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

[DaveCoulier]

What type of sample size are we talking here? Did you do all the different types of topping and training to say 6 plants of a strain, or did you top one strain, then lst the next, and fim the third, etc.

Lets not forget there are alot of other variables that will influence your yield. Topping alone will not guarantee a large yield. Also, UB has been growing plants alot longer than many of us have been alive, so he knows how to get the very best out of them. Hoping to replicate what is in that picture is well a wet dream for many of us.

When I tried topping vs not topping on my Nirvana WW, the topped ones all had buds equally comparable to the untopped ones, and a greater yield, so I do believe it works. Id say give it another go using clones from the same mother and try to eliminate as many variables as possible if you are still unsure about topping for 4 colas.

 

[Brick Top]

I'll be working with 1 150w HPS in a 1.9'x1.9'x3.9' homebox xs tent. I want to grow 3 plants in 1.5-2 gallon pots and keep them short. What do you guys think the maximum height I should veg my plants to before throwing them into flower. I won't be using any CFL's for secondary lighting, so I believe it would be best to have them finish at 3 feet or less.

I am curious about a thing or two. If I understand things correctly you have 3' 9" to grow in, three feet nine inches, and you said you want your plants to finish at 3 feet or less. How thin will your lighting be and how short of pots will you be growing in? If your plants finish at 3' that will leave you only nine inches for your lights and your pots AND the distance between the tops of your plants and your light that is needed to keep you from baking your plants.

Another puzzler is how you will grow plants up to 3" tall with a light that will penetrate roughly about a foot to a foot and a few inches? The lower portion of your plants will be barren and just above that will be popcorn and then small buds, a few medium ones and then your colas. About the top quarter of each plant will produce decent, but that's about all. So why veg your plants longer than it will make sense to?

You will outgrow your lighting and get little to nothing for it and only extend your overall length of time from planting to harvest by adding the veg time that will not pay you back with bud.

Did I understand you incorrectly and the 3' 9" is actual usable growing height or is that overall height? If it is total overall height do you know what your actual usable height will be with whatever light system you decide on? Do you know how to figure total usable height?

Even if the 3' 9" is usable growing height you will not have adequate light penetration to use it all if you use a 150-watt HID grow light.

 

[Brick Top]

More people should stop questioning Uncle Ben and just accept that what he is saying is based in proven fact and not just another 'gee I think I might have a good idea here' sort of thing like most shared grower information seems to be around here.

Plants are really not all that understood by most herb growers. They have something of a ‘brain’ of their own and they will respond to the environment in the soil, to the environment in the air and to the environment in the plant. But hormones, auxin, has override power over the entire plant.

Auxin is the main regulating hormone in plant growth. Auxin has a huge number of advisors, messengers and “gophers.” There are so many that even today they are not all completely understand. Main ones like ABA, Gibberellin, Cytokinin, Ethylene are pretty much understood, but not all. There are a huge number of other molecules and minerals that have to be available for growth before auxin can have its regulating effect. But, Auxin responds to the whole host of advisors and then regulates growth depending on the information it receives.

When plants are topped, as Uncle Ben said initially, and likely needed to repeat numerous times since, you are toying with hormones, with auxin. When done in a certain way a plant will respond in a certain way and when done differently it will respond in a different way. Plant environment can effect/cause some variance but as long as conditions/environment are good far more times than not it will be minor.

 

[Uncle Ben]

dave, uncle...i have a question.

i read this thread in march and i decided to give a go. i topped above the first node on 4 plants, second node on 4 plants, and 4 plants i tried different things ie; fim, top above 7th node, 5th node, supercropped.

this was done on various strains, qwerkle, ww, blue widow, sour bubble.

the ones i topped low (first and second nodes) have the smallest yield. its quite depressing to see actually.

Like the fellas said, could be many factors - genetics, your culture, etc. You need to choose what works best for you, I only started this thread to give you another choice. You're probably bouncing around based on what you've seen or read in these forums rather than taking into consideration botany and your particular setup. This growing thingie is based on the fact that the end result is a summation of the parts.

Like I said before, the intent is to open up the plant in a vase like form for better light penetration. If you've never grown a fruit tree like a peach or apple, then you may not understand the particular training principles standard to that culture. Read the basics of how to TRAIN a fruit tree, and you will. BT reiterated hormonal responses, that's what it's all about.

If you didn't get more than one dominant cola after topping, then you topped at the wrong spot, had alternate branching, whatever. Were they clones or seedlings?

Good luck,
UB

 

[DaveCoulier]

Since this is a topping thread, and everyone loves pictures, and now seems like a great time for pics.. I present to you some of my outdoor plants. One has 2 main colas, 3 on another, and 3.5-4? on some. Nothing is guaranteed, but I much prefer this to not topping, or even lst'ing. Ive already accidentally topped two plants when lst'ing. Not worth the frustration, so Ill stick with this.

