Why winding or clipping?

Winding: Pros and cons

Pros

• No (clip) material costs (except for labour) 
• Sustainable

Cons

• Requires more experience
• Requires a large amount of labour/time (progresses slower); for instance, clipping one hectare with two winders takes an average of 45 hours.
• There is a greater risk of damage and breakage to the growth point (if the growth point breaks off, it can lead to a growth delay for the crop of up to eight weeks).
• Higher likelihood of causing unnecessary stress on the plant due to the winding of the stem.

Clipping: Pros and cons

Pros

• Quick to learn
• Lower chance of damage/breakage
• Faster progress; clipping one hectare with two clippers takes an average of 34 hours

Cons

• Purchase costs
• Higher waste costs
• Less durable

Winding and clipping techniques

Winding is a specialized method that can slow down plant growth because it involves "pinching" the stem, reducing nutrient supply. There is a risk of harming the plant if done incorrectly. Winding typically progresses at a slower pace compared to clipping. During winding, minimizing movement of the plant's head is crucial. You support the plant's weight and then twist the twine around the stem while gently guiding the leaves upward with your free fingers.

Avoid wrapping the twine around each leaf of a tomato plant, especially if there are kinks in the stem. This can lead to breaking the plant's head or causing considerable damage to its cells.

When clipping, you attach a clip to the plant and twine without winding the plant. The major advantage here is that, unlike winding, you do not compress the plant's stem, thus avoiding any growth delay.

Proper clip placement is essential; it should always be positioned under the leaf, never directly above or below a growing leaf due to its strength. In the case of cucumbers, it goes just below the leaf. Clipping cucumbers has the added benefit of not requiring a tight twist to prevent the stem from slipping.

Clipping with thick stems

Some crops, particularly those with thick stems, are prone to breaking if you use the winding technique. In such cases, it is preferable to clip these crops instead of winding them.

Influence of Daylight
Day length, and consequently the amount of daylight received by the plant, affects stem thickness. During cold winters with short days, crop stems tend to be thicker. As spring and summer bring longer daylight hours, plants experience increased length growth. Therefore, winding may be suitable in spring and summer, while clipping is preferable during colder periods.

Did you know: Every additional hour of light results in an average of 1% more growth.

Regulating Growth with LED Lighting
Assimilation or LED lighting can control light exposure, extending the natural daylight period and influencing plant growth (including stem thickness). Alongside irrigation, heat, CO2, and crop treatments, assimilation lighting plays a vital role in plant growth, affecting decisions regarding clipping and winding techniques. Explore more about selecting assimilation lights or maintaining your grow light installation for optimal results.

Trend: Increasing Preference for Clipping

There is a noticeable trend among growers towards choosing clipping over winding. This shift primarily stems from the labour and expertise required. Winding is typically performed by trained employees, whereas clipping can be done by anyone without specialized training. Finding employees skilled in winding is becoming increasingly challenging, and winding also entails higher labour costs. Explore our range of tomato stem support clips and easily request a quotation. Unsure about which clips to use? Our specialists would like to help you!  

Combining winding and clipping

Both techniques offer distinct advantages. You don't have to pick one over the other; instead, you can combine them. One advantage of this approach is the ability to steer the crop either generatively or vegetatively.

Generative Stimulus through Winding
If you have vegetative plants but wish to encourage more fruit production, winding is the solution. Winding induces a kind of "pain" in the plant, triggering a stress response that leads to increased fruit production.

Vegetative Stimulus through Clipping
Conversely, if you have generative plants and want to promote vegetative growth, clipping is the preferred method.

Choosing Sustainability

Opting for sustainability? Then winding is a viable option. Unlike clipping, winding doesn't involve material costs or resulting waste costs. However, there is now a growing market for biodegradable clips. Learn more about the pros and cons of bio clips.