Topping/FIMing day 1 of flower?

[THCA]

Hey guys

I'm growing a SCROG and using 1000watt DE lights and would like to try and keep my plants as short as possible to avoid being fried. My idea is to flip my clones with only a one week veg and then Top or FIM them at day one of flower or shortly after, my plants always go through a major stretch in the first 3 weeks of flower which I know is totally normal and expected. My theory is.... flip them early and pinch at day one and use that burst of energy after the flip to regenerate the pinch or top instead of stretching. This in theory should get me a short plant with more tops.

So my question to you guys is how far along can I pinch after I flip, or should I not pinch in flower all. Who has tried this? I know that what most tutorials say "dont top or FIM in flower" but I'm thinking that they are mainly referring to later on in the cycle and not day 1 or even 7.

Thanks

 

[Cork144]

well i always thought doing the scrog method you were supposed to fill 70percent of the screen and then fill the remaining 30 percent using the stretch during flower, persononally i would give plants 3-4 days after a topping or fimming before going into flower, just so the hormones can be adjusted properly in the new tops, so that growth truly understands it is indeed the top of the plant

 

[THCA]

I wasnt planning on putting my screen on till about week 2 into flower. Normally when I flip they are about 8-10 inches tall and after week 4 they are about 3.5 to 4 ft tall and lanky. It's a major stretch. If put my screen on to early it will be to low and they will end up really too heavy. I'm mainly using the screen for support and not bending and manipulating the plants through the holes.

Any ideas on how to keep them shorter or prevent this stretch. Remember I'm only vegging for about a week before I flip so doing major training during veg is kinda out of the question. That's why I thought about doing a pinch in early flower to stunt them almost.

Any suggestions or advise is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Guy Brush]

Using metal halide lamps, i.e. blue-ish lights, you can tame the stretch a bit.

 

[Klompen]

You can delay the onset of flowering a bit by giving them a little nitrogen, but generally its bad to do things that require vegetative recovery at any time in flowering. I am very in love with FIM and consider it an extremely underappreciated art, but I would never do it in flower. FIM when done right will produce an insane canopy and totally eliminate any need for a net when doing a SCROG type of grow. Just FIM and then LST the resultant branches and you quickly end up with a very flat top that has dozens of nodes.

 

[Switcher56]

You can delay the onset of flowering a bit by giving them a little nitrogen, but generally its bad to do things that require vegetative recovery at any time in flowering. I am very in love with FIM and consider it an extremely underappreciated art, but I would never do it in flower. FIM when done right will produce an insane canopy and totally eliminate any need for a net when doing a SCROG type of grow. Just FIM and then LST the resultant branches and you quickly end up with a very flat top that has dozens of nodes.

 

[Lost in a SOG]

plants stretch most in the last few hours of their night.

If you keep your night temps higher the plants will produce less gibberelin hormone and stretch less.. like within 5C of daytime temps.

If you can warm your room for the last few hours of night time so that it is 5C above what the temps are for the first few hours of day/light they will not stretch at all really.

Blue light will also cause tigher internodes.. As well as making sure they are getting adequate light.

 

[Switcher56]

Interesting good buddy Do you also modify room RH to maintain your girl within the VPD envelope?

 

[Lost in a SOG]

Me personally yeah I do.. In the final weeks they dont care as much and it can drop to 50-65 because they aren't transpiring as much and are barely growing, but during vigorous formative growth I keep humidity 65-80% with temps 77-80f, 25-27C, for ideal transpiration.. You won't get bud rot if your plants are healthy but if you're not doing your job well enough then lowering RH can help fight pathogens, it can also weaken the plant even more by hindering its supply of fresh nutrients..

 

[Klompen]

I second the advice about blue light and keeping conditions consistent. Lost in a SOG is absolutely spot on about all of that. Don't go crazy with the blue light or you will delay flowering, but some blue light makes a huge difference.