topping?

[Eminem]

I never top since I gorw SOG style. I have some plants I need to top and get bushier to fill up some extra space in my next tables.

They are about 12" tall, and will continue to veg for another 7-10 days under T5's.

Do I just cut the top growth tip off leaving several side branches, or do I cut them low, removing all the side branches and try to focus on two main colas?

 

[swampy_nz]

cut it high bro,

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Top the tiniest piece you can manage with little scissors.

 

[FreezerBoy]

If you bend the tip over, lower growth explodes and you get to keep the top cola. Check out LST and ScrOG.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Yup on the bending, better than pruning.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

I never top since I gorw SOG style. I have some plants I need to top and get bushier to fill up some extra space in my next tables.

They are about 12" tall, and will continue to veg for another 7-10 days under T5's.

Do I just cut the top growth tip off leaving several side branches, or do I cut them low, removing all the side branches and try to focus on two main colas?

A Complete Guide to Topping, Training and Pruning http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=115377

 

[Hydrosun]

If you need clones take the bottom branches which won't make it too tall anyway. Also depends on how much your strain continues to grow when 12/12 is flipped. Bending is fine to help get more tops to the same level, but in my hydro system the plants are able to fix even the toughest breaks in about 24hrs of veg so I've found it really hard to get anywhere with a bend or break until a few days into 12 / 12.

Peace,

 

[Eminem]

Maj Pothead, thanks for the link, good info.

I topped them, but I dont think I am going to have much time for the new tops to grow alot. Guess I'll see.

My idea is to kind of LST them once I put them in the flower room by taking my net and lowering it and bending the plant sideways. I want the plant to stretch and get longer, so I'll have more plant material going horizontal to fill the open area

Should I bend the plant over on day 1, or wait till day 14 after it has stretched. Will they still stretch if bent over on day 1? I am talking about the whole plant, not the individual branches.

 

[KnuckleHedd]

I bend more strains than I top. I have a few strains that do better if cut off low, leaving 4-6 branches that grow into nice colas.

 

[milehighmedical]

I've been super-cropping but even in my soil I've seen a top straighten back up in a few hours. I'm going to finish this round out super cropping just to be consistent and see the final results, but it's really not extreme enough. The side branches have been catching up, but not nearly enough. Maybe super crop as long as you can, and then top at the end if you can't get all the side branches even with the top.

 

[barnyard08]

I've tryed both ways super cropping and Lst and I've found the Lst the better of the two ways I just tied the main cola down with some string and it filled in great without the stress of the S-cropping

 

[*mistress*]

pruning, or 'thinning' can be involved in this imaginary garden.

first, observe most prolific branches. usually thin to 3-6 main lead branches.

eliminate branches w/ nodes having long gaps, or slow growth.

secondly, observe strongest shoots coming from main branches. select 12-24 main shoots, preferably formed into growth pattern desired.

here, plant is made into giant-bonsai-bowl (3x3-5x5 trees, depends).

in conjunction w/ thinning, usually remove old fan leaves, and tiny growth on lower 1/3-1/5 of plant. stake, tie, support, etc.

if can, do root pruning. this will generate lots of green new growth. place myco tab/other mycorrhizae in root zone after root pruning+thinning.

knowing specific cultivar's growth pattern +, but principles work w/ any plant.

w/ in 2 weeks, should have a well-manicured, focused plant...

a little more than just bending or snipping tops, but in the end, fruit will reap benefits of simply getting rid of weak branches, adding supports, and root pruning.

hope this helps. enjoy your garden!