Fingers Crossed
What is "Super Cropping"? It is a "high-stress training technique that involves pinching and bending branches to damage the inner fibers while leaving the outer lining intact." source
It seems counterproductive to do something like bending down your branches on your plant, it is actually a way to induce the plant's natural defenses and increase nutrient uptake in the plant, therefore creating bigger buds and more trichomes.
Yesterday, I put these 3D printed super croppers that I had purchased from @bifbeans, and at first I was scared that I broke my plant because of how far I had to bend these stems. But after speaking with @jonyoudyer, he assured me that they looked perfect. They are already beginning to rebound and start bending up towards the light.
My younger plant is at the perfect stage to snap these things on because the branch bent super easy and didn't seem to do too much damage to the plant. One of the other reasons for using these super croppers from @bifbeans is to help train the plant and spread out its canopy, to help ensure an even amount of light hitting as much of the plant's leaves as possbile.
My larger Nothern Lights plant is a couple weeks into flowering and is beginning to become covered in the tiny hairs as it prepares to get its larger buds.
My younger Northern Lights started the flowering stage a few days ago and the tiny hairs are beginning to show up on the different bud sites.
Pretty soon it is going to be covered just like its big sister.
Overall, both plants seem to be very healthy and have not suffered from nutrient burn or nutrient deficiency during any of the stages of growth. I think the Fox Farm soil I used plays a big part in how healthy these plants are. I just got the Fox Farm flowering nutrients and I will be adding that to my next watering cycle for these as well.
My grow tent is going to get a little bit crowded over the next couple weeks because my Critical Purple seedling just popped out of the soil. Critical Purple is an indica dominate hybrid that is supposed to have a really great relaxing effect. I am looking forward to seeing this one grow up and interested to see how it differs from the Northern Lights.
I've never thought of using those plastic watcha-call-it's on any plant... lol
Good luck! I have only ever been able to keep one houseplant alive, and I've had it for about 12 years now; I guard it jealously and store it in a desktop greenhouse with a UV light. (I need to put it in the greenhouse or the cats will eat it).
Damn I need some of those branch benders
very interesting, I'd be scared too haha... Does the super cropping technique needs the plant to have a strong light source? If my plant only gets a couple hours of lihgt would it be enough to try this?
The photos look very professional. Little did I know plants could be this flexible and talented too :D
That super cropper is amazing. Great plant!