Here’s how I train using topping, LST, binder clips, pipe cleaners, and slight defoliation.
[Disclaimer: This works for me. It might not work for you. Please don’t yell at me if it doesn’t work for you. I’m only putting this here for me. If you hae any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.]
First, I waited until my plants had reached their 6th node. By this time, the lower branches were an inch or two long.
I topped the plant between the 3rd and 4th nodes (blue line, not red). That gave me 6 branches to nurture. I used aloe over the cut to avoid bad stuff getting in the cut.
I squeezed and gently crushed the branches to get them to lay down and grow horizontally. I placed 6 binder clips that I had laying around the top of the fabric pot. When the longer branches got long enough, I hooked a pipe cleaner to a binder clip and gently started pulling the end of the branches down.
Soon, all six branches were either hooked to a pipe cleaner, or had been laced through all of the binder clips. This squeezing, crushing, bending, and guiding the branches takes a couple of weeks. I’ve broken a few branches. Some were saved and some were lost. I’ve got some idea of what will bend and what it’ll take to break.
Eventually, all branches were laced through a binder clip.
Here’s a close up of how each branch was laced.
One plant took FOREVER for the last two branches to get long enough to be laced. And when they do get long enough, there should be at least one node (pair of fan leaves) between the binder clip and the new growth.
As you can see, I defoliate lightly along the way. Sometimes, I probably defoliate a little reckless. I defoliate to make it easier for me to water/feed my plants.
When the plants cooperate with what I’ve done, I should have an even canopy height. We all know that doesn’t happen and we have to improvise, torture, and do bad things to our babies (@mudman is the worst). I had to do this because this girl had three branches growing WAY faster than the other branches.
At this point, these plants are 6 weeks since being transplanted to their big-girl pots. They’ve been showing their sex for a couple weeks. And since I’ve got a nice, even canopy… I’m going to flip them to 12/12. Flip whenever you want to, I’m flipping at this point because I’m keeping my plans small-ish.
If you’ve got any questions, ask away.
