Super Cropping Pruning Method for Cannabis Production

Super Cropping Pruning Method for Cannabis Production

Super Cropping Pruning Method for Cannabis Production

Professor DeBacco

Quick and Simple
Super cropping can be a quick and simple way to prune/train plants if you run out of height in the grow space.
Super cropping is a technique where you bend the stem close to a 90º angle that involves breaking the internal fibers of the plant in the process.
It can be done in flower, though it’s usually performed in veg.

Learn the Feel of the Plant
Squeeze/pinch the stem where you want the bend to be
You will feel the plant’s tissue start to crush, and then lay the upper part of the branch over at a right angle.
Goal is to crush and not break the plant tissue.
Do not perform this on the top 2-3 nodes as you want there to be some more plant material above the crush point.
With thinner or woodier stems that are harder to crush, but is still possible.
The stem eventually forms a “callus“ or “swell” at the bend

Advantages of Super Cropping
The most obvious reason is to keep the plant canopy on the same level especially in height limited grows
The bending of the main stems will also increase light exposure to lower buds which can help increase the number of larger buds a plant produces.
Note: This tends not to work well if plants have been aggressively lollipoped as well
This can also help maximize horizontal space in a growing area and fill in empty gaps both between plants and also with-in the same plant.

When to Super Crop?
Typically performed early in flower this can help increase the size of the bud at the end of the branch and also the lower buds that will now be getting greater light intensity exposure.
General recommendation is 3-7 days before growers decided the flip the photoperiod to help allow the plants some time to recover from the stress of the method before going into flower.

Basic Process
Supercropping to make room for more supercropping!
In this example a branch is bent that has no lower branches to grow up,
The key is to bend it away to clear space in the plant canopy
This allows for a different branch that does have lower branches to be moved into this area to maximize production.

Plant Hormone Influences with Super Cropping
The bending of the plant does not remove the apical portion of the plant, but does increase light intensity to inner and lower leaves.

This can help induce further development of these lower portions of the plant that without this pruning style would be shaded.

Link to Lecture Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10FMZ6iti5g1T1rEPsyPGV95KJtOqeFPk/view?usp=sharing

*Due to the description character limit the full work cited for “Super Cropping Pruning Method for Cannabis Production” can be viewed at… https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X53yBf5PFdEaGJMD442rVdfGY-0mPr41/view?usp=sharing