I'm considering stopping topping my plants...!

F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
Hey people of RIU.

I have been through a stage growing photoperiod plants which I have topped them. I also grow autoflowers, but don't them.

I always yield more with auto's in 60 days, than I do with topped photoperiods, with 1 months veg, then 8 weeks flowering.

Yeah, that ain't normal is it!

Anyway. Is it possible to top too much to the point where it actually hinders your grows. I have found my topped plants have just been too bushy and had many useless lower flowering shoots, even after lollipopping them. Plus stop growing up and just bush out. I hardly get any stretch during 3 weeks after the flip... However, when I grow a photoperiod seed like an auto, so just leave it be, I always get loads more yield. It ends up the same height as me and the buds are massive.

So, if you top plants, when and how often do you do this?

I've just started a grow and am not going to top my plants anywhere.

I was just wondering where I went wrong, so I know for experience...?
 
Bubba's girl

Bubba's girl

Well-Known Member
Depends how much space and plants you have? If you have a bunch of plants crammed together then you're just slowing the veg period with excessive topping. If you have are trying to bush out a small number of plants then more topping is required. keep in mind every time you top you are slowing the veg down, so a one month veg with multiple toppings isn't really much of a veg time.
 
Jimmy Sparkle

Jimmy Sparkle

Well-Known Member
I never have grown autos but I do top my plants, every now and again I leave a couple un -topped for nostalgic purposes. Some of the untopped colas are pretty impressive looking but hands down my topped and lolipopped always produce tons more. Maybe you arent leaving enough time to recover, re grow and let everything fill in. Maybe you dont have the technique down? Maybe I should shut up because I dont knoy your growing style or skill set and lots of variables effect harvest size.
 
F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
I grow autos and photoperiods. My autoflowers won't be topped ever. I grow them in groups of around 4 or 5.

My photoperiods though, this is why I'd like to know.

I've 1 Brothers Grimm Cinderella 99 clone 'top left' and 5 Blimburn seeds Cindys. The Cindys are from seed and I ain't going to top them. Just started vegging now.

DSCN3538.JPG

Interesting answers, yes my plants are being slowed loads, that is evident for me. Maybe doing it too much. I understand the concept that a photoperiod plant should yield more, with more tops, however mine don't. It ends up taking 90 days for a grow, but the plants don't grow much higher than autoflowers. The growth is so compact the light cannot get to the plant properly and they yield less.

Autoflowers take me 60 days from seed, do at least 4 ounces each, in a 5 gallon pot, stay quite small so be can grown in numbers. I just did a round of auto's in a 4ft tent. Got 24 ounces in 62-65 days.

I'll have to top the C99 'top left' coz she's in a massive pot of coco and pebbles. 70 litre pot.

I grow under cob now, so can get the plants closer to the light. I'd like to use the height more, that is always my downfall. The only way I can see how photoperiods are going to yield more than auto's, is if I grow them taller...

How many of you growers just top once per plant?
 
F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
MichiganMedGrower said:
If you are only going to veg a month maybe try to bend (LST) your plant and tie it down to promote branching. Doesn't really slow them down much if done correctly.
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Only veg a month. A month is ages... That's the trouble I have. I can grow auto's in 60 days and get a decent yield.

If I veg for 2 months, would 48 ounces from a 4ft x 4ft area be a brilliant result, obviously with 2 months flowering time too?

Coz If I can easily get 24 from autos in 60 days, it would have to yield 48 minimum. Is that unrealistic?
 
F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
That's another point. Do I need more light to do that? Got 24 ounces back from 630w of cmh. Is 48 even possible under 630w?

I'm starting to think why do I even bother growing photoperiod plants?
 
MichiganMedGrower

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Fevs said:
Only veg a month. A month is ages... That's the trouble I have. I can grow auto's in 60 days and get a decent yield.

If I veg for 2 months, would 48 ounces from a 4ft x 4ft area be a brilliant result, obviously with 2 months flowering time too?

Coz If I can easily get 24 from autos in 60 days, it would have to yield 48 minimum. Is that unrealistic?
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It was just a suggestion as I have always got higher yield in side by sides with 30 day veg if I bend rather than top.

I grow photos and always veg to maturity now. And I only get autos my first time years ago.

