Mainlining & LST Help

[TripleCchronic]

I'm doing my first grow ever and am attempting to do mainlining. After topping I'm having an issue with the LST. I feel like I'm being gentle but I keep getting a little bit of splitting at the joint. How can I avoid doing this in the future and is the split you can see in the picture bad? Will it cause me trouble in the future when the Busby can heavier? Any information you can give me to help me Mainline better would be much appreciated.

 

[Listersmeghead]

I'm doing my first grow ever and am attempting to do mainlining. After topping I'm having an issue with the LST. I feel like I'm being gentle but I keep getting a little bit of splitting at the joint. How can I avoid doing this in the future and is the split you can see in the picture bad? Will it cause me trouble in the future when the Busby can heavier? Any information you can give me to help me Mainline better would be much appreciated.

Have a look for a 420 member called light addict he's an active member here, also a master of training.

 

[Modest Grower]

That split doesn't look to bad. They grow back solid. Try and bend them a little bit at a time and tie them down when you reach the limit. I have found some strains are much more flexible than others. I also have heard of people using silica or something like that to help with flexibility and strength but I have not used it.

 

[Canadadoes]

My quadline was splitting like that, healed up no problem. Nice and healthy. Yours will do the same! Goodluck my friend!

 

[pr3tti]

Change your technique when LST'ing. Support the stem against the LST in the middle of the stem with a plant wire.

 

[Canadadoes]

Change your technique when LST'ing. Support the stem against the LST in the middle of the stem with a plant wire.

that was a little confusing to me, can you elaborate?

 

[skirk]

I'm doing my first grow ever and am attempting to do mainlining. After topping I'm having an issue with the LST. I feel like I'm being gentle but I keep getting a little bit of splitting at the joint. How can I avoid doing this in the future and is the split you can see in the picture bad? Will it cause me trouble in the future when the Busby can heavier? Any information you can give me to help me Mainline better would be much appreciated.

I reckon it's kinda like training the wife. You can't just put her ankles behind her ears all at once. Gradual increases of pressure are required. Equal and opposite, that kind of stuff.

 

[pr3tti]

when you bend the branch it creates a "lever-action" at the stem joint right? So you need to raise that "lever-action" so the force is acting higher up on the stem. Shorter-lever = less force on joint. You can do this by using a plant wire to hold the joint back while you LST the other way. Sorry I can't really explain this properly I'm too high.

 

[TripleCchronic]

I think were im running into trouble is Im nervous starting the LST to early but want the branches super flat and wait to long making them to stiff to bend as much as I want.

 

[MrGreenweed]

I'm doing my first grow ever and am attempting to do mainlining. After topping I'm having an issue with the LST. I feel like I'm being gentle but I keep getting a little bit of splitting at the joint. How can I avoid doing this in the future and is the split you can see in the picture bad? Will it cause me trouble in the future when the Busby can heavier? Any information you can give me to help me Mainline better would be much appreciated.

Like modest grower said, she is good easy on the LST until she heals, she be fine!!

 

[SmokingWings]

I think were im running into trouble is Im nervous starting the LST to early but want the branches super flat and wait to long making them to stiff to bend as much as I want.

It is easy to do. No need to worry about most stems under the thickness of a pencil or even a bit thinner.

Figure out where you want the bend to be. Grip just below that spot with the forefinger and thumb of your left hand. Grip just above that spot with the forefinger and thumb of your right hand. Slowly twist the stem one way and then the other way. Twist back and forth, each time going a bit further. If you are lucky you will feel the stem crack a little bit. It is just something you feel as the woody tissue in the stem breaks a little bit.

Now slowly and steadily bend the stem until it is horizontal. Let go, it might spring back up a little ways. That is OK. It might fall even more and that is usually OK. This is the time when some growers will tie the branch down to the edge of the pot. Or, they will just add some weight to hold the branch horizontal. If you do not do something that part that was bent down will start, almost overnight, to straighten out again.


In the photo below disregard the notes as to when I did this twisting. I made the notes when I used the photo for another message several months ago. You can see in the photo that even a week later there was no permanent problem with the stem. A week later I did the other stem that says it was done yesterday. Sometimes when I do this sort of bending a split is show in the thin bark of the stem in the center of the area of the bend itself. No need to panic, it will heal up. The bend marked yesterday did this and you can see the split or crack in the bark in the second photo. The plant took a lickin' and kept on tickin' without missing a beat. Anyway, check the second photo. Hope this helps.

Good luck..