Dr Gruber
Well-Known Member
I think UB is just messing with you.
Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas
- Thread starter Uncle Ben
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ChroniCDooM
Active Member
Lol. Jokes on me! Not the first Time. Lol
stlmatt
Active Member
Hello: Fellow Growers
I am getting ready to start my next grow and I have experimented with the UB topping method as well as Supercropping and both have done well in the past. I was just wondering if anyone had tried the 4 cola method and also suppercropped as I would think it would do great together. I would assume this should open up the plant and keep the canopy at a nice even level. Any thoughts on trying this, pics would be great if someone has done it. I just finished my AK48 grow and getting ready to start some Blackjack and was thinking of trying a combo of both methods (UB 4 Cola/Supercropping)
Thanks: Stlmatt
I am getting ready to start my next grow and I have experimented with the UB topping method as well as Supercropping and both have done well in the past. I was just wondering if anyone had tried the 4 cola method and also suppercropped as I would think it would do great together. I would assume this should open up the plant and keep the canopy at a nice even level. Any thoughts on trying this, pics would be great if someone has done it. I just finished my AK48 grow and getting ready to start some Blackjack and was thinking of trying a combo of both methods (UB 4 Cola/Supercropping)
Thanks: Stlmatt
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Germinating Cannabis Seeds (for Bio Growers)
Your seedlings will be alot better off if you germinate directly in soil - less handling and mechanical disturbance means less chance of physical damage to the plant's taproot (and roothairs) and less food reserves used to position itself due to the natural hormonal influence called Gravitropism. That translates into less food reserves used resulting in increased seedling vigor, especially in the very early critical stages of seedling development.
This is my foolproof method for Cannabis Seed Germination in soil:
First, if harvesting seeds from my own crosses, I air-dry newly harvested seeds for a couple of weeks, and then store them in the refrigerator with a little rice. Cold-treatment seems to increase viability and germination rates, especially with indica-dom strains. I almost always get a 100% germination rate with quality seedstock.
Soak the seeds in plain water for 12 hours prior to planting to hydrate them, which will speed up germination. In general, good seeds will sink, bad seeds will remain floating (they contain air, not an embryo). I first sterilize seeds in a bleach solution (1 Tbsp. bleach/1 gallon of water) for 1/2 hour to kill any fungus residing on the seedcoat.
Sterilize enough *damp* fine soil with heat to germinate all of your seeds. You can do this by treating the damp soil to temps of (no more than) 200F for 20 mins in a conventional oven, or in a microwave oven on high for 2 minutes, while stirring a couple of times. Your goal is to get and hold the entire soil mix's temperature at 170F to 180F for about 20 minutes which can be monitored with a probe type thermometer. Let the mix cool thoroughly. This will insure that damp-off fungus spores have been killed in the soil mix. Make sure the soil mix is light and humusy (not real coarse). You can add a little sand or vermiculite to aid in drainage and weight.
Buy some white 20oz styrofoam "drinking glasses", commonly called "Styro-Cups", and punch holes in the bottom (and side bottom) for drainage. I use a red-hot ice pick for this. These containers are 6 1/2" tall and will allow ample room for the taproot to grow before cotyledon emergence which will increase your seedling's vigor. The taproot (radicle) is already at least 4" long at the point of emergence - don't restrict it (in order to maximize seedling growth rate). Styro-Cups can be found on the shelf displaying picnic items at your local grocery store.
Fill the pots almost to the top with your soil mix, water well to settle the mix, take a pencil and make a small hole about 1/4" to 1/2" deep, NO deeper, and drop *one* seed in. Cover the seed with *fine* soil, only enough to top up the hole, firm lightly with your finger, and lightly water until water runs freely thru the drain holes. Place in a warm spot around 80F/26C. Do NOT cover the cup with saran wrap or anything else. The seed has been hydrated from the soaking and will germinate soon. This container should not require further watering until the seedling is up and running.
During the first couple of days, mist the top soil surface lightly (if need be), never allowing the top to crust over, but not to the point that the medium stays waterlogged which will invite pythium rot (damp-off). "Less is more" at this point. Do NOT water this pot any more until the seedling is up, and only if it needs it at the point of emergence. Again, no need to cover with plastic wrap as the radicle (taproot) will grow at least 4" before the cotyledons emerge from the soil. IOW, even though you can't see it, the plant's taproot (radicle) is seeking and finding moisture at the container's lower soil levels. I cannot emphasize this enough. The seedling will emerge anywhere from 2 to 10 days from the time you sowed it.
