I have been thinking about trying mainlining but is it really worth it?
Gonna throw out a little old school wisdon. Actually not sure if this is Bro' science or not. But the idea is that a given plant...in a particular grow op will have a theoretical optimal bud mass produced. Not possible to go beyond.
So what training can do is not necessarily increase bud mass but to direct where it will grow.
What mainlining, scrog and many others techniques do... is to eliminate popcorn bud and have all the bud grow on the colas. This is definitely the goal with mainlining. The "manifold" idea is that each half of the plant will get an equal amount of nutrients from down below...
My particular desire to learn manifold training is that it's probably the most manageable method to control height for tall sativas. I'm practicing on my current plants to prepare me for my next run which will be Golden Tiger (ThaixMalawi) and Kali Mist. Both will be mainlined to manage height.
One question was about the delayed growth. It's delayed early on when plant does not need lots of light. So all you need to do is to start the plant early enough to undergo full training. Very little electricity wasted keeping a small plant growing. Veg light is on anyway...
JD