Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas

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Roland

Active Member
No she wasnt, she is actuly quite small.

Not much taller than this. Here's a bud pic from a week ago. Its getting fairlly frosty now :weed:
looks very healthy ......... I see seven blades in flowering stage .... more nine blades leaves in vegging ... it looks like .........
 

c5rftw

Well-Known Member
yah it really isn't. just i feel for anyone that is "scared" to cut their babies, just have to get past that
 

Uncle Ben

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Thanks, and you're most welcome.

Folks that are apprehensive about cutting on their faves are usually noobs, and that's OK. That apprehension is to be expected from someone dealing with the unknown. What's funny though is some of the comments you hear - "it causes stress", "it will set your plant back a couple of weeks", etc.

Have fun,
UB
 

collieBudz

Well-Known Member
nice job UB


This is a great thread, thanks a bunch.

But i do wonder (sorry if this has been answered, but ive spent a lot of time on RIU lately, and i couldnt be bothered) i know how threads are and only about 2% is really stuff i wanna read, so i thought i'd just ask,i noticed early on you referred to scrog, and it being a pain in the ass, would you say yields are the same or better topping for 4 colas than a scrog of the same plant size? or of course, less good? i only ask cause i dont mind to pull some branches through on a daily basis is not a problem for me, but if i can do this AND get same results without setting up all my screens, and being able to move stuff around easier..., i'd give it a go.. i was planning to do a 2plant scrog under each 1000w, and have them fill a 4x4 screen.. but if i can top those 2 and make 8 giant colas, and some regular sized one's below, maybe its better?

cause im thinking most people scrog for even canopy so their light doesnt need to penetrate as much, but i think my 1000w will penetrate enough even without a scrog right?? so should i bother with the screens? i know in the end if i REALLY want to know what work's best i could try for myself and record my output's, but, im sure you must have done this research at some point with all your experience, and i trust you more than most of these 'pro' grower tips you find lolll

thanks a bunch dude, +rep
 

jzs147

Well-Known Member
where an when do you cut to get 4 colas any one got any pics?

sorry if that sounds dumb i did read the first few pages of the thread
thought it would be easier to ask than read 104 pages

im not sure when you say cut at the 2nd true node what does this mean?
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
..... i was planning to do a 2plant scrog under each 1000w, and have them fill a 4x4 screen.. but if i can top those 2 and make 8 giant colas, and some regular sized one's below, maybe its better?
Your call. You'll need to try both to see for yourself. Experience is alot different than theory or believing anecdotal evidence.

cause im thinking most people scrog for even canopy so their light doesnt need to penetrate as much, but i think my 1000w will penetrate enough even without a scrog right??
I've never had a problem using one 600HPS and one 400MH regarding light penetration. Of course I use side reflecting panels that can be adjusted as the garden's footprint expands and contracts.

SCROG - Be careful that you don't become a slave to your plants.

I do double harvests - I cut the mature colas at a point where they transition from fat to wispy budsites, and then put the bottom of the plant back under the lights to further bulk up those wispy buds. Works great and can make a significant difference in your yields. Can't do that if you're like most who lose their lower leaves due to poor culture, flushing drills, etc.

Good luck,
UB
 

Roland

Active Member
where an when do you cut to get 4 colas any one got any pics?

sorry if that sounds dumb i did read the first few pages of the thread
thought it would be easier to ask than read 104 pages

im not sure when you say cut at the 2nd true node what does this mean?
Read the first "few pages" again

Hi ya Ben ... thought I'd throw these pic's in

UB I was lookin thru some seed bank descriptions and thinking of ordering some seeds .... they said that one strain I was looking at ... Grapefruit I think .... they said ... " do not top this plant , as it doesn't respond well to topping " .... any thoughts ?


I've always topped my plants ... never had any noticeable prob's with any of 'em


last pic is L .. untopped .... R topped for six Cola's
 

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collieBudz

Well-Known Member
Your call. You'll need to try both to see for yourself. Experience is alot different than theory or believing anecdotal evidence.



