# Topping the 1st node for mainlining (without clone)



## syphex (Jun 3, 2013)

I am really hooked on the idea of main lining, from the main lining thread. I've read most of it through so I know my way around the technique.
However there is still something bugging me about it and I know many people have asked the same thing:

"Why not just top at the 1st or 2nd node instead of waiting until its 7 nodes high, and having to take a clone, or wasting plant matter if you don't want one"

The respone is usually along the lines of "you need to wait for an established root system, too much stress etc.." 

But has anyone actually TRIED topping really early? I still think that the recovery time for an early top couldent be more than the time it takes to grow a plant twice the size and hack half of it down. Or would it permanently stress the plant making it "premature", or hermie out?

I am thinking of topping at the first node (yep after the first serrated leaves), maybe the energy will be directed into producing root mass while the plant recovers.


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## chewberto (Jun 3, 2013)

I'm sure it's never been done! Hardly an advanced technique! I'm an asshole tonight! You are welcome!


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## twistedj420 (Jun 4, 2013)

I topped a very young plant at the 2nd or 3rd node, and the recovery time was very long. It has been about 1.5 months and is about 6in tall, growing strong now but it took alot of time to recover, compaired to its sister plant that was not topped and is double the size.


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## syphex (Jun 4, 2013)

Well you would basically expect it to be double the size woulden't you? With one large cola instead of two smaller ones? Is it about the same size if you stack the colas on top of each other? I thought the idea behind main lining was that you could grow multiple large colas at a time, making the most of limited height by filling horizontal space, where a single cola would quickly shoot through the height restrictions?

But I am also wondering if its better to have say 4 one cola plants instead of one 4 cola plant, since then each cola has its own root system.


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## MYOB (Jun 10, 2013)

I haven't heard the term "mainlining" in reference to topping. Can you link the thread or give me a quick idea of the technique?


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## Malevolence (Jun 10, 2013)

It's one of subcool's stickies in the organics section. All it is is topping and LST the new tops until the lower 2 branches catch up so you have 4 equal sized tops.

I top seedlings... I just wait until branches start forming which is usually when it's old enough to have 4-5 nodes.


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## Cats_in_superposition (Oct 30, 2020)

Bump for 2020... How did this work out for you? I was recently forced to make this move on a mutated Fruity Pebble seedling...she was growing an extra set of single point leaves and capped herself where a 2nd node should of developed...i normally would of tossed something like that but we only have 2 plants of this strain. I cut her about 8 days ago and we're already seeing new growth but I'm wondering if you did this and what your timeline looked like? ..I can update my progress here if anyone is interested...


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