bottom specifies the size but not the units (210 x 230 x 175). I got them potted in some nice Happy Frog, about to give them some FoxFarm Grow BIG soon (1st nutes), and they are doing great! Question is, though, when they get root bound, will they grow branches outward rather than just continuing to grow taller? If yes, how can I get them bushier? Any comments greatly appreciated
They will grow taller but u can top them which makes them bushier Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
well if topping can help then will fimming also do the trick? i've topped before but never fimmed, just curious. and while im asking is there an appropriate age limit / size to do it? i actually just took them out of the dark to put them in some nice early morning sun and the first nodes are already showing new growth, so they'll get their branches in no time appreciate the feedback my friend.
FIMing is great, it's usually done before the 5th node Also just follow the rule of thumb of one gallon per foot, and you don't need to worry about rootbound. Therefore in a 1 gallon container you could have a 2 foot plant. Because plants stretch 2-3x when you switch to flower you'll want to switch soon unless you plan to transplant. Hth! on my second grow: 1000W Coco Sour Diesel SCROG http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1255714-1000W-Coco-Sour-Diesel-SCROG
So would you prefer the FIM method or topping? I know thats a debate thats been discussed for a while just looking for a personal opinion. Gonna post some questionable 'new growth' in a sec
FIMing makes 4 colas and topping makes 2. Also FIMing doesn't involve more serious stem cutting. I personally like fimming on my second grow: 1000W Coco Sour Diesel SCROG http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1255714-1000W-Coco-Sour-Diesel-SCROG
excuse my newbness, i just joined the site and am figuring everything out. ANYWAY, thsat red circle....new growth? maybe?
Well I have 5 plants so I have room to experiment. Just to clarify, to FIM you gotta cut the new top growth not completly off but close to the bottom, correct?
In my experience the plants will do the opposite when root bound. Side branching will be nearly non existent, while the only growth (slow as it may be) will be vertical. Whenever I transplant seedlings/clones to a larger container they always start side branching a whole lot more because of the extra root space is. That red circle is new growth, however that is the very first node, which is going to the absolute slowest to branch outwards. I typically remove those later on in veg when I get ready to transplant again for flowering. But yes what you are looking at is the tops of the first node's side branches.
yea that is new growth but, dont pinch it off way down there. I dont top myself, I tie stuff down. just bend it over and tie it down.
I prefer fimming, mixed with some heavy training. Different plants respond differently to different stimuli, So find what works FOR THE PLANT not for you. knives heated dull red release sweet smoky nectar I am lifted high
I totally get that. Something about 'cutting' the little girl you grew from a seed just seems a little wrong. Don't have kids but maybe I'll feel that way about circumcsion? haha! no but really I may tie down. I am planning to transplant and if i have tied down plants will it be harder? you know I've had the same experience before. i grew in 5 gallon pots and holy motha did they grow tall but not outwards. ended up looking like big sticks. time after that tho I popped in the ground where they weren't bound and they ended up being pretty bush, but nearly compared to a blue rhino plant my friend had. it was in the same gallon pots i got going, but this was a MONSTER. he said his dad swore to god he crushed up mens vitamin pills and fed it to the plant and THAT was the trick....but idk about that. i mean this thing was small but a 70's style pornstar BUSH
Low stress training is when you take a piece of string, or a twist tie or something along those lines, and then you tie it around a branch on one side, and anchor it down with the other. The goal of this is to pull the actual top of the plan below the growth nodes that are underneath it. The way the plant decides on the 'top' is based on it's height relative to itself so if you change which growth tips are the tallest then they will get more of the resources when it comes to growth. Keep up with the training every few days to keep the growth uniform, but it's really quite simple and very effective. Here's an example of some effective low stress training I did on an LA Confidential plant I grew last year: Beginning of training: a couple weeks later (in 12/12 as well, note the lack of stretching vertically but more filling in as a bush):
my GOD man, is that one plant??? THATS what I want. do you know what size pot that is cuz it looks like a 5 gal or so. and with the LST, you mentioned doing it to the branches, but the goal is to lower the actual TOP of the plant? not to the ground but just below its max height? I just want to be sure I understand because that seems like a way more efective way to grow opposed to topping, fimming or even tying down.
Yeah that's one plant, that one was in a 10 gallon container. But yeah pretty much, you just want to lower the growth top below the where you want your growth to be redistributed. Usually I have the branches tied and bent in a sort of way so that the top and the highest set of fan leaves are just below the lowest growth node on that same branch. It's going to expand the horizontal growth a lot, but it makes very efficient use of the space, and is extra useful when you are working with restricted space. (I have a 5'x4'x2' grow tent, so with light, buffer space, container etc, I have about 2.5-3' vertically of actual plant growing space to take advantage.) To be more clear I probably should have included a before tying picture with the first example, but unfortunately looking back through my folders I don't have any pictures between the time that it was around 7-8" tall to when I did the training after 40-60 days of veg.
That is tying down. And if you fim, or top,(especially on multiple branches ) you'll have a shit ton of colas, most of which will be uniform in growth. Fimmed my outdoor fruitylicous a handful of times and had a rediculous amount of tops, and had way better yield than any other plant, like more than double. knives heated dull red release sweet smoky nectar I am lifted high