Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas
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Hello, I am a noob that doesnt even have a seed in the ground yet, but waiting to do some homework for a month or so before starting to (hopefully) save time (and frustration) in the end. I have read Ed Rosenthal's book on MJ Horticulture, and the first 106 pages of this thread as well as been lurking RIU for a couple of years now.
I have a couple of ?'s that I have not seen asked yet and wondering if anyone knows the answer:
1. Why is it necessary to slowly increase pot size / encourage a slight amount of root spin before "up-potting"? In nature, when a seed starts out, isnt it be in the largest possible pot ever created?
2. UB, do have any threads dedicated to nutrients and timing of their use? I know you are against "bloom foods"?
3. UB, could you explain in more detail about your 'move-able' side panels for your indoor grows and possibly show a few pics/explain how to make them?
4. Does anyone know of any good threads/ideas on how to make a good soil mix that is less complicated/doesnt include "50" different ingredients?
5. General philosophy ? regarding MJ growing: I hear a lot of people talk about trying to reproduce nature but, ultimately, are we actually really not trying to duplicate nature but really just the most ideal conditions that an MJ plant could ever want? It seems to me that most people's soil mix, nutrient/watering schedule, tilling of soil mix, and true light schedule, literally would never occur naturally at all..
This is my first post so thanks to all!
I have a couple of ?'s that I have not seen asked yet and wondering if anyone knows the answer:
1. Why is it necessary to slowly increase pot size / encourage a slight amount of root spin before "up-potting"? In nature, when a seed starts out, isnt it be in the largest possible pot ever created?
2. UB, do have any threads dedicated to nutrients and timing of their use? I know you are against "bloom foods"?
3. UB, could you explain in more detail about your 'move-able' side panels for your indoor grows and possibly show a few pics/explain how to make them?
4. Does anyone know of any good threads/ideas on how to make a good soil mix that is less complicated/doesnt include "50" different ingredients?
5. General philosophy ? regarding MJ growing: I hear a lot of people talk about trying to reproduce nature but, ultimately, are we actually really not trying to duplicate nature but really just the most ideal conditions that an MJ plant could ever want? It seems to me that most people's soil mix, nutrient/watering schedule, tilling of soil mix, and true light schedule, literally would never occur naturally at all..
This is my first post so thanks to all!
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
budro008, welcome to the thread. Before making your first post, it is common courtesy to those who have covered your topics many times to lurk and use the search feature. Thanks
....and just for your info folks, I just got a malware threat while clicking on this particular page which oddly came up with this link: http://erem.bescomputer.com/9.jpg I use Avast which is really good about picking up malware threats.
Just a heads up.
....and just for your info folks, I just got a malware threat while clicking on this particular page which oddly came up with this link: http://erem.bescomputer.com/9.jpg I use Avast which is really good about picking up malware threats.
Just a heads up.
The2TimEr
Well-Known Member
You just opened the thread and were hit with this? really strange, never known that to happen before.
I'm not enjoying these ads all over the pages now though.
here are the ladies last night 1 week 5 days since the first hairs, i could have vegged a little longer now it seems but they look happy enough.
smidge on my phone camera left side
dudeman222
Active Member
I had a ph problem at first (hydrotron... it always does this no matter what I do), anyway,
my first node leaves are way shriveled (not the coty, the real leaves) and the second node is 6/10
I wanted to top to get four, but now I'm kind of scared, will it work even if the leaves have some ph damage?
my first node leaves are way shriveled (not the coty, the real leaves) and the second node is 6/10
I wanted to top to get four, but now I'm kind of scared, will it work even if the leaves have some ph damage?
NerdJr
Member
View attachment 2655501View attachment 2655502View attachment 2655503View attachment 2655504View attachment 2655505View attachment 2655506View attachment 2655507View attachment 2655508View attachment 2655509View attachment 2655510View attachment 2655511View attachment 2655512View attachment 2655513View attachment 2655514View attachment 2655515View attachment 2655516View attachment 2655517View attachment 2655518View attachment 2655519View attachment 2655520View attachment 2655521Sannies Mad Shack, should get about a LB. of fine sweet Ladies, right at 4 weeks flowering with 6 more to go, Sativa dominat, Indica density she is a perfect hybrid
Roughly 600 watts of CFL's all around the plant
budman111
Well-Known Member
Thats a lot of Watts for CFL.
llewxamtkram
Active Member
Does it make any difference whether the leaves of the bottom two nodes suffer from insect damage?
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
No. You've lost your carbos factory though.
MonkeyGrinder
Well-Known Member
Hi there Uncle Ben. Guerrilla guy here. Using your 4top method
I read up on your thread over the winter. I was trying to figure out a low maintenance way to increase my weight at harvest. This method seems to be my best bet on things I won't be every day to LST them etc. I ended up topping some of my freebies from Herbie's. Kerala X Skunk#1 just last night. Waiting to top the rest of them while the 5th node leaves get just a little bit bigger (the 6th is barely visible) Have 8 Big Bombs, 7 THC Bombs, and some random other freebies to do as well. The Bombs will be ready within a week.
