Manifold training is an cannabis training method that uses LST(Low Stress Training) and topping to produce scrog like grows with less work. Here are Mac 1 and Peanut Butter Breath in this system.
This grow will use a manifold training system for cannabis. I am manifolding or mainlining MAC 1 in this grow. The Peanut Butter Breath was trained to a multi top bush. Fluxing produces a flatter version of these and is more like a scrog without a screen. All these training systems are very similar. Manifold training is best for clones and mainlining works a bit better for seedlings.
My best yields and quality with the MAC 1 were done in a SOG (Sea Of Green) Keeping large moms needed for many cuttings is a space issue and I want less plants, less cloning and less potting and repotting. So call me lazy but I am looking for a training system that will produce the same result as a SOG or SCROG but with less work.
Here are 2 MAC 1 plants that were just put into flower on day 1.
MANIFOLD TRAINING AN OLD SCHOOL METHOD FOR TODAY
To get the best out of our grow lights we need to train our plants for a flat even canopy with colas even in height. Most weed strains naturally produce a Christmas tree shape with one dominant cola. In an outdoor grow as the sun moves through the sky plants get light from multiple angles so a single top dominant plant can work well. But indoors our light comes straight down so we need a wider plant to make best use of it.
Single cola plants might be good for bragging rights but they are prone to bud rot. Also most modern genetics dont produce monster colas anymore no matter how you grow them. Multiple smaller colas will yield more than one big one and proper training can lead to 50% or more yield increases in addition to better quality bud.
HOW TO MANIFOLD/MAINLINE
Manifolding or mainlining are really the same technique. The main difference is seedlings have symmetrical branches so at each node they re directly opposite each other. Clones have one branch higher than the other so harder to get the even symmetry to mainline with. Personally I find it really doesn’t matter much which you use.
Training involves topping above the 4th node. Most online info shows a traditional manifold/mainline with selecting 2 opposite branches to form a tee. Then these branches are tied down. When they grow 5 nodes they are topped again. I like selecting 4 and the plant looks like a cross from above. You can select even more like I did with my Peanut Butter Breath and grow as more of a flat topped bush
Manifold Bottoms Different Training Styles
Here is a 2 branch traditional manifold on the left. The plant on the right has 4 branches.
There are a lot of tutorials online but I prefer this one because I did not want only 2 branches https://budtrainer.com/blogs/learntogrow/manifold
TOP FEED DRIP FOR MAC 1 AND PEANUT BUTTER BREATH DAY 7
It’s day 7 and things are looking good. I spotted the first white pistils so full flowering is not far off.
-
- MAC 1 DAY 7
-
- PEANUT BUTTER BREATH DAY 7
My plants seem to do better with top feed drip than flood and drain. I use FloraFlex open flow bubblers and have 4 open ended drip lines per pot. Drip cycles vary grow to grow depending on plants size, pot size, media and number of emitters. They are all over the place. I have seen 24/7 cycles and 15 on every hour but I run 3 minutes on and 3-4 hours apart depending on plant size and temperature.
I really like these larger pots in combination with growstones. They disappeared for a while but are back as Buddy Stones and they are identical. Made from recycled glass they last forever and are more porous than hydroton.
DAY 14 TIME TO LEAF STRIP
Growth has been good and very vigorous so there are a lot of leaves and especially on the MAC 1 some are quite large. There is branching on the uprights but they are not getting any light so it is time for a leaf strip. Defoliation helps improve air flow and light penetration. Even more I believe it signals the plant to focus on growing buds instead of leaves.
These plants were falling over after stripping because the tops were holding each other up. After a few hours they were standing up straight again so no worries.
The next day on day 15 I went through them again and removed weak branches and lower bud sites. It was time consuming but if not done they will sap energy from the top buds. The MAC 1 in particular makes quite a few bud sites low down while the Peanut Butter Breath made much less. It is a more upright plant and is taller than the MAC and I added a 2nd screen. The MAC probably wont really need it but the Peanut Butter Breath might.
MANIFOLD TRAINING VS SEA OF GREEN
This has been an experiment to see if I can get SOG results with fewer plants. I could only fit 10-12 plants in each tote. But the 2 plants in the picture above have over 12 tops each. For all practical purposes each is a single cola emanating from the manifold. They look like my single stem SOG plants so I am hopeful they will perform the same.
PEANUT BUTTER BREATH DAY 14
WATCH MANIFOLDING VIDEOS ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL 18+
MAC 1 MANIFOLD DAYS 13-14 LEAF STRIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMeYJwKWaBU
MAC 1 PEANUT BUTTER BREATH MANIFOLD DAYS 15 LEAF STRIP AFTERMATH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmFKYVDuUU
DAY 21 MANIFOLD TRAINING WORKING WELL
Today is day 21 and my manifolding is working great. Tops are evenly spaced and even in height so in the light where they should be. I wanted a way to train the MAC 1 that would give me even tops and as many colas as a SOG.
In this grow view each cola looks like and is the same as a SOG single top. They just arise from a single plant. Instead of using 10-12 plants in a tray I now have only 2 plants. But thanks to this training method I actually have double the number of tops.
-
- PEANUT BUTTER BREATH
-
- MAC 1
-
- MAC 1 COLAS DAY 21
-
- MANIFOLD TRAINING TOPS
MANIFOLDING WORKING DAYS 28-49
So here are some pictures taken over the past 3 weeks. I am happy with this grow and it looks like the manifold training is working really well on the MAC1. I was not sure it would but it is looking like the yield will be at least as good as a SOG. I did a late leaf strip on day 42 to make sure the lower buds were getting enough light and air flow. Flushing was started on day 49.
