Runaway cola

[samba]

I had the annoying problem of a (main) cola stretching above the canopy in my last grow. This usually forces my to either rise the lights or let it burn a bit. So I decided to try a new trick. I tied the top 2" or so with string so it pointed down. What I mean is a bent it 180 degrees. It kept growing and of course bent back toward the lights, but it ended up level with the rest of the canopy so I was happy!
This could maybe be of some help to someone with the same problem. Heres a pic at harvest.

It actual ended up being the best yielding cola

 

[samba]

You can see where I tied it, Its the green string in the middle of the picture(not left top corner), you can see a bit of it, a small green HORIZONTAL line

 

[samba]

Red line is plant when I tied it
Blue is the string

Not the prettiest of colas but a yielded and the main thing is I didn't have to raise the light

 

[kiwiboy]

nice going. do that would of increased your yeild over the whole grow.
I am too lazy to tie plants done. I use the pinch, squeeze, twist and bend method.

 

[FreezerBoy]

] I found topping just made things worse and I too fold them over. However, some strains just ignore that and straighten up as though nothing happened so, I tie after the fold or bend. Left some interesting shapes

 

[reckon]

I get one or two plants that do that EVERY FRIGGIN GROW!

nice suggestion, I'll probably do that on the next run with the tall ladies

(actually I just went and pinched and bent my current two lankies @ day 35 = now I got an even canopy again)

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Red line is plant when I tied it
Blue is the string

Not the prettiest of colas but a yielded and the main thing is I didn't have to raise the light

You folded the top over 180 degrees so it was pointing at the floor? And did you do this all at once or over time? Breaking is not a problem? I have a runaway girl that looks very sativa and I think it may go long also so I need to do something soon.

Thanks

 

[samba]

nice going. do that would of increased your yeild over the whole grow.
I am too lazy to tie plants done. I use the pinch, squeeze, twist and bend method.

I'd think NO. It was the best cola to begin with, now it didn't burn so no damage --> better yield. I did get the best cola horizontally under the light, exposing it more to light tough...

]However, some strains just ignore that and straighten up as though nothing happened so, I tie after the fold or bend. Left some interesting shapes

Had the same problem, tie the bitch down and she'll do exactly what you want (and yes, I know how perv that sounds :yay
And DUDE, your bitches sure have some curves

You folded the top over 180 degrees so it was pointing at the floor? And did you do this all at once or over time? Breaking is not a problem? I have a runaway girl that looks very sativa and I think it may go long also so I need to do something soon.

Thanks

The top was very soft and not wood like at all when I did the bend, it didn't crack the stem or nothing.I bent it in 1 go

 

[MoeBudz^420]

Hehe how ironic, I just tried the same thing this AM. My c99's stretched from 17" to 5' lankies in 4 weeks of 12/12, while my AK's stopped at about 3' bushes. So I tried to supercrop the top of 1 cindy down a foot or so from the top. Same deal, lights are high as they can go.

Squeezed, pinched and rolled, then folded. It seemed to go ok until the skin split on 1 side of the bend/kink, I hope she'll be OK. I didn't do the other tall one, maybe I'll try to tie + pull her over like the OP did.

We'll see how she goes...


Peace

 

[FreezerBoy]

Breaking is not a problem?

Correct. Breaking is NOT a problem. This is not to say breakage won't happen just that there's no problem if it does.

For Indicas, crush stem between thumb and forefinger, rotate grip 90º and crush again. Fold at the crush. Sativas will just bend but, I crush anyway to get a sharp fold.

If the break happens vertically along the stem, just wrap a twist tie or similar and it will heal in 2-3 days. Here's a split large enough to stick my finger through. Lighter for scale only.



If stem tries to snap in two horizontally, straighten up, twist tie, heal in 2-3 days and re crush/fold higher up.

 

[kiwiboy]

Yeah, I little split will be okay. FreezerBoy shows a good example of a split, and theres no thing to be worried about. MJ, tough little buggers.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Thanks guys, I will be bending tonight and will let y'all know how it goes.

///EDIT///

So it seemed to go pretty good, thanks for the tip about crushing the stem first FB, that made it really easy.

Before


After

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

The two tops are turning back up to the light quickly and I am thinking I should have done it at 4" down instead of 2". So my question is has anyone ever used this method twice on the same branch? Make a bud ball on top maybe.

Waits patiently for FreezerBoy's sage advice

///EDIT/// pic added of top heading back up

 

[kiwiboy]

Yep, I've done it more than once on the same branch. I experinced no problems, except for when it is time to trim. Lots of angles.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Thanks kiwiboy, I will post a pic if I end up doing it.

 

[samba]

Have a runaway cola again, now I have a picture of how I tie them

Sorry for picture quality, Didn't have my camera handy so its phone camera this time

 

[intel2000]

How did I stumble into this thread? LOL. This is EXACTLY the information I needed right about now. Thanks for all the tips - with pics.

 

[HBxNLmaster]

yeah mj is tough i have done this numerous times it seems like when you first start growing you are always worried about plants breaking and what not after a year or two i treat them like a boxer lol not really but they are tough enough to take any kind of bending or tying great thread for those who dont already do this i started after reading about LSTing and spent alot of time on two plants once and pretty much made a scrog without the screen just tying it down . but yeah they always readjust and go back toward the light the first two or three weeks of flower especially after that you can back off a little but until then i just keep tying if i am doing it this way but i like to just lollipop if at all possible it just so much easier but if u got tall sativa type plants then this is the way