i start by letting my plants get at least 12 or so nodes tall, then the trimming begins. i always remove the first 3 or 4 sets of leaves and branches, often more. the first set of leaves a plant puts out are only single bladed. i find the branches from these nodes are often thin and weak, comparative to the coming growth. the second set of leaves has 3 nodes, the third set 5, and so on ... i like to remove all of the bottom growth, up to the point of that the plant produces two sets of the same amount of leaf blades, or the 5th or 6th node. some plants produce 5 bladed leaves, some up to 11+ so i don't always follow this rule. most commonly i let the growth rate decide.
by removing the lower growth you are also raising your future canopy. this will allow plenty of space for watering and soil/media maintenance. it also causes the plant to get a thicker, more sturdy main stalk.
once the lower growth is removed you can now top the plant. if you want a plant with only 2 main colas you top it down to the first set of nodes that were left on the plant. if you want 4 main colas you top it above the second set of nodes left on the plant. for 6 colas top at the third set, and so on. each set of nodes should produce a set of colas.
once your plant is trimmed at the bottom and topped the side branches will start shooting out. these may then be "topped" as well. the sooner you top your side branches the tighter your plant structure will be. when topping side branches you must take note to how many nodes you are leaving on the branch. if you leave 2 sets of nodes on a side branch it will produce two new branches. if you leave 3 sets, 3 branches. and so on.
once you start topping things can get pretty bushy. you have to plan ahead and trim according. trial and error is your best teacher. have fun with it. grow a few extra plants to practice with so if you clip the wrong branch it won't be such a worry. did i mention to have fun with it?
![Razz :-P :-P](/styles/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
these plants are currently still in veg so i will be updating pics as they progress.
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