Works for me, recovery time is crucial though. I give my girls 2 weeks stress free before flowering. TOTALLY stress free, everything perfect.
A while back, I was growing 2 SLH x Bubbas, 1 plant I didnt do much to but the other I was a bit rougher with. Pic attached.
First training method I tried was LST with wires, I wound the stem around half the pot, had almost no effect on the plant as far as stress goes.
Second method, plant on the left I topped/pinched every single branch, after this, I let the plant recover for a couple of days.
Third training method I tried was an extremely gentle "super cropping", bending and training the plant to be wider. I didnt bend them a little every day for X weeks, I did it in all within in a couple of hours. I spent about 10-15 minutes per branch whilst listening to an audiobook (bore me to death otherwise) bending it wider and wider, trying hard not to actually crack or knuckle ANY part of the branches. I would bend a branch after softening it up and hold it there for a minute, and when I let go it wouldnt move much because the entire branch is slightly sagging from being softened, but not limp and needing support from being cracked or knuckled.
After that, I left them alone for 2 weeks before flipping. No issues whatsoever. Increased yield. Cant speak numbers for potency but they were stronger. No seeds. No balls. No hermies. The one I trained, on the left, had an extremely even canopy which is probably what caused its success more than anything, it basicly looked like it was in a trelis net. The buds were only a little smaller, but twice as many, and they were rock solid whereas the other buds were lighter. I now top all my plants.
Thing I am trying now is actual knuckling and bending. Will take pics when the lights come on.
