To top or not to top? That is the question!

[Swizzo]

I see a lot of topping going on in the journals. My friend who use to grow in California says not top top. It takes the best bud off of the plant and reduces the strength of the bud overall. Any input?

 

[MaRS3891]

Hello Swizzo!!!

As you can see in my journal, i am not topping or fimming too. Just because is my first skunk and i wanna see it grows naturally.
My point isn't quality or quantity, is about learning the basics first.
But, as an inexperienced grower, i'd tell you: Do it. I will try it in the near future.
Because whether you grow in a cabinet, have to make the most of light and the main bud (top bud) will take plenty of light for it and will not let the light go to the buds from the bottom of the plant. When the topping occurs the plant concentrate their energies on the bottom branches causing them to grow more. But if you let the top bud grows, probably it will be the best bud of.

The best way to solve your question is studying a lot about it. I change my mind in the past 3 months.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Topping promotes branching, by removing the upper-most growing tip. <SHRUGS> In addition, it removes the primary growing tip from the plant, lol.

Bending/training a plant so that the upper-most growing tip is no longer at the top also encourages branching, because it forces the plant to redistribute its auxins/hormones (that determine which growing tip is considered to be the primary one) to those growing tips that are the highest point(s) of the plant... after a short time (a day or three), you should see an increased growth rate in those areas - without ever having had to remove a portion of the plant in order to accomplish this.

I guess you can figure out which method I favor .

You can, of course, use the "removed top" as a cutting for cloning purposes - but you can also do the same thing with any growing tip, including those ones at the bottom of the plant that never seem to get enough light towards the end of flowering because you correctly sized your plants (and your light(s) ) to your grow room and have a canopy so thick that you cannot see the illumination when looking up through it at your light(s), lol, and therefore really ought to be removed anyway for best results. So you might as well use those unwanted lower branches for cuttings and, again, save that upper plant matter for producing wonderful buds....

 

[Thunderbrain]

It takes the best bud off of the plant and reduces the strength of the bud overall. Any input?

It's not going to reduce the strength of the bud.

That depends on genetics and ripening time, not whether it gets a haircut.

 

[Alex420]

As someone who used to be a firm believer in the whole "no topping and minimal cutting to prevent slow growth " thing, I have recently switched over to topping in the past few grows and I would like to share my experience with you.

Previously, I either grew plants normally (vertically) or used a combination of low stress training and SCROG to try and keep my grows from getting too tall. The first plant I decided to top, we only topped once. Growth slowed for a week, but after that the plant grew normally and kept up with all of my non-topped plants in growth rate and size, but I ended up with double the harvest from the same strain of plant because of the topping creating several new bud sites (all of which also ended up being almost normal sized colas, only SEVERAL of them instead of just one).

On the next grow I decided to top twice. Once again it took a few days to heal, but once it did, it was balls-to-the-wall non-stop keeping up with this plant, having to check it once, twice even three times a day in order to keep up with tucking and twisting of all the new growths as I tried to maintain a proper scrog. I almost couldnt keep up with it and gave up at one point because the canopy was just too thick, with too many new bud sites and growth tips, and fan leaves everywhere that I just had no where to put because the plant had just become THAT dense from the topping. And once again, with the proper lighting and air circulation, this plant put off colas nearly the same size as the single cola I was used to getting from each plant for so many years before topping, except I got 10, 15, 20, or more of them instead of just one with a few popcorns. While the buds may be 10 or 20% smaller now than that single main cola, you're going to get 10 or 20 TIMES the amount of buds, so in the end you come out with a much better harvest. The only thing is is to make sure you don't top too many times. Eventually it does start cutting into the end result.

Morale of the story, I used to ask the same question "to top or not to top?", and I totally regret hesitating trying it for so long. It's no longer a question for me but a simple fact that I will probably never grow another plant without topping it again.

 

[Alex420]

As someone who used to be a firm believer in the whole "no topping and minimal cutting to prevent slow growth " thing, I have recently switched over to topping in the past few grows and I would like to share my experience with you.

Previously, I either grew plants normally (vertically) or used a combination of low stress training and SCROG to try and keep my grows from getting too tall. The first plant I decided to top, we only topped once. Growth slowed for a week, but after that the plant grew normally and kept up with all of my non-topped plants in growth rate and size, but I ended up with double the harvest from the same strain of plant because of the topping creating several new bud sites (all of which also ended up being almost normal sized colas, only SEVERAL of them instead of just one).

On the next grow I decided to top twice. Once again it took a few days to heal, but once it did, it was balls-to-the-wall non-stop keeping up with this plant, having to check it once, twice even three times a day in order to keep up with tucking and twisting of all the new growths as I tried to maintain a proper scrog. I almost couldnt keep up with it and gave up at one point because the canopy was just too thick, with too many new bud sites and growth tips, and fan leaves everywhere that I just had no where to put because the plant had just become THAT dense from the topping. And once again, with the proper lighting and air circulation, this plant put off colas nearly the same size as the single cola I was used to getting from each plant for so many years before topping, except I got 10, 15, 20, or more of them instead of just one with a few popcorns. While the buds may be 10 or 20% smaller now than that single main cola, you're going to get 10 or 20 TIMES the amount of buds, so in the end you come out with a much better harvest. The only thing is is to make sure you don't top too many times. Eventually it does start cutting into the end result.

Morale of the story, I used to ask the same question "to top or not to top?", and I totally regret hesitating trying it for so long. It's no longer a question for me but a simple fact that I will probably never grow another plant without topping it again.

Also, in regards to strength of the bud, I think that is probably not true. While it is well known that any type of trimming or cutting of the plant will require at least SOME healing time, if done properly, once the plant has healed, it will continue growing as it would have with the same potency. If topping decreases potency or strength in a plant, it is minimal to the point that I have not noticed it in any of my grows.

 

[Swizzo]

Thanks for the replies. I have 4 girls going. Some I topped early, learned that it is the better option. It created 2 strong stalks very close to the soil. I will do this every time. And I just received my MARS LED light today. About time to switch to Flower.