Curious why mainline growing isn't more popular ?

That's not on this site. I'm not putting my IP Addy all over the net connected to illegal activity. Never mind, I can live without seeing it. From your last comment I get the distinction. Though I don't think its actually possible without a dome lighting system as side buds would be much lower than central buds without skipping a few topping chances on the sides, ala my photo.

You probably should think of this in combination with lollypopping..... so you end up with 8 simplified branches..... 8 tops....

GMT said:

That's not on this site. I'm not putting my IP Addy all over the net connected to illegal activity. Never mind, I can live without seeing it. From your last comment I get the distinction. Though I don't think its actually possible without a dome lighting system as side buds would be much lower than central buds without skipping a few topping chances on the sides, ala my photo.

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GMT

To clarify a little.. In Mainlining. you train the plant to have 4-8 single colas. there are NO side branches from these. And as someone else stated usually lollypopped as well so that all growth is to the 8 main colas. With the correct strains each cola becomes 1 huge bud.

this is what a finished mainline plant would look like

OG Expressions said:

People prune plants all the time its super popular. I prune my plants into multi topped plants. No one calls it "mainlining" for many reasons. 1) its not a realy term. It was made up by a braindead donkey 2) only hardcore fans of said braindead donkey use that term. 3) that term is a term used by people who shoot up drugs, its ehat they call the act of shooting up. Most growers dont shoot up or associate growing with shooting up. Why subcool does? Thats obvious take a look at the guy how he talks and looks... mo surprise he thinks about shooting up in relation to growing... sub is a tard though all he did is mimic how they grow outside by snipping off tops, he didnt make any amazing discovery, thats how i grew my plants on my very first grow jist by observation, that was before i had so much info.

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Thanks for your logical, well thought out and informative post.

stewart169 said:

Thanks for your logical, well thought out and informative post.

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They asked i answered honestly. Its not a real gardening term its what 1 single wacko calls pruning... he act like he invented it, no he didnt people been growing like that forever he just had to apply a junky name to pruning a certain way trying to take credit. Some of us find it a tad idiotic. He should leave terms associated to shooting up where they belong, with the dregs.

stewart169 said:

Can you elaborate why? Have you done it?

Only one reply from someone other than me who has said they tried it. If any of the naysayers have tried this type grow it would be nice to hear why as long as its from experience.

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I have been doing it for a long time. Imo, it's the way to grow. I scrog it though to get the separation I want, which is almost as important for yield/quality. Mainlining and scrog are not mutually exclusive, you can use both.

For a true mainline, you would have the plant like pictured above. Thats' essentially what I do. But I don't notice a difference when keeping quality branches that aren't part of the manifold. It seems to be the same. The plant will still send most of it's "energy" to the tops.

So I create the manifold, but if I see strong side branches that are reaching the canopy, I leave them now. We spent the time growing them, if it's a good branch, why toss it? Essentially I think the benefit of mainlining is in creating so many tops, and then allowing them to get most of the energy. But they don't need to get ALL of it for it to be worth it.

If you want to run plants this way, it's an enormous asset to know how to fim. I don't know how to teach you other than search, trial and error. I can't even do it consistently. I fim the fim lol.

Alternating nodes isn't really a problem. The manifolds will not be as clean looking, but the differences in length don't cause issues. Some tops will just grow a bit taller than others, but it's minimal. It won't be absolutely symmetrical, but L will usually be a mirror of R (if that makes sense).

So I'm not truly mainlining anymore. I just top for 4-8 tops depending on the strain, but there is almost always a side branch or two that I keep. So I'm just topping really. What I'm trying to say is that mainlining is the right idea, but imo, some side branches are worth keeping. With my setup, it doesn't seem to be worth it to remove it. Maybe in soil or a slower medium I would feel differently.

In a scrog, growing this way, this is what it looks like at the end of stretch. And imo, it's the best yield/quality. As you can see, they grow pretty evenly. This is 6 plants. All alternating node. Should be 24 tops total (some are out of frame)

Node; The position on the stem where leaves or branches originate. Each step in the cannabis ladder is a single node.

Alternate; Borne singly on a stem. Each alternate leaf/branch emerges on the opposite side of the stem from those on adjacent nodes.

Opposite; Borne in pairs, two at each node from opposite sides of the stem.


Typical vegetative growth sports two opposite leaves/branches at each node. Typical flowering growth shows alternate leaves/branches.

