I can't stop mainlining (Manifold first timer)

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I don't think you are gonna blow this. But you can do too much to the plants. At this point, since you have started the flower phase, LEAVE THEM ALONE, DON'T CUT ANYMORE. Im not yelling just trying to be emphatic. Let them do their thing at this point. I wouldn't supercrop or anything. let them go for about a week or 2 and then once you have more growth, you can see just what you have going on, you can decide then if it will best serve you to BEND NOT SUPERCROP them at that point. Supercropping is a high stress training method that should only be done before flowering begins so to not over stress the plants. Bending is a low stress training method that the plants will tolerate without stressing.

But at this point, you may find that even bending them will not serve you. BUT you need to wait a week at least to see how much they grow. Once you flip the lights for flowering, they will continue to grow (and stretch) for 2 weeks before they fully switch over to flowering. Even after the full switch to flowering within the plant, the bud branches will still continue to grow for another week or so. After a couple weeks, you will be able to fully see what the plant is going to do and then you can decide if it should just go as it is or have the branches spread out.

OKAY, I won't touch nuthin'
except I'll be trying to get a ramp going in the meantime but over in my grow thread, I'll pop back here with pictures in a week.

I didn't know that about supercropping, I've done that in flower when they get too close to the lamp. Dam.
 
Supercropping can be done late in flower. I have had to do that myself. While it is a stress to the plant when done anytime in flower, I think it is far less of a problem when done some in late flower as the plant has grown closer to senescence where the stress is less and has less potential to cause problems. It also depends a lot on the genetic strength of the plant. I've had plants that would stand up to anything short of a lawnmower without Herming, but I have also had plants that hermed as soon as I flipped the light schedule.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised in about 10 days when you see the amount of growth.
 
Supercropping can be done late in flower. I have had to do that myself. While it is a stress to the plant when done anytime in flower, I think it is far less of a problem when done some in late flower as the plant has grown closer to senescence where the stress is less and has less potential to cause problems. It also depends a lot on the genetic strength of the plant. I've had plants that would stand up to anything short of a lawnmower without Herming, but I have also had plants that hermed as soon as I flipped the light schedule.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised in about 10 days when you see the amount of growth.

Supercropping can be done in flower IF YOU CHECK WITH HUSHPUPPY FIRST! haha GREAT! I'm glad to know it's still an option, I AM ALREADY amazed at the growth but I'm the guy that shocks his plants all the time so ANY growth really shows :)
 
Right:clap::ccc: Now you understand :aok: :laugh: :headbang2:

The truth is that with many things involving grow methods, there isn't a one answer fits all. In some situations, a method that works great, will not work worth a crap in other situations. Go figure right :doh:
 
Right:clap::ccc: Now you understand :aok: :laugh: :headbang2:

The truth is that with many things involving grow methods, there isn't a one answer fits all. In some situations, a method that works great, will not work worth a crap in other situations. Go figure right :doh:

I just had another look down there and those 8 cola sites look simply VIBRANT...okay, okay, you be the captain, I'll man the oars.

Contradictions? Indeed. That's the horse I rode in on, a myth buster thread whining about contradictions. I guess that's what makes it farming.
I like landscaping and yard work, but I'm no farmer
yet
 
I hear ya :) The bad thing here though is by the time you get it all down and get to the harvest and get to smoke your own fruits, it'll be too late for you... You will be totally addicted to "farming" :D
 
This is day 10 of flower. I moved the light up, that looks like more than 24" but it's the angle.
I seem to have a ramp going but I'm topping up with pH'd water to coax it along so I'm confusing things but the ppms are moving now and they are still drinking (about qt a day ea)
But I'm thinking I'm screwed now. There's no room for upward growth if I want to maintain that 2 feet.
Maybe not a super crop, but a bend horizontal as close to 90 as I dare for each cola ???

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Absolutely... tie off each branch and remove the tie that is holding it all up in the center. Then pull each branch gently away from the center but only until it gets pretty resistant, then leave it at that point for about 3 days. Then go back in and pull them down just a little more to open them up further. After about 3x of doing that, the branches should be at about a 30-45 degree angle from horizontal. Then as the branches grow out and up, you can tie them up higher and pull them over as well. They will be softer so it will become easier to pull them over to tie so that they are nearly horizontal. At the same time, you can snip off some of the biggest leaves (but not the tiny branch growth at the nodes of the leaves) from the lower parts of each branch but leave the top 2 nodes of leaves on each branch. This will encourage secondary branch growth which will become more bud towers.
 
Absolutely... tie off each branch and remove the tie that is holding it all up in the center. Then pull each branch gently away from the center but only until it gets pretty resistant, then leave it at that point for about 3 days. Then go back in and pull them down just a little more to open them up further. After about 3x of doing that, the branches should be at about a 30-45 degree angle from horizontal. Then as the branches grow out and up, you can tie them up higher and pull them over as well. They will be softer so it will become easier to pull them over to tie so that they are nearly horizontal. At the same time, you can snip off some of the biggest leaves (but not the tiny branch growth at the nodes of the leaves) from the lower parts of each branch but leave the top 2 nodes of leaves on each branch. This will encourage secondary branch growth which will become more bud towers.

Phew! I figured all my mentors were busy, thanks HP. I should have mentioned that the coverage is 3 x 5 at 2 feet. My canopy is at the max area now... if I remove that tie, they'll splay outside the pattern.... am I trying to bend them back towards the inside again?
I'll get some shots.
 
I should have asked what you meant about tieing off each branch.... I just removed the band on each of them and they splayed a bit so I tried a gentle bend and almost lost one. (looks like I'm supercropping one cola branch whether I like it or not)
I thought you meant to tie each one to the ceiling at about 24 " and start a slow bend from there. If I tie off at the ceiling, I risk the branch flopping over at the tie point. They're not as strong as I thought, what about this?

