Bending 101

[Jackalope]

I have become a firm believer in super cropping and bending my plants for better bushes. I just did most the plants in my new grow yesterday.The more I do this the more I am learning about it. I found something interesting when I did them.

I have noticed a lot of plants will have a week side. You can tell by the branches. One side will have shorter branches in lots of cases. Super Cropping plants helps them to start bushing out. I have been doing this for a couple weeks already. With each plant I looked it over real well and found the weak side and used it for the bent side. I trim branches and leaves from the side of the plant that is bent down. There is going to be plenty of branches so you don't need to save all the branches.

By doing this it helps open up plants. Those shorter branches would be well behind everything else anyway. All this abuse helps me to get lots of tops up in the canopy.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

I us super cropping as a means of maintaining an even canopy. All the while doubling or tripling fast growing colas. Scared me the first time I tried it but the results have sold me on it as a means of upping the harvest.

 

[Jackalope]

I know plants are supposed to make up for the main cola by sending energy elsewhere after topping them. I am not sure I totally agree with that. Main colas put out such a impressive amount of bud. If you can keep it, do it. Done properly I think you do better without taking the top off.

I also had a thought. I really should have included photos of what I was talking about. I have 2 plants that have been super cropped but I have not trimmed and bent them yet. I will get some picture and post them when I do it. This will also give me a chance to show how the plants react to it. Most plants have turned their heads up and have started bushing out more.

 

[Zincite]

Thanks for the post Jackalope, looking forward to those pics. always wanting to learn something.

 

[greenjeans]

Thanx Jack - I need to figure this out for this spring. While I have a crap load of stuff from about 7 plants of unknown origin - it is weak, I think, and I want to concentrate on four plants and produce better. Last year was an huge learning curve and I'm afraid it ain't over!!!

 

[Dwight Monk]

I seem to prefer the bending method more, though I do top and fim at times also, or just a combination of everything and fly by the seat of my pants kind of thing . I have found I seem to have less breakage or not having a "timber" moment and pull it out of the ground while bending if I support the plant main stem near bottom with one of my plant wires in the opposite direction of the bend.

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• Dwight Monk
• May 8, 2019

Sometimes it can vary from plant to plant (more so with different Strains) as you have to work with what they give you to a point also. May not be a good example, as I have one lady being a real freak currently (same Strain of one of my breeding experiments both germinated same day, but the taller one throwing out more than just preflowers so not sure what her "trip" is , and the short one not telling me what sex it is yet ). But sometimes some not a good candidate for bending as they want to be a short bush and don't give you much to work with far as bending goes.

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• Dwight Monk
• Jan 4, 2020

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• Dwight Monk
• Jan 4, 2020

But I'm one of them "I will quit learning at some point after I'm dead (if I figure out that I am dead)" types, and still kinda not anywhere near to having a "system" for any of this growing stuff after three years

 

[jaynewbie]

What's the benefit of super cropping? For some reason i did broke some branches by accident when taking out my plans out of the tent to feed and stick it with a tape. I checked online it stated what i did is similar to super cropping , is it?

 

[skirk]

I like to start early and often. Auto BlueBerry Domina

 

[jaynewbie]

I like to start early and often. Auto BlueBerry Domina

Does it boost the yield?

 

[skirk]

Does it boost the yield?

Exponentially. Same plant WK6 and 9

 

[bluenoserjoe]

This is super cropping. In this case three sets of nodes were exposed to the light along with the main cola. Within a week all four sites are reaching high. The branch, even this damaged will grow straight within that same period if not tied down. The main cola has to be lower then the exposed nodes so as to break the apex dominance. Only then will the growth at the exposed nodes try to take over, in essence creating four colas where there was one.

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• bluenoserjoe
• Dec 8, 2019

 

[Big juice]

Just go for it, get a good strain and have fun manipulating.

Day 18 veg

Day 29 veg

 

[Jackalope]

What's the benefit of super cropping? For some reason i did broke some branches by accident when taking out my plans out of the tent to feed and stick it with a tape. I checked online it stated what i did is similar to super cropping , is it?

