can you top too early?

i really want my plants to be short, i was going to top then lst. i was wondering if topping 10-14 days after sprouting will do more harm then anything. should i wait until its about 4 nodes tall, then cut off the 2nd node n e ways? should i try fimming instead? i just dont want to stress out my babes. any help would be appreciated. thanks guys.

pic is forbidden fruit, last harvest.

I cut mine at the 3rd node. when it was SMALL. i mean the 2nd leaf set was growing still and i cut the NEW TINY 3rd node.

you only take 1 node off, heres a few guides on topping,
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/200413-fimming-m-blaze-complete-how.html

I cut mine for 2 main colas, just did it at 11 days old when the second set of leafs showed its self.
If i wait to top them, I usualy turn the cutting into a clone.

so its cool to top when she looks like this? about 12 days old. i want to tie down the tops in opposite directions and train them around the edge of the pot after 1st transplant.


oh yea, its a trilopod! cant wait to see how she grows!

I would wait a week.

I try an top em early, so that im bairly removing any plant material.
Trying to reduce stress on em. (hopefully)

Your going to train em in a circle? Cool me too.
Im kinda following Hobbes Circle Crop of Bud tech.
Its a long read but its soooo good.
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/360125-new-growers-needed-grow-lab.html

I top them when they have 5 or 6 sets of nodes - by this stage the root system is well developed.
When I cut the plant I leave 4 sets of nodes with large fan leaves.

As the side shoots start to grow, I remove all but the 2 branches that I want to grow.

Leaving the 4 pairs of fan leaves provides a large leaf area which allows your branches to grow fast.

Later, when the branches are plenty big enough, I trim the original stem.

There are valid reasons to top early and equally good reasons to top later - that's what makes it a fun hobby

i want to top them small, so the stem stays short and stocky. then after a week or so i want to tie each top in the oppisite direction, then after transplant start to train them around the edge of the pot going in the same direction. so both tops kind of wind their way around the pot, then i as they grow i can trim any unwanted nodes/leaves or growth. maybe end up with 8-12 main colas with maybe a couple popcorn nugs on the node right below the main cola. any suggestions are appreciated, but what i really need is to know when (through your own experiences) should top my plants if i plan to grow this way.

heres some better pics.

Hey Zaehet, keep use posted on that triploid. I have been dying to see pics. of grown triploidy plants but haven't been able to find any. Thanks.

i def. will, hopeing that its going to be a female so ill get to watch her grow the whole time instead of just half the time. got 6oz off the last batch (forbidden fruit pic is above) this time im goin for 14oz

SCARHOLE said:

I cut mine for 2 main colas, just did it at 11 days old when the second set of leafs showed its self.
If i wait to top them, I usualy turn the cutting into a clone.

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you dont have a main cola after topping that is long gone

i top after 10 days from seed for now on that is early but i get moor out of it that way it seams .. i started topping early when i did it to 1 older plant just to slow it down so the rest can catch up but it did not slow her down she started growing side branches from every where but where i topped.....

How short?

These are not even topped yet. I keep my T5s close. I also transplant my young plants deep, all the way to the cotyledons.

Zaehet Strife said:

should i try fimming instead?

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Fimming is done on the very top node. You CAN fim them while they're small. I didn't care for fimming personally. Especially when fimming multiple tops.
Like lets say you top it and 2 colas form. You fim both of those. One cola shoots out 4 branches, the other shoots 3. Or if you didn't do it right. They start getting kinda wonky then and grow completely uneven.
Since it's a Triploid you'll get 3 nice even colas. If it were me I'd top it for 3 branches. Then LST those down. When the 3 branches start alternating then top them where they're still shooting out 2 branches/node. Veg all those branches that are going to shoot from THOSE nodes and flower when you're comfortable. You'll have a short and super bushy beast after your last topping in 2 weeks.

Yes, cannabis becomes more resistant to stress as it progresses through the vegetative stage.

If topping is done in late veg then one can have a better idea of what the plant will look like going into flower, no reason to be in a hurry.

RawBudzski said:

I cut mine at the 3rd node. when it was SMALL. i mean the 2nd leaf set was growing still and i cut the NEW TINY 3rd node.

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Yep. I just pinch off the new growth afterthe second (3 finger) set. They recover quickly, put out new shoots everywhere. Once sexed, take the lowest for clones, then pinch out the next once it starts forming. I like to get 8 tops. Anything after the first 2 leaf sets, fair game for topping and fimming.

i do not bother to do anything until plant is about 14 " high this is in milk cartoons as pots then i angle plants so that all shots forming on the plant start to naturally turn one way into the light usally 2 days then i transplant into bigger pot ( second stage of pot size TRaining pot ) this is where i transplant plant at a angle so more or less on one side of pot side then tie it along rim this is where i will only super crop plants and keep tieing along the side until i am 360 degrees around first pic is what plant looks like standng up after 2 days lol then then after transplant and before you know it you will have a plant like this and buds like this lol

nice! those are some fat buds!!

I topped repotted a dying seedling in an attempt to save her and experiment, she didn't move for like a week, and then the other day she just started growing again... its awesome how they persevere!

2ANONYMOUS said:

i do not bother to do anything until plant is about 14 " high this is in milk cartoons as pots then i angle plants so that all shots forming on the plant start to naturally turn one way into the light usally 2 days then i transplant into bigger pot ( second stage of pot size TRaining pot ) this is where i transplant plant at a angle so more or less on one side of pot side then tie it along rim this is where i will only super crop plants and keep tieing along the side until i am 360 degrees around first pic is what plant looks like standng up after 2 days lol then then after transplant and before you know it you will have a plant like this and buds like this lol

Click to expand...

2anonymous, i really like the way your doing this without tying it down in the small pot, so you just tilt it to one side like in the pic... thats it?

you technically can probably top at the second node, but let the plant grow to at least 4 or 5 nodes first then top to the second. I know it sounds like you are going backwards, but you want a nice root system first before you start topping.