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

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ENTergalactic Patrick

ENTergalactic Patrick

Member
Uncle Ben,

Greetings from your neighbor to the west…The Land of Enchantment. I just finished up reading this awesome thread after reading your other threads (Spinout, Moisture Stress, Tweeks). Saved the best for last one could say. Great information throughout; an asset to any community. I even enjoyed the occasional music cue, especially The Rockabilly Filly Rosie Flores’ Boxcars. Spotify is a wonderful thing.

Hopefully not off topic here as for this was mentioned on two separate occasions, but within your soil recipe you mention “1 large bag each of vermiculite and perlite” as soil additives. Casa dePot sells 2 cu ft bags of Perlite and Vermiculite by Thermorock as well as a .31 cu.ft bag by miracle grow (perlite only). I really can’t imagine calling the .31 cu ft bag a “big bag” and am really curious as to what volume you would add vermiculite and perlie to your mix, either in gallons or cubic foot. 2 cu ft each of vermiculite and perlite would almost double the volume of the mix and somehow that doesn’t seem right either, maybe I'm wrong.

I am anxious to try out this mix as I too have fallen into the forum paradigms, especially regarding soil (I am not Roots Organics biggest fan to say the least). I am sure you will agree a good, healthy soil is the cornerstone to a great garden.

Thanks again Tio, you are a true inspiration in my (and others) desire to grow big and grow hard.

Ent Pat

PS, If you are part of or prefer any non-cannabis grow forums, please let me know. I too want these fine premium quality peaches of which you speak.
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
ENTergalactic Patrick said:
Hopefully not off topic here as for this was mentioned on two separate occasions, but within your soil recipe you mention “1 large bag each of vermiculite and perlite” as soil additives. Casa dePot sells 2 cu ft bags of Perlite and Vermiculite by Thermorock as well as a .31 cu.ft bag by miracle grow (perlite only). I really can’t imagine calling the .31 cu ft bag a “big bag” and am really curious as to what volume you would add vermiculite and perlie to your mix, either in gallons or cubic foot. 2 cu ft each of vermiculite and perlite would almost double the volume of the mix and somehow that doesn’t seem right either, maybe I'm wrong.

I am anxious to try out this mix as I too have fallen into the forum paradigms, especially regarding soil (I am not Roots Organics biggest fan to say the least). I am sure you will agree a good, healthy soil is the cornerstone to a great garden.

Thanks again Tio, you are a true inspiration in my (and others) desire to grow big and grow hard.

Ent Pat

PS, If you are part of or prefer any non-cannabis grow forums, please let me know. I too want these fine premium quality peaches of which you speak.
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Howdy. Volume doesn't matter. Add enough to get the aeration you want. I just put together stuff as a guide. There is no such thing as the "super soils" you see referred too, it's more like someone's "super egos". If you have a well grown plant with plenty of foliage and a good root system, it is next to impossible to induce root rot via overwatering. I have some healthy plants in 5 gallon pots and I bet if I gave them 2 liters a water twice a day they'd only grow faster.

Here's one of the best ditties on soil dynamics I've seen. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0316064615891.html?14

Good luck with the freebie xsavier.

Good luck,
UB
 
kinetic

kinetic

Well-Known Member
Sounds like U.B.'s post is taking a shot at Subcool and his supersoil if you read between the lines...Maybe I'm just a drunken, cheesed out friday night fool though:leaf:
 
C

chickensoup

Member
Does anyone grow n coco I use a and b with cannazyme and pk 13/14 then ton o bud from bout week 2 1/2 in flowering. I'm using 4 ml per litre of a and b is that enough or right for the plant my ec and ph are fine so I can up it if it would be better.?and is there anything else anyone would recommend?i use 600 hps growing 6 plants. Sorry for posting on this av not got he hang of this site that much yet haha. .,, any advice from Uncle Ben would be greatly appreciated.,,thanks,.
 
S

S7M

Well-Known Member
Uncle Ben, I'm in the middle of my first grow and I'm thankful that I had enough sense to wade through the hype to find some quality information from guys like you and riddle, it's much appreciated!

I grow outdoors and I'm currently preparing for next years outdoor grow, finding places to dig holes and fill with a combo of peat, compost, and other stuff. I'm not going to be able to tend to these plants all the time so I'm looking for a good time release fertilizer in the 3-1-2 ratio. Peters has some time release but the ratio is way off. It's 16-9-23. Osmocote has some 14-14-14, wondering if you had any recommendations for time released products.

I am definitely a noob to all of this, as I'm learning to read my plants a little better my hammerhead clones are really turning on and look great using jacks 20-20-20. My other seedlings and such I feel are lagging behind because of my lack of experience on how much is safe to apply and how often. This is something best learned by experience and I keep increasing the amount a bit and watching how my plants react.
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
S7M said:
Uncle Ben, I'm in the middle of my first grow and I'm thankful that I had enough sense to wade through the hype to find some quality information from guys like you and riddle, it's much appreciated!

