Following the step-by-step instructions at
groweasy.com (are there better instructions?), it says to
1. Wait until a plant grown from seed has 5-6 nodes.
2. Cut at (just above) the 3rd node.
3. Remove all growth below the 3rd node.
My question is: why should we wait to remove growth below the 3rd node? Wouldn't it be better to remove that growth around the time the 4th node appears? Wouldn't the removal of nodes 1 & 2 concentrate growth to nodes 3 and above? Maybe save a couple days waiting for nodes 5 & 6 to appear? And/or causing node 3 to be larger when node 4 and above are removed?
I don't understand what use nodes 1 & 2 play if they're just waiting to be removed at the same time nodes 4 and above are removed. If removing 1 & 2 are beneficial to force growth in the desired direction, why wouldn't it be beneficial at the soonest moment they (without impeding desired growth)?
Note: Sorry if this topic has been discussed elsewhere. I couldn't read 320 pages of this thread.
If there are other step-by-step instructions, let me know.
Thanks in advance.