Can I top off tall plants in bloom?

Two questions.
Probably due to a combination of insufficient vegetative lighting and a delay in moving the plants over to the bloom area, I've now got several very tall leggy plants (well over 4 ft high) that are growing like they're on steroids. Adding in the height of the platform and the buckets, these ladies are now growing above my lights and still have at least 3 weeks until harvest!!

Is it safe for me to cut them back (as much as a foot or so off the top) this late into bloom?
Can I use the cuttings as clones or am I too far into bloom to salvage them?

This will be only my second harvest and I'm still learning, so any helpful comments are appreciated.
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Idonno, give it a try and let us know what happens. Seems like it shouldn't really be an issue, I have one right now that is geting too tall and I would like to top it also, think I will. What's the worst that could happen?

Ok, well... I just took the main cola off, only two weeks into flower though. Took about 8 inches off, should be interesting.

How far into flowering are you.

If they're tall and stringy then the lights havent been close enough

When you top a plant you force it to reroute it's oxins, which takes a few weeks. Basicly the oxins help decide which is the main, and fattest, bud. So if you don't mind losing your biggest buds then top them. If they are past the light they might not end up being the biggest anyway. You can try to use them for cuttings, but if they root they will need time to revert back to veg.

You can also try bending or tieing down. With 3 weeks left there probably wont be much vertical growth. In the future if you see this will be a problem you can try chemical intervention such as bushmaster or phosphoload

to far into flower if you want any kind of cola bud. you can but your going to loose that cola and evey thing with that ft youwant to take off.

Should be fine with the topping, most of my friends top at around two weeks. And on a side note, daaaammmnnn. I have such a hard time comprehending an 8 inch loss. My plants are only 8" tall before they go into flowering. Maybe 10 at the most. I would lose 20 branches if I cut 8 inches off the top!

Sr. Verde said:

How far into flowering are you.

If they're tall and stringy then the lights havent been close enough

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I concur. Like I said an 8 inch loss would basically remove my entire plant.

They're 5-6 weeks into bloom, but don't look to be anywhere close to that far along. Since they share lights with shorter plants that are a week or two from harvest, I don't want to raise the lights even further.
I'll top them, hope for the best, and report back with what happened.
Thanks to all for your comments.

ahhhh, the different plant heights, ahhhh, I see. I use two lights to avoid this very problem in my flowering chamber.

kappainf said:

Idonno, give it a try and let us know what happens. Seems like it shouldn't really be an issue, I have one right now that is geting too tall and I would like to top it also, think I will. What's the worst that could happen?

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Stunted growth and reduced yeild.......

if there over a week into flowering it wouldnt be a good idea

kappainf said:

Ok, well... I just took the main cola off, only two weeks into flower though. Took about 8 inches off, should be interesting.

Click to expand...

your serious? you really went and cut off your top cola at 2 weeks into flower to see what it would do for the fuck of it? really? youve got to joking me, no one is that dumb, lol

kappainf said:

Ok, well... I just took the main cola off, only two weeks into flower though. Took about 8 inches off, should be interesting.

Click to expand...

you will do gud. I top my plants 2 weeks into flowering this is how they look. I pull 2 and a half zips a plant. the one on the right isnt toped

MrStickyScissors said:

you will do gud. I top my plants 2 weeks into flowering this is how they look. I pull 2 and a half zips a plant. the one on the right isnt toped

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I'm with him, cause I see it all the time. two monster colas instead of one. I usually don't top my plants until two weeks into flower.

34 days of 12/12

topped





non topped, same strain, same time in flowering cycle,

darkdestruction420 said:

your serious? you really went and cut off your top cola at 2 weeks into flower to see what it would do for the fuck of it? really? youve got to joking me, no one is that dumb, lol

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btw....dont take this personal, im just messing with ya, giving ya shit about your idea.

I am with darkdestrction, don't be cutting off your main cola, just snap that mofo over (not completely snap it like, some call is super cropping.)

So this is my suggestion:

Stick a stake into your pot the same height as where you want to bend the plat over, then with you index finger and thumb, pinch hard at the stem where you are going to bend it, then gently bend the plant until you hear alittle pop/crunch (kinda like when your ligament snaps - haha) Then just tie that baby up to your stake. You will now have
1/ A shorter plant
2/ Multiple sites that will grow like main colas.

Eh voila.

Peace, DST

DST said:

I am with darkdestrction, don't be cutting off your main cola, just snap that mofo over (not completely snap it like, some call is super cropping.)

So this is my suggestion:

Stick a stake into your pot the same height as where you want to bend the plat over, then with you index finger and thumb, pinch hard at the stem where you are going to bend it, then gently bend the plant until you hear alittle pop/crunch (kinda like when your ligament snaps - haha) Then just tie that baby up to your stake. You will now have
1/ A shorter plant
2/ Multiple sites that will grow like main colas.

Eh voila.

Peace, DST

Click to expand...

that sounds like a gud idea. but why tie it down?

MrStickyScissors said:

that sounds like a gud idea. but why tie it down?

Click to expand...

to help keep the healing part supported so it doesnt have to hold up the weight of the whole cola.

oh for later on in flowering when the bud gets fat? ok that makes sense I think I will try that. it will get the top out of the way and you still get to yield that cola. pretty cool