Need help, where to cut? (topping for 4 main colas)

Hey guys, hoping you could help me out here...


I want to top my seedling to grow 4 main colas, just recently discovered it was a she

But I'm confused as to what is considered a node? Is it where leaves start growing from between the branches?

Another quick question, I recently removed the first two sets of leaves, and worry that if I slice off the top (and remove the fanleaves) it won't have enough leaf to gather light and will die. Should I worry about that? Should I let the leaves get decently large and let more nodes grow or should I do it asap?

Also, I cut just above the second node correct?

Pics would be great, if possible

Sr. Verde said:

Hey guys, hoping you could help me out here...


I want to top my seedling to grow 4 main colas, just recently discovered it was a she

But I'm confused as to what is considered a node? Is it where leaves start growing from between the branches?

Another quick question, I recently removed the first two sets of leaves, and worry that if I slice off the top (and remove the fanleaves) it won't have enough leaf to gather light and will die. Should I worry about that? Should I let the leaves get decently large and let more nodes grow or should I do it asap?

Also, I cut just above the second node correct?

Pics would be great, if possible

Click to expand...

Pics WOULD be great! You should post one,if your plant has just been sexed,I don't think I would use the FIM method yet.If you dont already have one,I'd recommend you go buy a copy of Marijuana Horticulture by Jorge Cervantes at your local Borders store.I use the FIM method after about 2-3 weeks into veg.
BTW,I leave my thumbnail a little long,so I can use it to FIM the girls and trim leaves,it makes a little easier than having to use both hands and a razor,and I've never had any problems.Just make sure it is a clean cut.FIM is the f&^$ I missed technique.meaning that the grower missed some of the top when he trimmed it,leaving just enough of it for it to sprout new tops,if I wasnt on my way out the door,I would post a pic,but u can probably search the FIM method and find some.Hope that helps!

Ed Rosenthal's "The Indoor High Yield Guide" also mentions someone in Mendocino county who does something like this. She "pinches" the plant after the 4th node and then prunes everything back but 4 branches and those are kept free of side shoots. This lets her get 4 massive buds without taking up a lot of space. Hope this helps.

I can't do pics as I'm doing this from the phone my computer is currently down.

Best I can describe my plant:

At the very bottom is a pair of small leaf growth (the kind that forms between a branch and the main stem.(like I said I cut the first two leaf sets.) Above that growth there is a pair of branches, each branch has 3 leaves on it, above that, there is the first pair of 5 ffinger fan leafs, above that is the second pair of 5 finger fan leaf, above that is new growth and its hard to tell

On an entirely different note: I'm growing bagseed, I'm thinking I saw this technique and thought how cool it may be but it may not even yield more?

As for now I'm not going to worry about this, but I would still love to know how for the future if someone wanted to elaborate a bit (I've already read uncle bens thread but the pics weren't so helpful)