Observation and question

[Hushpuppy]

There are 2 ways of doing the supercropping method. Both methods incorporate the same functions of process. You basically go down beneath the canopy and take hold of the stem where there is space between the leaf/branch nodes, then with your fore-finger and thumb, you gently squeeze until you feel the tissues within the stem give and crush between your ffingers. You want to do this gently at first so that you don't over crush and damage the stem beyond repair, but don't worry, unless you are doing it to a seedling, it takes a lot of force to damage them beyond repair.

Some strains produce a very "woody" stem which is impervious to supercropping, Pineapple Chunk comes to mind, and the only way you can do SC is at the very smallest branches which are still sofft enough to crush. Some stems will be tougher than others to crush and you may have to reposition your fingers, or even do a little twist action to it. But when it is sufficiently done to all of the rising branches, they will stop stretching ffor 4-7 days while they repair those places.

This does put some stress on the plants while in flowering so I wouldn't recommend it ffor using on "bagseed" plants as the genetics usually aren't strong enough to handle that stress and could herm from it. But if you know the genetics of your plants is solid then it shouldn't be any problem at all. Now you can do the SC method more than once on a single plant. If you can get below all of the larger branches and do it there, you wouldn't need to do it but once, but as that area of the stem is probably too woody to perform the SC on it, you will have to do the SC on every branch that is reaching for the light. Then after a week, when the plant begins to stretch again (if the flowering hasn't taken over yet and stopped the stretch), you will have to do a second round of SC on them.

The second part of the supercropping method is one that I have used on occassion, and that is to soften the stems enough to then bend them over horizontal. If you had enough space and had a few that were much taller than the rest, I would recommend doing that, but yours are all about the same and the second part wouldn't really serve you.

I hope this helps you

 

[Surfer Joe]

Thanks for the helpful advice.
I have about 8 more inches that the light can go up before I hit the limit.
The majority of the plants shouldn't need it since they will fit, but there are 2 that already need to be bent over. It's worth a try rather than just sacrificing the plant.
I have been looking at a few youtube videos on the topic, trying to build up my confidence to do it.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I did it once out of frustration, fully expecting to kill the tops. I just grabbed them and roughly crushed and bent them over. A week later they were standing about halffway back up and had formed very sturdy knuckles where they were bent. It worked out perfectly. I have also had some that I have done that and didn't crush the stem well enough, came back the next day and couldn't find which ones I had bent over as they had stood right back up again.

Just feel the stems down where you want to bend them over and gently squeeze until you feel the tissue give. Then move your fingers up or down a bit and do it again so that you soften up enough off the stem to bend it over. If the stem is too stiff to crush much, then don't fforce it too bend over or you will snap the stem. If it crushes and gives some but not enough to bend it over, then keep moving up or down the stem to allow it enough flex to bend it horizontal.

Don't be afraid to hurt it, MJ is a very resilient and determined plant. At the worst, you damage 2 plants that will be damaged anyway if they continue to grow up into the lights. You will find it is easier than you think

 

[Surfer Joe]

Well, one plant got taller than the light, so I took the plunge and supercropped one branch about 15 inches down and got it sideways.
The stem looks a bit damaged to me.
I still need to do it to two other branches that are going beyond the light, but I wanted to wait and see how this one went.
How long will it take to see if the bent part is dead or survived? Do the leaves start to wilt in a day or two if the branch is killed?
Would it help to wrap the bent part in tape or something?

 

[bwanabud]

He who hesitates.........................is lost

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

The stem will look damaged. As it heals it will probably form a know there, but that is just fine. I am continually amazed at how a bent over or broken branch can heal itself. I have had some that seemed to be hanging on my just a thread, but did fine. I never tape mine up. If it is too droopy, I may stake it. If the branch is dying, you should know within a day or so. Branches start wilting quite quickly if they are going to.

 

[Surfer Joe]

Thanks. I went out today and the branch tip was already turning up toward the light, looking very nice. I went ahead and bent the other branch and this one looks like a better job.
This is fun. I may need to do more later on if the other plants keep growing.
I'm really eager to try scrogging in the next grow. I can see how you could get a lot more yield from a plant by doing that.

 

[bwanabud]

Always try to train the branches when they are soft & green, once they start to harden up the woody fiber doesn't want to play nice.

 

[Hushpuppy]

:yay: :aok:

 

[Hippie420]

Joe, if you want to see what a six plant scrog can look like, here's my last, a four foot by four foot one with a 600 watt HSP.

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[Surfer Joe]

That's beautiful.
I notice that you don't seem to trim off the leaves that are below the screen.
I sort of inadvertently did a sog by putting too many plants close to each other in the small tent. They all grew straight up and lanky and now I have a canopy about 2 feet thick and about 3 feet of bare stems below, and I have been removing low branches and leaves that aren't getting good light.

 

[Hippie420]

I wait until the second week of flower before I give them the bikini cut. The last pic was too close to see 'em naked underneath. That's also the time I cut clones if I need them, too.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I have never seen a scrog done quite like that. Usually the growing tips are pushed under the screen and made to grow horizontal until flowering. The growing tips are only let up through the screen after you put into 12/12. Isn't this really kind of more like a regular grow and the screen is just there for support?