Grow in progress_Glueberry, Big Devil, CBD OG Kush, Cookie Wreck

[ZigZag]

Thanks for the tips! I'll start with the tallest and if that goes well I'll try a few others and then see how they look the next day. Then maybe a few more if I get confident_ but not too confident! Once the stem is bent 90 degrees does it tent to grow out while the branches grow up to the light or is it just slowed down so others can catch up? That tape is at the top of my list!

[Bartholomew]

I advise you to tie the super cropped stem down with something. Without tying it will be back almost in it's original position within hours. The bent stem doesn't seem to be slowed down. The tip of the stem will snake it's way towards the light while the branches have new room to grow upwards.

[Campesino]

Yes, and a lot depends on where you tie it down. The plant will bend around at the point of the tie down, so you can choose where it ends up.

[ZigZag]

Thats what I'm gonna do then. One more question if you don't mind...should I wait until the area above the crop grows out a bit or just crop it about three nodes down from the top and then tie the tip down right away? basically this sounds kinda like a crop and LST combined....but very gentle with the LST?

[Campesino]

Tie it right away or it will bounce back and be like you never did anything

[ZigZag]

Thanks once more__ it seems to be a good way to go to get the result I'm looking for....time to go get that tape_ I called the local grow store and they have some!

[Bartholomew]

[ZigZag]

Great, here we go then.....

[ZigZag]

Well, looks like the first two super crops are ok_ they're looking just fine this evening.
Thanks to all who helped guide me along....Now that I have some confidence I might try a few more tomorrow.
I went down to the grow store and there wasn't any grafting tape so I got some medical tape_stretchy stuff that sticks to itself but comes off easy.
When I called they thought I was talking about something else_But they are going to order a few cases tomorrow.
I get a free roll for telling them about it_so Thanks!
Here are a few pics_

[Campesino]

Looks good.
You certainly have a good approach to tying them down. Pay attention to how they bounce back to learn how you can control their shape with tie downs.
On one of them it looks like you may not have pinched enough for a true supercrop to form (second pic). Did you feel the stem kind of collapse and go soft under pinching pressure or almost "pop"? This is desired and creates the recovery process that makes supercropping so worthwhile.
If it doesn't take then the plant will just bend back out of it... no harm done. You know it is successful by the next day when there is a clear point at which the bend occurs (almost like a fold) rather than an arc. If they arc out then just pinch them harder and do it again.

[ZigZag]

Thats exactly what I was wondering_ the first one had a tiny "pop" that kinda startled me but no water came out of the stem or collected on it so Im sure it didn't break the surface but its definitely "bent"----the other one isn't_ its just bent over but no "popping"sound_ I just kept bending it and it didn't "pop" so I just left it bent over and tied it down_ so thanks_ I'll get a little more aggressive with it in the morning_ give it a good little pinch. I want to get it pointing and growing in a specific direction so it sounds like thats what I need to do. I was also thinking I could move the ties out to keep it level with the canopy as it continues to grow out from the inside...Onwards then_ and thanks!

[Campesino]

Be aggressive with pinching with your fingers... Don't be aggressive with bending. If you pinch enough they'll just fall down at a clear crease.
They won't keep growing in the direction you point them... they will curve around the restraints. If you want them to be growing further away, move the restraint further from the supercrop. On some I support the middle section (btw crop and restraint) up to keep it from curving to much. The branches that develop on those sections are often quite vigorous too!
You can pretty much put them where you want them once you get the hang of it.

[ZigZag]

Opps, I should have got my ass out of bed and looked at your comment before I went down to see the girls. I tried bending the one branch that wasn't really super cropped and broke it_ because I bent it too far and then all of a sudden_ when I was wondering if it was going to or not ...it snapped....definitely broke through both the outer and some of the inner stem. I taped it up but I'm not holding out much hope. That's OK_ live and learnI supported the break well from the bottom side but it sounded bad. Its been a couple hours since though and the growth tips don't look any worse for wear.. I have plenty of other potential colas on that plant so its not a big deal. There are two more I need to tend to though and thankfully I'm reading your message now_ before I go down and do any more damage. This time I'm going to pinch them a bit at a time until I get it right. Thanks for coming back with these suggestions!

[Campesino]

Yeah, sorry my warning didn’t get to you in time. Pinch aggressively and bend very very gently. You can pinch as hard as you like and sometimes it is required to pinch really hard. Pads of fingers, no nails!
If you didn’t break it off completely it should grow back.