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I hardly slept worrying about them falling. All not too bad this am but I strung up a grid anyways.
The pictures are crummy but there is a cola branch 'taped' in each corner
and you can see where I almost lost a branch but I think it'll recover.
I probably should have waited but I did it while they were sleeping,
that's why they look listless I think, I'm not touching nuthin' until they firm up.

Oh, and I'm glad I have a res but I can't check my roots :-(

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Hmm that is a problem. They didn't look that weak in the pics. They looked a lot stiffer. Creating a string grid to support them is probably the best idea. I didn't realize that you are in hydro when I was thinking you could tie them. I was saying to tie them to the floor to bend them over but in your case that won't work. if you create a string/wire grid to support the branches, can you still access the buckets to change your water out?
 
Hmm that is a problem. They didn't look that weak in the pics. They looked a lot stiffer. Creating a string grid to support them is probably the best idea. I didn't realize that you are in hydro when I was thinking you could tie them. I was saying to tie them to the floor to bend them over but in your case that won't work. if you create a string/wire grid to support the branches, can you still access the buckets to change your water out?

yup, I learn everything the hard way.
It's the leverage with all that useless length. Testing, I bent one almost to 90 easily as it was such a long gentle bend but it almost broke after that just with the swaying loose so I figured they need the support.

4 of 8 are about 6 inches above the grid, and the plan is to fold over and tie to the grid but the branches will still get too close to the light....
I didn't allow for growth at the canopy, it's 24" from LED now
and I'll get all these branches heading up, sigh
yup, I learn everything the hard way.

2 plants, 2 buckets and a res, I just don't get to see the roots.

they drink like crazy but eat very, very little. they must be getting everything from the LED, amazing

can I cut those huge lower fans or will they help?
 
I'm topping up with pH'd water to coax it along so I'm confusing things

Naw, if you're topping with water around 6.3/6.4 then you're doing exactly what you're doing as PART of the ramp :) Topping off with fresh water every single day (I do it two times a day) is essential to hydro, and a proper hydro ramp!

Also, once those plants start eating you'll surely notice, hah. Another thing to note, and this isn't proper but.. maybe it'll put your mind at ease. I can't see my roots in some of my systems, and honestly, after a root zone is established you don't really "need" to see them. I know, you're pyth scared lol!! Funny, I have never gotten that issue...

can I cut those huge lower fans or will they help?

Personally, I'd leave everything alone for now. Normally I'd say "yes, remove a couple of those lowers" and surely it'd be fine.. but not being there, and noticing some super cropping heading into flower, I would say hold off on removal. You did a great job prepping it along. :aok:
 
I agree with everything DGF said. Supercropping them just accidentally may be your only choice at this point but you will have to be extra careful to not break any. It will stress them some but that doesn't automatically mean that they will herm.

I quit looking at the roots of my plants when I set them in the flower space because they set in the totes under the scrog. So I don't see them for 9-11wks. If you make sure to do everything right on the outside, then they will be fine on the inside. :)
 
Much obliged, gents.
They're not doing what I expected. I thought this manifold thing would be perfect for LEDs as I was finding the inter node spacing much closer than I'd ever gotten before.
Surprise, surprise, huge distance between nodes and I'm at my max height already.
If I lay down (horizontal) my 8 cola branches will they form 8 colas
or will I get dozens of branches starting up to the light.

Anyways, I'm lowering that grid and will try and lay them down, only one broke on me and I wasn't trying to supercrop, no prep, I think they'll bend okay, the gangly freaks :)
 
Naw, if you're topping with water around 6.3/6.4 then you're doing exactly what you're doing as PART of the ramp :) Topping off with fresh water every single day (I do it two times a day) is essential to hydro, and a proper hydro ramp!

snipped :aok:

greetings Doc,
why 6.3 / 6.4 ? are you coaxing it up from 5.6 ?
my ramp went backwards, I've changed nutes
so starting at 5.6 this time
mine don't really eat, they drink about 2qts a day though
do we need nutes with LEDs?
(I'm half serious about that, why am I adding nutes if the ppm doesn't change?)
 
I agree with everything DGF said. Supercropping them just accidentally may be your only choice at this point but you will have to be extra careful to not break any. It will stress them some but that doesn't automatically mean that they will herm.

I quit looking at the roots of my plants when I set them in the flower space because they set in the totes under the scrog. So I don't see them for 9-11wks. If you make sure to do everything right on the outside, then they will be fine on the inside. :)

Ho boy, did you ever rattle me with 'herm', yes, a huge concern now
and I'm lowering the grid and picking on them again tonight!
(maybe they'll like the new nutes and won't notice the chiropractory)
 
HP I have super cropped all the way up to three weeks into bloom w/o significant weight loss. The problem is his level of finesse, we could easily pull it off but asking him to make that kind of move is risky at best. imho just trying to get the mains supported now should be his main concern. Not meaning to butt in, just giving my angle.
 
HP I have super cropped all the way up to three weeks into bloom w/o significant weight loss. The problem is his level of finesse, we could easily pull it off but asking him to make that kind of move is risky at best. imho just trying to get the mains supported now should be his main concern. Not meaning to butt in, just giving my angle.

Hi Kraven. butt in anytime!
Supported and bent over. And yes, finese is a concern but I don't have any choice now. I broke another one :-( but the other 6 are bent almost 90 okay.
I reset the res, they didn't drink a bit overnight

Once those two elbows stiffen up, I'll try and arrange them better,
pretty ugly in there right now
but some headroom
shoot, sorry about that sideways one,

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