Think I screwed up again - Plant will be too big for tent

[TheFertilizer]

Been kind of a messed up run of things, and I think I messed up again. This plant from base to tops is 30 inches, and in the pot it's 3 feet high. I've run this strain before and expect a 1.5x to 2x stretch in height, and that's a big problem because my light will only go up to 60 inches. Luckily I have a air cooled hood and can run it fairly close to the buds, but I feel like I'm going to need something more to tie things down.

So I had the idea that a scrog net would be the best option. Early on in the plants life I topped it at the 2nd node, so it has 4 big main branches coming out of the base. Recently, I topped and/or FIM'd each one of those, and I now have 10 growing tops total. 3 out of 2 large branches, 2 out of 2 small branches. My theory is that I can kind of "spread" the 4 big branches out and then pull up the new growing tops through the scrog net, and I am hoping that the "splaying" out will shorten it enough to make clearance for the light.

Also as you can see I'm kind of dealing with some deficiencies. Not the best time to flip, but I don't think I have much more head-room to wait any longer.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Yes you can do that no problem. I only put my screens on when I flip. I made individual screen setups that are supported by stakes stick in the pot.
Besides the ten tops or whatever you have now- you'll get a billion other ones coming up in early flowering

 

[TheFertilizer]

Yeah I didn't know if I wanted to do that or just buy one of the pre-made 4x4 ones. I think what I'll need the most of is support to keep the plant from just pushing it up towards the light.

I kind of wonder if I supercropped it. Before I took clones, I flipped it to 12/12 for about 3 days until I saw pistils ( didn't wanna clone a boy) and then flipped it back to veg for about a week before cloning. That was on the 8th and I also transplanted it into a 7 gallon pot, and it's only grown 5 inches since then, but meanwhile all the undergrowth...

Before and After

These are my four main branches...

 

[Weaselcracker]

It won't try to lift the screen up. That's just not how plants grow. The screen is just a framework around the plant to tie stuff down to. I say 'tie' loosely. I use pipe cleaners and fasten them with a single wrap or a 180° kink.
Not sure what you meant by you 'might have' supercropped her. Supercropping means squeezing the stems to damage them a little- which forces them to thicken up- slows down growth in that spot as well as makes them stronger.
The bushiness may be from that early flowering impulse that got activated when you had the plant in 12/12. Or if you took your cuttings from the tips it would bush out below. Plus they naturally tend to get bushier later in life anyway.

 

[TheFertilizer]

It won't try to lift the screen up. That's just not how plants grow. The screen is just a framework around the plant to tie stuff down to. I say 'tie' loosely. I use pipe cleaners and fasten them with a single wrap or a 180° kink.
Not sure what you meant by you 'might have' supercropped her. Supercropping means squeezing the stems to damage them a little- which forces them to thicken up- slows down growth in that spot as well as makes them stronger.
The bushiness may be from that early flowering impulse that got activated when you had the plant in 12/12. Or if you took your cuttings from the tips it would bush out below. Plus they naturally tend to get bushier later in life anyway.

Oh I think I meant monstercropping, I've heard when you reveg a plant they shoot out tons of new branches.

So by screen do you mean it going over the top like a net or do you have them going up the sides?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Here is a link to how I do my screens, in my Hexapus journal. If the link puts you at a different post or something (links have been acting screwy lately) - the one you want is Post# 846. A post or two later it shows how the newly scrogged plant looks after 24 hours in the screen. I just keep holding tips down after that with pipe cleaners.

Oops forgot the link -here- The Hexapus's Garden

 

[TheFertilizer]

Here is a link to how I do my screens, in my Hexapus journal. If the link puts you at a different post or something (links have been acting screwy lately) - the one you want is Post# 846. A post or two later it shows how the newly scrogged plant looks after 24 hours in the screen. I just keep holding tips down after that with pipe cleaners.

Oops forgot the link -here- The Hexapus's Garden

Oh okay, so they don't offer any resistance at all? Or is that wooden frame just heavy enough they don't push up on it? I just made a crummy net...

I wanted to try to do an individual screen like that so I could still pick it up and carry it to the bathroom if I need to flush the soil, but at this point I think it's going to get too big to really fit through my doorways, especially with a big frame like that attached.

 

[Weaselcracker]

It won't push the screen up. That's not how plants grow. Yes the screens offer resistance- that's what they're for. But they hold limbs down from below, not above. That said - there isn't a lot of pressure on the screen. But there is some- it should be tight enough it doesn't pull up more than a couple inches. Yours looks too floppy - though it would work- just looks a bit annoying to work with.