 

[Ganja Geek]

Hey their Ben do u think you can help answer a few questions of mine? I want to top my plants to stop them from growing over our 8ft fence without negatively effecting yield. They are 82 days old sexed using 12/12. Then revegged all under a 1000 MH. I planted them outdoors 4 weeks ago. They have about 18 to 20 nodes and are about 2ft tall. Here's a pic of my Red Dragon. I would like to use the top cuttings for clones. Could you tell me how to go about it and what I might exspect if I top at this stage? Your input would be appreciated thank you.

 

[bongmarley2009]

I am curious about a thing or two. If I understand things correctly you have 3' 9" to grow in, three feet nine inches, and you said you want your plants to finish at 3 feet or less. How thin will your lighting be and how short of pots will you be growing in? If your plants finish at 3' that will leave you only nine inches for your lights and your pots AND the distance between the tops of your plants and your light that is needed to keep you from baking your plants.

My tent is 3 feet 9 inches tall and I completely forgot to take space the light and carbon filter will be taking up into consideration.

Another puzzler is how you will grow plants up to 3" tall with a light that will penetrate roughly about a foot to a foot and a few inches? The lower portion of your plants will be barren and just above that will be popcorn and then small buds, a few medium ones and then your colas. About the top quarter of each plant will produce decent, but that's about all. So why veg your plants longer than it will make sense to?

Yes, it doesn't make sense to have my plants finish at 3 feet because I won't have enough room. If I don't buy a digital 250w light, then I will most definitely give the 150w light a run. I'll top the plants at 5-6 nodes to get the 4 colas, but I will flower them when they are 1 foot or less. I will use 1.5-2 gallon pots and try to grow 3 plants. Perhaps this is a little more logical?

You will outgrow your lighting and get little to nothing for it and only extend your overall length of time from planting to harvest by adding the veg time that will not pay you back with bud.

Did I understand you incorrectly and the 3' 9" is actual usable growing height or is that overall height? If it is total overall height do you know what your actual usable height will be with whatever light system you decide on? Do you know how to figure total usable height?

Even if the 3' 9" is usable growing height you will not have adequate light penetration to use it all if you use a 150-watt HID grow light.

Big thanks for your input. I don't want to low stress train or scrog, so if I am not going to get good results with implementing topping and having really short plants, I might just get a digital 250w.

 

[rzza]

uncleben, thanks for the response. they were from seed. i took cuttings tho and those look alot better this time around. also topped low, then multiple times after that.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Since this is a topping thread, and everyone loves pictures, and now seems like a great time for pics.. I present to you some of my outdoor plants. One has 2 main colas, 3 on another, and 3.5-4? on some. Nothing is guaranteed, but I much prefer this to not topping, or even lst'ing. Ive already accidentally topped two plants when lst'ing. Not worth the frustration, so Ill stick with this.

View attachment 987879View attachment 987884View attachment 987885View attachment 987903

Looking good! I still need to get mine out into the field. Timing is right, solstice is soon.

Hey their Ben do u think you can help answer a few questions of mine? I want to top my plants to stop them from growing over our 8ft fence without negatively effecting yield. They are 82 days old sexed using 12/12. Then revegged all under a 1000 MH. I planted them outdoors 4 weeks ago. They have about 18 to 20 nodes and are about 2ft tall. Here's a pic of my Red Dragon. I would like to use the top cuttings for clones. Could you tell me how to go about it and what I might exspect if I top at this stage? Your input would be appreciated thank you.

Rooting a cutting is easy if you use a decent cloning agent and keep the RH almost 100%. If you top, you'll get branching.

 

[PinchedNerve]

Hello there I was wondering what you meant by First or Second "TRUE" node, thenks PN.

 

[rzza]

Hello there I was wondering what you meant by First or Second "TRUE" node, thenks PN.

uh oh LOL ...

 

[Danielsgb]

Hello there I was wondering what you meant by First or Second "TRUE" node, thenks PN.

it truely looks like a pot leaf. start looking backwards.
Daniels

 

[PinchedNerve]

rzza- you couln't just answer the question? and thank you D for actually answering me instead of bein to cool.

 

[Danielsgb]

It's been asked way too many times, everyone is getting tired of it. UB refuses anymore

 

[mindphuk]

rzza- you couln't just answer the question? and thank you D for actually answering me instead of bein to cool.

PinchedNerve, you couldn't just RTFM?

 

[Danielsgb]

PinchedNerve, you couldn't just RTFM?

Glad I googled it, instead of asking. Woulda really looked dumb then, huh PN

 

[whiteflour]

lol I'll smoke to that one!

 

[PinchedNerve]

mindphuk- no i couldn't. I don't beleive I could look dumb on a forum. Thanks though.

 

[mindphuk]

mindphuk- no i couldn't. I don't beleive I could look dumb on a forum. Thanks though.

Come on man, I'm just bustin' your balls. We all do stupid things on forums on occasion, I know I do (I blame the kush ) This is just one that seems to be a pet peeve of many, especial UB, and I can hardly blame him.

Welcome to the thread.

 

[PinchedNerve]

Thank you for the welcoming, I understand, It twas a quick question cause I am scared of choppers and would like to keep my plant shorter without affecting yeild to much, but I get it now and I have a bit more confidence now that my overly asked question was answered.
P.S. I don't think anyones balls like being busted.