NEED HELP! Buds too big too hold up .

Here's my problem.

I grow my plants in individual 5 gallon dwc buckets in a 9' by 8' area and each plant gets 2 sq feet to grow in.

To replace the nutrients I simply lift the plant out of the bucket, clean it out, and refill it with the new solution. The plant is in a net pot and rests in a hole that is cut into the top of the bucket lid. Above the plants my lights are moving back and forth on light rails across the canopy so i cant hang anything from the ceiling. Having to lift out the lids means that any support i use has to be attached to the lid or the plant itself and a net cant be used because the plants have to be moved around to have the nutrients changed out.(any other places to attach it i cant think of or way to change my nutrients)

I have tried using pipe hangers and bamboo stakes fastened to the lid but the pipe hangers bend and break eventually and are a bit flimsy now that they are made in china instead of the US. The buds are so heavy they are weighing the branches down to the point that they break and fall on each other and limit air circulation through the canopy increasing my risk for mold and mildew issues.

Does anyone have any ideas of how i can support these plants. They are too big to tie to themselves (tried that as well)

Tie some twine up high and anchor the buds with more twine to it. Next time use cages, for support and easy training.

get some wire fencing. Bend it around the bucket and attach it to itself with zip ties. Something like a sleeve.

*BUDS said:

Tie some twine up high and anchor the buds with more twine to it. Next time use cages, for support and easy training.View attachment 2717647

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Exactly what I was thinking when I started but didn't do it and Im paying for it now!. I didn't want to have to carry all that in my house because i got some nosey neighbors. Next time i'm going to upgrade my system to a recirculating DWC system that is hooked up to, a water chiller so i no longer have to switch out my buckets and just dump the entire system. This way i can build a permanent support system into my plants before they get too big again. I got em up now by taping bamboo rods to the bucket but had to spend 5 hours tying all the buds up. I was trying to see if anyone knew about a quick fix that is not commonly used.

Note to self. Don't be lazy or you'll end up having to do more work later and deal with more B.S.