Are These Babies Ready To Be Topped?

[bobrown14]

I get 15 - 30 colas without topping and without a net. Just an observation.



Taking the main stem, the plant has to stop and grow a new one.

Main stem is called the "Apical Meristem". Plants cannot grow without it.
It's also where all the growth hormones and growth cells for the entire plant are made and distributed.

Cutting the main stem, plants have to stop growing and grow a new one. There's another one under the soil, the main root stem. Also called the "apical root meristem" with similar function as the main stem above the soil.

Here's an example of a non-topped plant with likely 40-50 side branches @ 40 day in flower. I dont usually count the branches, there's always more than enough.

DSC_0017 (2).JPG

• bobrown14
• May 22, 2019

Family Picture

 

[Ed Brown]

My SCROG I put about 15" above my pot.
That way I can get under it pretty well.
I usually strive for about 15 nodes which should be about 30 colas but that's dependent upon what size pot you're in, whether it's fabric or plastic, how large a space you have to fill and how much lighting you have.

Thanks for the info Nunya! I'm definitely trying a SCROG next go. I have a 4x4x8 tent with a 600W MH for Veg and 600W HPS for Flower. I wish I could add another 600W light but im restricted due to cooling issues.

 

[Ed Brown]

I get 15 - 30 colas without topping and without a net. Just an observation.



Taking the main stem, the plant has to stop and grow a new one.

Main stem is called the "Apical Meristem". Plants cannot grow without it.
It's also where all the growth hormones and growth cells for the entire plant are made and distributed.

Cutting the main stem, plants have to stop growing and grow a new one. There's another one under the soil, the main root stem. Also called the "apical root meristem" with similar function as the main stem above the soil.

Here's an example of a non-topped plant with likely 40-50 side branches @ 40 day in flower. I dont usually count the branches, there's always more than enough.

DSC_0017 (2).JPG

• bobrown14
• May 22, 2019

Family Picture

I just completed an all natural grow with 9 plants in the tent. It was overcrowded, but i didn't defoliate soon enough. I'm going to limit the next grow to 6 plants. I yielded 3/4 lb from 7 WW girls. I was hoping scrogging would increase my yield to around 200-250gs per plant on the WW.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I just completed an all natural grow with 9 plants in the tent. It was overcrowded, but i didn't defoliate soon enough. I'm going to limit the next grow to 6 plants. I yielded 3/4 lb from 7 WW girls. I was hoping scrogging would increase my yield to around 200-250gs per plant on the WW.

I average between 8 to 10oz per plant and only grow 2 plants.

This is my 2.5 x 5' space AKA a bathtub.
The plants are filled wall to wall and over hanging the front by about a foot with just 2 plants.
No topping, just LST and SCROG.
Got somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 colas

 

[bobrown14]

When you scrog you need to VEG longer. This makes up for the time the plants are growing new apical meristems.

I could argue the yield question.

Here's one:

I run a plant 40 days in VEG and 40 more days in flower then chop.

So 80 days total yield per plant 5-6 zips top shelf in the cans.

In a 4x4 space thats 4 plants = 20zips dried cured.

In the scrog you're still in VEG or just coming out of VEG @ 80 days.

Say you're running a 60 day strain. so say 120 days total seed to chop.

My 40 day strain was chopped and I have another round already going in flower and ready to chop in that same 120 days you're running.

So the math is a thing. Not sure scrogging (topping) wins the yields argument.

Running plants natural. It's not that hard. Wait till you need to get in the grow room with a net in there. I like standing and working better than crawling around on the floor. Just sayin.

 

[Ed Brown]

When you scrog you need to VEG longer. This makes up for the time the plants are growing new apical meristems.

I could argue the yield question.

Here's one:

I run a plant 40 days in VEG and 40 more days in flower then chop.

So 80 days total yield per plant 5-6 zips top shelf in the cans.

In a 4x4 space thats 4 plants = 20zips dried cured.

In the scrog you're still in VEG or just coming out of VEG @ 80 days.

Say you're running a 60 day strain. so say 120 days total seed to chop.

My 40 day strain was chopped and I have another round already going in flower and ready to chop in that same 120 days you're running.

So the math is a thing. Not sure scrogging (topping) wins the yields argument.

Running plants natural. It's not that hard. Wait till you need to get in the grow room with a net in there. I like standing and working better than crawling around on the floor. Just sayin.

Those are very good points @bobrown14. I love natural. I think you convienced me to stay natural and to not top.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I've never vegged longer than 56 days for SCROG.
Flower is usually between 50 to 70 days, unusual to flower in under 6 weeks.
Depending on strain
For a total of 106 to 126 days.
And average about 8.5 oz per plant with SCROG.
17oz average for two plants.
4 plants if I had a 5x5 space I should get around 34 oz.

Current grow I did 53 days veg and really if it weren't for that autoflower that kinda screwed me up I am pretty sure this veg would have been more like 49 days I think.
The Gelato is supposed to be a 9 to 10 week flower the Hiydrow 8 to 9 weeks.

Jeebus, if I vegged a full 80 days I could completely fill a 5x5 space with just 2 plants.

 

[bobrown14]

Those are very good points @bobrown14. I love natural. I think you convienced me to stay natural and to not top.

I tried tying the main shoot back to itself - main stem with a wire tie this time instead of super cropping (cracking) the main stem.

I think it's working much better than super cropping. Hard to see since the pic is so close up but the main stem is bent over and tied - all the side branches and now all the same height as the main stem all growing happily and plant never skipped a beat either.

DSC_0030 (2).JPG

• bobrown14
• Jun 11, 2019

Liquid Imagination #2 - in training 2 days in flower.

 

[Ed Brown]

I tried tying the main shoot back to itself - main stem with a wire tie this time instead of super cropping (cracking) the main stem.

I think it's working much better than super cropping. Hard to see since the pic is so close up but the main stem is bent over and tied - all the side branches and now all the same height as the main stem all growing happily and plant never skipped a beat either.

DSC_0030 (2).JPG

• bobrown14
• Jun 11, 2019

Liquid Imagination #2 - in training 2 days in flower.

I can see the green wire where you tied it down. So the top is going to rise back and just be held down from shooting to high?

Super cropping worked ok for me last time. I was super worried, but I should have done it sooner as my top cola was touching the glass bottom of the light hood and was burning. I rolled the main stem (about 1 ft down from the main cola) between my fingers, but that baby snapped fast! It scared me, but she handled it like a champ and formed a huge knuckle. She wouldn't stop going up though! Had to tie the top down a bit. Eventually all of the limbs started growing sideways. Definitely found I stretched them too fast from raising the light too fast.

 

[bobrown14]

supercrop will work too. That plant I took a pic of has 30 colas at or above the lights. I keep supercropping her and tying down the main stem. She just keeps going.

Vertical growth not totally a matter of lighting per se, genetics, growth hormones, soil conditions + environment. They all have a play.

Usually if my pots are smallish say 4.5 gal - I don't have vertical challenges. When I flower in my 7.5gal pots thats when the plants get into the lights. Genetics have to be there for size for sure.

 

[HayStack]

I agree with most here. I don't think I would top them at all. Maybe some LST in a few weeks and if they start getting too tall, just supercrop them where needed.