Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas

Harrekin said:

Uncle Ben, just a quick question for you. Iv been using your second node topping method religiously since I first tried it, and I made an observation I was wondering if you noticed too?

Do topped plants reach "sexual maturity" quicker than untopped plants?

Just last few grows Iv noticed that asymmetrical branching starts to occur around the 5th node on each of the new growth tip with preflowers shortly afterwards, whereas my observations of untopped plants it seems to be around the 10th-12th node.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Also, after I topped my plants I raised the light up to promote a small amount of stretch (give the new branches a bit of space) before lowering the light again to resume dense noding...is this a waste of time do you reckon?

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I think there might be sexual maturity based on ruderalis genes. Last couple of times I've grown they showed alternating nodes before I topped, had to be the rudy influence. I say any plant that shows adult leaves is ready to flower.

Good luck,
UB

topped this one with this tecnique as well as these

Is this the only way to get a large yield? And you can do this with plants started from seed; it doesn't have to be a clone, right?

I'm about to start my first grow when I get my seeds in the mail tomorrow. I've been looking over all of the information on topping but I don't really understand it too much. I get that you cut the main stem but I can't seem to understand where to cut or when. Also the nodes and "true nodes" make no sense to me at all. It seems like a good idea if you don't have a tall grow room (my plants will have about 5ft of height to grow) but I'm afraid to do it without being 100% confident that I'm doing it right. Plus I get the feeling that I'll fuck up or something.

Would it be a better bet for me to just skip topping all together?

I don't mean to be a dick, but most of your questions are answered in the first few posts from UB. Just start from there, and then also look backwards from here. I showed pics of mine, and labeled pic a while ago too.
Daniels

Not exactly, There are countless threads on this. Each one telling people to do it differently, at different heights, nodes, times and with different techniques. Which Is why I'm hesitant to take scissors to my plants after they grow to begin with. And I haven't seen one picture actually showing a full plant with the exact spot shown where to cut.

I had all of the same questions a couple months ago. Followed UB's advice and cut above the second node. Yeah I was nervous also, but it all worked out. I think mine had about 8 nodes when I topped. It was easy dude. Just do it! Find the second node and chop it! Here is a pic of my LSD from a few days ago.

ChroniCDooM said:

I had all of the same questions a couple months ago. Followed UB's advice and cut above the second node. Yeah I was nervous also, but it all worked out. I think mine had about 8 nodes when I topped. It was easy dude. Just do it! Find the second node and chop it! Here is a pic of my LSD from a few days ago.

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Looks good! would you say topping it kept it from growing taller? That's the main reason I want to do it since I don't have a whole lot of height.

Here is a picture I found of an already topped plant (I picked the topped one because it was the only picture showing a clear view of the main stem) but I put that little red dot where I think I would be supposed to cut at. That would be my guess on where the "2nd true node" is. If I'm wrong (which I probably am) please correct me.

Or was the 2nd true node where it was already topped at? Ahhh I'm so confused! I just want to end up with good buds and a good yield.

ganjames said:

Looks good! would you say topping it kept it from growing taller? That's the main reason I want to do it since I don't have a whole lot of height.

Here is a picture I found of an already topped plant (I picked the topped one because it was the only picture showing a clear view of the main stem) but I put that little red dot where I think I would be supposed to cut at. That would be my guess on where the "2nd true node" is. If I'm wrong (which I probably am) please correct me.

Or was the 2nd true node where it was already topped at? Ahhh I'm so confused! I just want to end up with good buds and a good yield.

View attachment 1601966

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Yeah I'd say it kept the LSD from getting taller. I have a Blue Mystic I topped at the same time. It produced 4 main colas but kept growing. I have about the same amount of overhead as you. This plant is over 5' tall. I have her tied over and twisted in all kinds of positions inside my cabinet. Not sure why she got so dam tall. Definitely twice as tall as the LSD right next to her. Shit the info on the blue mystic strain said it is a short plant which is why I bought the strain. Man if she had the right space she would be a Beaut with her four colas!

I could be wrong but that red dot appears to be the second node to me. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like where I topped mine!

ganjames said:

Not exactly, There are countless threads on this. Each one telling people to do it differently, at different heights, nodes, times and with different techniques. Which Is why I'm hesitant to take scissors to my plants after they grow to begin with. And I haven't seen one picture actually showing a full plant with the exact spot shown where to cut.

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I disagree. This thread is this size due to people who fail to do thier own homework. The first few pages of this thread explains it all.

ganjames said:

Looks good! would you say topping it kept it from growing taller? That's the main reason I want to do it since I don't have a whole lot of height.

Here is a picture I found of an already topped plant (I picked the topped one because it was the only picture showing a clear view of the main stem) but I put that little red dot where I think I would be supposed to cut at. That would be my guess on where the "2nd true node" is. If I'm wrong (which I probably am) please correct me.

Or was the 2nd true node where it was already topped at? Ahhh I'm so confused! I just want to end up with good buds and a good yield.

