Slow Grow

A friend gave me my first plant this spring. I don't know what kind it is but its female and I think from the way it smokes mostly sativa. I keep it outside in part sun and part shade. Its five months old now and it looks healthy. Its growing thick and starting to bud, but its under three feet tall. Is this normal? Everybody says MJ grows so fast, like a weed, but not this MJ. If this isn't normal what did I do wrong?


Also I hear people talking about topping their plants. Why do you do this and when are you supposed to do it?

It sounds like its a little short. I would check the ph of the soil. Something doesnt seem right. Read more and hope for a better crop next year.

Thank you, Widow Maker. I will do that. And your grow guide is amazing even if its more than a one plant n00bie needs.

I'm still pretty pleased for my first plant. Its getting a LOT of buds on it and looking good even if it is short. Can somebody explain more about things like topping and pruning? I didn't do anything like that. Should I have?

Topping a plant means to literally cut the top off. The growing tip of the plant has the most hormones, and when you remove it, those hormones are sent to other, lower growing tips, making them grow more.

Experienced growers don't actually cut the stem. If you spread apart the smallest leaves in the growing tip, and remove just the little green shoots that are sticking up, you will cause a perfect Y in the stem there, where 2 branches will grow. I do this on node 6 or 7, when the plant is very short. If I want the plant to be even bushier, I will do it again on each new stem.

HTH

how big is the pot you got it in?