My little (hopefully) girls are currently growing in my aerogarden, and I was wondering when the best time to start topping them would be. They'll be three weeks old on friday. I'm planning on moving them out of the AG once they reach a better size, but I would like to get them as bushy as possible beforehand. Any suggestions?
Questions on pruning
- Thread starter an0dyne
- Start date
CanadianFarmer
Well-Known Member
I wated Mr. Green how to video and he took 4 clones off each plant at 2 months old and rooted them and put 1 clone of each strain into his flowering area to determin the sex and since your at 3 weeks just wait till its 2 months if your going to heep them as a mom , less stress juring the first 2 months will make the % of it being a female higher
Little Tommy
Well-Known Member
You can top a plant when it reaches 4-5 nodes. Early topping makes for a bushier plant. Using the number of nodes rather than a specific age allows for genetic differences between strains.
kpw555
Well-Known Member
Just bend her over man!
First day of bending after getting big enough to bend past 90 degrees without breaking.
Here is the same plant 15 days later with 7 main cola sites that can be flowered at the same height, or cut for clones.
Seems to me that it takes a plant half that long just to get over the shock of topping.
No stress to the plant and the best part is keeping the main stem intact for the biggest bud possible on that plant.
bro, keep up the good fight.
First day of bending after getting big enough to bend past 90 degrees without breaking.
Here is the same plant 15 days later with 7 main cola sites that can be flowered at the same height, or cut for clones.
Seems to me that it takes a plant half that long just to get over the shock of topping.
No stress to the plant and the best part is keeping the main stem intact for the biggest bud possible on that plant.
bro, keep up the good fight.Attachments
kpw555
Well-Known Member
The bending doesn't really create the stems, it merely redistributes hormones within the plant that stimulate the lower branches to grow as fast as the original growing tip.
The main growing tip just starts to turn up toward the light and continues to grow as one of several stems at the same height.
There is a mechanical manipulation factor involved as well. As a branch grows higher than the others use string and wire to hold it back just far enough for the others to catch up.
backyardchem
Active Member
thats a cool technique ive never seen before
kpw555
Well-Known Member
Outdoors there may be only a negligable difference. However faced with the lighting constraints indoors, this method keeps the growing canopy at the same height (within the sweet spot of whatever lighting that you are using).
If the plant just grew without intervention there would be one flowering cola 1' from the light with smaller colas further and further away from the light, till if the plant grew to 4' the lower buds and branches would be fluffy and spindly instead of tight and dense. Finally if the plant grew any taller the light would be completely ineffective and the plant would begin to yellow in those nether regions.
Once again there will be no more branches than without the bend only faster growth to create a sea of green colas.
Get it?
Are you growiing anything cannaking?
01greenv8
Active Member
In other words, you're using the LST technique correct? I've read a lot about this and understand how it works quite well. Actually have been very interested in trying, but not too sure if I'm ready.Outdoors there may be only a negligable difference. However faced with the lighting constraints indoors, this method keeps the growing canopy at the same height (within the sweet spot of whatever lighting that you are using).
If the plant just grew without intervention there would be one flowering cola 1' from the light with smaller colas further and further away from the light, till if the plant grew to 4' the lower buds and branches would be fluffy and spindly instead of tight and dense. Finally if the plant grew any taller the light would be completely ineffective and the plant would begin to yellow in those nether regions.
Once again there will be no more branches than without the bend only faster growth to create a sea of green colas.
Get it?
Are you growiing anything cannaking?
kpw555
Well-Known Member
In other words, you're using the LST technique correct? I've read a lot about this and understand how it works quite well. Actually have been very interested in trying, but not too sure if I'm ready.
LST is the term used on this forum. I read about this technique about 20 yrs ago in a book I ordered out of the back of High Times Magazine. The book was by Ed Rosenthal and I can't even remember what he called it
. I think is was S training or something like that, because the branches you held back formed the letter S.Don't be scared 01greenv8, you don't even have to cut your babies up to use this method.
broAnd it absolutely makes the most of your lighting system.
i started bending a little late (stems too thick) and ended up just tipping the pot onto it's side (not totally horizontal, i put a thick book under the lip of the pot) to get the effect of training and it worked very well. i've got at least 5 colas on each plant, with next to zero effort on my part.
grow space
Well-Known Member
top when plant is 5-6 weeks old
darkdestruction420
Well-Known Member
i didn't get it at first either.....but it works extremely well cuz ur side growth will get the hormones the former main top cola did so u end up turning your side branches into your new top colas
kpw555
Well-Known Member
Yes, with a handful of rocks in the bottom so the pots don't float away.