Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas

anomolies said:

oh.. you missed the question I really wanted answered, but thanks. haha.

I tried this but the node spacing always gets further and further apart as the new tops grow... why is that? Haven't hit flowering yet but am I going to end up with fluffy bud and no giant main colas?

btw I think waiting till 5th node to top at 2nd node just wastes too much growth.. For me 3 nodes is like.. 1-2 weeks of growth.. I usually top when the 5 blade leaf appears, or 3rd node.

Click to expand...

If your internodal distance is too much to your liking it could be a variety of factors. Lights are too far away, or perhaps you are growing a Sativa and that is the norm.

As for giant main colas..well it takes practice, and the right strains. You wont know what you'll get until you flower. Topping would have a negligible effect on what type of bud structure you get, so dont worry about topping causing problems.

HookdOnChronics said:

UB, I just did this to a few of my seedlings man. The 4 tops. It's freaking legit! lol, Iv'e been going through all this trouble of constantly tieing down ect. When I could have just dont this!.. lol, and veg slightly longer.

My question now is: How long after topping to get the 4 tops should I wait to put the girls into flower. How long does it take for the plant to 'heal' and not be stressed any longer. Because I do not want to toss a stressed plant into flower. I'm going to be flowering a larger amount of smaller plants this time, instead of a smaller amount of larger plants. So when would you say it's safe to toss them into flower, AFTER topping for 4 tops?... How long do the plants usually remain 'stressed' after topping?

What are EVERYBODY's thoughts on this situation?

Click to expand...

You should give them at least a week. 2 would be better. It also depends on how far into flowering does your strain continue to put on new nodal growth. If you are growing a long flowering Sativa, then you can actually flower quicker after topping versus some Indica thats done in under 50 days. Ive noticed the 7 or so strains Im growing or have grown this grow continued putting on new nodal growth for at least 3 weeks into flower. Anywhere from 4-8 new nodes.

As for stress, as long as your plants are healthy when topped, it really shouldn't bother them.

eh... so you can't get these giant colas with Sativas then? I'm growing Aussie Blues and WW outdoors.

anomolies said:

eh... so you can't get these giant colas with Sativas then? I'm growing Aussie Blues and WW outdoors.

Click to expand...

You can. UB has some pics here somewhere of giant Sativa colas, but he's an expert, and you and I are not .

Many of us here are experts relative to most typical home gardners. My co-workers and I used to say that an expert was someone who came from more than 10 miles away.

maybe i missed it , but would the stretch phase during bloom still be 2 to 3 times the vegged size?

jjfoo said:

Many of us here are experts relative to most typical home gardners. My co-workers and I used to say that an expert was someone who came from more than 10 miles away.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't be so quick to make that comparison. Ive learned alot from gardenweb forum, and those home gardeners there know a thing or two. Ive taken as much from them, as I have here.

If you really had to guess who the 'experts' are, you should take a look at who is bombarded with a million different products designed to increase our yield, and how you can't live without it.

These nutrient companies are spending lots of money directed at us. They obviously wouldn't do so if it were not incredibly profitable. Makes you wonder who the smarter ones are: us or home gardeners?

And I would add that you can spot an expert by the simple fact they don't add to that profit margin but rather use regular garden nutes

Thankyou for the info Dave! Much appreciated!

riddleme said:

And I would add that you can spot an expert by the simple fact they don't add to that profit margin but rather use regular garden nutes

Click to expand...

Gotta agree with that!.. (Just because I use Miracle Grow, and that's it... lol) Im in no way, by any means, an expert tho! I jsut grow my plants, and keep em healthy! The KISS method's the shit! lol

anomolies said:

eh... so you can't get these giant colas with Sativas then? I'm growing Aussie Blues and WW outdoors.

Click to expand...

And this is just a pic of one of my Sativa's I have growing ATM. I guess not technically 'HUGH' colas. But they're fairly good size for a CFL grow. And that's a regualr sized bic lighter too.

HookdOnChronics said:

Thankyou for the info Dave! Much appreciated!



Gotta agree with that!.. (Just because I use Miracle Grow, and that's it... lol) Im in no way, by any means, an expert tho! I jsut grow my plants, and keep em healthy! The KISS method's the shit! lol



And this is just a pic of one of my Sativa's I have growing ATM. I guess not technically 'HUGH' colas. But they're fairly good size for a CFL grow. And that's a regualr sized bic lighter too.

Click to expand...

btw I've been using MG All Purpose as well. How many tsp do you add per gallon? I do 1 tsp/gal but I've been wondering if I could push it to 2 tsp/gal cus leaves are yellowing in early bloom.

I just tried the topping method recently on some plants stlil in veg, and the node spacing is like 3-4 inches apart.
I'll be lucky if I even get colas like yours. Do you have any pictures of the tops from the same plant before it went in flowering or early flowering? Or any idea of the node spacing?

When you say 'us' what do you mean? Cannabis growers as a whole? I use ingredients purchased at a farm supply store to fertilize with. This is cheaper than using 'garden nutes'. But just because some people use off the shelf nutes from a hydro store doesn't make them less able to grow. There are many home gardners that no very little and some that do research and get great results.

Yes there are experts at gardenweb, too. I am not trying to put anyone down when I said 'typical gardner'. I'm just saying some of us have done years of research to get where we are at. While we are not all on the same level many of us here have great expertise in gardening.

As soon as someone starts gaining skills they are becoming an expert. There are levels of expertise and many of are making progress and would be considered experts by people with less knowledge.


