I decided to top Amnesia x OG and Violator Kush tonight. The others don't quite fit my criteria yet but they're not far off. I thought I'd document the process I use in case it's helpful to anyone.
Why do I top? I've tried a number of training techniques throughout my short time growing. it was a conscious decision to figure out what I liked and didn't like. My favorite involves topping and doing LST to get an even canopy full of top sites.
When do I top? Normally it has been about 3 weeks from germination. This seed was planted 19 days ago, so the sweet spot is likely around 2.5 weeks. I look for a plant that is growing vigorously, so that I know it has a good chance to recover quickly and well. I like to top with 5-6 nodes on the plant. If I can count 5 distinct pairs of leaves and see the stems, I'm good to go. But I have no problem waiting to see 6.
What method do I use? In my last grow, I settled on taking the bottom 2 pairs of nodes and leaving the 3rd and 4th node, similar to Ase's default style. With this strong base, I'm then able to do whatever I want in the remainder of veg.
Taking a look at Violator Kush when I took her out of the tent, I noted that she continues to grow very well.
However, her pot is dry, so I wanted to feed before I top. I prefer to work with the plants after watering in general.
I tried to illustrate the nodes here. It was hard to get a clear shot but this should give an idea of a plant that in my eyes is very much ready.
I use my trimming shears, but any scissors should do, as long as they're clean.
In this shot, I've removed the bottom pairs and tried to bend the top a little to show where I make the cut.
When you let it grow and then clean it up like this, you take a lot off!
Note the angle at which I've cut. It's said to be helpful to prevent issues at the site of the topping.
The finished product! She got only gentle nudging from my fingertips to the leaves and new growth. That's all I'll do for the next few days as she recovers and then gets potted up. Training will begin in earnest after pot up.