Is topping pointless/harmful?

[Delta223]

This guy makes a case for not topping, saying it just subtracts from the plants without any benefit:

http://www.gardenscure.com/420/training-scrog-sog-supercropping-etc/63090-low-stress-training-lst-more-walk.html

Topping: There is this whole belief that doing this increases your yield. Someone says "Well, how can it not, there are twice as many tops now"

Are there really? NO. In fact, if you actually counted the amount of tops, you just LOST one! YEA, imagine that, YOU cut it off.

Here is where the misinformation comes in. When everybody talks bout topping, they make it sound as if two NEW tops magically sprout from the cut you just made. Now, as nice as that would be, that’s not what happens. What does happen is that the branches below the newly cut top become the new main tops. Now, people do this for a couple reasons. First as I said before, they think they have just doubled their tops. And secondly, because they want to promote a bushier plant.

It baffles my mind how what they just did actually achieved the exact opposite of BOTH of their objectives. Those branches below the cut were there before, and if they weren’t, they should have been. You shouldn’t have to induce them by cutting the main top off. Branches happen REALLY early, if they don’t, it’s a lack of light, good health or some other such reason that’s really irrelevant. The point is, that the branches should have (and in most cases) are ALREADY there.

So when you cut that main top off, you are LOSING a top, SUBTRACTING. All that changes is that the prior secondary tops are no longer secondary.

You have LESS plant, LESS bush, LESS everything; please don’t do this.

This creates undue stress. You just lost a finger.

The plant has to heal, takes time to close the wound; slows down your grow.

NOTHING BENEFICIAL

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Wait, so you are saying topping serves no purpose what so ever?

Gonna make me work for this one eh? Fine, I take it back for now. Let me explain.

As far as topping for the reasons most do it, i'm holding firm to my position. The exception comes with cloning. You obviously need a cutting, so you are going to have to top the plant somewhere (rarely the main top).

Let me just say this though. When taking a clone, it’s important that you take the clone during the day. The plant has a growth hormone called "auxins" that are in the growth tips during the day, and in the roots at night.

This is the same reason it’s advised to NOT top a plant during the day with no intentions to take a clone (all the wrong reasons). It will take the plant that much longer to recover if it loses its valuable auxins because you cup off the top during the day.

Needless to say, if you intend to clone, and root the cutting you just made, take the clone during the day, as it will root faster since all the auxins are there (as it was taken during the day).

So what did we learn? IMO don’t top unless you are taking a cutting for a future clone. If you are going to top anyways, and don’t intend to take a clone, do so at night (toxins in the roots, so none are lost, and you get a quicker recovery time).

 

[smppro]

If you are growing under artificial lighting topping will bring more tops to the top of the plant where the most light is, getting light to all the branches instead of just the top will give you a higher yield, common sense. Maybe he is talking about outside, either way not a great article in my opinion.

 

[MediMaryUser]

If you are growing under artificial lighting topping will bring more tops to the top of the plant where the most light is, getting light to all the branches instead of just the top will give you a higher yield, common sense. Maybe he is talking about outside, either way not a great article in my opinion.

wouldnt it be better for someone to just lst the plant very young to get a plant full of tops with all the tops you would of cut off still there?

 

[tusseltussel]

topping is a good thing unless yer doin lst or scrog but can be a good thing there too unless yer outdoors you wanna top or the plant will grow uneven and have one big cola with a bunch of crappy useless shit below that... horizantal lighting needs some way of toping or training to make best use of lighting and will increase yeild when done right

 

[tusseltussel]

wouldnt it be better for someone to just lst the plant very young to get a plant full of tops with all the tops you would of cut off still there?

you could cut down your veg tome by topping young and lst both new tops around to make a full canopy of tops.......... if you have a lot of plants it can be time consuming to lst them all and easier to just top em a few times

 

[MediMaryUser]

you could cut down your veg tome by topping young and lst both new tops around to make a full canopy of tops.......... if you have a lot of plants it can be time consuming to lst them all and easier to just top em a few times

it wouldnt take that long people are ust lazy 10 seconds to lst 20 seconds to carefully super crop or 1 second to top yeah thats fast lol

 

[del66666]

supercrop or lst, why cut bud sites off a plant when there is no need.

 

[Dirtyboy]

I have always said topping is over rated. I agree with this guy.

