Bending Plants is Tricky! Please Help.

[duet]

We are growing 4 Northern Light feminized plants from Nirvana in a grow tent with a 400 watt light in organic composted soil, and have only used a bit of organic acid loving plant fertilizer to correct the PH. They're around a foot tall, give or take. [Sorry, no pics]
We're new at this 'bending' plants thing, but tried it for the first time to both remedy having 4 plants of different heights (although the same genes), and to try getting all future buds at a similar distance from the light source for optimal bud size. Some stems were a little tough and reluctant to bend, so I gently scraped the outside of the spot to be bent with my fingernail (per an article), and used floral tape to wrap and pull the upper part of the plant downward, then duct taped those to the pot. These only bent maybe at a 45 degree angle. The more slim stems bent better, but still didn't go quite to 90 degrees as the diagram had showed. We figured we could repeat this process in a few more weeks with more plant height, and then maybe they will bend 90 degrees to be parallel to the floor.
Are we doing this right? Should we do it again to get them at 90 degrees? Have others had success with this method?
Thanx for any help, in advance. MGduet =}

 

[9fingerleafs]

Secure them after the bending so it heals in an angle

 

[berrypilot]

🌱 I don't think it has to be exactly 90 degrees. It just needs to be bent at the angle you want or need. If it won't bend enough it seems like the solution is to grab the stem between your fingers where you want to bend, and keep moving it back and forth gently for like a minute, while squeezing as hard as possible. This breaks up all the middle woody bit. After you do that it will be waaaay more loose and easy to bend. You have to tie it down after or it will spring back up the next day. If it breaks make sure to put the wounded pieces together and tape everything with duct tape or electrical tape. As long as you hold the wounds together tightly it will heal 🌱

 

[POKEDSMOT]

No Title

This is a kola I bent yesterday.
I use my thumb, forefinger, and middle finger.

My fingers are arrow side I press with my thumb until the stem just starts to bend and roll it back and forth for 10-20 seconds.

Then I press with my thumb until I get the desired angle and tie it down.

I try to make my bends just below the node.

In the picture is a tape job at the main.

 

[gbauto]

I choose a section of a stem that isn't 'woody' so that it's more receptive to bending. Just massage a section about 2" long between your thumb and index finger until the stem is flexible and she'll do whatever you want. One of the sativas I've got going now has a ton of knuckles from trying to keep this lanky bitch manageable(?). I will use some supports until the stem 'woods' up and sets the position. I'll try to get a few pics of the girl.

 

[LuckyAcres]

Not doing an ad plug but sometimes videos can help visualize things better. Hope that helps!

 

[abadtrip]

How old are they I have to tie 1 of mine down because it's so much bigger than her big sister. But I have been at it since they were 2,weeks old so she is only about 4 inches tall

 

[duet]

Thanx for all the info. We did bend these guys a second time which was more successful, mainly due to slimmer stems. But we were then looking at the bent tops trying to grow into each other. So we've turned the pots so the tips point midway between the center and the sides of the wading pool they're in. So that's allowing the maximum space for tips to spread out and buds to find light under which to grow. What were the lowest (and longest) branches on all 4 plants are now reaching higher towards the light than the rest. But that's OK - because they are also the farthest from the center of the light. I think they'll be good.
Appreciate the group plant info & therapy session! =}

 

[Sammy]

No Title

I just Mash with my finger and thumb till the stem get soft bend it over if the brakes tape it up never had an issue