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

Status
Not open for further replies.
Alexander Supertramp

Alexander Supertramp

Well-Known Member
On a side note I have decided not to top the 4x4. I saw its mother today for the first time since it has gone into flower. My cut is going all natural....

I did transplant it though and it could have stayed in the cup another week easy. Lets not get pot bound confused with root bound....
 
D

drew425

Active Member
So if I topped at the 3rd node would I get 6 main colas? Just not sure I want to cut that much off by doing it above the 2nd.
 
D

drew425

Active Member
Uncle Ben said:
Patience, or as some would say, "patients". You'll be cussin' a bit more before it's all over. Your biggest challenge is to retain those leaves as long as possible. I've had Vietnamese sativa (and Haze and other sativas) indoors go veg for months...and then you have the fun part of having that happy time repeated during flowering. Reward? Airy buds that may or not be potent. :)

Sativas grow and finish based on a chronological age thingie, not a phytochrome driven thingie like your typical indica mutt. IOW, you can have a pure sativa and a indica mutt, flip to 12/12 and the mutt will respond to the hormonal change as dictated by the short day photoperiod.
Click to expand...
Im guessing you don't like growing Sativas very much. Im getting pretty impatient with mine. I've also got a Sour Diesel at 61 days im thinking it has another 15-20 to go at least
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
drew425 said:
Im guessing you don't like growing Sativas very much. Im getting pretty impatient with mine. I've also got a Sour Diesel at 61 days im thinking it has another 15-20 to go at least
Click to expand...
I've probably grown more sativas indoors than any one. My experience has shown they belong outdoors, which is where I put them now.

UB
 
G

garj353

Member
Uncle Ben said:
You pinch out the top on a young seedling, let the 4 new "trunks" aka main colas grow out a bit and THEN flower. Why the rush to flower unless they are growing 3" a day and you don't have the headroom to accomodate large plants?

UB
Click to expand...
I chose to cut mine above the 4th true node and remove the bottom 2 nodes thus still leaving 4 main tops. Do you think this makes a difference whether its 2 bottom nodes or 2 higher nodes that is left? I chose to leave the healthiest most uniform 2 nodes instead of the first 2. They look exactly the same as your method but just 2 nodes higher on the stem with the bottom lollipopped. My opinion is I wouldn't think it matters as long as their are 2 nodes and 4 shoots left (and ofcourse the leaves that are parallel with those nodes). What do you think?
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
garj353 said:
I chose to cut mine above the 4th true node and remove the bottom 2 nodes thus still leaving 4 main tops. Do you think this makes a difference whether its 2 bottom nodes or 2 higher nodes that is left? I chose to leave the healthiest most uniform 2 nodes instead of the first 2. They look exactly the same as your method but just 2 nodes higher on the stem with the bottom lollipopped. My opinion is I wouldn't think it matters as long as their are 2 nodes and 4 shoots left (and ofcourse the leaves that are parallel with those nodes). What do you think?
Click to expand...
You don't remove "nodes". They are a point on a plant where the leaf petiole is attached. Do some research on anatomy people. I've seen this reference before in this thread.

2nd, if you don't get output from the 2 lower nodes than you'll get the proper results. If you have already lost or pulled those fan leaves it suggests you need to go back to the basics and learn what makes a plant tick.
 
G

garj353

Member
Uncle Ben said:
You don't remove "nodes". They are a point on a plant where the leaf petiole is attached. Do some research on anatomy people. I've seen this reference before in this thread.

2nd, if you don't get output from the 2 lower nodes than you'll get the proper results. If you have already lost or pulled those fan leaves it suggests you need to go back to the basics and learn what makes a plant tick.
Click to expand...
I know about plants maybe you just dont understand what I mean, so i may be explaining it wrong. To make it simple my plant looks just like yours. But instead of keeping the first 2 branches above the seedling leaves I removed them and kept the next 4. I know you don't remove "nodes" that would be dumb I didn't mean it like that. Simple explanation, I topped my plant which left 6 opposite branches from 3 nodes(visualize it). I then removed the 2 lowest branches which left 4 branches and 2 nodes= your method for 4 colas, I just went a node higher on the plant, so instead of using the 1st and 2nd I used the 2nd and 3rd. I dont know how to explain it better than that. I dont even know why I'm asking this its obvious the auxins will divert to the 4 branches I have left as long as I removed any other branches under it. You do it the same exept you use the first 2 nodes so you have no need to remove any lower branches because all thats under it is seedling leaves. I cant upload my pics(?) but if you saw it you would know what I mean. You may think I don't get what you mean but I do. I was just asking as long as you leave 2 nodes and 4 branches and the 4 fan leaves associated with those 2 nodes, it shouldn't matter which nodes you use, as long as the branches are opposite and not alternating. I just thought since this is your method you would of tried that at least once. I chose to try it this way because my 2nd and 3rd nodes looked very healthy, uniform, they will probably grow to equal heights. They actually are already recovering in less than 24 hrs , and as I said lmao its your method i just removed the 1st 2 branches on the 1st node and used my 2nd and 3rd nodes branches to mimic your method instead of the 1st and the 2nd. I hope I was more clearer this time. I know plants in general. I know redirecting auxins to cytokins (spelling sucks) removing apical dominance so forgive my explaining. I really was just looking for an opinion or if you tried it that way before. Anyone know what I mean can chime in if you tried it this way because i don't see a difference unless the lower 2 branches decide to grow back but it shouldn't if its removed correctly 20130322_161158.jpg lol yes it worked heres a pic you can see my plants are healthy and i like using the 2nd and 3rd node because those first node leaves are single bladed i think ill get more energy to the branches this way Barneys g13 haze, seedsman ww, Blimburn orka= wwxhaze
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
indicantonio said:
Thank you so much Uncle Ben. Followed you're Advice I'm still in my first week of flower I couldn't be happier with the four colas.
View attachment 2583271View attachment 2583272View attachment 2583273View attachment 2583274
Click to expand...
Yep, that is one healthy girl and looks like all four "trunks" will be dominant. Sometimes the lower ones become a bit recessive, aren't quite as vigorous as the upper 2 trunks aka colas but those internodes are so small I think you can expect excellent results. All colas look quite uniform, and that's what you want. Now....if you go using bloom foods and/or gimmicks all bets are off.

See you using SmartPots....good call! I use Dr. Whitcomb's RootBuilder product for other tropicals I'm growing in a greenhouse. Works great. Nice thing about that product is it comes in a 105' roll so you can cut panels to make any size pot you want. Good to see you finish them out in those pots.

UB
 
D

drew425

Active Member
Any idea on if how many colas ill be getting? I didn't top above the 2nd node but above the 3rd node (or so I thought) I think it might have actually been the 2nd (true) node cause it looks like ill get 4 main colas. Anyhow at 3 weeks shes looking goodIMAG0577[1].jpgIMAG0578[1].jpgIMAG0579[1].jpg
 
Reaallynow

Reaallynow

Member
Uncle Ben said:
This is a better shot of the 4 main colas hanging to cure, sans the smaller side branches which I cured laying 'em out on hardware cloth. These colas were so heavy (and long) that they laid the plant over until I could stake it up. Of course sativa trunks/stems aren't very strong to begin with. I should have used a large tomato cage.

Tio
Click to expand...
effing wow. nice work. doing this next grow with my Super Lemon Haze.

+ Rep
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top