 

[Big P]

isnt it true tho that the new tops will not grow as big as the main top would have?


im growing jtr and been 1 week in flower but i didnt top cuz this plant grows so damn slow i dont have time to be settin her back any


with my white widows i could grow a small clone to 12" in 7 days easy but this strain took me about a month!

 

[smokinskins]

thats dumb

 

[AK47StEvY]

depends on what strain your topping. Once the plant is topped at a certain node then the two branches at the top will become two tops each growing as big as if they were the single top cola you cut off. Top each one of those branches and you get 4 tops and etc. Theyll grow bigger and thicker because they become the newest hormones in the plant. So YES topping does increase your yeild but some strains dont react well to topping, such as Serious Seeds Chronic. Chronic grows a huge single Cola, much bigger then the side branches ever will. But a lot of strains become in need for topping because their single colas dont grow all that much bigger than their side branches. Mainly sativa varieties benifit from topping while indicas dont require it at all but some do so yeah it depends on the strain.

 

[ttrock]

If you are growing indoors you need to top once at about the 4th or 5th leaf growth. You will definatley get more
and better yeild. Not topping is stupid- Watch the video on White Widow from amsterdam and you will see why.
these guys are pros and they top this way to create more buds. no lie- its true!!!!

 

[tusseltussel]

it wouldnt take that long people are ust lazy 10 seconds to lst 20 seconds to carefully super crop or 1 second to top yeah thats fast lol

10 seconds to lst???? have you ever properly lst a plant

 

[past times]

topping creates monsters. i topped this, using the top as a clone for a bonai mother plant. definitely needed on indoor small lighting systems.

 

[MediMaryUser]

this is one plant that i did lst to young then untied

im holding it in the middle where it came out of the soil and tried to hold some branches upwards to see it open all the branches and nugs and lil colas i did that in just over 3 months lol

And that was like a 60+% sativa strain

WHEN YOU TOP DONT YOU ADD TIME?

 

[fillmylungs]

I've heard much talk, negative and positive, with topping. I've heard there are certain strains that will yield LARGER amounts from topping, while others can cut weight. The best idea I'm assuming would be to do some experimentation. My last plant I grew I topped it, and it seemed like it cut bud. So, next year's grow I am going to try four seeds, but tying them down. I'm going to train them to grow low because I got some neighbors. I'm so stoked!! I can't wait!!

 

[MediMaryUser]

I've heard much talk, negative and positive, with topping. I've heard there are certain strains that will yield LARGER amounts from topping, while others can cut weight. The best idea I'm assuming would be to do some experimentation. My last plant I grew I topped it, and it seemed like it cut bud. So, next year's grow I am going to try four seeds, but tying them down. I'm going to train them to grow low because I got some neighbors. I'm so stoked!! I can't wait!!

it just dosnt make sense to cut off your future top bud when you can tie it low and then let the other ones grow higher up and then release the one you tied down and this makes sativas look indica lol and if you do this real young then you dont got to do nothing the rest of the grow it grows like a indica bush lol good luck tying your plants down and i feel sorry for all the toppers still out there

 

[smokinskins]

it just dosnt make sense to cut off your future top bud when you can tie it low and then let the other ones grow higher up and then release the one you tied down and this makes sativas look indica lol and if you do this real young then you dont got to do nothing the rest of the grow it grows like a indica bush lol good luck tying your plants down and i feel sorry for all the toppers still out there

but if you veg longer after topping new branches grow and you get more than just 1 big top nug dude that 1 nug wont beat the several you get when topping

 

[del66666]

but if you veg longer after topping new branches grow and you get more than just 1 big top nug dude that 1 nug wont beat the several you get when topping

lst does exactly the same job as topping except you keep the the main cola. if done right the other buds will think they are main colas and grow big too........r

 

[tusseltussel]

lst anyone???? some say it only takes 10 seconds but i must disagree... this plant ended with like 30 big colas but if you have more than like 5 plants yer better off topping. topping will increase yeild on all plants just some recover quicker from it and you would only gain bud unless you top it during flower than yer cutting off bud all topping should be done at least 1 week befor switching to flower.. when you top you may add a day or 2 of recovery time to your veg cycle some plants may take longer but most ive grown recover in 1-3 days it only adds time to veg and not much if you top it 2 times you may only loose a few days on a strain that recovers quickly most healthy plants will recover quickly worst case you may add a week to your veg time and extra yeild is worth it to most growers