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

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Singlemalt

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Progress update from post #4928 on 9-1-13. White Bubba topped on 8-21-13; transplanted to ceramic bonsai pot on 9-8. Cloned the top when I cut, it rooted and went under flowering regimen today. If it turns out to be female it will become a mother
WB 9-12a.jpgWB 9-12b.jpgWB 9-12c.jpg
 

hemphopper

Well-Known Member
Are those Rootmaker pots?
Those are the little pots in the background. They are supposed to aid in root development and I'd have to say they work. Thank you for the plant stress link. I may well have over watered because I was afraid that the soil was drying out as the superoots pots have holes all around the sides. Also, because the bottom of the pots had large openings I put a disc of newspapers in the bottoms, I found when transplanting that there was some pooled water in the bottoms - my fault, the newspaper=bad idea. One nice thing about the superoots pots (available in many sizes) is that when upcanning you just undo the screw and the sides and bottom fall away leaving the root mass intact. I knew it was probably time because roots had penetrated the newspaper. I'd like to know when to start fertilizing. The Roots Organic soil seems to be "charged" but I don't want to deprive the plants. I have Dyna-Gro 9-3-6 and a bottle of their bloom fertilizer also. Last thing I want to do is "over-do". Thanks for your inspiration!
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Those are the little pots in the background. They are supposed to aid in root development and I'd have to say they work. Thank you for the plant stress link. I may well have over watered because I was afraid that the soil was drying out as the superoots pots have holes all around the sides. Also, because the bottom of the pots had large openings I put a disc of newspapers in the bottoms, I found when transplanting that there was some pooled water in the bottoms - my fault, the newspaper=bad idea. One nice thing about the superoots pots (available in many sizes) is that when upcanning you just undo the screw and the sides and bottom fall away leaving the root mass intact. I knew it was probably time because roots had penetrated the newspaper. I'd like to know when to start fertilizing. The Roots Organic soil seems to be "charged" but I don't want to deprive the plants. I have Dyna-Gro 9-3-6 and a bottle of their bloom fertilizer also. Last thing I want to do is "over-do". Thanks for your inspiration!
I have tropicals in Rootbuilder. Check them out. Buy a 105' roll and make your own using cable ties. If you have a good root system and a lot of foliage, don't worry about over watering them, especially in RootMaker pots. Of course every time you water you flush out some of the nutrient salts.

Good luck......
 

scotgeek

New Member
Uncle Ben, I could do with an experts advice on this, I was examining my babies with a view to using your 4 chola topping technique and on one of my plants noticed the following. At each node on the stem, instead of the usual 2 leaves and shoots on opposite sides of the stem, this plant has 3 leaves and shoots at each node , all the way up from the cotyledons. Currently 7 nodes high therefore has 21 side branches. I did not therefore wish to chop it back to the 2nd node and my intention is to pinch the grow tip to generate a pair of main cholas and take cuttings from this plant b4 putting to flower to see if this 3 branch stem pheno will repeat on cuttings. If it does might this not be worth progressing. The plant is also the most vigorous out of 10 seedlings(skunk#1) all nice and bushy. expert thoughts would be appreciated guys
 

Uncle Ben

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Uncle Ben, I could do with an experts advice on this, I was examining my babies with a view to using your 4 chola topping technique and on one of my plants noticed the following. At each node on the stem, instead of the usual 2 leaves and shoots on opposite sides of the stem, this plant has 3 leaves and shoots at each node , all the way up from the cotyledons. Currently 7 nodes high therefore has 21 side branches. I did not therefore wish to chop it back to the 2nd node and my intention is to pinch the grow tip to generate a pair of main cholas and take cuttings from this plant b4 putting to flower to see if this 3 branch stem pheno will repeat on cuttings. If it does might this not be worth progressing. The plant is also the most vigorous out of 10 seedlings(skunk#1) all nice and bushy. expert thoughts would be appreciated guys
Got some photos?
 

scotgeek

New Member
yeah I have topped already, just on the top node though for 2 cholas, my main query was if it might be worth trying to keep the 3 branch node strain going with cuttings, I guess I'll know when this plant goes to harvest, your thoughts anyone?
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Easy peasy, eh. The real challenge - come flowering time keeping the plant healthy and green, full of foliage until harvest. That's the best any one can do.

I see you're using Canna stuff. Be careful, watch for premature leaf drop.

Good luck
 

prosperian

Well-Known Member
Yeah, you don't have to trim leaves and topping the way UB suggests works. Keeping it green all the way to harvest without trimming using amended soil. Nothing but water and a little molasses for the last 128 days. I'm at 57 days 12/12 right now. I harvested a white lavender tri-node last week at 2.5 oz. dry. Using a 160 watt LED and 24" fluros down below.

You wouldn't think I'd get light penetration with all the green foliage but I do, and it works! Keep it green folks!



 

simisimis

Well-Known Member
Easy peasy, eh. The real challenge - come flowering time keeping the plant healthy and green, full of foliage until harvest. That's the best any one can do.

I see you're using Canna stuff. Be careful, watch for premature leaf drop.

Good luck

damn.. my friend got canna nutes, and all flowering was fighting leave drop.. good to know
 
Ok Im a little confuse here..Now i let my seedling get 5 - 6 nodes high and the cut the stem off just above the second node right? Does that mean the seedling goes back to being only 2 nodes high and they start to grow again? I messed up then because i thought you meant the top it when it gets its second node and i did that to a few of my babies. I did not know you let your plant grow so tall and then take all that growth away and bring it back down to a 2 node seedling
 
Just checked back and I swear they expanded overnite. I am using DynaGro and Protek only on these widows for now, the canna was for a Moby Dick Auto I was experimenting with.

So Far, from Ben, I have taken to Hempy Pots, and his "Topping for 4 Colas" has worked wonder and these widows took off FAST. Nice thick stems, perfect green shade. They LOVE the Dynagro for sure
 
From his Sticky:
Selecting the point for topping to get 4 main colas -

To get 4 main colas, let your seedling or cutting (clone) grow to about 5-6 nodes and pinch out (cut) the stem just above the 2nd true node. The node where the cotyledons attach doesn't count. The result will be a redistribution of the auxins and other hormones that normally collect in the tissue of the terminal leader's tip. These ho moans will be redistributed to dormant buds that reside in the nodal axis where the leaf petiole attaches to the "trunk", below the cut. The new foliar output response will be quick (within 24 hrs., see photo below) if you have a healthy growing seedling and will be your future main colas - 4 instead of the usual 1:
 

HeartlandHank

Well-Known Member
So Far, from Ben, I have taken to Hempy Pots, and his "Topping for 4 Colas" has worked wonder and these widows took off FAST. Nice thick stems, perfect green shade. They LOVE the Dynagro for sure
I ran 7-9-5 and 9-3-6 for a while... i threw out the Bloom after one grow with it. the happiest healthiest mj plants i have grown were from Dyna.
Yeah, I agree. MJ loves Dyna.
 
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