# Super Cropping and Topping late.



## THseaman (Dec 15, 2008)

I waited until week 7 to super crop and top my two Haze x Skunk plants. Originally I wasn't going to do either, but when they grew above my lights and were over a foot taller than the rest of my Indica crop I decided to give this method a try. 

So, I bent the main stalks over on Dec 6th, and then topped them going down 3 nodes the next day. I switched over to 12/12 exactly one week after I super cropped and topped. It has been 9 days since I topped them and I have NO NEW GROWTH! Did I top too late? Should I revert these two plants back to 18/6 for a bit longer so they can grow new tops? 

Now I think I should have just bent them over w/o super cropping or topping...


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## Roseman (Dec 15, 2008)

I AM NOT SURE OF THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR YOU, but there is a valuable lesson here for all of us. 

One time my 14 year old teen son decided
I wonder what will happen if I try to deep fry these canned potatoes in my new Fry-Daddy?

ANSWER
If you do not know what will happen, then do not do it. He almsot burned the hosue down, and he did $9,000 in damage.


I always TOP at 2, 3 and 4 weeks int he VEG cycle. Bro, you topped too late!


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## THseaman (Dec 15, 2008)

Roseman said:


> If you do not know what will happen, then do not do it.


That sounds like a terrible way to live. Actually, that kind of contradicts the term living for me. 

Anyway, I want to focus this thread on what I should do from this point forward given the current situation. If anyone has any helpful feedback I would really appreciate it.

At this point I'm thinking I will switch these two plants back to 18/6 until I see new top growth. Neither one has started to flower yet, so hopefully they'll be OK.


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## Forsaken5678 (Dec 15, 2008)

I'm not sure what u should do but u answered my question as to if i should top my og kush. its about a month and half and ive been wondering if its too late and i guess it is. hope u can figure something out man!


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## Roseman (Dec 15, 2008)

so hopefully they'll be OK.[/quote]

Hopefully? What if they are not?


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## THseaman (Dec 15, 2008)

Roseman said:


> so hopefully they'll be OK.
> 
> Hopefully? What if they are not?


I guess I'll just have to shoot myself in the head. Life as I know it will cease to exist if I can't successfully harvest these two pot plants. The problem we face with the US economy is child's play compared with the global significance of these two plants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you for real roseman? Why do all the weirdos always post on my threads? I thought coming to the "advanced cultivation" area would "weed" out all the kids who usually post advice just to hear themselves talk in the "general" section. 

I need some troll repellent for sure...


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## THseaman (Dec 15, 2008)

Forsaken5678 said:


> I'm not sure what u should do but u answered my question as to if i should top my og kush. its about a month and half and ive been wondering if its too late and i guess it is. hope u can figure something out man!


 Yeah, I just pulled them out of the flower room and stuck them back under the T5. I think it was actually super cropping just prior to topping that stopped their ability to grow new tops in time. I should have done one or the other. I've read that sometimes super cropping adds 2-3 weeks on to the veg cycle. So, I'll just veg em another couple weeks and see if that does it. At the end of the day, these were free seeds from seed boutique so it's not the end of the world or anything.


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## Roseman (Dec 16, 2008)

I think CAUTION is a sign of maturity, and trying something and not knowing what will happen is a sign of immaturity, is the point I was trying to get accross to you. (btw, I'm 59 years old, I've done 9 successful grows over the past 4 years, and I wrote the Grow Manuel for Stealth Hydroponics. I have learned not to test the deep water with both feet.) 
Twice you've told us that you was doing something and did not have a clue as to what would happen after you did it, and I was just trying to point out to you that is not wise to do. 
I won't be back to this thread, son.


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## THseaman (Dec 16, 2008)

Roseman said:


> I won't be back to this thread, son.


Thank you! Bub-bye.


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## llLOU (Dec 16, 2008)

I have read that changing the light cycles back and forth can cause plants to hermie.
I wait till I see the sex of the plant , then LST , top etc. usually 4+ weeks.


