Justones
Well-Known Member
Is it common place to use any cages (like tomato) or supports on some of the braches/limbs? If it's hit the beginning of flowering isn't pruning a bad thing now? So maybe support what looks weak before it buds?
Cages or supports ever used?
It is very common to support branches when in bloom (inside or outside).
I use the 54" tomato cages for smaller plants and am currently using 8' stakes for the taller girls (not crazy about that setup).
Do what you gotta do to keep the branches from breaking or dragging down.
I use the 54" tomato cages for smaller plants and am currently using 8' stakes for the taller girls (not crazy about that setup).
Do what you gotta do to keep the branches from breaking or dragging down.
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Justones
Well-Known Member
Thank you Major for the input
Ganja God 420
New Member
I would recommend using a trellising net to support your bud sites. they should support more weight than a tomato cage.
Oldbear
Well-Known Member
A good support option is fencing wire. When formed into a column, you have horizontal supports every 6 inches.
Next year I'm going with remesh (rebar mat for concrete slabs) held by a PVC pipe frame. The mesh is cheap and comes in 4'x8' sheets. Cut each one in half and zip tie it to the frame. You can make it any height you like, and even make it adjustable or into a double decker.
Oldbear
Well-Known Member
Wire fencing works well too
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Justones
Well-Known Member
Excellent option
I agree, if you already have some, it will provide excellent support for smaller plants. I tried it and have rolls of it, but it is not tall enough to do much more than the tomato cages. The kind most often found here has smaller openings at the bottom and gets larger at the top. It is also heavy and expensive to buy since it comes in large rolls. Those are the reasons I will to go with horizontal remesh on a frame next time.
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Justones
Well-Known Member
Living on a farm so there was a roll of that exact wire ready to trim & use. I was just curious if it's common place to support them. Or maybe I did bad trimming. They seem to stretch & go so fast it's hard to keep them small & bushy.
Even if you trim them to keep them bushy and lower, they usually need support. When trimmed to keep height down, most hybrids will tend to grow outward. Because the branches then end up more horizontal, they are MORE likely to need support as the buds or rain weigh them down.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Usually at about 4 weeks my branches get too heavy to stay upright and I start moving bamboo plant stakes into place to hold up the first sagging branches along with some of that green gardening tape. Some very viney plants end up getting several stakes before I move to the next step.
I have a method that works well for me using office binder clips on each end of a 3 or 4 foot piece of string. One binder goes on a solidly placed plant stake, and then I carefully wind the string around the outside of the plant, providing vertical support for all the sagging outer branches and greatly reducing the footprint of each of my plants in the tent. When I am done, every top bud has access to the light and the support that it needs to swell up to its full capacity.
Usually around the 7th week or so, a bit of adjustment is needed, but it is simple to do and usually just involves moving the string a bit to grab an unruly branch that has gotten away. If find this method to be quick, cheap and easy, and then easily removed and used again on the next plant.
I have a method that works well for me using office binder clips on each end of a 3 or 4 foot piece of string. One binder goes on a solidly placed plant stake, and then I carefully wind the string around the outside of the plant, providing vertical support for all the sagging outer branches and greatly reducing the footprint of each of my plants in the tent. When I am done, every top bud has access to the light and the support that it needs to swell up to its full capacity.
Usually around the 7th week or so, a bit of adjustment is needed, but it is simple to do and usually just involves moving the string a bit to grab an unruly branch that has gotten away. If find this method to be quick, cheap and easy, and then easily removed and used again on the next plant.
Oldbear
Well-Known Member
Hi Major P - so here we can get remesh in 50 ft roll or 4 x 8 sheets. The 4 x 8s will you attach multiple panels into a column, or a square or something else?
My plan (so far) is to cut a 4/8 sheet in half. Attach it to a Schedule 40 PVC frame and lay it flat/horizontally, like a ScroG but up on legs about 6 feet so I can get under it easily to water, etc. My plants don't need much in the way of support until they get above that height. I figure I can train the branches to go into any of the 6"x6" holes and that will provide enough support until they hit 9'-10'.
I prefer not to have cages surrounding the plants. I find it makes it more difficult to water, prune, spray, inspect, etc.
I'm also considering a double decker ScroG with the first level at 4'-5' and the next up around 8' for any Sativas I end up with next year.
Oldbear
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the explanation.
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