The benefit of super cropping. (or pinching the stem near the top of the plant) is it promotes the plant to bush out with out taking the main cola off the plant like when topping it. It kind of does the same thing. Both redirect the energy of the plant from the central stem to the lower branches. Topping sends all the energy to the lower branches. Pinching tends to split it. The cola will continue to grow and the lower branches do also. Bending the plant will facilitate this even more.

All this helps the plant get as many growing tops into the canopy. This should increase production.

 

[jaynewbie]

The benefit of super cropping. (or pinching the stem near the top of the plant) is it promotes the plant to bush out with out taking the main cola off the plant like when topping it. It kind of does the same thing. Both redirect the energy of the plant from the central stem to the lower branches. Topping sends all the energy to the lower branches. Pinching tends to split it. The cola will continue to grow and the lower branches do also. Bending the plant will facilitate this even more.

All this helps the plant get as many growing tops into the canopy. This should increase production.

Should be done during veg, before flowering or?

So far i only learned LST, and still venturing into lollipopping.
This thread seems to be interesting, im going to start my second grow in few weeks times.

So , just pinch make it like bent like this below ( googled em for more info ) and that's all? Do i need to tie em or something?

 

[SmokingWings]

<cut out some stuff....>

So , just pinch make it like bent like this below ( googled em for more info ) and that's all? Do i need to tie em or something?

Good question.

I have noticed that if I bend them and do not tie them down the stem will start to straighten out. After a couple weeks it will be straight enough that sometimes the area in the stem where the bend is can be hard to find.

You can tie them down or hang a weight from the stem above the bend, your choice. I do one or the other, which ever makes me happy at the moment.

I do not let the area above the bend hang lower than horizontal. A couple of times I overdid the training bend and ended up having to set up something so the stem was tied up to keep the stem horizontal. Even those bends will sometimes heal to the point where the stem starts to straighten out.

Enjoy the day.

 

[Jackalope]

I do everything but lolloping in veg. Earlier the better really. By PINCHING I mean just that. One or 2 nodes below the top of the plant. Just pinch it between your fingers till you feel it snap. The more woody strains need a little more coxing and may need to be rolled between your fingers.

 

[Jackalope]

Here are a few pictures of the last 2 plants to be trimmed and bent. One was actually topped and started bushing out later. I am going to bend it and see what happens. First up is the topped Bag of Oranges.

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

This plant didn't really have a week side. Some of the branches on one side were a little smaller so I did that side.

Next up we have Clown Royal. All the other plants were topped from this strain. This one seemed to want to be bushy so I left it as is.

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

I did my best to show all the branches and leaves taken off the one side. I don't know how well they came out. The next few pictures will show why I do what I do. First off we will start with Super Silver Haze.

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

Sativa's almost always respond well to this treatment. In the end all plants and strains act a little different. Next up is the other Bag of Oranges. This plant bushed out so well it is the reason I did the last BOO.

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

I really like this plant. It is growing and bushing or perfectly.

This final photo will show just how many growing tops you can create by using this method. these pictures are before and after. There was less than a week between pictures

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• Jackalope
• Dec 30, 2019

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• Jackalope
• Jan 6, 2020

 

[Jackalope]

I noticed something interesting yesterday when bending Clown Royal. Right at the top where I bent it. It is has started showing polyplodal tendencies. You can see where it went to 3 sets of leaves at the top after only having 2 up to that point.

 

[Zincite]

Big difference between before and after, in just a week. I for sure will be trying this.
Thanks,
cheers

 

[Jackalope]

I guess I should add. The pictures I added of the 2 plants that had been bent for a few days. Responded really well to what I was doing. Not all plants respond as well. Plus it is a little different when it comes to staking plants. I find my main support ends up on the side of the pot and not the middle.

One thing different this time. I am doing everything while most plants are still in 1 gallon pots. I am hoping that the smaller pot will keep the plants from spreading out to wide and still have plenty of branches in the canopy. A open structure gets lots of light to the lower buds. Some of my plants last grow were spread wider than they needed to be. We will see if this helps or does nothing at all.