The benefits of stem "super cropping", "knuckling", "elbowing"?

rubanug

New Member
I looked but cant find any topics on this method "super cropping" of creating a higher yield.

Doing this method is on the stem right below the bud sites(1inch or 2 down) and can be done more than once on a single stem no less than 2inches apart, like on stress points. you can even do this on the main stem. This is done by "delicately" squeezing the stem between thumb and index finger just enough to crack some fibers. and in a few days noticing a "knuckle", "ball" like formation. Some may flop and have to be tied up vertically. This happened to me but most were still supported on their own. All recovered and later in flower all seemed to become more robust.
I heard it's supposed to push some kind of healing hormone? to the pinched stem and this extra dose of hormone and nutes intake increases bud production. This is also supposed to produce a more sturdier stem and strengthens the stem for better support throughout flower.

I have tried this on two separate grows and strains and seemed to work in bud size on both(compared to others that weren't knuckled). I did this in the beginning of flower(wene stems are easily bendable and recoverable). "depending on strain" some are more fibrous than others, i know this cause on my second try on a more Indica dominate strain, it was more tomato, succulent stem like(easily snapable) and needed to take a more delicate pinch than the tougher more fibrous one i did on my first try. I learned this the hard way, one site snapped, but nothing a little tape couldn't solve and it continued after the shock(a week) and was by no means lacked in production in the end just delayed a bit. But this is not the method because only pinching not snapping would recover shock in a few days, not a week or more. Also noticing the "knuckle" formation getting fatter along with the buds throughout the flower.

If trying this and you can tell or have a bad vibe about it, that it's delicate(succulent, soft like stem) or tried one and it snaps "STOP"!

As i am no expert on this method and is all from personal experience, constructive criticism is welcomed. I want to know if i should continue this method as i know little about it. "Please no theories"! I only want experienced knowledgeable people that have done this as a practice or studied it to reply.
Any knuckle pics would be great!

My questions:
1)Does "knuckling stress","Healing hormone?" increase yield?
2)Does it, in fact, make the stem more durable?
3)Besides shock recovery and possibly detaching; does knuckling have other down sides, like mold?
4)When is the best time in growth to do so?
5)Anything I left out?
 
It should be done a week or two prior to flowering cycle starting.
It's typically used instead of topping or pruning. If you knuckle the main stem it will cause the side branches to grow faster and allow them to increase size while the main stem repairs it's "injuries".
It does make the area of the stem stronger at the knuckle, and maybe to some extent the whole plant.
You just roll the stme between your fingers until the hurd(inner stem) cracks and it's ok for the stem to bend over 90 degrees. It will continue to grow after it repairs itself. Try not to cause the fiberous material to separate and have air gaps. The stem will be succeptible to mold at that area.
It's advisable to do the supercropping during the vegitative cycle and NOT during flowering.

Hope this helps.
 
This is an old thread, but I found it searching in google for information about super cropping.

I am currently growing a USC cross of Colombian Gold x Jamaican Lambsbread. These two strains and the cross are proven to be very trippy weed and pure 100% old school tropical sativas. Smoke reports sound like lsd. I will show some photos when I can.

I am growing my samples from seed and have two females. They are just about two months old and just beginning to flower. I started off topping very young and causing a split at the cut site. I noticed longer than I care for node spacing and began super cropping a couple weeks ago. I am pinching and bending branches more than once (so far) and will continue until I think it will hurt bud production. So far I am very pleased and finding this to be a very good method for controlling pure sativas. Anyone that has ever seen or grown these knows they are a real pain, like growing bamboo. They are very fibrous compared to indica dom strains and very well suited for this type of abuse. In fact I have never seen a plant more resilient to abuse as these.

I have seen that hardened knuckle described above. After some time the plant starts to grow up again and I pinch it again. I believe I will be able to shape these plants any way I want. The flowering period is supposed to be like 4 months and I am just starting. I should be able to do this for the whole stretch period. I see flower starting all over the plant from this abuse.

I hope to see more interest in this thread develop since I woke it up.
 
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