Need some advice on trimming/topping, from experienced growers

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

Hey guys,

I am starting my second grow. A clone of Larry's OG kush. Right now she's at about 8.5". I topped her last week and the new tops are growing nicely. I just wanted to know if there is any reason to do the same to the lower branches (obviously this is not topping) I wanted to know if it will increase my yield...or if I should just wait for the two new tops to grow more and then top those to create 4 main colas. I want to increase my potential for the greatest yield I can get. What are your suggestions from experience?

Thanks! :peace:

wheels619 · Mar 20, 2012

check this link. https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html

if u have any perticular questions after u read this let me know and ill see if i can help u out.

oh and if u top too many times u will hurt ur yield unless ur growing a beast of a plant. say 5 or 6 ft tall.

purplebud27 · Mar 20, 2012

i have used a combanation of a single topping and lst the side branches on a ptw she had some pretty nice colas but could have been alot bigger if the spidermites did not hit me up in the final week

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

thanks for the response! i have looked through that sticky before, but didn't find it helpful because I didn't top where he says to. he says to top above the 2nd true node. i topped at the 4th or 5th node...forget which right now. i just want to know if i can top the new tops again later when they grow larger and create four tops. i am planning for my plant to get about 3-4 ft at the most.

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

purplebud27 said:
i have used a combanation of a single topping and lst the side branches on a ptw she had some pretty nice colas but could have been alot bigger if the spidermites did not hit me up in the final week

ohh shitty, spidermites suck...I had to deal with them on my first grow and hoping not to this time. I was also just thinking of leaving the two tops and lsting. Or could I still do 4 tops and lst? would it matter?

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

purplebud27 said:
i have used a combanation of a single topping and lst the side branches on a ptw she had some pretty nice colas but could have been alot bigger if the spidermites did not hit me up in the final week

also what strain is that gorgeous looking purple plant in your picture??

purplebud27 · Mar 20, 2012

i would just wait and see how many tops u actualy get when it stars filling up with new branchen below the 2 new main stems then top again

purplebud27 · Mar 20, 2012

zoombud said:
also what strain is that gorgeous looking purple plant in your picture??

lol i get that ? alot on here i wish i had an answer for everyone i think is a real good photoshop job i got it from google

purplebud27 · Mar 20, 2012

zoombud said:
ohh shitty, spidermites suck...I had to deal with them on my first grow and hoping not to this time. I was also just thinking of leaving the two tops and lsting. Or could I still do 4 tops and lst? would it matter?

i did 2 tops and 6 traind branches the 2 main grew to a little more then 2' 6" and the 6 about 1' 8" u can try 4 just leave 4 main tops and train the rest

wheels619 · Mar 20, 2012

zoombud said:
ohh shitty, spidermites suck...I had to deal with them on my first grow and hoping not to this time. I was also just thinking of leaving the two tops and lsting. Or could I still do 4 tops and lst? would it matter?

if ur only planning on letting it get three ft tall then i wouldnt top it anymore. if u top a small plant too much it will lower ur yield. u will have more bud sites but the tops will start getting smaller and smaller everytime u do it. big 6+ ft tall plants yes becuz they are big enough to grow big buds anyways. and in all honesty topping is a technique that u perfect with practice. it is also very strain dependent. some thrive when u top them multiple times and give u great yields but some just get really low yields becuz they grow better without being topped more than once. i would leave it the way u have it and just experiment a little more each time u grow a plant.

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

wheels619 said:
if ur only planning on letting it get three ft tall then i wouldnt top it anymore. if u top a small plant too much it will lower ur yield. u will have more bud sites but the tops will start getting smaller and smaller everytime u do it. big 6+ ft tall plants yes becuz they are big enough to grow big buds anyways. and in all honesty topping is a technique that u perfect with practice. it is also very strain dependent. some thrive when u top them multiple times and give u great yields but some just get really low yields becuz they grow better without being topped more than once. i would leave it the way u have it and just experiment a little more each time u grow a plant.

That's good advice. Thanks

zoombud · Mar 20, 2012

purplebud27 said:
lol i get that ? alot on here i wish i had an answer for everyone i think is a real good photoshop job i got it from google

hahaa i bet you do. too bad, cuz I bet that would smell and taste and feel awesome. thanks for the help

Icannabis · Mar 20, 2012

hey just my advice I'd leave it alone and call it a day...you topped it nothing bad happened...let it grow see what happens then the next time try LST or FImm or Uncle Bens technique...just my 2 pennies

purplebud27 · Mar 20, 2012

zoombud said:
hahaa i bet you do. too bad, cuz I bet that would smell and taste and feel awesome. thanks for the help

keep up informed on how ur plants are doing

wheels619 · Mar 20, 2012

start a journal. they help us help u if ur having problems. post pictures too if u have a problem becuz remember a picture is worth a thousand words.

dannyboy602 · Mar 20, 2012

I prune/top for even canopy height=better light distribution. Uncle Ben's method works better with seed grown plants which grow stronger than clone grown plants. I'm into LSTing right now and super cropping. It produces results.

zoombud · Mar 21, 2012

purplebud27 said:
keep up informed on how ur plants are doing

will do! she's looking good right now, nice and green. she's growing real fast too! i'll be transplanting her to a bigger pot in the next few days.

wheels619 · Mar 21, 2012

look into geopots or smart pots. they r ballin. i get bigger plants with the same amount of veg time and bigger buds in flower than i ever did with plastic pots.

purplebud27 · Mar 21, 2012

wheels619 said:
look into geopots or smart pots. they r ballin. i get bigger plants with the same amount of veg time and bigger buds in flower than i ever did with plastic pots.

lol funny u put this i was just wondering the advatage to the smart pots could u enlighten me plz?

wheels619 · Mar 21, 2012

they drain and dry faster which in turn helps u pump them full of nutes more often. "more waterings" plus im not sure how they root system grows but it gets massive way faster than the plastics do. i think it has to do with the drainage and the fact that the roots grow outward and not straight down and then curl like the plastics do. once the root tip touches the edge of the fabric pot it burns off and dies from the air. its kinda like topping ur plant. u cut the top off all the other branching explodes. same concept with the roots so to speak. ill look up the exacts and post them tomorrow. ill try to post a link.

3 gallon smartpots with a 2 month veg is giving me 3-4.5 ft tall plants everytime. plastic only gave me about 2-3.5 ft tall

Need some advice on trimming/topping, from experienced growers

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