RQS Interviews — Magnetous, The Master Cannabis Trainer

At Royal Queen Seeds, we are constantly on the lookout for the best information and knowledge about cannabis. In our interviews, we talk to figures from all over the cannabis industry. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Magnetous Tryko.

1. Why did you decide to start growing organically? 

Because it’s one of the best ways to increase production in small spaces like the ones we use indoors. The main goal [of training] is to shape the canopy so it ideally fits the pattern of the light configuration you’re using.

2. Where did you acquire all your knowledge about cannabis and training techniques? 

Training plants is not very difficult, but you need to learn some special techniques to avoid hurting them. From LST to HST, there are many ways to proceed. To learn about them, I first started by reading articles and comments on different sites and blogs. Honestly, I have to say that the RQS site has become a really interesting source of technical articles on many topics about growing cannabis! Props to you for that! But I also very much enjoy reading peoples' experiences on community forums like “Growweedeasy” or “Autoflowernetwork”, for example. Then, I also joined groups of growers I met online, like my so beloved Italian “Life in green” family or the amazing growers from “Growdiaries”.

3. How do you choose each technique for each plant?

This is the real deal! Choosing the right technique is the clue! But it’s not really about the plant, it’s more about the grow room configuration. Certainly, you won’t train an auto like other plants, but apart from this special type of plant, it’s really up to how the light is emitted and how you can get your plant to use this resource to the max.

4. Do you use the same techniques for indoor and outdoor grows?

Definitely not! There is no light like sunlight when growing plants! It’s intense and it comes from multiple directions due to sun movement and reflection, so in my opinion you don’t need complicated techniques to increase yields outdoors. Simply spreading the branches satisfies me. Of course, I’m not talking about the USA-style cannabis trees you might see on the internet; those require a serious amount of topping, cropping, and canopy management, and they take a very long time to grow! I’m talking about quick autoflower grows that can be finished before the weather gets too bad and inevitably causes bud rot and other mildew issues. And I have to say that autoflowers have been a major evolution for those who live in northern climates and still want to grow some weed outdoors.

5. What do you think about training autos? Which technique would you rather do for autos?

And here comes the trap question… autos are special plants. Their lifetime is “preset” and you can’t always do what you want with them. They will decide when they are ready to flower and won’t wait for you to finish your super complicated training plan… So, it’s definitely not a good idea to train/stress them too much because this will shorten an already short lifespan and may have the opposite effect on yield that you’re hoping for.

I know some growers who have had good results with topping autoflowers, but it’s too tricky to be the rule and it’s also very strain-dependent. I usually just spread the branches so they get more light, and I set up my lighting to manage the pine tree shape of the plant. I use at least two lamps so I don’t have a single source right above the main bud, and so I can lower them without the risk of light burn. But once again, it’s only my technique, and more experienced auto growers may have found other efficient training techniques.

6. What's the most difficult thing you’ve faced when training your plants?

Probably the most difficult thing, at least in the beginning, was to not hurt the plants! Countless branches snapped or leaves ripped off the stem, countless! Then you learn how to manipulate them and the most difficult thing is to figure out how you are going to get the canopy you want.

7. What is your favourite technique, and why?

I don’t have a single favourite technique. My training method is a combination of different techniques including topping, mainlining, twisting, and defoliating—all the while trying to induce the minimum amount of stress possible to not increase the growing time too much.

8. How can we avoid mistakes when doing these techniques?

Try, fail, repeat! There is no magic formula, and just like anything else, you must try and try again. No sites or books will teach you what it feels like right before a branch snaps in your fingers…

9. Which techniques would suit a beginner grower? And for advanced growers?

Basically, all LST tech could suit a beginner! It’s when it comes to HST that you need some experience!

"Don’t be afraid to try and make mistakes. Just keep in mind your goals."

10. What's your position on cannabis defoliation?

I use defoliation only on my indoor plants. Outside, where they can grow taller and spread more, I don’t see the benefit of taking off the fan leaves. But indoors, where space is limited, I see a noticeable improvement in light penetration when I get rid of those gigantic fan leaves. So, I would say that it is a technique that definitely has its place in our grower’s toolbox, and I use it all the time indoors... even on autos.

11. Some growers use hard techniques such as inserting a nail into a branch—how do you feel about that? Do you think the plant suffers from it?

This one hurt my soul the first time I saw it! But after all, plants respond to aggression like this in different ways, and why not in a way that could benefit the trichome or terpene production or whatnot? But I never tried it and probably won’t.

12. Any tips you would like to share for growers training their plants at home? Write whatever you want...

It may be a good idea to first become confident achieving good results with your weed plants without any training. From there, read all the info you can and don’t be afraid to try and make mistakes. Just keep in mind your goals. If it takes twice the growing time for a limited increase in yield, maybe change your technique.