Manifolding is the hub-and-arms structure at the heart of mainlining. The plant is topped low, and the two remaining branches are tied out flat to form the manifold. Each arm is then topped again, and the new shoots are trained out to form the next tier, so every final cola is the same number of branch points from the root.
In practice
Growers use "manifold" and "mainline" almost interchangeably. Where they differ, manifolding describes building the hub (often 8 arms off a flat base), and mainlining describes the overall method including stripping lower growth. Symmetry is the point: an uneven manifold produces uneven colas. Allow extra veg time, typically two to four weeks.
Like mainlining, this is grower practice without controlled cannabis yield trials.
Don't confuse with
- Irrigation manifold: the pipe that splits water to many drip lines; same word, a systems term.
- SCROG: a screen used to spread tops; can be combined with a manifold.
The dense, elongated cluster of flowers that forms at the end of a stem or branch; the main cola tops the leader.Veg time is how long a photoperiod plant is kept in vegetative growth under long days before being flipped to flower, which largely sets its final size.SCROG (screen of green) trains a few plants under a horizontal net, tucking shoots so the canopy forms a flat, evenly lit layer of many tops.Top shelf is the highest price tier of flower in a shop, used as slang for any premium-looking cannabis; it reflects pricing and appearance, not verified quality.Mainlining is a training method that tops a plant low, removes lower growth and splits it symmetrically into a set number of evenly sized main colas.Topping is cutting off a plant's main growing tip just above a node, so the two shoots below grow into two main colas instead of one.LST (low-stress training) bends and ties stems so the plant grows wide and flat, exposing more bud sites to light without cutting or breaking tissue.An even canopy is one where all main tops sit at roughly the same height, so each receives similar light intensity and buds develop more uniformly.
