# can you top too early?



## Zaehet Strife (Feb 2, 2011)

i really want my plants to be short, i was going to top then lst. i was wondering if topping 10-14 days after sprouting will do more harm then anything. should i wait until its about 4 nodes tall, then cut off the 2nd node n e ways? should i try fimming instead? i just dont want to stress out my babes. any help would be appreciated. thanks guys.

pic is forbidden fruit, last harvest.


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## RawBudzski (Feb 2, 2011)

I cut mine at the 3rd node. when it was SMALL. i mean the 2nd leaf set was growing still and i cut the NEW TINY 3rd node.


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## darkdestruction420 (Feb 2, 2011)

you only take 1 node off, heres a few guides on topping,
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/200413-fimming-m-blaze-complete-how.html


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## SCARHOLE (Feb 2, 2011)

I cut mine for 2 main colas, just did it at 11 days old when the second set of leafs showed its self.
If i wait to top them, I usualy turn the cutting into a clone.


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## Zaehet Strife (Feb 2, 2011)

so its cool to top when she looks like this? about 12 days old. i want to tie down the tops in opposite directions and train them around the edge of the pot after 1st transplant.


oh yea, its a trilopod! cant wait to see how she grows!


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## RawBudzski (Feb 2, 2011)

I would wait a week.


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## SCARHOLE (Feb 2, 2011)

I try an top em early, so that im bairly removing any plant material.
Trying to reduce stress on em. (hopefully)

Your going to train em in a circle? Cool me too.
Im kinda following Hobbes Circle Crop of Bud tech.
*Its a long read but its soooo good.*
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/360125-new-growers-needed-grow-lab.html


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## Grumpy Old Dreamer (Feb 2, 2011)

I top them when they have 5 or 6 sets of nodes - by this stage the root system is well developed.
When I cut the plant I leave 4 sets of nodes with large fan leaves.

As the side shoots start to grow, I remove all but the 2 branches that I want to grow.

Leaving the 4 pairs of fan leaves provides a large leaf area which allows your branches to grow fast.

Later, when the branches are plenty big enough, I trim the original stem.

There are valid reasons to top early and equally good reasons to top later - that's what makes it a fun hobby


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## Zaehet Strife (Feb 2, 2011)

i want to top them small, so the stem stays short and stocky. then after a week or so i want to tie each top in the oppisite direction, then after transplant start to train them around the edge of the pot going in the same direction. so both tops kind of wind their way around the pot, then i as they grow i can trim any unwanted nodes/leaves or growth. maybe end up with 8-12 main colas with maybe a couple popcorn nugs on the node right below the main cola. any suggestions are appreciated, but what i really need is to know *when* (through your own experiences) should top my plants if i plan to grow this way.

heres some better pics.


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## BeachsideGreen (Feb 3, 2011)

Hey Zaehet, keep use posted on that triploid. I have been dying to see pics. of grown triploidy plants but haven't been able to find any. Thanks.


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## Zaehet Strife (Feb 4, 2011)

i def. will, hopeing that its going to be a female so ill get to watch her grow the whole time instead of just half the time. got 6oz off the last batch (forbidden fruit pic is above) this time im goin for 14oz


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## weednurd420 (Dec 4, 2015)

SCARHOLE said:


> I cut mine for 2 main colas, just did it at 11 days old when the second set of leafs showed its self.
> If i wait to top them, I usualy turn the cutting into a clone.


you dont have a main cola after topping that is long gone


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## weednurd420 (Dec 4, 2015)

i top after 10 days from seed for now on that is early but i get moor out of it that way it seams .. i started topping early when i did it to 1 older plant just to slow it down so the rest can catch up but it did not slow her down she started growing side branches from every where but where i topped.....


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## HookahsGarden (Dec 4, 2015)

How short?

These are not even topped yet. I keep my T5s close. I also transplant my young plants deep, all the way to the cotyledons.


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## MonkeyGrinder (Dec 20, 2015)

Zaehet Strife said:


> should i try fimming instead?


 Fimming is done on the very top node. You CAN fim them while they're small. I didn't care for fimming personally. Especially when fimming multiple tops. 
Like lets say you top it and 2 colas form. You fim both of those. One cola shoots out 4 branches, the other shoots 3. Or if you didn't do it right. They start getting kinda wonky then and grow completely uneven.
Since it's a Triploid you'll get 3 nice even colas. If it were me I'd top it for 3 branches. Then LST those down. When the 3 branches start alternating then top them where they're still shooting out 2 branches/node. Veg all those branches that are going to shoot from THOSE nodes and flower when you're comfortable. You'll have a short and super bushy beast after your last topping in 2 weeks.


