How to Perform the MainLining Technique

mainlining marijana plants

The next best feeling after marijuana consumption is planting it! If you are passionate about cannabis, you will love to cultivate it indoors or outdoors, it doesn't matter! Cannabis cultivation is such a fulfilling process and there are several techniques modern growers employ to make the process successful.

This article will focus on one of the most effective of these techniques, the mainlining approach!

Mainlining refers to the method of achieving larger yields from your marijuana plant. Think of this technique as an advanced one that entails using various pruning methods to achieve effective energy distribution with all plants to achieve a better harvest.

Regardless of your status with growing cannabis, you will need all essential techniques to achieve impressive yields. Either as a newbie or an old hand you need to have complete understanding of the techniques to employ to get the best out of your plants. When you mainline your cannabis plant, you are sure to get more significant results and perfectly shape your plants to prevent them from growing sporadically in a tight space.

The best part about mainlining is that once you know how to create a manifold, the rest of the mainlining process is very straightforward. So irrespective of your growing experience, you can get it right from the first try.

This article will analyze how individuals can perform mainlining techniques on their plants (indoors and outdoors) to achieve better results.

What are manifold and mainlining?

Mainlining is a cannabis plant training technique growers use to ensure the development of several large and uniform colas instead of having just one. Manifold is the process that helps us achieve this goal with mainlining by dividing the cannabis stem and creating a Y-shaped hub. This Y-shaped process takes nutrients and resources to several branches.

The method is easy but requires some effort on your part. The first step is learning how and when to mainline the cannabis plant; you can achieve it in minutes when you know how. You can also replicate the process on new plants, thus doubling the number of colas you get.

Think about this, why have only one central cola when you can have as many as 32 through mainlining? So are there benefits for mainlining?

The benefits of mainlining

The most apparent advantage of the mainlining technique is the fact that it ensures increased yields. Instead of getting tiny pop-corn-sized buds, you will get dozens of nutrient-dense and uniform colas with this method.

Other benefits of mainlining includes:

An easy planting process

The technique can be used for indoors and outdoors planting

You only have to do it once

The capacity to grow several cannabis plants even in limited space

Planters get greater control of the planting process

Increased canopy size

Mainlining occurs at the beginning stages of the cannabis plant's growth and it has to be done once or twice before you can see benefits. With this method, you can control your plants from the beginning and sit back and enjoy the harvest.

How to mainline your cannabis plant

By now, I'm guessing you're warming up to the idea of mainlining! If you're at this stage you have to try it out because it is so easy to implement. You don’t need too much equipment, but you must ensure that the plants you use are healthy and robust.

Regarding equipment, you will only need some pruning shears and plant/cable ties. Then it would help if you created a manifold which is the central structure of the mainlining process. Don’t worry; in the step-by-step below, I'll walk you through how to make a manifold and show you how to utilize it throughout the vegetative phase.

The manifold process

Step one

Please start by waiting until your seedlings develop between 5 and 8 nodes. This initial step is essential because you shouldn’t top seedlings too early; if it is used too early on, the plant may not recover. Next, cut the plant down to the 3rd node (which is the 3rd pair of leaves from the base).

Step two

Get rid of all additional growths and vegetation below the third node. Your plant will have a central stem with two large fan leaves that branch out from the top (this is where you see the Y-shape).

Step three

With the two main shoots ready, you can tie them down gently. The young cannabis plants are fragile, and they can easily snap at a new growth stage, so please be very careful. The goal here is to train the shoots horizontally and parallel to the ground.

Then secure the other end of the plant ties or cable ties to the edge of your planting container. This step will keep the shoots straight and narrow.

The mainlining process

If mainlining is done right, the plant will recover immediately! Now that you have your central manifold created, the roots will start to split their nutrients and other essential nutrients between two shoots and the third node. To enjoy maximum yields, you should make the right colas.

Step one

At this stage, you have to wait until each branch of the manifold has grown at least four new pairs of leaves—top either side down to the 3rd node.

Step two

You wouldn’t remove all the growth below the third node, remove the second node and leave nodes one and three intact.

Step three

Repeat the process on the other part of the plant, meaning you will have eight shoots in total (two pairs of leaves will be on both of the main branches).

Step four

Uniformity is a crucial idea with mainlining. So keep the plant under control by adjusting the ties to keep the central branches tied down. The base of the newly created shoots should be parallel with the ground. You will want newer stems to grow at the same height, so always check at least twice a week and adjust them.

Step five

Now that your plants are topped and tied down, you will start to fulfill their needs with water, light, and nutrients as you wait for them to grow. If you are satisfied with the height (which will vary based on your tent), you can flip them to the flowering stage by changing the light schedule to 12/12.

Step six

Well done! You have successfully mainlined your cannabis plant, and in a few weeks, you will have eight dense colas for harvest! You can continue to prune and manage the plants as you have been doing during the flowering stage.

Bottom line

Mainlining is a straightforward, inexpensive, and non-labor-intensive technique that guarantees high cannabis yields. This planting method is perfect in helping your plant reach its fullest potential such that cannabis cultivation is fun and productive.