Topping

[Aweedtec]

I watched a woman cut a foot and a half off her plant to top it. I thought to myself...WHY?
She wasted a foot of the plant.

When I top mine its when they are just 5 nodes high. Then top what comes off it once.

I dont get why someone would waste all that grow time.

Am I missing something here?

 

[Fenderbender]

Any stem size difference?

If you let your plant get to a decent size and then top back a lot you're left with a chonky base that only gets bigger from there and you're working with the fattest branches to continue.

 

[SmokingWings]

I watched a woman cut a foot and a half off her plant to top it. I thought to myself...WHY?
She wasted a foot of the plant.

When I top mine its when they are just 5 nodes high. Then top what comes off it once.

I dont get why someone would waste all that grow time.

Am I missing something here?

Maybe it is a case of the Queen of Hearts going on one of her rampages and yelling out "Off with their heads.".

I have done it more than once because there is no room left in the flowering tent and I want to keep the plant a certain height.

There is not enough room left between the top of the plant and the lights and no way to raise the lights any more. Cut some of the top off and by the time the new growth is getting close to the lights again there will be room in the tent.

Or, cut a foot off the and then cut that piece in half and hope to get the two cuttings to root so there are now 3 plants.

If you let your plant get to a decent size and then top back a lot you're left with a chonky base that only gets bigger from there and you're working with the fattest branches to continue.

And this one from Fenderbender. Some plants will stretch so much in early flowering and then build such large strings of buds that the stalks just start to flop over about half way to harvest time. I am doing several toppings like this as an experiment to see how much needs to come off to build a strong stem and still have enough new growth for a better than decent harvest.

 

[Sparkey224]

I don't practice this late topping.
But remember Subcool (rip) on couple episodes topping his Afghan to that extent. Turn out badass too.
I don't have the time to wait that long.

 

[Aweedtec]

I don't practice this late topping.
But remember Subcool (rip) on couple episodes topping his Afghan to that extent. Turn out badass too.
I don't have the time to wait that long.

Waiting is the issue with me but I'm both ways on this. Meaning I dont know which way to go. I Partly want to wait until they are huge to start the flowing stage.

However, because this is basically a test run I now know I will never use 5 gallon buckets again for a grow because I feel like I would get limited right in the flowing stage somewhere. The 3 gallon pot I was using, the plant wasnt that big at all and when I transplanted it yesterday it came out all in one ball and was all roots.
Now I'm a bit concerned about the 5 gallon buckets. Because these plants are getting bushy big. My friend says I should cut all the big fan leaves off and I think that is silly at this point. When it starts flowering sure. But now? I dont see how that benefits the plant in veg.

 

[Aweedtec]

Any stem size difference?

If you let your plant get to a decent size and then top back a lot you're left with a chonky base that only gets bigger from there and you're working with the fattest branches to continue.

When you say stem size difference do you mean on the same plant? Like the stem is larger on the top than it is on the bottom? If so then no, she just seemed to waste a good 12 to 14 inches of growth cycle. It made no sense to me unless she plans to be in veg for a long time.

How many areas can you top without stunting the plant badly?

 

[SmokingWings]

How many areas can you top without stunting the plant badly?

It is possible to top all areas or to top as often as wanted without stunting the plant. The important thing is how often or how much time between toppings. In the end it depends on what the grower is planning on.

Some growers have kept plants for years and are constantly cutting tops and even side branches so the cuttings can become clones. They even mention annual root pruning.

 

[SmokingWings]

Because these plants are getting bushy big. My friend says I should cut all the big fan leaves off and I think that is silly at this point. When it starts flowering sure. But now? I dont see how that benefits the plant in veg.

You might want to get in there and do some selective pruning to open up the area below the canopy but not anything excessive. Don't worry about the big fan leaves now.

Some growers do not trim or remove big fan leaves ever. When they are trimming during the vegetating or flowering stages they will remove smaller leaves and short stems in out of the way areas, usually in the area below the canopy.

Fan leaves are considered the solar panels of the plant since much of the needed photosynthesis is happening in them. Those fan leaves are also used as storage of nutrients and sugars that the plant will need eventually. Often enough when in flowering the plant will start to need more of some of these nutrients than it is able to get though its root system. It will begin to take what it needs from the largest available fan leaves and after awhile those leaves turn completely yellow. At that point it moves to the next largest fan leaves and repeats.

 

[Aweedtec]

You might want to get in there and do some selective pruning to open up the area below the canopy but not anything excessive. Don't worry about the big fan leaves now.

Some growers do not trim or remove big fan leaves ever. When they are trimming during the vegetating or flowering stages they will remove smaller leaves and short stems in out of the way areas, usually in the area below the canopy.

Fan leaves are considered the solar panels of the plant since much of the needed photosynthesis is happening in them. Those fan leaves are also used as storage of nutrients and sugars that the plant will need eventually. Often enough when in flowering the plant will start to need more of some of these nutrients than it is able to get though its root system. It will begin to take what it needs from the largest available fan leaves and after awhile those leaves turn completely yellow. At that point it moves to the next largest fan leaves and repeats.

I knew there was something off about that. We went back and forth for an hour about it. He keeps wanting to cut cut cut and I keep saying.. no, no no. SO he started his own plant.

Now its a race to the best. But what is kind of comical is they arent even the same strain so it doesn't even matter.

 

[Sparkey224]

Definitely want to clean up the middle part of the plant, fans, small nodes. All that's going to do is a bunch of extra work on larf when all the energy should be focused on the mains.
I would keep the outta fans but smaller interior needs to go.