[PaganRich]

I`ve had that and still managed to salvage it more often than not. Hope it doesn`t wilt

[ZigZag]

NOT your fault so no apology needed! But you did get back to me in time to warn me about the "no nails" _ man that was about what I was going to try in a few minutes! Pads of fingers only from now on.
Nope it didn't break com[letely...only maybe half way through the stem. If it isn't going downhill too fast by tonight then there may be hope. Pads of fingers only_ you're a champ!

[Campesino]

Glad that one got to you! It can be so tempting on harder stems, but they’ll give if you keep pinching with finger pads. The best way to practice supercropping is on the stems of large leaves. Very little damage can be done and you will learn the feel of a properly pinched stem. If you defol, practice on those or even practice on leaves still attached. Worst you can do is lose a leaf.

[ZigZag]

I decide to leave them be yesterday but am going to check them out today and maybe do a few more.I'm lucky the one I broke was kinda an experimental one, it was a decent branch that had grown up too fast but not one of the main colas. Thanks for the Practice suggestion_ i'm gonna try that for sure before I do another I want to keep alive. There are still a few more smaller branches lower down that I'll probably prune so I'll practice one those first!

[Bartholomew]

Another trick is using pliers. Cover The inside metal of The pliers with something that isnt hard and sharp and pinch The shit out of them stems If your fingers wont overcome The stems hardness. Sometimes I use two hands to pinch. 2 fingers pinch The stem and The other two pinch The fingers.

[Bartholomew]

The pliers could automatically bend the stem while pinching too.

[PaganRich]

I bend them against the metal tent pegs I use, bend and then support with a couple more to keep shape. I bite my nails-bad habit-so never happened to me yet

[Locrian99]

Do you use needle nose pliers or just the regular kind

[alltatup]

ouch!!!!!!

[ZigZag]

Well I didn't try the pliers but at least this time I used the pads of my fingers and just kept squeezing a little bit harder until it bent. It looked OK and like it was starting to turn back up towards the light, haven't looked at it this morning. Lights out for another hour. Fingers crossed. Good news is the bud-lets are coming in stronger every day!

[ZigZag]

By the way_ do you think its ok to super crop the main stem of a plant....a friend has one of my extras and didn't do any training at all and its going to get too tall. I topped it last week. They waited a while_ that plant had already grown to about its 10th node so we toped it right away. It still needs vehicle growth to slow down so I'm considering super cropping or topping it again. Considering how tall it is I' don't think it can survive any LST_ the plant seems too tall for how small the base is. Thoughts?

[Campesino]

As long as it isn’t too Woody. Are you thinking below where it was topped?

[ZigZag]

Not below, I was thinking about super cropping both of the new branches that are growing out from the "Y"_ (they now have 2 nodes each)_ so I can get their plants canopy more even_ what ever is possible at this point anyway. Maybe a few of the lower branches will reach up to the super cropped ones if they're lucky. They have another plant that is half the height. The light they were using for the first two weeks after I gave them the plants (when it was 10 days old) wasn't nearly bright enough so a week ago I gave them an old LED I had and they're doing a lot better but the tall one needs some kind of training. They haven't been put into 12/12 yet either.

[Campesino]

Yes absolutely. I recommend having grafting tape on hand Incase the stems spilt on larger stalks. If a split occurs just wrap with grafting tape and you’ll be good to go. In the absence of grafting tape I would recommend using kitchen plastic wrap cut in thin strips. It is similar to grafting tape, but inferior. Still much better than using any kind of sticky tape. I have a good pic of situation I am discussing in my journal and could post another better one here if you’d like.

[ZigZag]

I hope these guys get home today_ they didn't set their lights higher like I told them would be a good idea_ and the tall one is starting to taco so I pulled it out about 18" from the lights. I don't want to take a drill to their ceiling to hang them higher! Thanks for all the information. I've been using this breathable medical tape on the branches I've super cropped and they all seem to be healing fast and well. Thanks so much for all the great suggestions. I can't believe how resilient these girls are... I might have to do a few more pretty soon...Good growing!

[ZigZag]

Update_ all plants are showing bud-lets and improving every day. Except the Glueberry, which is the one that was growing leaves so fast during veg that I had to remove the largest fan leaves at the top almost every day because they were covering at least one growth tip on another branch. Maybe that has contributed to its lagging behind the others? Photos later.

[PaganRich]

Think you could be right on the fan leaf assumption but it`s not a negative. You`re really on your game this grow, mate