Train a Noob to train?

I have watched countless videos and read countless articles on all the training techniques but when I sit down with the following plants I get paralyzed. 5 of my 8 girls are turning out to be really compact with tons of new growth trying to explode from under the fan leaves. I have topped most of them about 4-6 days ago and I've been trying to twist and pull the fan leaves down and away in order to get light into the new growth. I don't have a problem with the plants that are taller and thinner but I am having a hard time visualizing the progress/shape I want these plants to make and, more importantly, what I need to do to get it to respond accordingly. I feel like the big fan leaves need to come off in order to get light to the new growth but I don't believe that would be advised? I would appreciate so insight on how to manage these girls. I was planning to scrog but I am completely open to other ideas especially since I am not keen on having the plants "stuck" in the screen . Obviously this is my first grow so I am looking to take it kinda easy on training these plants especially since I have already caused them issues and even killed one a couple weeks back. I would also invite comments on their overall appearance/health

They are all White Widow, 40 days from germ, 10th day in the RDWC.

Your plants look healthy. Don't chop them op so the tiny leaves get light. They will eventually grow.

This is where patience comes in. I've had strains that tolerated topping/mainlining with no issues-they just kept growing. But, I've also had some strains like those that just stayed squat-until they flowered, then they started to stretch a bit. Just keep growing and let the plant tell you what it wants.

I like to let them grow as fast as possible in veg unhindered and then bend and tie the main stem down in the first 2 weeks of flower during stretch. Then stake and tie as needed to train into a Bush. Happens real fast in flower with minimal work.



When they grow to my max allowed height I basically bend them in half. I use stands to even the canopy and keep the lights fixed up high.

I try to keep them 30” tall over the pots and about 2’wide for my space.

Thanks guys. I keep telling myself to slow down the thinking and let things progress but I get wound up in my head and start to obsess. My manic-me is eased for the moment.

Is there a chance that these little bushes won't even need much training other than some lst? they are definitely growing out more than up in veg and there is a ton of branching and splitting inside them, will that naturally give me a bunch of colas or do you still need to top/fim for that?

This is going to be so much easier once I have done this a couple times. Even with all the information here and everywhere else there are things you can't learn without hands on expeirence.

Is there a chance that these little bushes won't even need much training other than some lst? they are definitely growing "out" more than "up" in veg and there is a ton of branching and splitting inside them, will that naturally give me a bunch of colas or do you still need to top/fim for that?

DarknessFYC said:

Is there a chance that these little bushes won't even need much training other than some lst? they are definitely growing "out" more than "up" in veg and there is a ton of branching and splitting inside them, will that naturally give me a bunch of colas or do you still need to top/fim for that?

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. Yes that is absolutely a chance. My wonder woman strain stays very short. I usually top at the 4th or 5th node. This lets the first two internodal branches become tops. If I scrogged I would then just lst those into the screens horizontally instead I just let them grow from there and get all up in my lights and bleach a bit. Laziness gets the best of me sometimes