When should I top this plant?

[Bulletproof_Love]

I'm waiting to top this plant. I plan to pluck the 5th set of leaves so I can do a 4 way LST and scrog. Do I do that while it's in the cup or in the final pot (3 gal smart pot)? Transplanting the plant and then topping seems like a lot of stress.

 

[Bose]

If it were me I would transplant making sure I have a good root system then top.

 

[$bkbbudz$]

There are some differing schools of thought about topping and timing. Some will say 3 nodes, others 4 or 5. Some say before transplant and some say after. I know this is vague information but that is your plant and in the end you make the choices.

While it is great to get others input, or opinions. Do not take what anyone says as written in stone. Do some reading and research and do what you feel is best.

Now as to your original question about when to top...I will tell you what I did in my current grow. But first a short disclaimer...By telling you what I did in my grow I do not intend to advise, coerce, suggest, recommend, instruct, or persuade you in anyway to do the same for you plant...

I have 2 gurlz in my current grow Barney's Farm LSD (topped at 6 days) and Barney's Farm Violator Kush (topped at 8 days)..I have seen no ill effects.

Again, this is just what I did in my grow.

Please forgive all the disclaimer B.S. But, I was recently falsely accused of telling others what they should do because it was what I did, and causing irreparable damage to their gardens. So please do not make the mistake of doling what I did...unless that is how you choose when to top, after you have gathered information and made your own decision...

Cool?

 

[norcalmopar]

Fuck it, do it both ways. Do one before, one after, and one both times, see how that cut/plant/strain wtf you call it takes it and do whichever YOU like better

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

Just transplanted 3 Days ago on Sunday seems to be growing pretty well now. Should I top it now? I'm trying to put a 4 way LST and I have a scrog screen already built.

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

It grew a ton since Sunday

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

I'm still using my desk lamp with a CFL. When should I start using my 3 bulb T5 fixture?

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

switch your fixture and let it root for a couple days - it's going to try to find the end of the pots so there won't be much activity above soil. top in about 5-8 days once it starts taking off again.

why are you going to top if you are going to scrog? that is going to make it take longer... you can just do some lst to get some side branching until it hits screen then start tucking.

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

switch your fixture and let it root for a couple days - it's going to try to find the end of the pots so there won't be much activity above soil. top in about 5-8 days once it starts taking off again.

why are you going to top if you are going to scrog? that is going to make it take longer... you can just do some lst to get some side branching until it hits screen then start tucking.

http://www.growweedeasy.com/scrog-tutorial

I was following this

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

i read that before my first scrog, too. i had already done enough lst to know that if you tie your plant down that you will end up with many tops and not one main without any of the slowdown of topping. So i just skipped that part of that guy's instructions.

do what you want, was just informing you that there is another way that works

 

[Vnsmkr]

View attachment 3673366
It grew a ton since Sunday

Let it get a few more nodes. There is a reason most people wait until 5 or 6, as that is when the root system is well established. I have done both too and the one where I topped then transplanted sucked (& I been growing for a minute). I wait until 5 then whack them down to 2nd true node. So top after transplant into final and then wait until you got 5-6 nodes.

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

i read that before my first scrog, too. i had already done enough lst to know that if you tie your plant down that you will end up with many tops and not one main without any of the slowdown of topping. So i just skipped that part of that guy's instructions.

do what you want, was just informing you that there is another way that works

So what LST methods did you use? Or did you just let an untopped plant grow into the screen and tuck as you went along?

 

[GuyLeDuche]

Let it get a few more nodes. There is a reason most people wait until 5 or 6, as that is when the root system is well established. I have done both too and the one where I topped then transplanted sucked (& I been growing for a minute). I wait until 5 then whack them down to 2nd true node. So top after transplant into final and then wait until you got 5-6 nodes.

I like to take off the 5th node, then save the 1st and 2nd to remove and use as clones lol. I get a 4 branch + sign that fills a scrog square nicely.

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

I like to take off the 5th node, then save the 1st and 2nd to remove and use as clones lol. I get a 4 branch + sign that fills a scrog square nicely.

So would you say I should just pluck the 5th node now? It's been like 4 days since transplant and it's still growing pretty well.

 

[Vnsmkr]

if you already have 5-6 nodes you can pluck it down, should be established

 

[Strocat]

I dont go by nodes although when i top plant does usually have 4 or more nodes.. I transplant then wait for plant to reach 8 inches tall... Then top.. Then let it go for 10 days then top 1 more time. I do that then lollipop right before 12/12 switch.. Then just let her go. The one thing ive learned is.... Id much rather scrog 3 small plants then have 1 good plant.. Even canopy and 3 different strains that way

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

I dont go by nodes although when i top plant does usually have 4 or more nodes.. I transplant then wait for plant to reach 8 inches tall... Then top.. Then let it go for 10 days then top 1 more time. I do that then lollipop right before 12/12 switch.. Then just let her go. The one thing ive learned is.... Id much rather scrog 3 small plants then have 1 good plant.. Even canopy and 3 different strains that way

I was thinking of that too for the next time around. What size was the screen? I've got a 2x2x4 tent.

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

So what LST methods did you use? Or did you just let an untopped plant grow into the screen and tuck as you went along?

i just keep tying down the highest top (your main) until it's below every other top, then do the same with the others as they start to get uneven. Once the plant gets a nice size i put on the screen, then let it fill the screen until it's 75% full. I then flip and start lollipopping everything so that the screen is the only buds and no suckers are left on the bottom of the branches. Last time, my actual top was the 3rd largest cola i had.

I do also take off the bottom branches to use as clones. if you let these branches grow out until they are rather long (quite a few nodes) then you can get more than one clone off of a branch. Also, the non-tip clones from this branch will grow out as a topped clone (2 tops) - I prefer working with these ones.

 

[Bulletproof_Love]

i just keep tying down the highest top (your main) until it's below every other top, then do the same with the others as they start to get uneven. Once the plant gets a nice size i put on the screen, then let it fill the screen until it's 75% full. I then flip and start lollipopping everything so that the screen is the only buds and no suckers are left on the bottom of the branches. Last time, my actual top was the 3rd largest cola i had.

I do also take off the bottom branches to use as clones. if you let these branches grow out until they are rather long (quite a few nodes) then you can get more than one clone off of a branch. Also, the non-tip clones from this branch will grow out as a topped clone (2 tops) - I prefer working with these ones.

Good tips.I just don't see myself lollipopping. Does taking off a few branches really boost the size of the remaining ones by that much?

Because I feel like adding supplemental light to the lower canopy would be better than cutting and pruning them

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

Good tips.I just don't see myself lollipopping. Does taking off a few branches really boost the size of the remaining ones by that much?

Because I feel like adding supplemental light to the lower canopy would be better than cutting and pruning them

it's not cutting off branches, but rather the small popcorn size buds that grow from all the tips below the top 1/3rd of a branch. they will only grow big enough to be cut and thrown in the bag with all the trimmings in it, especially in a scrog. if they don't make it to the net by day 12 after flip, go ahead and pinch em off. I try to have all my trimming done by two weeks after flip, but i've heard of people taking longer.