How should I start training my plant? It was topped yesterday. I have watched youtube videos and the one that looks easiest is tying down the main stem and top branches at 12 o'clock for 2 days, then at 3pm for 2 days, 6pm, 9pm and back to 12. Keep changing every 2 days. This way the mid to low nodes will get more light. Attached image showing pulling it down at 9pm. I have also seen super cropping the main stem, bending/cracking it 90 degrees at the lowest node but not confident I can do this without killing the plant.
The mid to low leaves and auxiliary buds (that are quite small now on nodes 2 & 3) would get an extra 100-200ppfd by bending the top a little. Still no advantage doing this?
It really depends on what your final flower format is supposed to look like. I do pretty generic scrogging and my plants are usually bent at about a 90 and tied off once. Then by the time flower is kicking into gear all the lower branches and the main cola end up evened out in the screen through more training. I wouldn't keep changing the direction or do anything extreme. I don't see any advantage to that. I'd tie it off as best as safely possible in one direction and see how the top and side branching responds. Try to keep everything even and spreading out. The key to LST is to do it early enough and often enough that you're not at risk of snapping stems. It's one of the reasons I actually don't use an oscillating fan in the canopy during veg. I like my stems to be mailable because they get additional support from a screen.
you need to top that thing ASAP bending wont do anything or else you will end up with the Christmas tree effect your nodes are way far apart
Based on how the main stem looks, trying to bend that now will most certainly snap it. That is some serious internodal spacing, what are you using for a light?
I am using full spectrum led and it's very close to the canopy. So, that spacing maybe due to some other reason, not sure what. What would you do in my shoes?
Well you topped them, so that's good, that will stop most vertical growth of the main stem. Basically once the 2 main tops starting growing longer, you can bend those down at 90 degree angles to allow the lower branches to match the height of the main tops. From there on out it's all about just keeping the canopy as even as you can.
You can see how the 2 mains have a slight bend to them. I had them tied down at 90 degrees until the secondary branches started getting taller, I then took the ties off to allow the mains to bend up to what you see in the photo. This is a white label CBD purple freebie. The internodal spacing is terrible and the plant won't yield a large amount, but that's what experiments are for.
Those the bends you talking about in the photo? What are secondary branches? All the branches under the 2 mains, until below?
Yes, where the red arrows are, are the bends I was referring to. Yes, the secondary branches are everything below the mains.
Yes, I figured. Doesn't really matter much when talking about internodal spacing/bud structure. The plant I have that has the same structure as yours just happens to be an auto is all.
okay, clear now. Can I achieve something like in the photo? I wanted to top the main tops 2 more times. Can I still do this if pulled it down 90 degrees? Also, I am thinking about topping the secondary branches.
I wouldn't keep changing the direction or do anything extreme. I don't see any advantage to that. I'd tie it off as best as safely possible in one direction and see how the top and side branching responds. >> Tie what off? The main stem? >> Side branches? All branches on the stem except the topmost one? Try to keep everything even and spreading out. >>How would you do this if not using scrog? Thank you.