Topped the two new tops - Advice

[StankyFish420]

Hey guys so I just topped my new two shoots. It what's been 9 days since I topped the main shoot and about 5 weeks into veg.
I cut off the lowest true node set of leaves and think I should cut off the second lowest set of leaves too.. Good idea?
Do I need to trim anything? And also why are the lower nodes beginning to swell up? Normal?

 

[Emilya Green]

Hey guys so I just topped my new two shoots. It what's been 9 days since I topped the main shoot and about 5 weeks into veg.
I cut off the lowest true node set of leaves and think I should cut off the second lowest set of leaves too.. Good idea?
Do I need to trim anything? And also why are the lower nodes beginning to swell up? Normal?

Hi Stanky... Topping is a big deal... you have just totally freaked out the plant, and you need to give it some time to resolve this. I strongly disagree with you chopping off leaves or trimming anything at this point... you are just further stressing this plant and it is no wonder it has stopped growing for a while. The swelling up of the nodes is normal, the plant now has to predict where the weight bearing nodes are going to be, and beef them up a bit, in preparation for holding up flowers later on.

Just be patient and let her figure out what is going on, and then you can maybe top again soon. I have found however that topping always delays the plant for a while, whereas pinching is more easily recovered from. Investigate and experiment with both methods if you can, and compare them for your own knowledge base.

 

[StankyFish420]

Hi Stanky... Topping is a big deal... you have just totally freaked out the plant, and you need to give it some time to resolve this. I strongly disagree with you chopping off leaves or trimming anything at this point... you are just further stressing this plant and it is no wonder it has stopped growing for a while. The swelling up of the nodes is normal, the plant now has to predict where the weight bearing nodes are going to be, and beef them up a bit, in preparation for holding up flowers later on.

Just be patient and let her figure out what is going on, and then you can maybe top again soon. I have found however that topping always delays the plant for a while, whereas pinching is more easily recovered from. Investigate and experiment with both methods if you can, and compare them for your own knowledge base.

Thank you so much Emilya for taking your time to read and comment back! I won't chop anything else I think that was my last top I just wanted 4 colas. Or should I do more?

If I just wait for these colas to form how long should I wait to flip? Wait for each new four shoots get two or 3 nodes high?

 

[StankyFish420]

Btw all I feed her is just 100%h20 haha
I will use molasses during flowering and that is it. Is that fine?

 

[StankyFish420]

Also using pipe cleaners to hold down fan leaves

 

[Emilya Green]

Thank you so much Emilya for taking your time to read and comment back! I won't chop anything else I think that was my last top I just wanted 4 colas. Or should I do more?

If I just wait for these colas to form how long should I wait to flip? Wait for each new four shoots get two or 3 nodes high?

that sounds about right... flip when you are about 40% of your vertical height available to the plant in flower... she will almost double in size when you flip the switch, and then you have a little bit to grow on.

Btw all I feed her is just 100%h20 haha
I will use molasses during flowering and that is it. Is that fine?

I am so glad to see someone who trusts his/her soil to provide what is needed in veg. If you have not amended your soil, you will no doubt need supplements of some kind around week 5 of flower because most commercial soils give out about then. Molasses is good to provide some trace minerals and sugars to feed the micro life in your soil, and some say it adds to the flavors at the end... I tend to give some toward late flower myself even though nothing else but water will be used during my entire grow.

Also using pipe cleaners to hold down fan leaves

Not sure why you are doing this, most people will use the tie downs to split the plant into two sections after a topping, making for a wider than taller plant... but tying down the fan leaves just seems mean to me... my plants raise and lower those leaves throughout a 24 hour period, but you are saying with your tie downs... no, don't act like you are happy... don't lift those leaves up... I bet she really doesn't like that you are doing that.

 

[StankyFish420]

that sounds about right... flip when you are about 40% of your vertical height available to the plant in flower... she will almost double in size when you flip the switch, and then you have a little bit to grow on.



I am so glad to see someone who trusts his/her soil to provide what is needed in veg. If you have not amended your soil, you will no doubt need supplements of some kind around week 5 of flower because most commercial soils give out about then. Molasses is good to provide some trace minerals and sugars to feed the micro life in your soil, and some say it adds to the flavors at the end... I tend to give some toward late flower myself even though nothing else but water will be used during my entire grow.

Not sure why you are doing this, most people will use the tie downs to split the plant into two sections after a topping, making for a wider than taller plant... but tying down the fan leaves just seems mean to me... my plants raise and lower those leaves throughout a 24 hour period, but you are saying with your tie downs... no, don't act like you are happy... don't lift those leaves up... I bet she really doesn't like that you are doing that.

I hear ya. Someone told me to tie down the fan leaves so that the grow wider and can let the light penetrate the beautiful girl so that the lower growth has time to catch up. So you think just water and molasses and water would be fine for the rest of my grow?

 

[Emilya Green]

I hear ya. Someone told me to tie down the fan leaves so that the grow wider and can let the light penetrate the beautiful girl so that the lower growth has time to catch up. So you think just water and molasses and water would be fine for the rest of my grow?

no, not with a majority of the commercial soils out there. If you had even supplemented with just azomite, I would say you had a chance of making it, but none of the common commercial soils can make it all the way through 9 weeks of heavy flowering and resin producing weeds without extra help.

 

[StankyFish420]

So what is a cheap alternative I can start using now and do I mix it in with my water?

 

[StankyFish420]

So you're saying I don't have a chance to flower cause I'm using just water?

 

[Emilya Green]

So what is a cheap alternative I can start using now and do I mix it in with my water?

you dont need anything else now... not till that soil gives out around week 5 of flower, then problems can develop due to depleted micronutrients.

So you're saying I don't have a chance to flower cause I'm using just water?

didnt say that at all... these are weeds, and what the do best is adapt. Your plant will become whatever you allow it to become.. she will flower just fine... just not to her full potential.

 

[StankyFish420]

you dont need anything else now... not till that soil gives out around week 5 of flower, then problems can develop due to depleted micronutrients.


didnt say that at all... these are weeds, and what the do best is adapt. Your plant will become whatever you allow it to become.. she will flower just fine... just not to her full potential.

Ok I see. But around week 5 of flowering is molasses enough or will I need to buy some cheap nutes? Although I don't mind how much I get as its my first grow so if water until week 5 of flowering then adding molasses for little boost is what I'll do I guess?

 

[Emilya Green]

depends all on your soil Stanky... I can't answer that. I will say that molasses is pretty good stuff and although it supplies sulfur and some other good things, I don't think it has several of the other critical micronutrients that only come in soil. Look into azomite though... even a tsp on top of the soil at the right time could work wonders.