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## THseaman (Dec 16, 2008)

llLOU said:


> I have read that changing the light cycles back and forth can cause plants to hermie.
> I wait till I see the sex of the plant , then LST , top etc. usually 4+ weeks.


yeah, but they were only in 12/12 for 3 days. I went ahead and put em back in veg. They need more light right now to regenerate. If they don't grow new tops in a couple of weeks under 24/0, I'll cut a few more clones from each and just put em back in flower.


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## llLOU (Dec 16, 2008)

Sounds like you are doing a 24/0 light cycle now, personally I do not like the idea of that. I really have NO scientific evidence to argue my point , it just seems weird to me that the plant does not get a chance to "rest" , I know that is an anthropomorphic point of view , but hey!, there you are , and it gave me a chance to use a word like anthropomorphic!!
Good luck with your plants.


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## autotek500 (Dec 16, 2008)

Yeah Bro not a lot chances to throw that one into a sentence .good job...lol...............


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## THseaman (Dec 16, 2008)

llLOU said:


> Sounds like you are doing a 24/0 light cycle now, personally I do not like the idea of that. I really have NO scientific evidence to argue my point , it just seems weird to me that the plant does not get a chance to "rest" , I know that is an anthropomorphic point of view , but hey!, there you are , and it gave me a chance to use a word like anthropomorphic!!
> Good luck with your plants.


Well, I wasn't really planning on debating the merits of 24/0 vs 18/6 with this thread. I think that pretty much comes down to personal preference. But 24/0 definitely produces more rapid growth, which is what I'm going for. I usually go 24/0 for the first 4-6 weeks of veg., then go to 18/6 the last 2-4 wks of veg. prior to flowering to induce the plant to show its sex. If starting from clone I go 24/0 until I flip em. Marijuana is a light demanding plant. They don't need darkness to rest or conduct photosynthesis.


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## thiCbuds (Dec 17, 2008)

I ran into a similar problem with my Jack Flash. I topped one about 2-3 weeks into flowering and let the other one grow naturally. It's been about a week and it hasn't shown much sign of regrowth on the top, but has clearly been helping the lower buds and branches develop. I thought I remember that it will take at least 1-2 weeks before any regrowth might occur. I'm just gonna let it go, and not stress about it. It's called experimenting. I plan to compare weight when I harvest both and chalk the results up to experience.

Cheers!


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## THseaman (Dec 17, 2008)

thicbuds said:


> i'm just gonna let it go, and not stress about it. It's called experimenting. I plan to compare weight when i harvest both and chalk the results up to experience.


word!!!!!!!


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## adam1982 (Dec 17, 2008)

topped and scroped way to late 3rd 4 week at most back on 18 to 24 light


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## Consciousness420 (Dec 17, 2008)