Getting weird stalk formations was a first plant interest. It really has little performance factors. Takes time to get strange growth. Indoors and out veg is a timed run. Indoors veg is the most expensive phase, unless you dial down lights. Rather focus on bud that dries and smokes well. It's the end product and the performance to get to that, that matters. Although perhaps creativity will prevail and reveal some sort of increased performance. I'm more budget and ease of growth minded. It would have to be cheaper or outweigh costs with yield.

OP, My most successful mainlined/ manifolded plant I had was also a Liberty Haze.

I'm surprised at so many people getting on the back foot when this is a good topic and one a lot of people would be interested in.

If you mainline a mother from seed then you get symmetrical internodes on clones when you take the tops, making manifolding these girls easy. Obviously the side branching is not so. Foliar spray the tops for a few days leading up to the cuts to lower nitrogen content so they root faster. Bigger clones from tops means less veg time and faster mainlined plants next time.

It is good, though something different, for an outdoor grow if you continue to create more tops. But do this indoors preparing for the outdoor season. When it's time to go outside, transplant and harden off. you get the idea. Then when it continues vegging during the outdoor season you can bend and train, cage it or supercrop the bejesus out of it to create an even bigger tree.

I love manifolding. But I only grow for me so I have the time and patience and I just love learning all the training techniques.

Like you said, if it's just for you, go for it. I really do love pruning this way. Keep experimenting.

Sorry, I don't have a photograph of my Liberty Haze as I am living OS right now until March with no laptop, just my phone. If I stumble across this thread again when I'm back I will post it up.

Another benefit to manifolding is you get a nice solid branch at the bottom so the colas will a majority of the time be supported as the stems are also thicker.

I like alternating nodes for light penetration and I find that sexy. That's the one thing I dislike about seed plants as well as they start slower than clones.

mailining isnt popular cause cash croppers have square footage, its not profitable its personal

Boyd Crowder said:

mailining isnt popular cause cash croppers have square footage, its not profitable its personal

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Not everyone is a cash cropper. I already said its probably not a method for the growers in that line of growing. Thats pretty much a no brainier to figure out.
Have you tried mainlining or just throwing out an opinion based on no experience?

I tried topping and training plants in this style in the early 80's outdoors.
The oldest grow books I ever saw covered these methods in detail.
Everyone tries this technique when they first see it because they think it might lead to increased production.
The second year, I did a side by side with topped/untopped plants and the untopped plants outproduced the topped plants significantly.
I found each time I topped a node, it took about 4 days to resume vigorous growth. In that 4 days, the untopped plant had produced significant amounts of new bud sites.
I also found that the forks of the topped plants can become weak when the branches become larger, leading to splits at the fork from wind or just the weight of the buds.
The best results came from training the plant to optimize it's structure by bending branches so that they all receive max light exposure. An untopped plant can kind of lean back to the north while the branches come around from each side to capture max sunlight as it travels east to west. Looking a bit like a stand-up base. This is the plant's natural "pose" and is easily supported with a single large stake if needed as it becomes heavy with bud.
Commercial "tree" grows from prohibition days in Cali I have seen all top their plants a couple of times to develop more main shoots during their early veg before putting them outside. After that, they grew into giant bushes supported by nets and cages with structure that had nothing to do with "manifolds" and such.
These giant tree grows will become less popular as plant count concerns are replaced with canopy size limits and growers can enjoy the benefits of more, smaller plants.

Finally, I find people who make no effort to research the work of those who came before them and behave as if they discovered something so mundane and obvious as this to be extremely annoying.
Claiming to have discovered or inventing something, giving it your own special name, and marketing it for the prospect of some future gain (even if it's just reputation) is right up there with renaming every plant you grow with your own name when you have added absolutely nothing to the work of actual breeders who put in effort to work a strain before you.
Kid stuff.

I have been hearing this "mainlining" crap for a few years, never knew what it was, but always knew it would be some stupid name for a practice that has been around since man first intentionally cultivated this plant, evangelized by some egotistical blowhard trying to make a name for himself.

"Nugbucket" huh?
What a tool.

i mainline outdor plants to control height wich is very important in my location. with a little more work i get very big plants, about 1 meter tall in 60L pot and no popcorn bud. not every strain is good to mainline, i found it work great with Jack Herer and Sour Diesel

Raho said:

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I have been hearing this "mainlining" crap for a few years, never knew what it was, but always knew it would be some stupid name for a practice that has been around since man first intentionally cultivated this plant, evangelized by some egotistical blowhard trying to make a name for himself.

