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

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Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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Know One said:
Thanks for taking the time to set it straight UB. Just wanted to be sure.
I am also sure you already answered this, but now I'm curious of course. If I top down one node right now, will I still get the same hormonal re-distribution to get the 4 main? Or did I screw that up by already topping and going up one too high?
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Plant doesn't care, it will re-distribute the hormones to the tissue that remains.

As I wrote on the first post - "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."
 
Know One

Know One

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Got it for sure now and will post images weekly as they grow.
Can't say it enough, thanks a million for your time UB.
Here's a quick list of the strains I have going from seed in case anyone is interested.
  • Subcool--Jesus OG
  • BC Bud--Blueberry
  • Female Seeds--Bubblegummer
  • TH Seeds--Darkstar
  • Bodhi-- Super Snow Lotus
 
youknowthekid!

youknowthekid!

Active Member
Uncle Ben said:
Plant doesn't care, it will re-distribute the hormones to the tissue that remains.

As I wrote on the first post - "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."
Click to expand...
I've seen girls get seriously stunted with that kind of decapitation. Never seen one stunt from pinching the new growth.
 
mmjmon

mmjmon

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You could top above the 3rd node, pull the lower set of leaves and pot it in soil bringing the soil up above where you pulled the lower leaves off and still get your 4 colas. This also helps with that initial stretch you get sometimes and hopefully gives you more of a root system.
 
papajohn

papajohn

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ub which is a better practice to date?

1.a undisturb rootball during transplant.
2.a spinout rootball cut vertically to benefit from secondary branching at transplant?
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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If the rootball is not spun out real bad then no need to vertically cut it. Just use some common sense based on the reaction of the plant after you take some action upon it.
 
coughee420

coughee420

Active Member
youknowthekid! said:
I've seen girls get seriously stunted with that kind of decapitation. Never seen one stunt from pinching the new growth.
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Stunted? Yes i know what that word means.
Could you describe how and where you witnessed this? not trying to be rude but could you please explain a bit more please :).
 
B

Bazooka Joe

Active Member
Roseman said:
Uncle BEN, GREAT THREAD, + REP for you! I have tried and tried to master this technique, and please look at my pic under my signature. I had 13 stalks, 9 major ones, on one plant, by topping it 6 times, twice at 2, 3 and 4 weeks of VEGGING.
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Can you explain how you accomplished this please?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Rollitup mobile app
 
J

Jbone77

Well-Known Member
I also top for 4 tops, works great, but seriously, how did this thread make it to page 273? why is it in the advanced section and not the newbie section? Im not knocking UB here at all but the simple fact that the same exact questions get asked over and over and over and over should tell you its a newbie thread.
 
mmjmon

mmjmon

Well-Known Member
Jbone77 said:
I also top for 4 tops, works great, but seriously, how did this thread make it to page 273? why is it in the advanced section and not the newbie section? Im not knocking UB here at all but the simple fact that the same exact questions get asked over and over and over and over should tell you its a newbie thread.
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Yes some of us newbies may have grasped the objective from reading the first page or so....but the simple fact that seeing the same questions and arguments over and over and over and over should explain why it is in the advanced section.

:lol:
 
J

Jbone77

Well-Known Member
mmjmon said:
Yes some of us newbies may have grasped the objective from reading the first page or so....but the simple fact that seeing the same questions and arguments over and over and over and over should explain why it is in the advanced section.

:lol:
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So what you are saying is that just like AN, the advanced growing techniques section here at riu is only advanced by name and that they use the title to attract the less experienced by making them feel that a simple topping technique is some how a difficult thing and that they may need to read a 278 page thread to get the idea?
 
Sativied

Sativied

Well-Known Member
Jbone77 said:
I also top for 4 tops, works great, but seriously, how did this thread make it to page 273?
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Because there's topping and there's UB topping technique. Also many newer growers would like a confirmation on when and where to top after reading and before doing it. There are probably also a lot of other questions buried in this thread from people smart enough to ask UB while he was still answering. I agree it shouldn't be in the advanced section though but there's no evil conspiracy by 'they'. See quote in my sig from OP... and that goes for forums too.
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Jbone77 said:
So what you are saying is that just like AN, the advanced growing techniques section here at riu is only advanced by name and that they use the title to attract the less experienced by making them feel that a simple topping technique is some how a difficult thing and that they may need to read a 278 page thread to get the idea?
Click to expand...
The purpose of the thread is to teach folks about hormonal processes and plant responses as it relates to a certain grower action with a particular outcome in mind. Most won't or don't get that.

I'd say an action that gets you 4 main colas with 100% accuracy is not a newbie technique nor is understanding the high value of root tip pruning using air or chemical means. You won't find it in Plant Culture 101 in your local library and there is no reason to put in Newbie section where folks ought to be focused on the ABC's of plant culture, NOT specific techniques.

The fact that it made it to page 273 is a statement about this community....and yes, 95% of the threads started in the Advanced section are a farce IMO.

nuff said.....
 
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youknowthekid!

youknowthekid!

Active Member
coughee420 said:
Stunted? Yes i know what that word means.
Could you describe how and where you witnessed this? not trying to be rude but could you please explain a bit more please :).
Click to expand...

This was in response to the hypothetical scenario in which you may seek to chop a relatively mature plant, losing several levels of nodes, to get back to a 4-main-branch growth distribution. I've cut relatively mature plants, around 10", way down to try to achieve this goal before and the results were bad. It's possible, and can work- maybe even well, but it's far from optimal. Growing well is about timing, and working with what you got when you get it.
 
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