Haha, wow.. this thread is full of a bunch of moronic responses and people living in fear.. trying new things and experimenting is what gardening is all about.. yes, reading and increasing your knowledge base on horticulture will help you be a more successful grower but honestly there are so many variables at play in the real world, you cant expect to read a few threads and think that the values/strategies involved in those grows have any bearing on your own grow.. learning and becoming successful involves trial and error (each crop is different) so play around and try new stuff - thats what I do and Ive come across many things that are just plain myths (like chopping roots - actually people its fine! - just have to know what youre doing).. just like topping late.. its fine! just have to be patient.. 
THeseaman... dude, youre fine and Im sure your plants are fine and are going to fruit wonderful bud for u to smoke.. I top some strains a whole week or two into flowering and others I dont touch (not even prune) a whole week before flowering.. depends on a host of factors.. your nutrient ratios, lighting (intensity/frequency), strain, etc etc... remember its a WEED.. most people find it actually surprisingly difficult to get rid of weeds from growing in gardens so your plants will be fine, buds grow on all of the branches that get enough light.. so topping like u did after one week into flower and leaving them would have eventually grown a nice pair of buds at the top of the plant with no problems! though each would be slightly smaller than having one main big cola..
it usually takes at least 2 weeks to even see the first hint of regrowth from a topped branch (the main stem takes slightly longer because the plant has to reprogram its growth strategy and so divides the stem into two branches) after a month the main cut stem should have at least an inch or two (usually 4-5 inches) of growth for the two new branches..
SO... here are some suggestions at this point..
prune a few of the lowest/old leaves off of some of the lower branches..
putting them back into veg photoperiod was a mistake but now that they are in veg again, thats fine just make sure they stay veg for another few weeks before putting them (gradually) back into flowering or else there is a chance you may confuse the plant and make it go hermie (bad)..
make sure to give it plenty of nitrogen (phosphates are the best) for regrowth..
and finally be patient.. it takes a while for a plant to recover from such a sudden and violent act of topping (also it kind of does unfortunately cut the most potent part of the plant so yield will be slightly less once u flower - but not much less)..
oh and side note ... just like u said, 24/0 photoperiod in veg is a great thing to do if u dont care about electricity costs.. my plants grow about 5-6 inches daily in 24 hour lighting.. 
Ive experimented with spraying the top that was cut with 1/4 strength nutrient solution (just a spritz - few droplets onto the top open main stem) each night and it seems to help the healing along (I think that the open stem allows too much outside air and causes a mini air embolism which causes the plant to have to resort to building a resin over the inside tissues near the opening to ward of antigens so this slows tissue regrowth, so constantly closing it with a 1/4 strength solution helps resolve this - I also pinch mine at the top immediately after cutting but dont pinch so hard you hear it crackle)
but dont expect to see any regrowth for at least a couple weeks.. good luck!


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## smokingrubber (Dec 17, 2008)

THseaman said:


> yeah, but they were only in 12/12 for 3 days. I went ahead and put em back in veg. They need more light right now to regenerate. If they don't grow new tops in a couple of weeks under 24/0, I'll cut a few more clones from each and just put em back in flower.


They were in there for 3 days after you chopped their heads off, and you're upset that growth slowed? I would have left them in 12/12. You prolonged the flowering stage by a week or so, but that's not the end of the world. I think you're doing more harm than good by going back-and-forth with the lighting. Now it sounds like you're chasing your tail IMO.


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## THseaman (Dec 17, 2008)

smokingrubber said:


> They were in there for 3 days after you chopped their heads off, and you're upset that growth slowed? I would have left them in 12/12. You prolonged the flowering stage by a week or so, but that's not the end of the world. I think you're doing more harm than good by going back-and-forth with the lighting. Now it sounds like you're chasing your tail IMO.


 Actually, no. I chopped their heads off a week before starting 12/12. Then after 3-4 days of 12/12 I put them back into veg b/c there was no new top growth. I thought that 10-11 days would be enough time to see at least SOME new top growth. But yeah maybe you're right about chasing my tail with respect to going back and forth with light schedule. But what's done is done and now I am going to leave them in veg for at least 2 weeks to see if they can grow new tops. if this were an indica strain I'd probably have left em alone in flower but sativa has a different growth structure and not having a top on a sativa would really reduce yield, i'd imagine.



Consciousness420 said:


