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

[NietzscheKeen]

I know big commercial vineyards that swear on sulfur and use it close to harvest. That's tricky because the slightest amount of sulphur in the must produces awful hydrogen sulfide, and no winery will sell wines that smell of rotten eggs. I would spray all or part of one plant and of course flag it. Smoke it and see for yourself. Experimenting is the only way you can learn about this stuff. Or you could spray as much as you want, then a day or two prior to harvest blast them with a spray of water using a backback sprayer.

Stink bugs, damn the bugs from hell, Satan's workers! At least you can kill mites but it's damn hard to kill a leaf footed gray stink bug. Get them with Sevin while they're juveniles. Little shits will be a bright orange/red and there will be colonies of them, hundreds. They can easily turn a tomato crop or peaches into mush.

I was planning to cease spraying sulphur around two weeks before harvest and let the rain do it's thing; if however there is not rain, and I might even do it if there is, I will spray it with water as you suggest. Fun fact about the hydrogen sulfide. No one wants to smoke sulphur either, lol. I've only sprayed once with sulphur, but I spray the Neem, Captan, and Malathion weekly (as weather permits) and spread some Sevin granules around the planting site, so bugs haven't really been too big of an issue. They are more of an issue in my tomato field as you mentioned, lol. Thanks again.

Edit: I think I may use a sulphur and malathion spray on my grapes this year. I always have so many yellow jackets and raccoons eating them. I doubt it will stop the raccoons, but I've got two new dogs this year, so maybe they will do the trick.

 

[BigNBushy]

Currently about 200 pages into the thread, but thought I would jump to here to say a couple things. What is a true node? lol, jk.. Anyway, I did this to my largest girl 3 days ago, and it is looking great. Just walked in from doing it to my other 4. I have a 6th that is a runt that I am not expecting much out of. Developing about as much as the others, but is just so much smaller. Anyway, Im trying cloning the tops I just snipped off. But I noticed something cool on the plant I did the other day. The first node is growing as I expected. The second node, now the top node of the original stem, is growing out three leaders. One on one side, and two on the other. It looks really cool. I might have 5 main cola's out of this. UB many thanks to you for posting this and keeping the thread going with so many repeat questions. I am super eager to see how this does.

 

[Uncle Ben]

I was planning to cease spraying sulphur around two weeks before harvest and let the rain do it's thing; if however there is not rain, and I might even do it if there is, I will spray it with water as you suggest. Fun fact about the hydrogen sulfide. No one wants to smoke sulphur either, lol. I've only sprayed once with sulphur, but I spray the Neem, Captan, and Malathion weekly (as weather permits) and spread some Sevin granules around the planting site, so bugs haven't really been too big of an issue. They are more of an issue in my tomato field as you mentioned, lol. Thanks again.

Edit: I think I may use a sulphur and malathion spray on my grapes this year. I always have so many yellow jackets and raccoons eating them. I doubt it will stop the raccoons, but I've got two new dogs this year, so maybe they will do the trick.

Moth balls to repel the coons, or a trap.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Currently about 200 pages into the thread, but thought I would jump to here to say a couple things. What is a true node? lol, jk.. Anyway, I did this to my largest girl 3 days ago, and it is looking great. Just walked in from doing it to my other 4. I have a 6th that is a runt that I am not expecting much out of. Developing about as much as the others, but is just so much smaller. Anyway, Im trying cloning the tops I just snipped off. But I noticed something cool on the plant I did the other day. The first node is growing as I expected. The second node, now the top node of the original stem, is growing out three leaders. One on one side, and two on the other. It looks really cool. I might have 5 main cola's out of this. UB many thanks to you for posting this and keeping the thread going with so many repeat questions. I am super eager to see how this does.

That is interesting. 2 dormant foliar buds in the node axis. Keep us posted.

 

[NietzscheKeen]

Moth balls to repel the coons, or a trap.

Lol, we have several live traps, but they are too smart. Moth ball eh? I will have to give that a try. Do you suggest we spread them around the bottom of the arbors?

