Contributed by: tOkE_tHe_DoPe
Benefits of tying down:
- Increases yield
- Security
- Promotes branching (increases bud sites)
- More sun coverage
All these are positive attributes. Which in the long run, will distribute light to your plant/plants evenly (Instead of one side receiving morning light, and the other receiving the afternoon light).
You can start tying down whenever you want. But preferably when the plant starts to produce branches. Tying down now will enhance branching. Why? The sun can easily penetrate the canopy, which will distribute light equally.
When your plant is ready to be tied down:
week 1: Start off lightly
Tie string or fish line approximately 1/3rd down from the top. Tie the other end of the line to an obstacle on the ground, making sure your plant isn?t straining
5 days later: Inspect growth
By now if your plant has received quality amounts of light, you will notice your leaves facing upwards (reaching for the sun). Your plants will try to receive as much sunlight as possible. Obviously it would have grown a certain amount as well; this is why you will need to attach more line to the middle of your plant, tying the rope down more than you did previously.
Several weeks later
Keep tying your plant down as necessary until branches start to pierce the canopy. Leave these branches to grow.
When branches start to flower, you will have to be cautious. Branches that get too long will not be able to support the heavy bud it is producing. This is when you will have to start tying the branches either down, or pulling them up, depending on the circumstances.
Suggestions:
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Make sure you determine if your plant is female before you commence tying down!
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Figure out where the sun is casting its shadows before commencing. Remembering to tie down in the direction the sun is mostly cast upon through out the day.
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| first day, behind | first day, front | behind (1 week after) |
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| 1st plant (1 week after) | bud sites showing (2 weeks later) | front (week 6) |
Comments by: ixnay007
Tying down has about the same effect as topping, although with much less stress on the plant. That said, tying down can be done during early flowering, but if you can you might want to do most of your tying during veg, and when you get to flowering, you can do some minor adjustments.
When you tie down, the growth hormones are relocated to lower branches, so you probably don’t want to be doing too much to change the plant’s focus during flowering. That said, I don’t think it’s going to change all that much, but in general, trying to keep your plants as unstressed as possible is always good.