# Should I Top this plant?



## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

I already bent the stem. The problem is the leaves are huge, bigger than my hand. I'm thinking I can top it to slow growth at the top and allow branches to come up. Any advice?


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## ROSTERMAN (Jul 18, 2021)

Tropical Sativa Man said:


> I already bent the stem. The problem is the leaves are huge, bigger than my hand. I'm thinking I can top it to slow growth at the top and allow branches to come up. Any advice?


Any Pics
I would look up defoliation and how to do safely if the leafs are too crowded
You can remove some but not to many at one time it will slow the growth if too many are remove at the same time in most cases.


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## bigsur51 (Jul 18, 2021)

Is it in flower or vegg?

I am guessing vegging eh........

yes , go ahead and top it , some plants thrive when topped , others are a dud


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## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

bigsur51 said:


> Is it in flower or vegg?
> 
> I am guessing vegging eh........
> 
> yes , go ahead and top it , some plants thrive when topped , others are a dud


The new leaves are so large I can't get good light to the developing branches below. Just wondering if topping would slow down new growth enough that lower branches can grow  also wondering if I can remove the top fan leaves so light can reach the branches better


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## Bubba (Jul 18, 2021)

Me? I cut off those lower shoots at this point,  By the time this plant would be 2 ft tall none of what is showing would be left,
maybe more. Those branches coming up from the bottom will just be pop corn, and drain what the main colas could produce. OTOH, I deal with Indicas,  not sure what you have there.

bubba


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## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

Bubba said:


> Me? I cut off those lower shoots at this point,  By the time this plant would be 2 ft tall none of what is showing would be left,
> maybe more. Those branches coming up from the bottom will just be pop corn, and drain what the main colas could produce. OTOH, I deal with Indicas,  not sure what you have there.
> 
> bubba


Hey, Bubba. Thanks for the reply.  This is a pure Sativa.  Baguio Gold is the strain.
I'm not even sure if it's a female yet, although I kind of think it might be.  Stipules are crossing over to form an 'X', which is typically a sign of a female.  Plus I see how bushy it is.  Plus, I took a photo of the plant the other day, and, when I zoom in on the picture, you can actually see the resin glands all over the leaves, which seems like a female.  Still, I'm not sure.  
This plant is 38 days old today.  I've bended the stem down for sea of green training.  I want the branches to shoot up, so I'm bending the main stem down, and I want to let the branches come up right now so I  can eventually bend those down and allow more branches to come out of those that will grow straight up into the light in trellis.  Is this correct?
I also want to use any branches I cut off as clones, so the branches are not big enough just yet.  Do you still think I should cut the lower shoots and branches?


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## Bubba (Jul 18, 2021)

I would just grow it out as you want and learn from the experience!  Different strains, nutes, dirt/hydro, lots of variables to consider.
After the grow, (document it) see how you did yield wise. you may knock it out of the park as is, but afterwards it is easier to compare notes with other grows/journals. For me with India, different shaped plant, wait for those with more sativa experience to post.

With Indica, once I had a lower shoot that came up and was as heavy as main cola was, but this isnt the usual case. normally  the lower (from bottom up) shoots I remove, as they will be over shadowed by the main colas.  Plus plant energy is being wasted ( My opinion only) with pushing these pop corn lurfy stuff which could be taking energy better used in the yield long run going to your main colas.

My indica schooling sort of started growing the plants without topping, but yields were not that great in total.  What was there was outstanding, but there was room for improvement.

This lead to topping and maintaining canopy to same height, sort of like with scrog net.  This improved yield considerably.  Next moves were to remove more of the bottom stuff that tended to be popcorn, (and shaded by canopy anyway most of the time.) occasional very nice medium nugs....and instead concentrate on main colas, 4-8 max, (instead of 15-20) and add more plants if I still had extra room.

Sativas are a different game, and I'm sure need differing technique.

Bubba


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## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

bigsur51 said:


> Is it in flower or vegg?
> 
> I am guessing vegging eh........
> 
> yes , go ahead and top it , some plants thrive when topped , others are a dud


veg.  did you see the pic i posted in the other comment?


