Topping stops the tap root growing?

I was just watching this video and he mentions that the tap root stops growing when you top.

Is this true?

A simple Google search will tell you that the consensus is that it doesn't and I personally have never witnessed it when growing in hydro

I doubt that. Otherwise my plants would have never grown to their size. Their roots filled the pots too.

Any damage to leaves, even as simple as punching holes in them, will temporarily inhibit root growth.

ANC said:

Any damage to leaves, even as simple as punching holes in them, will temporarily inhibit root growth.

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Temporarily ....... But will recover as far as the taproot ceasing to grow I highly doubt that I top my seedlings at 3 nodes lol it would kill them if this were true I believe

I've seen some of his cooking videos, the guys a trip, I swear he's toasted all the time.

He says the tap root stops, but lateral branching increases. Then at the end he says something about topping too early stopping the tap root. Maybe he's just referring to young plants? I've noticed if I top after 4 nodes vs waiting for 6 -8 nodes to set, then topping, they take longer to recover and get going again. Once it's an established plant, I don't think it's going to make a huge difference.

Plant size above ground vs root size below ground should be relative. When you top, you are changing this ratio to favor the roots, so they will stop growing, even die off if enough plant material is removed. I kept mother plants in DWC and whenever I took cuttings and trimmed them back I had to root prune or I'd get root die off, then bacterial issues.

You also need to discern whether from seed or cuttings, as cutting won't have a tap root.

The taproot can be lived without. Some prefer it terminated after about 4 inches, to stimulate side root growth that can have a larger surface area. Quite suited to being tended to very carefully as it doesn't need to go look for food. Most of the good soil outdoors is right at the surface too.

I think most people damage their taproots when they germinate seeds outside of the first thing it will grow in. Or when they actually plant that germinated seed.
I just can not see a way of growing a seed without harming the roots, wihtout planting it in a small air pruned container, and stepping the size of the container up every few days as the root tips arrive at the edge.The real magic happens a few inches back from those air pruned tips. New branches of root start forming instead of just trying to grow a longer root or maybe splitting one, you grow a bunch of roots from the centre that permeates ALL the substrate the plant is in, being able to access all the water, oxygen and food that is available under it in the pot. It can also store a LOT of water and can go days without water making the plant more water efficient.

The micorrize network does more than than a single tap root thrown down to gain a foothold and some stability whilst establishing a root system as ANC stated the lateral branching is what's important in the case of the Borg though if it gets that tap young its usually done...

Mycorrhizae and silica. Two of your best lines of defense against pests and diseases. One builds the root zone nutrient accessibility. The other fortifies the cell walls.

Staples along with fulvic .... Trich and other Beni's natural forcefield of green lushesness

Nugachino said:

Mycorrhizae and silica. Two of your best lines of defense against pests and diseases. One builds the root zone nutrient accessibility. The other fortifies the cell walls.

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Silica will allow greater solarflexing outdoors by creating unrivaled elasticity , indoors I like to dose silica a week before I do any supercroping or LST a real must have guys!

I'm so missing out and really lucky I guess, and i have bottle envy sometimes

Lucky Luke said:

I was just watching this video

and he mentions that the tap root stops growing when you top.

Is this true?

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Yep..and salt stops gremlins....lol...

Many C3 varieties will have a root/foliage relationship.

If you put more weight on the side of the stalk (topping,fim ect) then the plant will attemp more horizontal root growth to keep the stalk from pulling roots out the ground.

If a cannabis plant has a slim pot, it will grow tall because it doesn't have the root integrity to grow wide and hold the weight. If a cannabis plant has a wide shallow pot it will grow wide because it doesn't have the root integrity to support a tall plant.