I took the entire top parts that were cut and I'm currently attempting to root them. Which I'll be doing with the rest of them. This is also my very first adventure in cloning =) (you had said it could be done no problem a million pages ago)
After they're done and the new tops start rolling in on all of them they'll be going out into their homes in ground for the summer. The cool part is they're still in big solo cups and doing fine so I can use this method in the future and keep them as mobile as possible for transplant (On the strains I'm doing anyways. They're not rootbound yet but close to it)
I just wanted to give you a big thanks for putting all of this info on here. It's pretty much a godsend for people who aren't able to go out and mess with putting strings, sticks, hoops and hooks on our plants every other day. Not to mention if the cuttings take root that's just an added bonus. I was planning on doing the same thing to the cuttings and having them put out as well. So maybe I'll get 2 big rounds out in lots of places. If I get to a 3rd I'll just be seeding them.
Anything that adds to harvest for us Guerrillas rocks. Between hunters, animals, storms and choppers we're playing the game on hard mode as it is.
One thing is that happened on accident but it helped out was this. Before I got to top them there was a small security risk with where my babies in cups were so I had to move them. Ended up having to put them in a very shady area for 3 days while I put together spot where they'd get full sun all day. They ended up stretching between the 1st 2nd and 3rd nodes quite a bit due to not getting direct sun. Between the 2nd and 3rd node was what helped because it gave a lot of stem room to stick in rooting powder and throw in a Jiffy Pellet. Where as it was all tight in between the 2nd and 3rd node before.
But yeah thanks UB.
I read up on your thread over the winter. I was trying to figure out a low maintenance way to increase my weight at harvest. This method seems to be my best bet on things I won't be every day to LST them etc. I ended up topping some of my freebies from Herbie's. Kerala X Skunk#1 just last night. Waiting to top the rest of them while the 5th node leaves get just a little bit bigger (the 6th is barely visible) Have 8 Big Bombs, 7 THC Bombs, and some random other freebies to do as well. The Bombs will be ready within a week.
I took the entire top parts that were cut and I'm currently attempting to root them. Which I'll be doing with the rest of them. This is also my very first adventure in cloning =) (you had said it could be done no problem a million pages ago)
After they're done and the new tops start rolling in on all of them they'll be going out into their homes in ground for the summer. The cool part is they're still in big solo cups and doing fine so I can use this method in the future and keep them as mobile as possible for transplant (On the strains I'm doing anyways. They're not rootbound yet but close to it)
I just wanted to give you a big thanks for putting all of this info on here. It's pretty much a godsend for people who aren't able to go out and mess with putting strings, sticks, hoops and hooks on our plants every other day. Not to mention if the cuttings take root that's just an added bonus. I was planning on doing the same thing to the cuttings and having them put out as well. So maybe I'll get 2 big rounds out in lots of places. If I get to a 3rd I'll just be seeding them.
Anything that adds to harvest for us Guerrillas rocks. Between hunters, animals, storms and choppers we're playing the game on hard mode as it is.
One thing is that happened on accident but it helped out was this. Before I got to top them there was a small security risk with where my babies in cups were so I had to move them. Ended up having to put them in a very shady area for 3 days while I put together spot where they'd get full sun all day. They ended up stretching between the 1st 2nd and 3rd nodes quite a bit due to not getting direct sun. Between the 2nd and 3rd node was what helped because it gave a lot of stem room to stick in rooting powder and throw in a Jiffy Pellet. Where as it was all tight in between the 2nd and 3rd node before.
But yeah thanks UB.
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Howdy, you're welcome. Easy peasy, eh? Glad it's working out for you and good luck with the outdoor grow. Mother nature is brutal!
UB
TrichomeBob
New Member
Oh m god, i to to page 5 and its unbelievable the amount of people that go round spreading information that's wrong, my comment isn't necessarily aimed at the OP, but some things he says aren't correct, he says ou must top above second node, but most of his pics he shows the plant topped higher, with lower nodes chopped off.
you can get 4 main colas but topping pretty much anywhere, yes doing it in certain place, can spread the hormones quicker but saying u have to do it this way is wrong.
i grow all my plants with 4 main branches, cut off every other node as the way I veg, the 4 mains will produce secondaries. I usually top at earliest convince, but sometimes I leave 4/5th nodes, I even left 2/7th nodes, they still produce main branches, but generally using 2/3 or 3/4th is Quickest just for the fact they haven't grown as much.
also lollipopping is not just growing a cola on a stick, like someone said, its basically growing the plant to a sort of bush with the first branches starting at nodes 5 or higher, the reason this is done, is to create circulation beneath the plant and also makes it easy to water and inspect fittings, it was popular bak in the day by large dutch breeders growing on tables.
