Topping your buds

To top or not to top your buds?

  • Yes

  • No


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andy s

Well-Known Member
image.jpeg how many of you guys top your buds or have ever heard of this? I've tried, on one plant, topping two different colas at different times during flowering after watching a video online about it. I've personally seen results from doing so.
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
Right, usually in veg you basically cut the top of the plant off or pinch the new node site however you wanna say it, or whatever you're doing. But, what I did was during flower I pinched off the top of the bud/flower ending vertical Growth at that particular site. They still grow vertical like in veg but in a different way. They seemed to swell faster and are bigger. It's not finished yet so idk if the end results will be the same but by the looks of it they're gonna turn out bigger.
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
Post some closer up pics of a bud you did it to and a bud you didn't do it to of similiar size, if u have or just one of the topped
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
Post some closer up pics of a bud you did it to and a bud you didn't do it to of similiar size, if u have or just one of the topped
Alright will do, I'll be back home Monday and will put a piece of paper behind each one. For now I can zoom in on the pic to single them out
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
This pair was done two weeks ago, right was untouched, left was topped. Crappy pic Bc it was zoomed in I'll have to check my computer to see if I have any others from that day
 

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Southerner

Well-Known Member
Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that you top your plants in veg so that they will begin expending energy growing other nodes IE: You top your plant and the growth goes to the smaller offshoots that then become as large as the main stalk was. I dont see how this practice translates into topping actual buds during the flower period. Just seems like a lot of undue stress to me and the loss of the best bits of the grow, the tops of the main colas.
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that you top your plants in veg so that they will begin expending energy growing other nodes IE: You top your plant and the growth goes to the smaller offshoots that then become as large as the main stalk was. I dont see how this practice translates into topping actual buds during the flower period. Just seems like a lot of undue stress to me and the loss of the best bits of the grow, the tops of the main colas.
I don't do lab tests, so I personally wouldn't know if it decreases the thc content of the top colas, but they still grow taller just not at one point. They seem to get fatter and bigger faster than the buds I didn't top. I topped the plant once in veg and just super cropped/femmed until flower. I seen a video on topping the buds and how it made his noticeably larger so I tried it to two colas.
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Interesting...in my experience a fat stem makes fat buds. Many times I'll train out a plant with multiple tops that I want to slow the growth of because there's no room in the flower area so I top all the colas leaving the topmost stems thicker & stronger. This can help make slightly bigger buds especially after super cropping all the nodes you can but I do this during veg and allow time for recovery. Id bet you get similar result you are looking for doing this without losing the Devils cut of bud.
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
Interesting...in my experience a fat stem makes fat buds. Many times I'll train out a plant with multiple tops that I want to slow the growth of because there's no room in the flower area so I top all the colas leaving the topmost stems thicker & stronger. This can help make slightly bigger buds especially after super cropping all the nodes you can but I do this during veg and allow time for recovery. Id bet you get similar result you are looking for doing this without losing the Devils cut of bud.
Ya stems and a healthy root system makes a bigger bud for sure, all of my branches have been stressed trained and super cropped as you explained during the veg stage. All my branches and stalks are very thick and healthy lol and I get decent buds for a 600w hps. I'm still learning a lot and haven't had more than 10 successful or what I would call proud moments/harvests. Total I've had about 15 harvests. So lots to learn haha. This was just a test.
 

Cyrus420

Well-Known Member
Right, usually in veg you basically cut the top of the plant off or pinch the new node site however you wanna say it, or whatever you're doing. But, what I did was during flower I pinched off the top of the bud/flower ending vertical Growth at that particular site. They still grow vertical like in veg but in a different way. They seemed to swell faster and are bigger. It's not finished yet so idk if the end results will be the same but by the looks of it they're gonna turn out bigger.
I see, so you pinched the tops of the growth tips off during the flowering stretch to stop them at your desired height?

If so it sounds like an interesting experiment. I super cropped as late as two weeks into flowering so I'm experimenting too. I hope you remember to post your results.
 

andy s

Well-Known Member
I see, so you pinched the tops of the growth tips off during the flowering stretch to stop them at your desired height?

If so it sounds like an interesting experiment. I super cropped as late as two weeks into flowering so I'm experimenting too. I hope you remember to post your results.
No it was maybe 2-3 week of flower. Buds were forming. Height wasn't really an issue though since its in an open room but basically it slowed vertical growth didn't completely stop it to where it didn't get taller at all but did slow it down, and just made the buds fatter. The lower buds seemed to become a little more dense as well on those branches. I too super crop during the stretch as well depending on how the plants growing. I like short wide bushed plants. I also trim around the end of stretch into the third week of flower. Seems to help most of the buds below the colas to get a little more Light and I feel the plant can breath a lot better so to speak lol with good circulation.
 

Cyrus420

Well-Known Member
No it was maybe 2-3 week of flower. Buds were forming. Height wasn't really an issue though since its in an open room but basically it slowed vertical growth didn't completely stop it to where it didn't get taller at all but did slow it down, and just made the buds fatter. The lower buds seemed to become a little more dense as well on those branches. I too super crop during the stretch as well depending on how the plants growing. I like short wide bushed plants. I also trim around the end of stretch into the third week of flower. Seems to help most of the buds below the colas to get a little more Light and I feel the plant can breath a lot better so to speak lol with good circulation.
Nice. I wish I had more space to play around with techniques like this. So I could do one plant by the book and another with different methods and compare the results, get lab work done...a fancy science dream.
 

tntgreen13

Well-Known Member
@andy s If the video was found online would you be willing to share the link? I have heard about this technique in discussions with people in my area, but no one that I know has every tried it. Will definitely be following this post and hope you continue to update. Will be interesting to see end results!

Also, I have to give you credit for your willingness to experiment with something new and against the norm. Hope it works out well for you. As the old saying goes, you don't know unless you try!
 
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