I just spent a lot of time putting this together for you guys.

A couple years ago I posted this about the ultimate plant cages: http://boards.cannabis.com/growing-i...lant-cage.html

Since that time I've become an avid user of the products and highly recommend it to all my friends. It's about time I shared this info with you all so you can see what I've been doing these past years and can get the same results as me. I've seen increases of 10-30% on my yields by using these cages compared to alternatives like bamboo, trellis, and yo-yos. You could say I'm a bit of a tinkerer and I've been testing all aspects of my growing for years now. Hands down this is the plant support everyone should be using.

Let me show you why. This post is a step-by-step guide on how to increase your plant yields while using the 'Ultimate Plant Cage' like I have. Enjoy.

1. Depending on if your using rock pebbles(hydroton), a dirt/perilite mix, or even grocubes or some other medium it will work with the UPC. First step is to get your pots ready. Fill your pots 1/3 of the way with your medium as you see in this picture. Maybe you are using different pots but based on the flood fill method I use I prefer to use lower pots.

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2. Construct all your UPC bases and add your knuckles. These knuckles are important because when the plants are tall enough to need support you simply add the poles to the knuckles and not into the soil which may damage the roots.

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3. Put your plant in the middle where the opening is and fill around the plant with your medium of choice.

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4. Secure the UPC so that it is strong in place. This is important to establish the base as strong for later when the base is used to support the plant. Be sure to fill all the gaps with whatever medium you will be using.

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5. The first 1-2 weeks when the plant is still small it will look like this. The roots will be growing around the cage, making it hold its place even stronger, and is ready for poles to be added.

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6. When your plants grow tall enough its time to add poles. These plants here are more than ready for a little support. Even if they are not yet falling over there are huge benefits to adding poles a little early. Being able to control your plants growth at an early stage will allow more light at this stage. I have found in testing that the earlier you start to work with your plants the better they will become in the long run.

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7. You can see here the difference between a plant with support and one without. I did this as my control so I can see the difference. When you add the poles you can totally open up the plant and secure the stems anyway you feel is the best to allow the maximum amount on light. It's sometimes like a puzzle and you have to figure out the best way to place a stem. The best way to do this is to spread the stems as best you can to open up the middle to allow center light penetration. At this stage you can also de-foliate about 10-15 leaves per plant in order to create more light for to the lower 1/3 of the plant. Plus make sure the lights are close enough to the plants, but not too close so you have maximum lumens shining through. A good way to test this is to put your hand at the highest point of the plant directly under the light, if you can keep it there for 20 seconds without having to take it away then the lights are a little too far away. Bring it slightly closer.

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.... See more below. For some reason it won't let me add more of the photos. I think I've reached a maximum limit per post. Hope I can continue the rest of this thread below.
julius9 Reviewed by julius9 on . A way to increase yields by 10-30% I just spent a lot of time putting this together for you guys. A couple years ago I posted this about the ultimate plant cages: http://boards.cannabis.com/growing-information/196696-ultimate-plant-cage.html Since that time I've become an avid user of the products and highly recommend it to all my friends. It's about time I shared this info with you all so you can see what I've been doing these past years and can get the same results as me. I've seen increases of 10-30% on my yields by Rating: 5