If you are doing that well and are happy with your smoke I would not change a thing. You won't double your output in the same space likely.
 
MichiganMedGrower

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Fevs said:
That's another point. Do I need more light to do that? Got 24 ounces back from 630w of cmh. Is 48 even possible under 630w?

I'm starting to think why do I even bother growing photoperiod plants?
Click to expand...
Good photoperiod plants offer a far more complex high than anything with ruderalis bred in.

Even when I asked my favorite breeder for his autos he told me to stick to the photos I like or I would be disappointed.

I am concerned with quality meds first.
 
F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
MichiganMedGrower said:
Good photoperiod plants offer a far more complex high than anything with ruderalis bred in.

Even when I asked my favorite breeder for his autos he told me to stick to the photos I like or I would be disappointed.

I am concerned with quality meds first.
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes it's like a reality check for me. I think growing auto's is the way forward for me.

I do care a lot about the medical side of it too. I grow and make oil for free for a lady with stage 4 breast cancer. I also have complex ptsd linked to child sex abuse suffered, also hypomania.

My favourite medical strain currently is Blimburn Cindy 'above pics' Also Pineapple Express Auto 'below pic'

DSCN3524.JPG

But Dinafem Industrial plant has become a real favourite too. That's 5% thc and 13% cbd. I love the effect. Vaping that in the days now.

When I grow photoperiods and auto's together, nobody knows the difference.
 
F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
There is the point that you can veg plants in a separate area, but you can also do that with auto's, so that doesn't really help. Worth a mention though.
 
boilingoil

boilingoil

Well-Known Member
Fevs said:
I grow autos and photoperiods. My autoflowers won't be topped ever. I grow them in groups of around 4 or 5.

My photoperiods though, this is why I'd like to know.

I've 1 Brothers Grimm Cinderella 99 clone 'top left' and 5 Blimburn seeds Cindys. The Cindys are from seed and I ain't going to top them. Just started vegging now.

View attachment 3932437

Interesting answers, yes my plants are being slowed loads, that is evident for me. Maybe doing it too much. I understand the concept that a photoperiod plant should yield more, with more tops, however mine don't. It ends up taking 90 days for a grow, but the plants don't grow much higher than autoflowers. The growth is so compact the light cannot get to the plant properly and they yield less.

Autoflowers take me 60 days from seed, do at least 4 ounces each, in a 5 gallon pot, stay quite small so be can grown in numbers. I just did a round of auto's in a 4ft tent. Got 24 ounces in 62-65 days.

I'll have to top the C99 'top left' coz she's in a massive pot of coco and pebbles. 70 litre pot.

I grow under cob now, so can get the plants closer to the light. I'd like to use the height more, that is always my downfall. The only way I can see how photoperiods are going to yield more than auto's, is if I grow them taller...

How many of you growers just top once per plant?
Click to expand...
I'd suggest low stress training on the c-99 instead of topping. Tie that baby down or scrog it.
 
morgwar

morgwar

Well-Known Member
Top once early then crop the two leads later for 6 colas, trim lower larf, tuck leaves and light training to spread out against bud rot
Veg is barely affected
Leave the big fan leaves alone unless they are getting NO light
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
With nutritional and environmental needs met light in equal yield out. Decide how much yield you want and how regularly? half a pound, one pound or 1.5 pound
Every month, 60- 90-days? Forget about seeds then too as they add a month. The same amount of light will grow the same amount of pot (genetics taken into account).
If you have 1 tent with 1 1000W light it will produce the same yield every 90days as using two tents, one 600 flower and 400 veg, with the same 1.5 pound yield but now it is 1 pound every 60 days. and so on. you have to match the tent size to the light too, but it doesn't get much more complicated than those ballpark figures. Having 3 tents is where the real fun and monthly harvests start. 2x4 for 400W
3x5 for 600W
5x5 for 1000W

If I had a small grow like that I would just lolipop the shit out of the space and go straight to flowering from rooting.
 
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F

Fevs

Well-Known Member
Posting a pic of my 5 Cindys, which I've still done no topping or any form of training. Just under 1 month old. 25 litre pots.

Least I could do is add pics to show how they turn out with no topping... under 250w of cob, 4ft x 4ft tent

DSCN3631.JPG DSCN3632.JPG DSCN3633.JPG
 
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