That's all to it! With good care, your faves will be ready to transplant within 1 to 2 weeks, and will easily slip out of the "cup" with a solid rootball that will never know it's been disturbed if potted up gently and quickly. Move up to a final pot of 3 to 5 gallons to sex and finish.
An effective transplant solution can be made using (no more than) 1 teaspoon of a 15-30-15 fert and 10 drops of Superthrive per gallon of water. Take note regarding the immediate growth spurt after this transition!
Good luck,
Uncle Ben
Your seedlings will be alot better off if you germinate directly in soil - less handling and mechanical disturbance means less chance of physical damage to the plant's taproot (and roothairs) and less food reserves used to position itself due to the natural hormonal influence called Gravitropism. That translates into less food reserves used resulting in increased seedling vigor, especially in the very early critical stages of seedling development.
This is my foolproof method for Cannabis Seed Germination in soil:
First, if harvesting seeds from my own crosses, I air-dry newly harvested seeds for a couple of weeks, and then store them in the refrigerator with a little rice. Cold-treatment seems to increase viability and germination rates, especially with indica-dom strains. I almost always get a 100% germination rate with quality seedstock.
Soak the seeds in plain water for 12 hours prior to planting to hydrate them, which will speed up germination. In general, good seeds will sink, bad seeds will remain floating (they contain air, not an embryo). I first sterilize seeds in a bleach solution (1 Tbsp. bleach/1 gallon of water) for 1/2 hour to kill any fungus residing on the seedcoat.
Sterilize enough *damp* fine soil with heat to germinate all of your seeds. You can do this by treating the damp soil to temps of (no more than) 200F for 20 mins in a conventional oven, or in a microwave oven on high for 2 minutes, while stirring a couple of times. Your goal is to get and hold the entire soil mix's temperature at 170F to 180F for about 20 minutes which can be monitored with a probe type thermometer. Let the mix cool thoroughly. This will insure that damp-off fungus spores have been killed in the soil mix. Make sure the soil mix is light and humusy (not real coarse). You can add a little sand or vermiculite to aid in drainage and weight.
Buy some white 20oz styrofoam "drinking glasses", commonly called "Styro-Cups", and punch holes in the bottom (and side bottom) for drainage. I use a red-hot ice pick for this. These containers are 6 1/2" tall and will allow ample room for the taproot to grow before cotyledon emergence which will increase your seedling's vigor. The taproot (radicle) is already at least 4" long at the point of emergence - don't restrict it (in order to maximize seedling growth rate). Styro-Cups can be found on the shelf displaying picnic items at your local grocery store.
Fill the pots almost to the top with your soil mix, water well to settle the mix, take a pencil and make a small hole about 1/4" to 1/2" deep, NO deeper, and drop *one* seed in. Cover the seed with *fine* soil, only enough to top up the hole, firm lightly with your finger, and lightly water until water runs freely thru the drain holes. Place in a warm spot around 80F/26C. Do NOT cover the cup with saran wrap or anything else. The seed has been hydrated from the soaking and will germinate soon. This container should not require further watering until the seedling is up and running.
During the first couple of days, mist the top soil surface lightly (if need be), never allowing the top to crust over, but not to the point that the medium stays waterlogged which will invite pythium rot (damp-off). "Less is more" at this point. Do NOT water this pot any more until the seedling is up, and only if it needs it at the point of emergence. Again, no need to cover with plastic wrap as the radicle (taproot) will grow at least 4" before the cotyledons emerge from the soil. IOW, even though you can't see it, the plant's taproot (radicle) is seeking and finding moisture at the container's lower soil levels. I cannot emphasize this enough. The seedling will emerge anywhere from 2 to 10 days from the time you sowed it.
That's all to it! With good care, your faves will be ready to transplant within 1 to 2 weeks, and will easily slip out of the "cup" with a solid rootball that will never know it's been disturbed if potted up gently and quickly. Move up to a final pot of 3 to 5 gallons to sex and finish.
An effective transplant solution can be made using (no more than) 1 teaspoon of a 15-30-15 fert and 10 drops of Superthrive per gallon of water. Take note regarding the immediate growth spurt after this transition!
Good luck,
Uncle Ben
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
You're welcome. It's not a matter of getting them to germ (technically speaking..... breaking out of dormancy), that's easy. It's an issue of getting the seedling off to the best possible start that you can. I'm in the camp that once cannabis is stunted, it never fully recovers. I've seen it in other plants too, like bell peppers. You want to start fast and finish without any vigor issues.
