Topping - 3 Plants/3x3/SCROG

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Prodigus

Well-Known Member
So, how simple is this math? If I'm getting close to being able to top the first time, how many total times should I actually top and how long minimum in between?

So, as I've never done it, does the 1st topping mean I've gone from 1 main cola to 2 colas and then if I top it again then I would go from 2 to 4 and a 3rd time would take me from 4 to 8? If that's what I did (3 toppings total), do I just end up with 24 colas total or will there be a few more from normal side growth that I can train and get in the game as well?

Thanks!
 

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Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I'd wait to top until your plants are a bit larger, a couple more nodes of growth. You risk stunting the plant if you top when they're too small-topping a bigger plant you'll lose less time to vegging. If you check out the 3x3 grow in my sig (just scroll down until you see the topped plants), I topped two of them as you would if mainlining (leaving just one node (2 growing tips) to build the plant from), and the plants didn't like it and got stunted, whereas, I left 2 nodes (4 growing tips)total on the other two, and they loved it and just took off. I recommend waiting a bit longer until you see two really nice sets of nodes (4 tips or "branches") then top, and leave just those 4 growing tips. Then you allow those 4 branches to grow, and develop more and more bud sites as the plant grows, then you just keep the primary bud sites that you want on those 4 branches-whatever number you are shooting for. It will be easy to keep your primary bud sites in an even canopy whether you decide to scrog or not. Good luck!
 
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Prodigus

Well-Known Member
Rurumo said:
I'd wait to top until your plants are a bit larger, a couple more nodes of growth. You risk stunting the plant if you top when they're too small-topping a bigger plant you'll lose less time to vegging. If you check out the 3x3 grow in my sig (just scroll down until you see the topped plants), I topped two of them as you would if mainlining (leaving just one node (2 growing tips) to build the plant from), and the plants didn't like it and got stunted, whereas, I left 2 nodes (4 growing tips)total on the other two, and they loved it and just took off. I recommend waiting a bit longer until you see two really nice sets of nodes (4 tips or "branches") then top, and leave just those 4 growing tips. Then you allow those 4 branches to grow, and develop more and more bud sites as the plant grows, then you just keep the primary bud sites that you want on those 4 branches-whatever number you are shooting for. It will be easy to keep your primary bud sites in an even canopy whether you decide to scrog or not. Good luck!
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Thanks!!! I definitely don't want to stunt their growth! I'll give them another week and see where they are. I'm in no rush at all. I just transplanted 5 days ago into the 1 gallon pots so I was planning on waiting a bit anyway in case they were slightly shocked from that. Didn't want to throw a double shocker at them. I just wanted to start as early as possible as this tent is only 7 feet tall, minus the area for my inline and allowing another say 12" for the light, that only leaves about 5 feet. Was thinking I should only go maybe 2 feet tall before switching to flower? But, I guess the training for the scrog will allow me to limit that no problem.
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
Prodigus said:
Thanks!!! I definitely don't want to stunt their growth! I'll give them another week and see where they are. I'm in no rush at all. I just transplanted 5 days ago into the 1 gallon pots so I was planning on waiting a bit anyway in case they were slightly shocked from that. Didn't want to throw a double shocker at them. I just wanted to start as early as possible as this tent is only 7 feet tall, minus the area for my inline and allowing another say 12" for the light, that only leaves about 5 feet. Was thinking I should only go maybe 2 feet tall before switching to flower? But, I guess the training for the scrog will allow me to limit that no problem.
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Sounds like a plan. You have a lot of tools to control height at your disposal-once you top you can bend branches and tie them down to create the start of an even canopy. Any branch that gets too tall, you can pinch and bend it over back to the canopy (supercropping). You'll end up doing that once you feed your tips through the scrog when you get to that stage. Right now you just want to grow a healthy root ball, once that's in, your plants will take off and won't be bothered much by topping/training.
 
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