Thats all for today children, school starts again next term!
i wish people would jus shut up if they don't know what their talkin about, that's why u can never find out a single answer on the net, u get about 50 people's versions!
you can get 4 main colas but topping pretty much anywhere, yes doing it in certain place, can spread the hormones quicker but saying u have to do it this way is wrong.
i grow all my plants with 4 main branches, cut off every other node as the way I veg, the 4 mains will produce secondaries. I usually top at earliest convince, but sometimes I leave 4/5th nodes, I even left 2/7th nodes, they still produce main branches, but generally using 2/3 or 3/4th is Quickest just for the fact they haven't grown as much.
also lollipopping is not just growing a cola on a stick, like someone said, its basically growing the plant to a sort of bush with the first branches starting at nodes 5 or higher, the reason this is done, is to create circulation beneath the plant and also makes it easy to water and inspect fittings, it was popular bak in the day by large dutch breeders growing on tables.
Thats all for today children, school starts again next term!
i wish people would jus shut up if they don't know what their talkin about, that's why u can never find out a single answer on the net, u get about 50 people's versions!
Alexander Supertramp
Well-Known Member
Hey Bob you should certainly take your own advice...just as soon as you get you foot out of your mouth.
Kite High
Well-Known Member
psst...dont be a stranger
Born Again Vegan
Active Member
Hey UB and all the people that have contributed to this thread, a massive thank you. To all the haters, grow some balls and act like men so we can have a discussion, until then fcuk off take your snivelling elsewhere.
UB et al, thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Over a year ago since I first lurked on this site and found this thread.
My experience of this technique has been phenomenal. Blue cheese, cheese, Mango, Medicine Man, Black Jack, NYCD all put out 2/3 or 4 colas. The only one that refused and stuck to one cola was Orange Bud.
I had two colas on a Med Man 3'6" tall, with 3oz of solid organic bud all the way down. The Mango's took the biscuit though with two colas at 4' and fatter than my head.
I grow with biobizz soil and nutes with some GaunoKalong mixed in. With your technique I'm literally matching the hydro boyz and beating them, really making them think about organics lol.
Anyways, keep green. UB is a God in my house
Respect
UB et al, thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Over a year ago since I first lurked on this site and found this thread.
My experience of this technique has been phenomenal. Blue cheese, cheese, Mango, Medicine Man, Black Jack, NYCD all put out 2/3 or 4 colas. The only one that refused and stuck to one cola was Orange Bud.
I had two colas on a Med Man 3'6" tall, with 3oz of solid organic bud all the way down. The Mango's took the biscuit though with two colas at 4' and fatter than my head.
I grow with biobizz soil and nutes with some GaunoKalong mixed in. With your technique I'm literally matching the hydro boyz and beating them, really making them think about organics lol.
Anyways, keep green. UB is a God in my house
Respect
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Jubag420
Active Member
Topped mine once & Got four tops 
View attachment 2663506 Saafe
View attachment 2663506 Saafe
MonkeyGrinder
Well-Known Member
Extremely easy. It's something that'll work for me I know that. That's what counts in the end.
Just so you know the Kerala x Skunks have exploded where the new branch growth is. Like you said you'll see a response within 24 hours. The next evening I went to check on them. The secondary branch leaves were flaring up in all 4 places. By the day after they had started their growth. Right now as we speak each branch has popped off 4 nodes worth of growth and I can see the 5th about to pop on the ends. That's just in one weeks time. I had given them a good feeding about 3 days prior to topping. Probably a little too much because I didn't fry em with N but the leaves got a bit dark throughout the plant. The node production on the branches has completely blown me away though. It's easily doubled it's plant mass as to what it was prior to topping em and I removed a good 60% of it. I finished all the THC Bombs and Big Bombs over the last 2 nights. Also did 3 Skunk#1s, 2 Sour Diesels and waiting to do 5 Royal Cheeses (those things are being so slow)
They're all doing exactly what they're supposed to. By this time next week They'll be in the ground and vegging on sunny mountain sides until late August. Then it's flowering time. I'm totally leaving them alone after this. I might attempt to do some heavy stress training on each of the new branches between the 1st node and the main stalk. I'm super excited man
The only thing that'll make it better is if the cut portions root and I get some more girls to go in the ground. Ima cross my fingers on that one.
I have been reading the thread for a couple hours, being the newbie that I am a picture of the plant before the cut above the 2nd node would be nice. Would like to be sure before I pull the trigger. Plants are about 3 weeks old. Ready to try.Or maybe point me to thread that has such a picture.
budman111
Well-Known Member
Check every other pic of a plant on this site then.
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