Growing is all about cultural tweeks. The more you master EACH step of the way, the better you'll do overall.
UB
Dr Gruber
Well-Known Member
I havent had any problems with the paper towel method except once when i dropped the seed on the floor and killed it. If i had gone straight into soil i wouldnt have had that problem so im going to start doing it like you said. It is alot more work but as you say worth it in the end.Thanks again!
ChroniCDooM
Active Member
Right on UB! Thanks for taking the time to break it down like that! Much appreciated! If you don't mind I would love to hear your thoughts on pre harvest flushing. I got the feeling some pages back that you were against flushing pre harvest. Sorry if I'm off the mark on that. What do you do when the time is near to harvest? Anything special you do? I would appreciate any insight you can give a first year grower! Thanks.
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Flushing to accomplish whatever noobs are trying to accomplish is another cannabis myth. You don't flush anything, unless you're a toilet or car mechanic.
Danielsgb
Well-Known Member
I think I read your ditty on how you plant seeds. Was it on another of your threads? I re-read it, and swear I remembered seeing it before. I plant my seeds right into the soil for those reasons. More than likely that was why I never tried the other ways. Mainly I don't like trying to plant a seed with the tap root since it seems like asking for a fuck up.
Daniels
Daniels
lbezphil2005
Well-Known Member
+reps to uncle ben, once again!! I've used your seed germination method forever, bro!
fasteddy714
Member
Thanks uncle ben-i use sog,this'll increase yeild a shitload too,i'm cutting in the exact right place now too.i have cut 'm on the 5th. & 6th. Node and plan on going to the higher nodes and see what'll happen, it may be a bit better but who knows- so i'll keep ya posted.thanks for the insight-later-
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Yep, it is asking for trouble. My germ ditty is a little overkill but for noobs it's best to give the caveats.
Good. It's what the normal nursery industry does.
Good luck fellers!
Yeah that's me, the thing is, I know i'm like so try to blend in and let others ask the silly questions again hahahahaha. I got the picture though, just to re-confirm what i...knew.
Awesome man, thanks for this, greatly appreciated.
All the best.
Peace.
Waiakeauka
Well-Known Member
Do you have any young and mature pictures of the the plant after cutting between the 5th and 6th node? I am curious to see what the plant looks like and how many tops it has.
mrorganics
Active Member
i know im a noob but is this recommended if im growing from seed? i dont wanna stress em too much to hermie but im also planning on doing a longer veg cycle, and this technique i would leave the cotyledons and let em fall off like usual and just top above the single bladed leaf and the 3 bladed or 5 bladed leaf on the main stem the 2nd true node? wouldnt i wanna cut off the bottom single one and use the 2nd and 3rd node? thanks
MR O
edit: how mature do i want my 5th and 6th node or do i just wait till they are forming???
MR O
edit: how mature do i want my 5th and 6th node or do i just wait till they are forming???
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Please do not post until you have at least read my first post and several pages.
Thanks
Jack Package
Member
Hey UB,
Thanks for all your useful information i've come across! I have 4 plants in 15L air-pots about 6 weeks into veg in a 1m x 1m tent. I have 4 main colas on three of the girls after using your topping technique successfully, however the other plant is a complete go-slow. She is taking forever and looks 3 weeks behind the others, although still healthy.
My question is, in terms of yield, would i be better off giving the space to the 3 further developed plants and let them properly bush out, or should I just leave the runt and see what she could yield? It just seems a waste of tent space...
Thanks in advance!
Thanks for all your useful information i've come across! I have 4 plants in 15L air-pots about 6 weeks into veg in a 1m x 1m tent. I have 4 main colas on three of the girls after using your topping technique successfully, however the other plant is a complete go-slow. She is taking forever and looks 3 weeks behind the others, although still healthy.
My question is, in terms of yield, would i be better off giving the space to the 3 further developed plants and let them properly bush out, or should I just leave the runt and see what she could yield? It just seems a waste of tent space...
Thanks in advance!
JohnTheFarmer
Member
Just stopping by to pay homage to the master, Uncle Ben. I've been gardening and farming for years and I have to say that I still learn new things every day. Uncle Ben's posts are right on the money, and from reading this thread learned to top my "favorite plants" for 4 colas. Don't always get the 4, due to variances in strains/plant genetics etc, but much more often than not there are four large colas of nugginess.
All hail Uncle Ben!
All hail Uncle Ben!
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