How to Top Plants?

**marky7186** · 09-24-2007, 12:51 PM

So i've been reading this entire forum from front to back for the last few weeks. I'm trying to get a better idea of the technique of topping your plants. Does anyone have a video or a picture of exactly what, where and how you top them? I have an idea, but I personally don't want to go snipping random parts of my plants.

Thanks in Advance

**the widowman** · 09-24-2007, 01:10 PM

top your plant after 1 week of flowering with a steralized blade. take about 4in off your main cola to the nearest leaf node.

**mondaypurple** · 09-24-2007, 01:12 PM

**greenbud1** · 09-24-2007, 01:12 PM

top your plant after 1 week of flowering with a steralized blade. take about 4in off your main cola to the nearest leaf node.

wrong no topping should happen after flower or a week befor flower...peace gb1

**Hybridica** · 12-15-2007, 11:00 PM

I don't see why you can't top after initiating flowering...The plant keeps growing and two or more cola's will result from topping anyways...

**chronicle** · 12-15-2007, 11:19 PM

you preferably shouldnt top after flowering, and when i top i use my fingernails and its just fine. you pinch off the very tip, leaving life on the node directly under it, and another lil piece of life on the following node. those 2 nodes are the ones that will grow out in place of the one you pinched off. the tip is called the apical meristem, just make sure you only pinch off the very tip and not any other nodes - although if your plant is big enough then it wont really matter, itll just do the following 2 nodes.

**hom36rown** · 12-26-2007, 03:16 PM

so should you top during flwering or not? I saw a video by jorge cervantes, and thats what he did.

**billybob88** · 12-26-2007, 04:31 PM

i wouldnt. the longer u let the main stems grow b4 flowering the bigger buds. when a plant is put into flowering it starts to produce good preflowers about 2-3 weeks into flowering, on average. personally i like my top colas to be as big as possible. and topping with only a week of growth b4 the plant will start putting energy into buds doesnt seem right to me. the plant has to build up stem strength to hold massive buds. i top 2 weeks b4 flowering.

**djcj317** · 01-18-2008, 12:59 PM

I wouldn't top in the flowering stage. I would top a month (4 weeks) before putting in flowering room, this let's ur plant get back on track. If topped later than 4 weeks ur plant might still be stressed when u switch the lights, and ur plant also gets stressed when u shitch to 12 12 so that means u basicly will stress the plant twice as hard.

What I do is top on the first day of the 3rd week, which is the the week of veg for me. Then on week 7 I switch to 12 12.