"Nugbucket" huh?
What a tool.

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That would be subcool of TGA for ya... you summed it up in a nice fashion for those who had a issue with the way i put it. Someone applying a stupid unrelated name to something called pruning... its beyond stupid but some of these TGA lovers and other nutballls cant help but deffend it like its a real term... its selective pruning yippy

OG Expressions said:

That would be subcool of TGA for ya... you summed it up in a nice fashion for those who had a issue with the way i put it. Someone applying a stupid unrelated name to something called pruning... its beyond stupid but some of these TGA lovers and other nutballls cant help but deffend it like its a real term... its selective pruning yippy

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And the mental case is back. Dude you have almost 200 posts in less than one month. Other than the frothy mouth rants here I suspect many of them are on the same level of sanity.

I really dont care how fucked up you are in the head but all I was interested in when I started this thread was the technical side or the method and success or failure from those who have done it.

Your a nut job who is focused on someone who evidently did this before and I admit I never heard of it except via grow weed easy and the grower named nugbuckets. Never interacted with anyone involved since I have only been growing a couple years on a small personal scale.
People like you sadly dont understand that the more you rant and rave the worse you look. Im surprised you have not been banned yet but I have faith its coming.
Did this guy you hate so much screw your wife or daughter? Steal your life's work? I dont get how you have that much bile in you over something this trivial. Get help.

Raho said:

The best results came from training the plant to optimize it's structure by bending branches so that they all receive max light exposure. An untopped plant can kind of lean back to the north while the branches come around from each side to capture max sunlight as it travels east to west. Looking a bit like a stand-up base. This is the plant's natural "pose" and is easily supported with a single large stake if needed as it becomes heavy with bud.

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This plant ended up being almost as long as it was high, with numerous shoots coming from laterals that all received more sun. It also broke up the profile, was not the typical Christmas tree…more like a small grove. As you mentioned (and I earlier) the sun moves unlike a static light situation in an indoor grow unless you’re using a mover but that still does not give the angles the sun does.

Sorry, not the best picture. Taken at night from a guerilla grow.

Hard to beat the natural structure when you have no ceiling and the sun for a light bulb.
looking at how the Aussies grow their giant sativas is a good example. Their conditions are very demanding with serious rain threats at the end of flower.
They use the natural structure for yield, strength and airflow to prevent mold.

STEW WHATS UP ? HEY DON'T TRIP ON THESE LOSERS THAT HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN TO GET ON SOMEONES POST AND START TALKING ABOUT NOTHING THEY KNOW ABOUT.
THIS IS WHY I DON'T POST MUCH.
ANYWAY I HAVE GROWN OVER 60 PLANTS THIS WAY AND MORE THAN HALF WERE CLONES. YES IT DOES TAKE LONGER IN VEG. BUT 2 TO 3 WEEKS IS NOT THAT LONG. GROWING THIS WAY GOT ME A HIGHER YEILD AND A BETTER ALL AROUND PRODUCT THEN TOPPING AND LST. WITH TOPPING & LST IT JUST SEEMED COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO DO ALL THAT TRAINING THEN LOLLY POP 2/3 OF IT WHEN 12/12. WITH MAINLINEING YOU DO ALL YOUR LOLLY POPPING IN VEG. GROWING THIS WAY JUST MADE MORE SINCE. I WAS GETTING 8, 18" BUDS PER PLANT THAT WERE ALMOST A OZ EA. BUT IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE LONGER. BUT IF YOU GOT THE TIME GO FOR IT. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU LIKE GROWING THIS WAY SO DO IT. ALSO LET ME SAY I DO NOT GROW THIS WAY ANY LONGER, CAUSE IT IS ALOT OF WORK TO KEEP IT GOING. I GROW WITH LPA (LOW PRESSURE AREOPONICS) IN THE SOG. THIS IS EASY AND FAST. AND MAYBE A 10th OF THE WORK.
BUT MOST OF ALL GROW THE WAY YOU LIKE TO AND HAVE FUN DOING IT. OH AND TO ANSWER YOUR QEUSTION, I THINK IT IS THE EXTRA TIME IT TAKES TO GROW THAT WAY WHY MOST PEOPLE DON'T GROW THAT WAY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE MOST PEOPLE DON'T GRASP THE CONCEPT.
ANYWAY GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR GROWS....................................