 

[Komatchi]

Good news! That plant isn't to big for the tent. you just need to bend the apical meristems down and let the lateral get light. With that amazing structure you have going it will double your yield. Try and get the main stems pulled down to a 45 degree angle for maximum evapotranspiration. If you want great examples just look up peach tree pruning on youtube.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Good news! That plant isn't to big for the tent. you just need to bend the apical meristems down and let the lateral get light. With that amazing structure you have going it will double your yield. Try and get the main stems pulled down to a 45 degree angle for maximum evapotranspiration. If you want great examples just look up peach tree pruning on youtube.

Sounds just like what I hope to do! I'm wondering if it would be easier to just tie them down somehow than to use the trellis net. I don't think that net I made will hold them at 45 degrees, they offer quite a lot of resistance.

Not really sure what I would tie the other end of string off to. I suppose I could just tie an anchor on each and then anchor them on the poles of the tent. I think it would be better than being locked into a net too.

Thanks for the kind words about her structure. Hoping to train the clones I have going similarly.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Oh I understand what you mean now about it pushing.. Duh.. I didnt realize how much flattening you planned on doing.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Oh I understand what you mean now about it pushing.. Duh.. I didnt realize how much flattening you planned on doing.

Yeah, I didn't explain what I wanted to do very well.

Now I'm wishing I had thought of just tying them down to the tent poles before I made that net... Used up all my string

 

[Weaselcracker]

I wouldn't tie it to the tent. Too awkward. Just tie it down to the container if you can. Otherwise put some wire anchors in the soil to tie to, or make some other attachments down there, or use a tomato cage, or a piece of light metal or plastic fencing/mesh on supports for a scrog, etc.

 

[TheFertilizer]

I wouldn't tie it to the tent. Too awkward. Just tie it down to the container if you can. Otherwise put some wire anchors in the soil to tie to, or make some other attachments down there, or use a tomato cage, or a piece of light metal or plastic fencing/mesh on supports for a scrog, etc.

Well it's a smart pot so I can't really attach anything to the sides, but besides that I'm not sure how well it would work pulling down from inside of the pot since the branches are actually wider than the pot is now, so they'd only really be able to pull the branches down in an awkward way that would require way more tension than if I tied off at the ends of the branches and pulled off from the side.

I might see what is available as a stiff screen I could prop up on some sticks though. I think I've seen premade ones on Amazon, just not really sure what terms to search under.

 

[lootznbootz]

Well it's a smart pot so I can't really attach anything to the sides, but besides that I'm not sure how well it would work pulling down from inside of the pot since the branches are actually wider than the pot is now, so they'd only really be able to pull the branches down in an awkward way that would require way more tension than if I tied off at the ends of the branches and pulled off from the side.

I might see what is available as a stiff screen I could prop up on some sticks though. I think I've seen premade ones on Amazon, just not really sure what terms to search under.

Use string and paperclips!
Itd be way easier to tie it to the pot.
The paper clip will poke through the pot and hold the string and make it to so can adjust the tension by tightening or loosening the paperclip

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[lootznbootz]

My net is premade and very durable its made of elastic with hooks on the end to connect to your tent poles ill try and find the net give me a minute

Pronet Modulable 120 - 4" x 4" - Urban Ag - Premium Importer & Wholesaler of Gardening Solutions


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[TheFertilizer]

Use string and paperclips!
Itd be way easier to tie it to the pot.
The paper clip will poke through the pot and hold the string and make it to so can adjust the tension by tightening or loosening the paperclip

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I like that idea! Pretty similar to how I did it the first time but I had stiff plastic pots and thumbtacks to tie fishing line to.

I'm just still not sure how well it will be able to pull them down. Best thing to do is just give it a shot, guess I got to go to the stationary store lol

Actually I have some zip ties, I may just use an awl to poke a hole or two in the smart pot and then run a zip tie there so there's kind of a "handle" on the side. My only concern is this tearing the pot when I try to carry it because it doesn't have handles and the rootball hasn't really developed fully yet so I worry about holding it by the sides and "smooshing" it. Probably over thinking it.

Oh and yeah that's the kind of net I was thinking of getting.

 

[plumber 78]

Looks great tf


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[TheFertilizer]

Well, I decided what the heck, and tried out the net I made. One nice thing about this is that I still have a little more room to walk into the tent versus if I had got a premade 4x4. I'm just a little worried how it will all hold up with my knots and such. I tied the branches to the net with some strips of denim--just a simple over-hand knot so that they can come loose a little as the branch expands, and also promote breathing... and also to get rid of some of this clutter in my drunk drawer.

Anyway, I guess I'll see in a couple days how it all holds up...

 

[lootznbootz]

Looking good

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