 

[Uncle Ben]

Lol, we have several live traps, but they are too smart. Moth ball eh? I will have to give that a try. Do you suggest we spread them around the bottom of the arbors?

Enoz brand found at Walgreens is best spread around the tree. What I don't like using live traps is having to shoot them....but that's what you need to do. 22 works, in the neck right behind the head.

 

[NietzscheKeen]

We've got too many other animals around to use a conibear. I would just relocate them because there is no way I could shoot something in a trap. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Alexander Supertramp]

We've got too many other animals around to use a conibear. I would just relocate them because there is no way I could shoot something in a trap. Thanks for the advice!

You would be doing nature a bigger favor shooting them rather than relocating. The relocation of wild animals without a proper check up by a vet is playing with fire. You could easily spread disease to otherwise healthy populations.

 

[Kite High]

coons be good eatin

 

[Alexander Supertramp]

coons be good eatin

Certainly another option.

 

[Uncle Ben]

You would be doing nature a bigger favor shooting them rather than relocating. The relocation of wild animals without a proper check up by a vet is playing with fire. You could easily spread disease to otherwise healthy populations.

Me being a former city boy and an animal lover, I did just that - took the first one caught down a nearby road, let it out, and a local rancher caught me. He gave me hell for not killing it, said they steal cattle feed blah blah blah. They are indeed pests, just trying to survive of course. They will kill chickens, eat their eggs, ravage vineyards, etc. Looking for water they will put pinholes in my irrigation lines, same damn place every time. Looks like a freakin' bunch of geysers! I now trap, then shoot them through the cage. Some local vineyards never remove their traps, they bait them with dog food and trap the suckers all year long.

 

[Alexander Supertramp]

Me being a former city boy and an animal lover, I did just that - took the first one caught down a nearby road, let it out, and a local rancher caught me. He gave me hell for not killing it, said they steal cattle feed blah blah blah. They are indeed pests, just trying to survive of course. They will kill chickens, eat their eggs, ravage vineyards, etc. Looking for water they will put pinholes in my irrigation lines, same damn place every time. Looks like a freakin' bunch of geysers! I now trap, then shoot them through the cage. Some local vineyards never remove their traps, they bait them with dog food and trap the suckers all year long.

Agreed. I am not one for 'want and waste' by no means. But sometimes we need to do what we need too do, unpleasant as it may be...
And I have found peanut butter smeared on the trip plate works very well. They cannot simply reach and grab the bait without tripping the trap. Of course pbutter is not fool proof but does increase your odds of success. And a trail of whole peanuts leading into the trap dosent hurt!

 

[NietzscheKeen]

Well, I will let someone else shoot him/her I guess. sheesh... but then I would feel guilty about setting the trap. I'm so tender hearted when it comes to animals.

 

[Alexander Supertramp]

Well, I will let someone else shoot him/her I guess. sheesh... but then I would feel guilty about setting the trap. I'm so tender hearted when it comes to animals.

I am an old farmer and raise a few pigs each year for meat. And let me tell you pigs have amazing personalities. And I always need to have and friend come a drop them when it comes time...I feel ya bro...

 

[NietzscheKeen]

I am an old farmer and raise a few pigs each year for meat. And let me tell you pigs have amazing personalities. And I always need to have and friend come a drop them when it comes time...I feel ya bro...

Yep, me too. Especially because they start to trust you since you always bring them food and water and fresh bedding etc.

 

[NietzscheKeen]

Ok back on topic.

 

[Kite High]

a recent example of what UB's topping method AND retaining leaves does

Female Seeds C99

That is 4 plants total and that is only SOME of the MAIN colas...lots more than that in secondaries

Thanks again UB for all you have taught me

 

[Uncle Ben]

Wow! Pleasure is mine, and thanks for all you have taught me amigo.

 

[HeartlandHank]

a recent example of what UB's topping method AND retaining leaves does

Kite High, NICE!. This is the first time I've seen a pic of your grows. Looks fucking great..
I assumed you knew how to grow some plants from the conversations I've taken part in... but here's the proof. Hell yeah..

 

[NietzscheKeen]

That is VERY nice.