Auto topping experimentation

Rider509

Well-Known Member
We all know that we can top autos, right? Some strains handle it better than others but they can all be topped, LSTed, scrogged, supercropped, whipped, beaten, and made to write bad checks. If it's your first time running a new auto strain, or your only plant, and your whole life depends on producing a few smokable nugs then maybe you don't want to go all pimp daddy and risk it all. What the hell... do it anyway! That's how we learn!

My first grow is White Widow auto. I've killed every houseplant I've ever been given. I'd never buy a houseplant because that'd be like premeditated murder or something, so going into this learning process I figured my first grow would very likely meet an untimely end anyway. So let's top.

Three White Widows from seed. I decided to try topping at the second, third, and fourth nodes beyond the cotyledon leaves to see what worked best for this strain. Turns out the damned things grow like kudzu no matter what you do to it, which makes it a good beginner strain.

The one I topped at the second fully formed node looks as expected. The one topped at the third seems to have lost a node somewhere. And the one I topped at the fourth seems to have gained a node. I have no idea why or how. I'm new to this, remember? And to add insult to injury I got too aggressive with Low Stress Training and broke one of the new leaders and created a three-legged monster.

This is how they turned out, and I haven't killed them yet! I can't say one method is better than the other as each plant has very strong main branches with strong offshoots and good overall cola production. Until they finish and have been weighed it's hard to say. Most people top after the third set of nodes but so far I don't see that it makes much difference.

Has anybody else tried topping at different nodes? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

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Rider509

Well-Known Member
The buds are still fattening up and becoming solid and all of the trichomes are still clear so they have a few weeks to go I think. I don't know! I haven't studied that stuff yet. :confused:
 

harris hawk

Well-Known Member
We all know that we can top autos, right? Some strains handle it better than others but they can all be topped, LSTed, scrogged, supercropped, whipped, beaten, and made to write bad checks. If it's your first time running a new auto strain, or your only plant, and your whole life depends on producing a few smokable nugs then maybe you don't want to go all pimp daddy and risk it all. What the hell... do it anyway! That's how we learn!

My first grow is White Widow auto. I've killed every houseplant I've ever been given. I'd never buy a houseplant because that'd be like premeditated murder or something, so going into this learning process I figured my first grow would very likely meet an untimely end anyway. So let's top.

Three White Widows from seed. I decided to try topping at the second, third, and fourth nodes beyond the cotyledon leaves to see what worked best for this strain. Turns out the damned things grow like kudzu no matter what you do to it, which makes it a good beginner strain.

The one I topped at the second fully formed node looks as expected. The one topped at the third seems to have lost a node somewhere. And the one I topped at the fourth seems to have gained a node. I have no idea why or how. I'm new to this, remember? And to add insult to injury I got too aggressive with Low Stress Training and broke one of the new leaders and created a three-legged monster.

This is how they turned out, and I haven't killed them yet! I can't say one method is better than the other as each plant has very strong main branches with strong offshoots and good overall cola production. Until they finish and have been weighed it's hard to say. Most people top after the third set of nodes but so far I don't see that it makes much difference.

Has anybody else tried topping at different nodes? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

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Great thread ! another good strain is OG KUSH (auto from Nirvana) grow to 3- 4 feet with no topping - You are correct some auto's topping is not a very good idea example (swiss cheese from Nirvana (auto) very short plant (12 inches (+-)
 
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