Topping and transplanting

[Keffka]

I top right after I’ve transplanted and watered the plant in. I figure get all the stress out of the way at once. Once you’ve transplanted enough though, you can do it without shocking the plant. That way the only stress it actually endures is the topping itself.

Also, when talking about stretch, it’s all strain/pheno dependent. I’ve had two plants from one strain both stretch differently. Typically sativas will double in height, so if it’s 2 feet it will be 4 feet. Indicas usually only about 1.5 times the size of the plant so 2 feet becomes 3 feet. This depends on your container sizes as well. You’re probably not gonna have an 8 foot plant in a 3 gallon pot. You can typically estimate about a foot per gallon with some outliers, I just had a 5 foot plant in a 3 gallon container, and a 2.75 foot plant in a 3 gallon the previous grow.

Let us know how it goes though!

 

[dba1954]

I top right after I’ve transplanted and watered the plant in. I figure get all the stress out of the way at once. Once you’ve transplanted enough though, you can do it without shocking the plant. That way the only stress it actually endures is the topping itself.

Also, when talking about stretch, it’s all strain/pheno dependent. I’ve had two plants from one strain both stretch differently. Typically sativas will double in height, so if it’s 2 feet it will be 4 feet. Indicas usually only about 1.5 times the size of the plant so 2 feet becomes 3 feet. This depends on your container sizes as well. You’re probably not gonna have an 8 foot plant in a 3 gallon pot. You can typically estimate about a foot per gallon with some outliers, I just had a 5 foot plant in a 3 gallon container, and a 2.75 foot plant in a 3 gallon the previous grow.

Let us know how it goes though!

I'm growing a Northern light photoperiod in a 5 gallon pot. I just grew a Northern light auto that trippled in height in a 3 gallon pot. There's no way to predict what it will do is there, and the two won't be similar?

 

[Melville Hobbes]

I'm growing a Northern light photoperiod in a 5 gallon pot. I just grew a Northern light auto that trippled in height in a 3 gallon pot. There's no way to predict what it will do is there, and the two won't be similar?

With hybrids all bets are off until you've grown it yourself enough times to have a good idea how stable the phenotype is and how it responds to your conditions.
I haven't grown enough autos to compare them to their photoperiod counterparts, but they have some hybridization with ruderalis in there.

 

[Keffka]

I'm growing a Northern light photoperiod in a 5 gallon pot. I just grew a Northern light auto that trippled in height in a 3 gallon pot. There's no way to predict what it will do is there, and the two won't be similar?

With hybrids all bets are off until you've grown it yourself enough times to have a good idea how stable the phenotype is and how it responds to your conditions.
I haven't grown enough autos to compare them to their photoperiod counterparts, but they have some hybridization with ruderalis in there.

Mel nailed it.. hybridization plus phenotypes can have you growing one strain but have 6 different kinds of plants. Most breeders try to keep their strains to 4-6 really good phenotypes, but a lot of that is really dependent on the quality of the breeder. You’ll also find that if you grow a strain from one breeder then grow that same strain from another breeder, you’ll have different phenotypes again.

That’s one of the big reasons for cloning photoperiods. Other than being able to spit out a bunch of plants quickly, you also know exactly what that plant and phenotype is going to do/be.

You can use generalizations and estimations based on experience and labels, just be wary that you may get a wild one once in a while. As far as autos go, I haven’t grown enough autos to know how they stretch. I always assume every plant is going to at least double in size on me during stretch, that way if it doesn’t I’m good and if it does I’m prepared.

 

[dba1954]

I posted on my Journal too, plants really didnt slow down much at all by topping and transplanting. I did take extra care doing it... grew 1.5" the last 3 days so I'm happy with that.

 

[Roy Growin]

I've been growing mostly autos for the last few years and very few stretch like photos
When the odd 'wild one' does go for it, I top it again after stretch to even the canopy
If I do photos, I'll take clones and do a SOG
Going back to the original point, when we take clones we cut off foliage and take the tip out to encourage rooting, don't we? I've also put the clones in 12/12 from day one, a donkey dick farm

 

[SmokingWings]

That’s one of the big reasons for cloning photoperiods. Other than being able to spit out a bunch of plants quickly, you also know exactly what that plant and phenotype is going to do/be.

And you know "what that plant and phenotype is going to do/be" for year after year after year. .

 

[Keffka]

And you know "what that plant and phenotype is going to do/be" for year after year after year. .

Totally. Tons of folks have been growing the same plants for decades. When you find the one you love you stick with it. I’m searching for my mother currently.

 

[dba1954]

can I top a second time to increase colas?

 

[Melville Hobbes]

can I top a second time to increase colas?

You can. I've topped up to 3 times.
There is a point of diminishing returns though, especially in a pot.
Your root system can only support so much.

 

[dba1954]

Is there enough benefit to doing it a second time? How is the plants growth effected?

 

[seaofgreen18]

SO....I have 2 plants ready to top, probably will today. They also need to be transplanted from 4" pots into 5 gallon pots. Would topping and immediately transplanting harm the plants?

Depends on how healthy they are seems like alot of stress to me all at one time may I ask why do you top your plants?

 

[dba1954]

Depends on how healthy they are seems like alot of stress to me all at one time may I ask why do you top your plants?

vertically limited, wanted more colas of the same height ....

 

[seaofgreen18]

Ah, Ok I used to do that but hard on the plant I use a net now actually 2 , small openings for training and large opening for bud weight