I grow outdoors and I'm currently preparing for next years outdoor grow, finding places to dig holes and fill with a combo of peat, compost, and other stuff. I'm not going to be able to tend to these plants all the time so I'm looking for a good time release fertilizer in the 3-1-2 ratio. Peters has some time release but the ratio is way off. It's 16-9-23. Osmocote has some 14-14-14, wondering if you had any recommendations for time released products.

I am definitely a noob to all of this, as I'm learning to read my plants a little better my hammerhead clones are really turning on and look great using jacks 20-20-20. My other seedlings and such I feel are lagging behind because of my lack of experience on how much is safe to apply and how often. This is something best learned by experience and I keep increasing the amount a bit and watching how my plants react.
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I use Plant Products 12 month on everything. Been using it for years. It's a 18-5-9 with micros, made in Canada. Osmocote 14-14-14 would be fine if it has micros.

Don't amend the soil unless it drains well internally. You'll create a pot in the ground that will waterlog the roots. Fracture the sides and bottom with a pick or large screwdriver if the soil is tight. A workaround is to plant in a 5 gallon pot and then sink it into a 3" deep hole you made with a shovel. Roots will grow thru the drainholes into native soil. Will be a management problem if you can't water frequently.

Good luck
 
S

S7M

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the help uncle Ben, I'll check them out for sure.

Most places I plant have soil that drains really well, however I usually pour the hole full of water to see how it drains.
 
S

S7M

Well-Known Member
Hey uncle Ben, one last question in regards to topping. I understand your concept fully but was curious if you knew what topping methods big medical gardens use like the ones we see in Jorge videos showing plants yielding huge amounts, the plants look like trees and have many colas. Do they top or what is the common method they use?
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
S7M said:
Hey uncle Ben, one last question in regards to topping. I understand your concept fully but was curious if you knew what topping methods big medical gardens use like the ones we see in Jorge videos showing plants yielding huge amounts, the plants look like trees and have many colas. Do they top or what is the common method they use?
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Their common method is understanding what makes a plant tick.
 
ENTergalactic Patrick

ENTergalactic Patrick

Member
Volume doesn't matter. Add enough to get the aeration you want. I just put together stuff as a guide. There is no such thing as the "super soils" you see referred too, it's more like someone's "super egos". If you have a well grown plant with plenty of foliage and a good root system, it is next to impossible to induce root rot via overwatering. I have some healthy plants in 5 gallon pots and I bet if I gave them 2 liters a water twice a day they'd only grow faster.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply UB, as well as the link...good stuff.

Ent Pat
 
T

The Real Slim Shady

Member
UB or anyone out there.....

Does the formula work to get 16 then 64 top after topping for 4? Wait for the new growth from each main cola to get 6-7 nodes then top above node 2?

So 2 to 3 tops.

Will it still be consistent? Has anyone had results from doing this top get 4 colas then a week or so later do it exactly the same way on the 4 instead of one? Did you get exactly 16?
 
FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
The Real Slim Shady said:
UB or anyone out there.....

Does the formula work to get 16 then 64 top after topping for 4? Wait for the new growth from each main cola to get 6-7 nodes then top above node 2?

So 2 to 3 tops.

Will it still be consistent? Has anyone had results from doing this top get 4 colas then a week or so later do it exactly the same way on the 4 instead of one? Did you get exactly 16?
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you tell me
View attachment 2269050
 
T

The Real Slim Shady

Member
FresnoFarmer said:
View attachment 2269129..........
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Thanks for sharing. My plant is 3 weeks old sitting in "the veg room" which measures 2.5x2.5x6.5. I also just received a 4x4x6.5 grow tent that I ordered online along with a fan filter speed controller etc and getting a 1000w digital dimmable ballast, bulbs, air hood, hanger kit in 1-2 weeks. That room is for flowering. I'd like as little plants as possible (ideally one big ass one) but maximum yield. I don't care about veg time as I will be going perpetual so I'll be getting bud every 8 weeks max.

That's why I'm contemplating how many times I should top to fill that flowering room up halfway before it begins the flowering stage. I'm thinking I would HAVE to top multiple times to fill out the space with one plant. But if I had 4-5 plants flowering at a time in that space, topping once for 4 colas would be ideal I would say. The reason I say 1 plant is ideal is because of federal and provincial law consider max 5-12 plants (depending on where you live and whether they are mature plants or not) personal use.

Nice plant btw. Rep added.
 
D

DrGreener

New Member
I find topping to be useful for height issues i could never cut top a plant but rater super crop with pretty much same results why worry about 2 or 4 main colas when you can have hundreds???
all topping does is take away a bud site
real topping is when you actually top to make more branches thus not only creating 2 - 4 colas but many more.
And many do,growing out door below are a few pics note on one of them where i supercropped theres not 2 or 4 but 6 tops forming better in my books cheers as well other pics not 2 - 4 tops but more bud sites with out topping the very first pic is a topped plant with 5 top colas woopie lol
 

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