# Topping versus fimming. Side by side



## Milo 420 (Sep 8, 2015)

I have two plants that have been trained the same way in means of LST and supercropping but today o did different things to both plant's the plant on the left has been topped all over the outside of this plant I topped over 20 tops while this plant has been fimmed all overso I am doing this because I want to see which side does better by creating more tops


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## 1mrc (Dec 18, 2015)

and...?


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## hotrodharley (Dec 18, 2015)

Milo 420 said:


> I have two plants that have been trained the same way in means of LST and supercropping but today o did different things to both plant's the plant on the left has been topped View attachment 3495853all over the outside of this plant I topped over 20 tops while this plant has been fimmed all overView attachment 3495858so I am doing this because I want to see which side does better by creating more tops


Yeah I'm with 1mrc - what happened? Bugs or harvested?


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## Josch Edgington (Dec 18, 2015)

I like fimming its a lil more difficult but can produce more tops normally three but I have heard claims of five? haven't been that lucky my self. lol Also fimming I was off a bit and it just grew straight out like normal once. Topping your always going to get your two tops. Really interested to see the results.


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## saiyaneye (Dec 20, 2015)

I got 8 tops on Female Seeds Bubble Gummer my first grow. I fucking suck at FIMming. Always ends up topped it seems like lol


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## THCBrain (Dec 20, 2015)

So which is best topping or fimming?


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## saiyaneye (Dec 20, 2015)

IMO FIMming, you get a lot more growth. Sometimes it's hard to do though.


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## THCBrain (Dec 20, 2015)

I understand for some it can be a challenge first grow I fimmed it was ok 2nd grow (current) I topped I must say for me so far topping beats fimming IME. Also I don't like the shitty looking leaves you get after a fim


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## saiyaneye (Dec 21, 2015)

I would remove the shitty looking leaves from FIM just because they are not attractive. Wtf is half a leaf, I know it helps but ugly none-the-less.


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## Gregor Eisenhorn (Dec 21, 2015)

I fimmed for the first time on my current grow and at the beggining I didn't take enough of the growth tip off. A grower here advised me to cut off everything above the place were the stems are connected with the leaves. Seemed to work after that and I got four tips (or three, I cannot remember a of this moment.) Although I read a lot that Fimming esentially doesn't slow down growth because it's not as devastating as topping. I had to wait a few days unfortunately.


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## saiyaneye (Dec 21, 2015)

I mean, FIMing can be a big mess if you just FIM and don't do anything to the plant. I think you need to control your growth LST, Scrog, Supercrop or what have you. I noticed when not using any of those techniques with my Female Seeds BubbleGummer about six years ago that produced 8 shoots, they kind of bunched up and grew into each other. The yield was less that of a plant of the same strain that was topped, lots of small buds.


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## Marijuannoisseur (Dec 23, 2015)

When you say you FIMed the plant all over, this confuses me. I thought the act of FIMing is specifically involves cutting the top down a coupple of nodes, depending on the size of the plant, and finishing it by cutting 3/4 of the next highest node. I've had great success with both topping and FIM. IMO FIM is the better option because once you understand the concept and what and where you're cutting, it only needs to be done one time to achieve your goal.


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## Mountainfarmer (Dec 26, 2015)

FAIL!!!


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## OsmosisJones14 (Feb 5, 2016)

Any updates???


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## hiluxphantom (Feb 10, 2016)

you usually fim to get 2-4 colas. not really meant to be used 100x times


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## Joe Blows Trees (Feb 10, 2016)

I prefer topping. Haven't had any success fimming and just like this thread, I can't find any one who has pictures or videos of fimming from being to atleast 5/6 weeks into flowering. YouTube has vids, but the ones I've watched only show how to and never show the growth afterwards.


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## HockeyBeard (Feb 15, 2016)

Strain depending - Mainline all day!


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## hotshotisdashit (Mar 3, 2016)

I definitely prefer topping to fimming. Everytime I try fimming I Fuck I Missed and wind up topping. I just concede I suck at fimming. With a 60 day veg I usually top 2 or 3 times and get many tops anyways.


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## jacksthc (Mar 3, 2016)

all depends on the results your looking for both techniques work really well 

topping is easy and can be done at any time 

fim has to be done at the right time, the new shoot has to be a large size with young leaves growing at the sides, then you cut a straight line, so you remove half the 2 small fan leaves and about 1/3 of the new growth as this will knock the growth back for a few days to a week, the lower growth catches up and you have lots of young shoots all the same height 

a good example i found on google


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## jacrispy (Mar 3, 2016)

might as well have just topped itplant turned out well otherwise


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## OsmosisJones14 (Mar 4, 2016)

HOLY HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

That's the fattest stem I've ever seen! It's a tree! Literally! How many year veg was that?


