# topping when should i do it and how do i due it??



## bongzilla420 (Apr 22, 2006)

how do i top my plants and wen is the best time to do it???


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## Skinmaster (Apr 22, 2006)

Hi Bongzilla420

what is the reason for you wanting to TOP the plants?
How long have you been growing them?
Are they outgrowing their space?



 The Skinmaster


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## bongzilla420 (Apr 22, 2006)

no i just heard they grow bushyer and i didnt plant them yet the ones i have inside im not topping i juss wanted to know how to do it for my outdoor plants


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## Skinmaster (Apr 22, 2006)

The PINCHING OUT process is done during the plants growing (VEG) stage.
You can govern / direct the growth of the plant by pinching(topping) out.

You need to remove the *growing tips * off the plants *side-stems*. For every Grow tip you remove, *two*  new stems will grow from the next internode (where stem and trunk connect) down the plant.
NOTE: a pinched-out stem will, ultimately stop producing BUD!!, so TOPPING the main stem is NOT a good idea.

I've only done this a few times myself, but it definately works!
You may want to check for further information, by looking at the _GROW JOURNALS_ on this site (if applicable).

Good luck


 The Skinmaster


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## Hick (Apr 23, 2006)

"Pinching" (LST) and/or "topping" (HST) are applied to the meristem(main stem) in order to promote "bushiness".  A plant naturally sends most of the 'growing hormones' to the uppermost growing portion of the plant. When you top or pinch it, you essentially _redirect_ that growth hormone to the next lower point of new growth.

  "Toping" (totally removing) the grow tips, forces 2 new shoots to grow from the immeadiate next lower node. 
    "Pinching"(crushing the meristem without removing the tips) simply restricts the flow of growth hormone to the portion above the 'pinch' and promotes lower growth.


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## Stoney Bud (Apr 23, 2006)

bongzilla420 said:
			
		

> how do i top my plants and wen is the best time to do it???


Hey bongzilla420, topping, (HST), is a method of growth modification used to maximize growth to the area of growth. It's used primarily inside for using the most of the available area under the lights and to prevent the plant from getting too tall for it's environment and outside to help reduce the total height of the plant to help hide it from detection by the piggys and thieves.

The difference in the yield of the plant will be marginal. If the plant were to remain unchanged and only one top Kola, the cured weight will be very close to that of a fully pruned and topped plant. The primary difference will be that when pruning, (LST and HST), the harvest will be many, many top buds of lesser size, but equal accumulative weight with the one top bud in an unpruned plant.

This fact is widely unknown to the majority of MJ growers. I've heard stories that would make you roll on the floor laughing about increased yield by pruning. IF you have restricted area, and you use maximum LST and HST, the yield can be slightly better than growing a single main Kola with severe height restrictions, but this has more to do with the allowed time of growth than the capability of the plant if given unrestricted growth area vertically.

Another factor you may wish to consider is the harvest time needed. One single Kola plant takes about a tenth of the time to manicure than one that LST and HST was used on.

I use both methods. My last grow of Big Bud was done with maximum LST and HST. I wanted a shit load of smaller buds for smoking instead of picking at one large Kola. I had 4 plants with over 130 top buds. The cured weight was near 3 pounds.

For my current grow of Snow White, I'm going to use 20 plants and NO LST or HST. I'm growing them straight up with no modifications what-so-ever. I want to have 20 main Kolas when I'm done. I expect each Kola to weight about 2-3 ounces for a total of 40-50 ounces of bud, (2.5-3.1 pounds).

Good luck to you man. I hope I answered some of your questions.


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## bongzilla420 (Apr 23, 2006)

thanks dudes BIG HELP


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## GanjaGuru (Apr 27, 2006)

The biggest plant by yield was one a guy I knew (JJ) grew circa 1999.
Phucker was only about 6' tall but topped so often it was 12' across.
It had so many huge buds that JJ had to put up a clothesline thingie and run ropes between the buds and the clothesline to hold them up.
JJ had topped and topped and watered and poured fertilizer on that biatch
Huge purple buds that smelled wonderful.
JJ got about 4--5 POUNDS off buds off that somnovitch.

BUT
(you knew there was a 'but', right?)
The weed was crummy.  Almost no buzz at all.
Classic pretendica.

Which leads me to believe that there is a finite amt of THC a plant can put out.

Indoors, topping is not a good idea if an increase in yield is what you're  after, except
if you plant in a very large container, add light as the plant grows wider and make sure it gets increased nutrients & water, and give it lots of time to recover from topping and grow extra branches, etc., you can grow a *very* large plant, but it takes so long you'd be better off growing more plants in that space instead.
Besides height restrictions, the only time I recommend more than 1 topping is when the number of plants you have is a factor.  A friend is a legal grower but he's only allowed 6 plants at a time in his county in med-mj Calif.
But it took so long to grow *very *big he switched back to 'regular' growing.


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## LLCoolBud (Apr 30, 2006)

I disagree it could be way to many factors affecting potency other then size. All of the plant may not of came out the same ect. but thats just my two cents.


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## johnp (Feb 15, 2011)

true i have a grower buddy that grew indoor packed em together real tight and hella short some of the best smoke i ever had to this day each plat only got about an oz but each one took less than a sq.ft and not much time


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## dman1234 (Feb 15, 2011)

5 year old thread. 

thats gotta be a record.   :woohoo:


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## johnp (Feb 15, 2011)

wow! thanks


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## dman1234 (Feb 15, 2011)

johnp said:
			
		

> wow! thanks


 
LOL all in good fun.


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## benamucc (Feb 15, 2011)

"at least it's not crack"  :rofl:  no worries johnny boy!  i'm sure we've ALL done it...


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