View attachment 1601966

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Second true node is highlighted by the red dot.

J2M3S said:

Second true note is highlighted by the red dot.

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Alright thanks.

But for the other post, if what you meant was that I failed to do my own homework, sorry for that. I read up on a bunch of threads about topping and looked on other sites and on youtube. I saw people topping after inducing flowering and topping more than once and sometimes more than twice. I just wanted to be 100% certian that I would be doing it right. I wouldn't want to do something wrong and let the seeds I paid for to go to waste.

ganjames said:

Alright thanks.

But for the other post, if what you meant was that I failed to do my own homework, sorry for that. I read up on a bunch of threads about topping and looked on other sites and on youtube. I saw people topping after inducing flowering and topping more than once and sometimes more than twice. I just wanted to be 100% certian that I would be doing it right. I wouldn't want to do something wrong and let the seeds I paid for to go to waste.

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I was not trying to be disrespectful. We all have been new, took some advice, and made mistakes but learned from them. You will find that most advise on this forum is suspect at best so I encourage everyone to try, and learn for your self. Your experience over both the short and long term will always be greater that any newbies, with 10 posts, advice. But rest assured, this thread is not one of them. Read the first few pages, look at the supplied images on where it should be done.

FYI - Even after reading this thread, I topped at the third node my first time, missing the second one as planned. I learned and now am ready to try it again with this grow.

Good look brother.

ChroniCDooM said:

Yeah I'd say it kept the LSD from getting taller. I have a Blue Mystic I topped at the same time. It produced 4 main colas but kept growing. I have about the same amount of overhead as you. This plant is over 5' tall. I have her tied over and twisted in all kinds of positions inside my cabinet. Not sure why she got so dam tall. Definitely twice as tall as the LSD right next to her. Shit the info on the blue mystic strain said it is a short plant which is why I bought the strain. Man if she had the right space she would be a Beaut with her four colas!

I could be wrong but that red dot appears to be the second node to me. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like where I topped mine!

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Hey I just have a couple more questions that I haven't been able to find/get a straight answer for.

Will topping affect the THC% and overall quality of the strain negatively? What I mean is will 4 main colas still be as high in THC as just 1 main cola, and will the buds still be the same denseness and just as filled with trichomes as it would have been without topping?

How long did you wait after you topped before starting your 12/12 flowering cycle? And did you continue using the same feeding schedule that you were using prior to topping, after you topped?

Buds are same quality. When to flower is up to you. But a good week or more is my recommendation. Same feeding as before.

Danielsgb said:

Buds are same quality. When to flower is up to you. But a good week or more is my recommendation. Same feeding as before.

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Thanks man, just got my seeds in the mail today and started germinating. I can't wait to grow and see how my yield turns out.

ganjames said:

Alright thanks.

But for the other post, if what you meant was that I failed to do my own homework, sorry for that. I read up on a bunch of threads about topping and looked on other sites and on youtube. I saw people topping after inducing flowering and topping more than once and sometimes more than twice. I just wanted to be 100% certian that I would be doing it right. I wouldn't want to do something wrong and let the seeds I paid for to go to waste.

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Bro, there are plenty of pictures and diagrams with exact places to cut, even on the 1st page it says that you can top the plant if it's a clone or not a clone.... I understand that you don't understand what anything is, but the damn picture with mark on where to cut is where you could possibly cut. you can cut the plant pretty much anywhere and it'll work. which is why you've heard so much damn information on different techniques... don't pour acid on your plant while your topping it and you should be fine.

ganjames said:

Thanks man, just got my seeds in the mail today and started germinating. I can't wait to grow and see how my yield turns out.

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There are several topping points on a plant, all resulting in specific outcomes. I wanted more than 1 main cola, so I came up with this technique.

As an aside, I hope you didn't germ those seeds in a wet paper towel.

Good luck,
UB

Ok I gotta ask. What's wrong with this method UB? Just wondering your method of germinating? I have only germd 10 seeds. But all have germed using moist paper towels on a saucer inside a plastic bag on top of a power supply. So far this is the only method I've used to germ. Thanks UB!

Btw what do you do pre harvest? Do you flush? Would love to hear our take on flushing and what you do pre harvest! Thanks !

I like the shot glass till sunk then into medium where mine is sure to grow cubes and 5 days later it breaks surface. Oh also I put the spot glass under a black cup and put it up on the cable box

Uncle Ben said:

There are several topping points on a plant, all resulting in specific outcomes. I wanted more than 1 main cola, so I came up with this technique.

As an aside, I hope you didn't germ those seeds in a wet paper towel.

Good luck,
UB

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Yeah I'm curious about this as well. I didn't use paper towels but I used plain white napkins (3 on the bottom off a tupperware container, wet it, add seed. put 3 more on top of the seed and wet those. I used the napkins since there was no print and they were softer. 2 out of 4 had popped open the next day. the other two didn't but I planted all of them anyway, they'll probably just make their way out of the soil a day or two later than the ones that already sprouted.