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## jacksthc (Mar 4, 2016)

looks great fellow, plants do so much better outside


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## 1Dreadlockrasta420 (Mar 29, 2016)

Joe Blows Trees said:


> I prefer topping. Haven't had any success fimming and just like this thread, I can't find any one who has pictures or videos of fimming from being to atleast 5/6 weeks into flowering. YouTube has vids, but the ones I've watched only show how to and never show the growth afterwards.


This is my first attempt at fiming I think it was successful I just chopped the top3/4s of the new growth and it went from single stalk to hella branches


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## Resinhound (Mar 29, 2016)

THCBrain said:


> I understand for some it can be a challenge first grow I fimmed it was ok 2nd grow (current) I topped I must say for me so far topping beats fimming IME. Also I don't like the shitty looking leaves you get after a fim


You only get those leaves when you dont fim right.Its sometimes tricky,bit you have to make sure you gather all the leaves of that growth tip and make sure you cut at the base of them,so there is no leaf left.


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## Gquebed (Mar 30, 2016)

hotrodharley said:


> Yeah I'm with 1mrc - what happened? Bugs or harvested?


Busted? Lol


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## That One Stoner Guy (Apr 5, 2016)

Resinhound said:


> You only get those leaves when you dont fim right.Its sometimes tricky,bit you have to make sure you gather all the leaves of that growth tip and make sure you cut at the base of them,so there is no leaf left.


It took me about 2 tries to honestly figure it out. I just dont understand whats so confusing about fimming


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## ROLLING12 (Apr 11, 2016)

neither, dont do any of the two cuz you'll actually loose time, instead cut off the lower branches to make clones and make a sog/scrog...depends on your set up but dont waste time, it'll cost you more in electricity and stuff... anyone second that?


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## That One Stoner Guy (Apr 12, 2016)

ROLLING12 said:


> neither, dont do any of the two cuz you'll actually loose time, instead cut off the lower branches to make clones and make a sog/scrog...depends on your set up but dont waste time, it'll cost you more in electricity and stuff... anyone second that?


I just do it to slow vertical growth. I dont want some monsters way taller than my fence


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## ROLLING12 (Apr 12, 2016)

That One Stoner Guy said:


> I just do it to slow vertical growth. I dont want some monsters way taller than my fence


then maybe you should start flowering sooner?
it all depends on your setup really bro...go with perpetual sog grow with an aeroponic system to shave even more time, you can put your clones in the flower room right after you cut them from the mom but after dipping the ends in hormone or something to stimulate root growth first...


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## That One Stoner Guy (Apr 12, 2016)

ROLLING12 said:


> then maybe you should start flowering sooner?
> it all depends on your setup really bro...go with perpetual sog grow with an aeroponic system to shave even more time, you can put your clones in the flower room right after you cut them from the mom but after dipping the ends in hormone or something to stimulate root growth first...


Outdoor grow brother. I dont have nosey neighbors, theyre pretty chill for the most part. Id love to have a little grow tent with a sog but thats not too doable with my budget


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## Bubblegum31 (Apr 15, 2016)

Sometimes I fim while I mean to top...

I always get 3 shoots however the one in the middle is always smaller and shorter so I cut it off!!!


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## ROLLING12 (Apr 20, 2016)

That One Stoner Guy said:


> Outdoor grow brother. I dont have nosey neighbors, theyre pretty chill for the most part. Id love to have a little grow tent with a sog but thats not too doable with my budget


oh cool, outdoor is a biatch in my opinion...if the budget is that bad, bro why not make your own tent with bashes that you'll just have to double stitch together, i guess... but that'll be busted, anyone who'll see it would suspect a grow i think! Really hope your neighbors aren't nosey! lol
Ok for outdoors, plant or transplant at the right time, top/fim the heck out of it until the start of the flowering season however.

You can knock several birds with one stone with the following rule:
Use FIM all the time, when you can, unless you need clones!
If you need clones, use the topping technique instead!


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## That One Stoner Guy (May 3, 2016)

ROLLING12 said:


> oh cool, outdoor is a biatch in my opinion...if the budget is that bad, bro why not make your own tent with bashes that you'll just have to double stitch together, i guess... but that'll be busted, anyone who'll see it would suspect a grow i think! Really hope your neighbors aren't nosey! lol
> Ok for outdoors, plant or transplant at the right time, top/fim the heck out of it until the start of the flowering season however.
> 
> You can knock several birds with one stone with the following rule:
> ...


All of my seeds are in veg and ive been topping like crazy. I have one in a 2 gallon pot and i think i took about 8 tops off her. Looking more like a bush than a weed plant, hopefully its female. I think im gonna stick it in the ground and see how she does

My clones on the other hand started flowering due to my lack of knowledge that the days arent long enough.. reveg is happening already, its gonna be interesting seeing new growth come put of these premature buds...


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## Canon (May 5, 2016)

When done correctly,, FIM & Topping are different tools for different desired results.


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