> Haha, wow.. this thread is full of a bunch of moronic responses and people living in fear.. trying new things and experimenting is what gardening is all about.. yes, reading and increasing your knowledge base on horticulture will help you be a more successful grower but honestly there are so many variables at play in the real world, you cant expect to read a few threads and think that the values/strategies involved in those grows have any bearing on your own grow.. learning and becoming successful involves trial and error (each crop is different) so play around and try new stuff - thats what I do and Ive come across many things that are just plain myths (like chopping roots - actually people its fine! - just have to know what youre doing).. just like topping late.. its fine! just have to be patient..
> THeseaman... dude, youre fine and Im sure your plants are fine and are going to fruit wonderful bud for u to smoke.. I top some strains a whole week or two into flowering and others I dont touch (not even prune) a whole week before flowering.. depends on a host of factors.. your nutrient ratios, lighting (intensity/frequency), strain, etc etc... remember its a WEED.. most people find it actually surprisingly difficult to get rid of weeds from growing in gardens so your plants will be fine, buds grow on all of the branches that get enough light.. so topping like u did after one week into flower and leaving them would have eventually grown a nice pair of buds at the top of the plant with no problems! though each would be slightly smaller than having one main big cola..
> it usually takes at least 2 weeks to even see the first hint of regrowth from a topped branch (the main stem takes slightly longer because the plant has to reprogram its growth strategy and so divides the stem into two branches) after a month the main cut stem should have at least an inch or two (usually 4-5 inches) of growth for the two new branches..
> SO... here are some suggestions at this point..
> ...


Thanks for the insightful response. I guess that troll repellent worked! LOL Anyway, 2 weeks to see regrowth from a topped plant? Really? I've heard 2-3 days! There is a thread on here called, "fimmin and topping 101" where the guy shows a pic he claims to be 2 days after he topped and the new growth is already a couple inches high. 

But yeah, I will try spraying the tops (where I cut) lightly with low dose nutes and be patient. Should I also lightly pinch off the top just below my original cut or is that water under the bridge at this point? 

In the meantine, the bottom growth is actually starting to pick up quite a bit. These are quickly becoming the bushiest sativa plants I have ever grown. I am going to take about a half dozen cuttings from each plant's lower branches a few days before I put them back into the flower room, that's for sure! At worst, these two plants will produce some great clones.


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## thiCbuds (Dec 17, 2008)

Great info Consciousness420. Why not experiment? How else are you going to learn and discover new things!


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## Consciousness420 (Dec 18, 2008)

hey, yea agreed.. all about experimentation.. cheers

hey dude, yea each crop is different so I dunno, 2-3 days to see sprouting after topping is certainly possible but Ive never seen it happen.. prob depends on how far down u cut.. the more number of nodes you keep on the cutting (cutting farther down the stem) the longer it will take for new growth to form on the top, so maybe that guy just snipped the very very topmost leaf set above the top node which yea would regrow within a few days.. the last plant I topped was about 1 week ago and it was about 3-4 nodes down from the very top and has not really shown any signs of regrowth yet but prob will in the next week.. 
suggestion:
if the base of the plant is growing well, that means the health of the plant did not suffer from your topping effort which also means that you now have the freedom to take cuttings from the bottom branches to make your clones (yes, NOW!).. don't have to wait cuz the plant has already recovered, it adapted to the loss in vegitation at the top by increasing growth at the base so if you take cuttings now at the base, it will be forced to move back into the strategy of regrowing the top (which is what you want).. good luck!


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## THseaman (Dec 18, 2008)

Consciousness420 said:


> hey, yea agreed.. all about experimentation.. cheers
> 
> hey dude, yea each crop is different so I dunno, 2-3 days to see sprouting after topping is certainly possible but Ive never seen it happen.. prob depends on how far down u cut.. the more number of nodes you keep on the cutting (cutting farther down the stem) the longer it will take for new growth to form on the top, so maybe that guy just snipped the very very topmost leaf set above the top node which yea would regrow within a few days.. the last plant I topped was about 1 week ago and it was about 3-4 nodes down from the very top and has not really shown any signs of regrowth yet but prob will in the next week..
> suggestion:
> if the base of the plant is growing well, that means the health of the plant did not suffer from your topping effort which also means that you now have the freedom to take cuttings from the bottom branches to make your clones (yes, NOW!).. don't have to wait cuz the plant has already recovered, it adapted to the loss in vegitation at the top by increasing growth at the base so if you take cuttings now at the base, it will be forced to move back into the strategy of regrowing the top (which is what you want).. good luck!


Awesome! Thanks for the advise. That makes great sense! I will take clones (from bottom of course) this wknd. 

+rep!


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