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

Uncle Ben said:

Go back to the first post. You need to read and understand the plant processes, the hormonal responses, then you'll have your answer.

"Hey Dad, how do you spell contradictory?"

"Look it up in the dictionary son."

Click to expand...

Got it!!! Looking forward to see how this goes!! Thanks!

Hey UB, Are you still using that Harrell's CR Fert? 18-4-9.

Also a big woot.com fan!

longdongjohnson said:

Hey UB, Are you still using that Harrell's CR Fert? 18-4-9.

Also a big woot.com fan!

Click to expand...

Yep

Nice. I started using osmocote on one of my plants and regular feed on the rest. The others were doing better, but it think I will just add a little more osmocote to the pot. The plant did look really healthy! I like the plain water every time. Does it get any better? Probably gonna hit all the pots with them this round and see how they do. Do you ever hit them with a light mix of nutrients or do you find it unnecessary?

UB, you been around here for like forever. Have you ever used Peterson's dry fertilizers?

I know he likes Jacks (J R Peterson). I use it also as do many old-time growers. It's so easy to use it feels like cheating. I use 1/2 tsp per gallon of water right from the tap. Feel free to surf my grow journals to see the results.

Happy NY folks!

Been recommending Jack's as long as there has been the internet. This is the best bang for the buck not only for the ultra low price and great quality but for the NPK ratio and micro mix. 5-1-3 ratio is excellent. http://www.amazon.com/77900-Performance-Fertilizer-25-5-15-25-Pound/dp/B008JSIKCU/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_1

Osmocote, Nutricote, Polyon, Dynamite - doesn't get any easier but like anything else you can under or overshoot. When I grow outdoors i scratch in about a TB into the top of the soil, drop a 2 gph emitter into the pot, drop the pot into a 3" deep hole in the ground and let mama nature do the rest. I end up with a solid mass of roots that looks like this. Soil was blasted away for your viewing pleasure. And kiddies, notice the popcorn buds in spite of full sun morning til night?




easy peasy.......

If I top twice and don't super crop, monster crop, LST, or SCROG am I missing out huge potential? (2) plants in 2x2x5 250w HID.

Uncle Ben I was wondering if I could please have some advice, if possible.

I have a White Widow plant that is branching by itself, above the 3rd node. It's about 5 weeks old and grown from seed.

Do you think it would be best to let nature run it's course on this rather than top above the second node to get 4 colas? I know you will probably give me an answer to the effect that it is dependent on what I am trying to achieve, but in this case I am not quite sure what I want to achieve (apart from perhaps "maximum yield").

Any advice is appreciated.

I've compared UB's topping to un-topped plants numerous times and UB's topping always yields better.

apeshot said:

Uncle Ben I was wondering if I could please have some advice, if possible.

I have a White Widow plant that is branching by itself, above the 3rd node. It's about 5 weeks old and grown from seed.

Do you think it would be best to let nature run it's course on this rather than top above the second node to get 4 colas? I know you will probably give me an answer to the effect that it is dependent on what I am trying to achieve, but in this case I am not quite sure what I want to achieve (apart from perhaps "maximum yield").

Any advice is appreciated.

Click to expand...

If you don't where you're going, any road will take you there.

Let it go, LET IT GO!

Couldn't resist. Top and see for yourself.

Uncle ben I been following and I like the way you roll man!

Uncle Ben said:

Couldn't resist. Top and see for yourself.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give it a go!

lilroach said:

I've compared UB's topping to un-topped plants numerous times and UB's topping always yields better.

Click to expand...

Do you find that you have to veg the plants any longer after topping them than you otherwise would if left un-topped to achieve this better yield? I run a perpetual garden so I have no wiggle room to veg my plants any longer.

Yes, it'll add about 10-14 days of veg time. You just have to adjust your timing to allow for it.....any topping in veg will add time though.

@Uncle Ben
When you put your pots in the ground, do you cut the bottom off? Or do you just let the roots go straight through the drain holes into the soil?

Saw u on the defoliation thread. Looks like u just put the pots in there as is. That is genius. Gonna give that a go this upcoming year. Thanks UB.

st0wandgrow said:

Do you find that you have to veg the plants any longer after topping them than you otherwise would if left un-topped to achieve this better yield? I run a perpetual garden so I have no wiggle room to veg my plants any longer.

Click to expand...

It might "set back" my plants a day. My seedlings grow so fast that many times they're beginning to push foliage from the nodes anyway by the time they reach 4-6 nodes. Topping them just speeds up that push. Indoors I veg for no more than 3.5-4 weeks from the time they pop the soil's surface. If I was to go any longer I'd have 6' trees instead of the usual 42".

Here's an example of the old original images that I HAD on page one, post one. This was 3 days after topping. The older leafsets were still juvenile with 3 leaves per leafset.

Hi uncle ben , and i appologise for the off topic but i would like to ask you a question . Could you please share with us your say top 10 favourite strains (coupled with the breeder of each) ? Some insight to cut threw the thousands of strains that are around and to something of the finest quality that you trust? Thank you

I would also like to express to you my gratitude for the knowledge and the way of thinking about the subject of cultivation