k, i started germinating the seeds for these plants one month ago today. They have 5 or 6 nodes, and stand 4-7 inches tall. I believe i stunned the growing a little, but they still look pretty good. I only have 9 plants, so i want to clone as many as i can. So, i want to top them so the lower branches grow more and that should mean more clones. Anyway, first i wanted to know if my plants are ready to be topped at this stage, dispite the tallest one being 7 inches. And also, i heard to cut just below the first node, but i would like to verify exactly where to cut before i do it. Please look at the first picture and post which line i should be cutting. Thank you for your help

Attached Images

	topping pic.jpg (46.6 KB, 163 views)
	secret pictures 017.jpg (52.1 KB, 159 views)

Atleast the very bottom red line. And what are you growing with? light source?

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the light looks descent due to the closeness of the nodes. more importantly, if you were to top them there, you would slow down if not stop vertical growth all together(short and bushy). first of all, depending on the strain, 4-6 weeks is common starting point to start manicuring/training plants from seed. clones, being as old as their mother, can be trained as soon as new growth and node formations appear. now, i would suggest using the FIM technique. to do this simply take a pair of nail clippers and snip half way down the top bud/node formation. new node formations have multiple node points bunched together that are sometimes refered to as buds. doing this will result in 2-8 new branch formations from that are centrally located at the cut point. then you can repeat the process when she gets bigger. while feeding high N fert like a 20-5-5 keeping the P and K even. this will give you crazy results and is a must for strains like bluebeery. aloha

FAQ has lots of info on this subject and pics too.

light source is 400 watt MH, and i have 3 strains growing... White Widow, Northern Lights X Big Bud, and Magic Bud

Hmmm I cut right above the node I want it to split at as the next node up is forming.

before putting my outdoor sativas in the ground i top them once while under the light so there is two main colas as upposed to one. i've had one get sooo big one year! the main "trunk" was the size of my ankle and each main "Y" branches were the size of my wrist. i think it depends on strains it takes alot of expierimentation. some will yield alot more by not doing any cropping at all.

Thanks for all the replies, they were helpful, although it leads me to another question: The soil im using is foxfarm. The guy who sold it to me said i dont need any nutes, everything i needed was allready in it. Here is the description of the soil.
Ocean Forest® Potting Soil
Good Things From the Earth and Sea
The ultimate potting soil—everything your plants need, in one bag. Ocean Forest® is a powerhouse blend of premium earthworm castings, bat guano, and Pacific Northwest sea-going fish and crab meal. Composted forest humus, sandy loam, and sphagnum peat moss give Ocean Forest® its light, aerated texture. Start with Ocean Forest® and watch your plants come alive!
Garden tip: Perfect for containers and ready to use right out of the bag. Ocean Forest® is pH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake. There’s no need for nitrogen fertilizers at first; instead try an organic blend like FoxFarm Big Bloom™ Liquid Plant Food to encourage strong branching and a sturdy, healthy growth habit.

Even there, it says there is no need for high N ferts. So, should i not use high N fertilizer with this soil, or do i need it for the topping process? I topped them 3 days ago at the lowest line on the pic, and i havent seen much growth yet, but i suspect this is normal. Please post back so i know what to give them. Thanks again for the help.

Before bothering to top and take all the clones Id suggest you let the plant hit about 10 inches then pull 1 clone from each plant and label it to correspond with the plant it came from. Next take the clones get them rooted about 7-10 days then toss them right into 12/12.I about 3-7 days the clones will show sex and you then match the females to the parent and you know which plant is a female and good for clones.The parent will be about 12-14 inches then top it back to 10 inches and kill the males that gave male clones. Early sex and intime to top and you know your having a female mom to keep for clones.

i too use ocean forest. despite the directions i also used grow big fert by fox farm (there is better stuff but i wanted to try all fox farm products for that grow)and everyother watering, in combo with superthrive once every 3 waterings, with no problems. i did have a problem about the 4th week of veg, before i was going to switch to flower i fed with grow big, big bloom and superthrive. needless to say it took two weeks of leeching and heartache before i thought they were ok. it was my first time using foxfarm but like any ferts and soil combonations you should start very very small and work your way up to appropiate doses keeping a very watchful eye on the behavior of your precious emerald herb. they talk, just listien. sexing your plants is a huge time saver. and if you want lots of places to take clones from the FIM technique is awesome. if your not going to use fox farm grow big then make sure the fert you use is not too high in N and the P and K levels are very very low if any and equal. ocean forest is excellent but expensive. the cheapiest i bought it for was 9$ a bag. my friend pays 19$ in cental cali. you will be pleased with the results. what do you think c_g_w_u. what made you decide to go soil? soil vs. hydro is an over rated debate. i PERSONALLY like soil because it adds "earthiness" that hydro cant. in my opinion. although i have had plenty of dro bags that i could have sworn was indoor soil at first taste. but who knows. i think if you use organic as much as possible with dro you can get characteristics found only in mother nature. and i hope my expierence with ocean forest helped. the trick is small amounts. and a feeding schedule that your plants like. later in there life, if you dont transplant, the plants will have used up most of the good stuff. and then it is up to you to add it in.