I'd say it doesn't really matter what you use to grow but more on your skills and what kind of quality and yield you get. The proof is in the pudding.

If I was growing five plants I'd use something off the shelf with the NPK I want, if I was growing on a larger scale I'd mix my own nutes from the salts sold in bulk. I think it is more of what scale you grow at. There are people who use non cannabis nutes that do terrible jobs, too.

I was referring to cannabis growers or want-to-be growers as a whole.

I never said cannabis growers are incapable of growing at a high level. Im sure plenty can grow just as well as some fruit and veggie gardener. Its just that we as a whole, are considered gullible by nutrient companies, which is why I wouldn't be so quick to say were experts compared to a home gardener.

I absolutely agree Dave. There is a lot more to learn about plants, their botany, their individual needs, and the way they grow than what we learn from just one plant. As a person learns about *plants*, not just one plant, they start to see the "big picture"; they learn to read their plants and understand what they need and when they need it. It's the suckers that buy expensive "rocket fuel and snake oil" out of ignorance. I was one of those myself. Fortunately I've gone on to learn about plants - thanks in large part to Uncle Ben's threads.

When the salesman comes a knockin just ask him which one does Tapla use?

potpimp said:

I absolutely agree Dave. There is a lot more to learn about plants, their botany, their individual needs, and the way they grow than what we learn from just one plant. As a person learns about *plants*, not just one plant, they start to see the "big picture"; they learn to read their plants and understand what they need and when they need it. It's the suckers that buy expensive "rocket fuel and snake oil" out of ignorance. I was one of those myself. Fortunately I've gone on to learn about plants - thanks in large part to Uncle Ben's threads.

Click to expand...

The bolded part is something I think too many of us dont do. It definitely wasn't something I did well on my first two grows. Now that I am on my 3rd grow, I am paying closer attention to what my plants are telling me and taking the correct steps to fix problems as best I can when they occur. Rather than just go, "Oh well someone on the forums said its normal, so Ill just let it happen."

how does the source of your nutes determine expertise? An expert would be able to fertilize plants with a wide variety of nutes. Using what is available to get great results is a sign of an expert to me.

My only real point (I don't know how using cannabis nutes as any bearing on this), is that many people on this forum are getting great yields of high quality bud. There are different levels and facets of expertise. Maybe, I'm mistaken but it seems like some people here equate using cheap nutes to being an expert. I'm saying an expert can use cheap nutes but isn't required to.

By the way, this all stemed from a question about pruning to get large colas (isn't that the topic of this thread?)

Any how, if you don't know what others are doing, don't just assume they can't grow like UB. I appreciate UB's comments, but he doesn't have a monopoly on growing skills.

I hope I am not coming across as rude. I sometimes do that when it not my intention.

jjfoo said:

how does the source of your nutes determine expertise? An expert would be able to fertilize plants with a wide variety of nutes. Using what is available to get great results is a sign of an expert to me.

My only real point (I don't know how using cannabis nutes as any bearing on this), is that many people on this forum are getting great yields of high quality bud. There are different levels and facets of expertise. Maybe, I'm mistaken but it seems like some people here equate using cheap nutes to being an expert. I'm saying an expert can use cheap nutes but isn't required to.

By the way, this all stemed from a question about pruning to get large colas (isn't that the topic of this thread?)

Any how, if you don't know what others are doing, don't just assume they can't grow like UB. I appreciate UB's comments, but he doesn't have a monopoly on growing skills.

I hope I am not coming across as rude. I sometimes do that when it not my intention.

Click to expand...

Your seeing things that are not there. I thought my last reply to you would have clarified what I meant. This is just going round and round, and I dont feel like riding this merry go round anymore.

If I have caused you to lose your patience with me, please forgive me. It is not my intention to put you down. I was simply challenging something. It seems like you don't want this discussion to continue.

I have gone on several walks and noted who in my neighborhood looks like they are trying to garden. Out of those people many of them have some nice yard plants and some yellowing. I have talked to some of them. Many of them do think like typical growers. They use super bloom phosphate stuff and have some crazy ideas that can easily be proven wrong.

Some number of people that are on this forum actually can maintain a room full of healthy plants. To people who can't those people are considered experts (rightfully so). If you asked me if I am an expert I would simply say something like, "not a day goes buy where I don't learn something new and I am constatnly gaining expertise". I don't feel this is arogant rather confident.

I don't like seeing people go unapreciated... Just seems ignorant to me to group cannabis growers.

I agree that it is wrong to group people, but it happens everyday in everyway, felons, jocks, goths, nerds, polititions, skinheads, alcoholics, stoners dude the list goes on and on and on

for what it is worth my earlier comment was meant to be a joke, this is UB's thread after all and he does not endorse the so called rocket fuels, I feel I helped fuel this debate somewhat, I do consider myself an expert but openly and freely admit I do not know everything and still learn and research

uncle ben can you please give me some help on how to use your topping techinque??? i have tried to do this with my last 3 grows and I still cant get 4 main colas

Riddleme, I consider you an expert too, if that means anything. Jjfoo, I think UB & Dave's beef is the many people that blow huge sums of cash on expensive nutes such as Advanced Nutrients. I'm one of the suckers that fell for their slick marketing. I wasted well over $400 on their junk and the grow was no better than what $10 worth of "regular" nutes would have given me. They are just trying to help.

djbthunder, what are you doing wrong? Wait til your plant has 5-7 nodes, snip it off 1/2" above the second node and the plant does the rest. Some strains do not produce 4 main colas; some only produce 2 or 3 but most produce 4. You get what you get and either way it's better than one.