Trying to LST with cloth pots

[Greenpassion]

Hey everybody. A little bit of a frustrating problem. The first time around when I did the LST I apparently had missed the part where the plant has to be anchored at the bottom closest to the soil to the side of the pot and then it gets pulled the opposite direction little by little. So this time I've tried that and come to find out that it's impossible to Anchor the base of the plant with a cloth pot because the side of the pot is pulled down. So not sure but my next idea which I haven't tried yet is to use some sort of a long broad stick and try to Anchor the string or wire to that. Is anyone else run into this dilemma? And if so how did you manage to have a firm anchor with a soft flexible side?

[9fingerleafs]

Well you could either use some of those black folder clips to get good grip of the fabric or you could just use something heavy to weight down the branch. Like a wrench 🔧. Just make sure you use thick string or wire so you don’t harm the branch.

[Greenpassion]

no I don't have a problem fastening anything to the side of the cloth pot. I'm using long twist ties. That isn't issue. What I'm trying to say is that anything that's connected to the base of the plant pulls the cloth in towards the plant instead of keeping the plant vertical and enabling me to just bend the top of it with another twist tie. The idea of the anchor is to keep the main stock from being pulled out of the soil, enabling the top of the plant to be bent over. But the cloth gives where I'm attaching the anchor. If it was a plastic pot with a hard Edge it would stay firm. I hope that makes sense.

[SinsemillaScientist]

Use bobby pins they clip right to the bag and can be easily moved!

[KTM690]

I use cloth bags and I use kabob skewers that have a loop on them I just push them in the soil and tie my plants to them never had any pull out. The skewers are about a foot long

[Greenpassion]

That sounds like it might work. I don't know where I would find Kabob skewers with a loop on them though. Are they metal? Do you remember where you got them?

[RagWeedDWC]

Coat hanger with a loop?

[D.A.A.S.69]

Greenpassion, I don't know if it helps much, but i always mash my soil down real hard in my pots where im gonna anchor mine first, just in that one spot.
Seems like it helps though.
As long as you got a little pressure on her, in a couple of weeks you can take off the anchor wire.
Later.

[Greenpassion]

D.A.A.S.69, and this is using cloth pots? I guess I'm not following.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Greenpassion, yes fabric pots, I take something like a coke bottle or my hand an mash it down real firm, an keep add in more soil, untill it's level, before I put my anchor on my young plant, that takes all the slack out, try it its easy, like I said it don't need to be on there forever.

[Greenpassion]

Sorry about the sideways photo, but this is what I'm talking about. The image of the upright little plant it's been pulled over, but the where the anchor is connected to the side of the pot it's nice and straight and firm. Like it might be a plastic pot illustration or something. But the edge of my cloth pot Folds right in and it will not properly keep the stem straight up and down.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Why not ? I do it every grow, all I'm talking about is mashing the soil down in one small spot, just to keep a little pressure on the stem. It works fine.
I ain't talking a out pouring concrete, lol

[9fingerleafs]

Haha sorry daas I didn’t meant what you said can’t be done. I meant tying the main branch to the sides with a cloth pot it’s going to deform the pot no matter what

[9fingerleafs]

Tryin to think a bit out of the box here. What if instead of pulling from the opposite side the branch is leaning you put a support on the other side. You could take a wood stick and place it “under” the side that needs support You secure the stick anyway you can to the edges of the pot. Did it made sense?

[Nartak]

I will get there and let you know in a few days man..Have been thinking about this for months now since i bought the fabric pots...How about sticking straws (actual dry straws) or some other kind of rod between soil and fabric all the way down then tie them with twisty tie on the surface of the soil on the rods! Im not sure how to explain what im thinking..Hope you understand buddy!

[Greenpassion]

Or what if you stake the main stem of the plant like you would stacking a tall plant. Stick a wooden skewer down by the main stem of the plant, then secure the plant to the skewer and then with another wire pull the very top down to do the LST?

[D.A.A.S.69]

Nartak, I agree, i try for about 90degrees, but i bend a little everyday or two, I've found out quickly, when you bend them over all at once, if they are not stable, that's one of the best ways I no of to slow them down, an I don't like slowing autos down, at all.
Just bend a little ,at a time, till you get them close to 90degrees,works best for me, most of my autos finish very close to what the seedbanks say, here lately they been finishing from 65days to 75days, not 90days or longer, that's usually growers fault,imo, unless the seedbanks, say it's a slow one.

[Nartak]

Thats nice to hear,you've found your golden ratio!!
I learned quickly that when you bend them over at once,the pull back and snap :/

[Nartak]

Shotgun you're either growing the wrong weed or growing wrongly overall,remove ur crown chakra from your root chakra and breath..You need to relax hun,not me
I joined here almost 3 years ago and have been one of the most active people on the forum at the periods i have the time to be only.Its a forum,for people to be on,and post. Smoke a bowl bruv

Peace

[Greenpassion]

Yeah I finally figured that part out! I go up once a day and tighten things up a little bit. The first time around I did it once and it wasn't so successful. I bent it over and then never did it any more than that. Live and learn right?

[PRIMO]

If you take a stiff wire, think coat hanger. Push it thru the fabric at soil level, allow it to span the pot on top of the soil, and punch it thru the other fiber side. Use as many as you want, where you want them. Now you got a tie down. Make some S hooks out of coated wire whatever length you need.

[PRIMO]

I would imagine solid core plastic coated 12 or 14 gauge electrical wire would work for this. I use 14 ga. and needle nose pliers to make S hooks, stem separators,or whatever. Buy it at the hardware store by the foot.

[Nartak]

Love stem separation,didn't know about it until i had to spread manifolded plants growing to fast!! Im going to hit the electric store 2moro check what cables they got..Anything i should NOT get due to erosion or rust or something...? Just incase im missing something...

[PRIMO]

Nartac, If you tell hardware guy you want solid core that's just one thick copper wire as opposed to a bunch of little wires in there, and plastic coated is kinda self explanatory. If you don't have needle nose pliers tell him you want the cheapest ones he's got. They'll be fine for what you need to do with them. They also have a wire cutter built in them. He'll ask how many feet ? They carry it in bulk rolls and just whack off whatever you need. I just get 10 feet at a time, it saves trips. Oh yeah, I use 14 ga. it's thick enough but still easy to bend.

[Greenpassion]

Yeah. I think that might work too! Problem is I don't have any way to actually bend a wire coat hanger. But there's other stiff wire that I could probably manage to do that. It's amazing how many people have chimed in on this issue. Very cool.

[KTM690]

I got the stainless steel skewers at Wal-Mart. The loop on the end is perfect

[KTM690]

I use these

[KTM690]

Never pull out

[Nartak]

ahh you poke them through the pot sides,ok i was again thiking about sticking them in the soil...

[KTM690]

I put them in the soil never had any issues. I could bury them all the way in with my bags if needed but u could also twist them a bit cause they are thin, into a screw like and twist them into your soil if they pull out but they seem to hold for me

[Nartak]

I will consider these in the next grows,gonna try paper clamps this time round!!! Thanks for the input KTM!