I've never had a problem using one 600HPS and one 400MH regarding light penetration. Of course I use side reflecting panels that can be adjusted as the garden's footprint expands and contracts.

SCROG - Be careful that you don't become a slave to your plants.

I do double harvests - I cut the mature colas at a point where they transition from fat to wispy budsites, and then put the bottom of the plant back under the lights to further bulk up those wispy buds. Works great and can make a significant difference in your yields. Can't do that if you're like most who lose their lower leaves due to poor culture, flushing drills, etc.

Good luck,
UB

thanks for the advice, is there like a height requirement? cause my nodes are extremely close together its only maybe 6.5 inches tall but as i count them, there are 6 nodes the cotyledon are gone so i counted the bottom bottom one as 1st, heres some pics even though its near impossible to tell.. you think its ready to top? the thing i love about this, is that i can check the sex out at the same time which is great, im gonna try topping my mother and then scroggin the clones i take from her, should be nice, that giant 4 cola plant on the 1st page, how tall did you let it get before you switched over?

and, if you dont mind, what light did you have that under? and how many of em to give u that one 10oz plant lol thats beautiful, truly is, i planned to double harvest anyway if i scrogged, i wasnt going to remove as much of the undergrowth as 'usual' and take the screen down and give them some more time, but this is just as good..

heresthe pics, i have 2 other one's going but this is like the monster of the 3 for sure.. over double the size of both, i screwed up early on with ph and they locked out, somehow this one didnt it thrived off my bad lovin' and now that ive dialed it in a little better, its really growing, i get a node a day almost.. the last pic is same plant only 8 days ago.. they were slow starters by all accounts though..
 

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tea tree

Well-Known Member
I have a problem maybe someone has seen,

I do love this topping method and have had excellent results. I am also a fan now of cuttng all the other shoots off too to give as close to four lollipopped looking colas as I can and still have a tree!

Anyway, this time with two plants, a herijuana and a purple wreck, I topped and got the right design for four colas or tops to grow and I am in the process of cloning what I cut. That all worked.

However, the topped plants are now dying! I have no idea. I have fed b1 and stuff to them but to no avail. They are drying or shriveling up till all I got are stems sticking out of the soil.

I have never seen this happen. The kitten may have nibbled but I dont knwo and dont see why this would kill these usually hardy plants. Any helpers. I am stumped I have some experience now and this is weird.
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Read the first "few pages" again

Hi ya Ben ... thought I'd throw these pic's in

UB I was lookin thru some seed bank descriptions and thinking of ordering some seeds .... they said that one strain I was looking at ... Grapefruit I think .... they said ... " do not top this plant , as it doesn't respond well to topping " .... any thoughts ?


I've always topped my plants ... never had any noticeable prob's with any of 'em


last pic is L .. untopped .... R topped for six Cola's
You have some serious leaf yellowing problems. Could be a root health issue, lack of N, don't know. Sup?

thanks for the advice, is there like a height requirement? cause my nodes are extremely close together its only maybe 6.5 inches tall but as i count them, there are 6 nodes the cotyledon are gone so i counted the bottom bottom one as 1st, heres some pics even though its near impossible to tell.. you think its ready to top? the thing i love about this, is that i can check the sex out at the same time which is great, im gonna try topping my mother and then scroggin the clones i take from her, should be nice, that giant 4 cola plant on the 1st page, how tall did you let it get before you switched over?
You need to look at why your plants are stunted before worrying about topping.

I had that avatar plant under a 250HPS from start to finish, with others.

Good luck,
UB
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
I have a problem maybe someone has seen,

However, the topped plants are now dying! I have no idea. I have fed b1 and stuff to them but to no avail. They are drying or shriveling up till all I got are stems sticking out of the soil.
Sounds like root rot.
 
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