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

born2killspam said:

The reason I mentioned it was they seem to be pointing toward the sky.. I've seen that happen a few times just prior to initial blotching.. You're obviously taking good care of them though, so if any signs do show I'm sure you'll catch it quickly..

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I just checked on Magnesium deficiency .. thanks for the good eye !! I think they (mine) are just growin (stretching) so fast they haven't had time to spread yet .. hahaha .. I noticed they kinda point UP at the top too .. they seem to lay out for the light after one or two days .. and after the lights go out .

I'm gettting about an inch and a 1/2 of growth/ day right now

Thanks for helpin' keep an eye out !

I've noticed the healthier the plant, the more drastically the leaves droop/perk at lights off/on.. (And boy can they ever pump out alot of vegitative odour when they droop..) They always drooped like yours a few minutes before the light shut off, but when they perked back up, it was to near perfect horizontal..
I don't know what the mechanism is that they use to expect lights out.. Every photo-determining factor I've read about in cannabis either works only during the dark period, or is wavelength sensitive.. I have no idea what prompts that in an indoor grow..
Keep an eye out though, your theory doesn't explain the lower leaves doing the same as the newer growth..

Different angle

Hahaha u hit the nail on the head ! Lights out .. Beautiful aroma !!

also .. after watering

They have been asleep about 4 hrs when pic taken

Oh btw .. some of the stright up and down leaves are at outer edges of reflector and seem perpindicular to lamp .. .. and again .. good eye ! I'll be watching for any signs of prob's ..

thx again !

Light seeking can contort some things into pretty funny positions.. No biggie though, if it is Mg then more definate signs will show, and you can give them some epsom salt and be done with the problem.. Mg is the most common deficiency I've seen, but probably the easiest to fix..

UB- just wanted to thank you and born2kill for the great info and advice on this thread. i plan on using it on a northern lights grow of mine, and cant wait to see the results. thanks again!

born2killspam said:

Light seeking can contort some things into pretty funny positions.. No biggie though, if it is Mg then more definate signs will show, and you can give them some epsom salt and be done with the problem.. Mg is the most common deficiency I've seen, but probably the easiest to fix..

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What do the leaves and plants look like when they are having an all out deficiency ?

There are many pics that show that first hand.. No sense wasting time on an insufficient description..

beyondtilt said:

hmm my outdoor plants are already almost 2 months old....wont be flowering till August should I use this technique now?

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If it suits yer fancy, why not?

ijustgrowGREEN said:

UB- just wanted to thank you and born2kill for the great info and advice on this thread. i plan on using it on a northern lights grow of mine, and cant wait to see the results. thanks again!

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Welcome - enjoy.

Hey guys, I don't see any evidence of Mg deficiency, which shows up in lower to mid leaf chlorosis, taking on more of a whitish appearance as opposed to iron deficiency induced chlorosis which takes on a yellow appearance between veins.

Begs the question, does your plant food contain Mg and are the NPK values pretty well balanced? BTW, 1 1/2" a day is great growth!

Have fun,
UB

Hahaha Thanx Ben !! Yeah .. I'm pretty happy with the way they r goin'! NPK should be pretty well balanced .. I use my own compost mixed w/ Supersoil and give 'em a shot o' Botanicare Liquid Karma and Sweet when I water (also a few "drops" of fish emulsion every few days (even during early flowering ) ..just to be sure.

There is no definate way to define results there.. It depends on your grow space, but usually light is used better when you distribute foliage laterally..
This thread needs a fucking FAQ of its own..

I'm gonna guess you get more, why do it if not?

Some things we know from this thread are that it opens up the plant to allow for more light penetration. More light = more growth.

Also, I think somewhere or other UB stated that the colas would not be as large as one cola left to grow naturally, but the combined output of the 2/4 colas exceeds that of the single cola. Another point is harvesting the top colas and allowing the lower buds to mature, which gives you more output.

Hi I'm just wondering if the 4 cola method works with any strain, im thinking of growing C99, kali mist, SSH, and some bushy indicas too.

Also is LST or SCROG of any use if i top for 4 colas?

And also how much longer do i need to veg the plant out after the topping? I have some 400 lights and DWC buckets i'm thinking of doing 100w per plant.

Peace

johnnysacoseeds said:

I'm gonna guess you get more, why do it if not?

Some things we know from this thread are that it opens up the plant to allow for more light penetration. More light = more growth.

Also, I think somewhere or other UB stated that the colas would not be as large as one cola left to grow naturally, but the combined output of the 2/4 colas exceeds that of the single cola. Another point is harvesting the top colas and allowing the lower buds to mature, which gives you more output.

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Yep, you understand "the methods of my madness".

Njayjay said:

Hi I'm just wondering if the 4 cola method works with any strain, im thinking of growing C99, kali mist, SSH, and some bushy indicas too.

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As I've explained before, this is a hormonal issue. Hormones, their collection and distribution within the plant, controls and drives all plant processes. All I'm doing is playing games with da ho moans.

[

Also is LST or SCROG of any use if i top for 4 colas?

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Apples and oranges.

And also how much longer do i need to veg the plant out after the topping?

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How big do you want the plant to get?

Your call. Plan your grow, grow your plan and adjust accordingly.

UB

So u are saying man this can be done with any strain? Kinda a newb here peace

Njayjay said:

So u are saying man this can be done with any strain? Kinda a newb here peace

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Yes. It can be done with a maple tree if you so desire.

I popped 10 Afghan seeds a few weeks ago. I "weeded out" four that were starting out weak and so I have 6 left. They are all short, stocky plants so topping is kind of hard when they are you. I am going to top all six though and I am really anxious to see the results. This thread is inspiring some serious fun!

So far they are starting on their 4th node. I am going to top them at the 5th and strip the "slowest" two side shoots so that only 4 remain. I figure with six plants I should have 3 females to work with. This should be interesting for my latest medical grow.

Uncle Ben said:

Yes. It can be done with a maple tree if you so desire.

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Ever see it done with an oak tree?? The remaining stump almost grows like a freakin Chia Pet..

Can I get input on exactly where I need to top my plants??? I'm still unsure of what "true node" means. My plants are 7 weeks old and have six of what I believe to be "true" nodes (where four branches meet the main stem, two are thick the other two thin). I am not including the one still developing at the very top.... here is a pic of one of the plants and is marked where I plan on topping it.... is this the right spot for 4 colas or do I need to go down another node?

THANKS!!!!

Unlce Ben,

I've been reading up on your posts/threads and have learned an incredible amount of knowledge.
However, Im kinda confused on EXACTLY where to cut. So here goes my first question to you..

Do you have a diagram of exactly where to top, in order to get 4 colas?
I see so many uninformed ppl making diagrams and hindering the correct way to understand it.
Can you please direct me to or provide a diagram of how to do this?

I think I understand most of it, but I am a visual learner and it would be VERY helpful!

Thanks!

https://www.rollitup.org/2125950-post205.html Way back on page 6.. This has been asked alot..