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## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

ROSTERMAN said:


> Any Pics
> I would look up defoliation and how to do safely if the leafs are too crowded
> You can remove some but not to many at one time it will slow the growth if too many are remove at the same time in most cases.


Did you see the pic i posted in my reply to @Bubba?


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## pute (Jul 18, 2021)

I top to create a nice even canopy.   Different strains get topped different.  Some Indicas I don't top at all. Short bushy sturdy plants sometimes i let the main stem grow.  Most of the time I top an Indica at about 12"......sativa at  8 or 9.  Then a week or so before flipping I fem top them.  That makes a nice even canopy of 8 to 10 main stems.  If done properly this is what you end up with.


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## Tropical Sativa Man (Jul 18, 2021)

pute said:


> I top to create a nice even canopy.   Different strains get topped different.  Some Indicas I don't top at all. Short bushy sturdy plants sometimes i let the main stem grow.  Most of the time I top an Indica at about 12"......sativa at  8 or 9.  Then a week or so before flipping I fem top them.  That makes a nice even canopy of 8 to 10 main stems.  If done properly this is what you end up with.
> 
> View attachment 275538


Nice!  So you recommend topping, not bending?


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## pute (Jul 18, 2021)

Tropical Sativa Man said:


> Nice!  So you recommend topping, not bending?


Only if the damn thing starts growing out of the top of the tent.  I have a Good Digger doing that now.  I topped as above and have been supper cropping and still growing some sativa's are difficult in a tent.


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## WeedHopper (Jul 19, 2021)

Thats what i did with my C99 and i had 13 colas. All i did was top the main stem at about 18".


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## bigsur51 (Jul 19, 2021)

to top or not to top

you might as well top them and get some more experience

6 of 1 half dozen of another...really , is there that much difference in yield when one just has a few plants inside a tent?....I mean , if there were two identical plants side by side and one was topped and one wasn’t , does anyone think the yield will be that much more?...like maybe one ounce difference?...I doubt it


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## pute (Jul 19, 2021)

Probably right big, but in a tent you have a space problem.  My tent is 78" or 6ft 6in tall.  Broken down my pot is 12" tall the light/hood are another 12" I need at least 8" clearance/space between the light and the tops of the plant.  That only leaves about 4 ft left for the plant.  If you don't top it the plant, especially a sativa will grow out the top of the tent. 

Where you live and growing outside you could grow trees and still nobody would see it.  Ha ha. 

That plant, post #10 is 44 in tall......only have 4" to spare.  For me topping/femming is and absolute necessity.


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## bigsur51 (Jul 19, 2021)

gotcha brother Putembk , there is a time and place for most things and one must adapt to their specific conditions in order to optimize the garden , hats off to all those who learn from trial and error and share their results with the community

feck , I didn’t even want a garden this season and look at me now...oh no , oh no


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## WeedHopper (Jul 19, 2021)

Yep. My topping was all about keeping my plants camouflaged.


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## Bubba (Jul 21, 2021)

pute said:


> Probably right big, but in a tent you have a space problem.  My tent is 78" or 6ft 6in tall.  Broken down my pot is 12" tall the light/hood are another 12" I need at least 8" clearance/space between the light and the tops of the plant.  That only leaves about 4 ft left for the plant.  If you don't top it the plant, especially a sativa will grow out the top of the tent.
> 
> Where you live and growing outside you could grow trees and still nobody would see it.  Ha ha.
> 
> That plant, post #10 is 44 in tall......only have 4" to spare.  For me topping/femming is and absolute necessity.


Yes, sometimes top, sometimes not on topping indica. Indoors with led, I think they yield better if cut so a canopy developed at same height. Still don't think led have the penetration of HPS, despite superior distribution. Maybe.

Bubba


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## yooper420 (Jul 21, 2021)

I top most all of my sativas. My tent is 7'10'' tall. Take a foot for the pots and another foot for the lights away from that. Also a foot for space between the plants and LED's. That leaves 4'10'' or about 5 foot tall plants. Works for me.


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