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## DesertGrow89 (Jan 12, 2016)

Yes, cannabis becomes more resistant to stress as it progresses through the vegetative stage.

If topping is done in late veg then one can have a better idea of what the plant will look like going into flower, no reason to be in a hurry.


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## mwine87 (Jan 17, 2016)

RawBudzski said:


> I cut mine at the 3rd node. when it was SMALL. i mean the 2nd leaf set was growing still and i cut the NEW TINY 3rd node.


Yep. I just pinch off the new growth afterthe second (3 finger) set. They recover quickly, put out new shoots everywhere. Once sexed, take the lowest for clones, then pinch out the next once it starts forming. I like to get 8 tops. Anything after the first 2 leaf sets, fair game for topping and fimming.


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## 2ANONYMOUS (Jan 17, 2016)

i do not bother to do anything until plant is about 14 " high this is in milk cartoons as pots then i angle plants so that all shots forming on the plant start to naturally turn one way into the light usally 2 days then i transplant into bigger pot ( second stage of pot size TRaining pot ) this is where i transplant plant at a angle so more or less on one side of pot side then tie it along rim this is where i will only super crop plants and keep tieing along the side until i am 360 degrees around first pic is what plant looks like standng up after 2 days lol then then after transplant  and before you know it you will have a plant like this and buds like this lol


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## 3rdworldgrower (Jan 25, 2016)

nice! those are some fat buds!!

I topped repotted a dying seedling in an attempt to save her and experiment, she didn't move for like a week, and then the other day she just started growing again... its awesome how they persevere!

  



2ANONYMOUS said:


> i do not bother to do anything until plant is about 14 " high this is in milk cartoons as pots then i angle plants so that all shots forming on the plant start to naturally turn one way into the light usally 2 days then i transplant into bigger pot ( second stage of pot size TRaining pot ) this is where i transplant plant at a angle so more or less on one side of pot side then tie it along rim this is where i will only super crop plants and keep tieing along the side until i am 360 degrees around first pic is what plant looks like standng up after 2 days lol then then after transplant  and before you know it you will have a plant like this and buds like this lol


2anonymous, i really like the way your doing this without tying it down in the small pot, so you just tilt it to one side like in the pic... thats it?


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## Berrn1derrrn (Jan 25, 2016)

you technically can probably top at the second node, but let the plant grow to at least 4 or 5 nodes first then top to the second. I know it sounds like you are going backwards, but you want a nice root system first before you start topping.


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## Suh_dude (Mar 25, 2016)

MonkeyGrinder said:


> Fimming is done on the very top node. You CAN fim them while they're small. I didn't care for fimming personally. Especially when fimming multiple tops.
> Like lets say you top it and 2 colas form. You fim both of those. One cola shoots out 4 branches, the other shoots 3. Or if you didn't do it right. They start getting kinda wonky then and grow completely uneven.
> Since it's a Triploid you'll get 3 nice even colas. If it were me I'd top it for 3 branches. Then LST those down. When the 3 branches start alternating then top them where they're still shooting out 2 branches/node. Veg all those branches that are going to shoot from THOSE nodes and flower when you're comfortable. You'll have a short and super bushy beast after your last topping in 2 weeks.


 You aren't lying, that's for sure


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## Joe Blows Trees (Mar 25, 2016)

From my experience, I've topped early and two of my plants took around two weeks to start growing again while the others were fine after a few days. Some strains will respond positively, some won't. Good luck and nice plants.


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## MonkeyGrinder (Mar 25, 2016)

Suh_dude said:


> You aren't lying, that's for sure


This is how I've been doing them for scrogging purposes. But I have yet to get a triploid.
Veg until the side branches are formed and elongate a bit. Takes roughly 10-14 days. Top em down to 2nd node. Think Uncle Bens topping method. 4 main tops start growing. I chop the bottom 2 when they get a few inches and toss em in the cloner.
Then top the top 2 so the 2 secondary start growing on each side. LST those suckers down. Pretty much makes an X pattern if you look at it from above. Secondary shoots from all 4 start growing up on all 4 of them. Chop the ends of the X when they start alternating and putting out 1 node at a time. Plant then just focuses on all the branches growing up. Slap it under a net and it fills out quick.


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## Josh33 (May 4, 2019)

I have never ever toped a plant bit after reading this thread I have 5 femanized white banners I’m gonna do this too I wonder how many times you can do it assuming you account in how long it stayes in veg


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## budman111 (May 5, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> I have never ever toped a plant bit after reading this thread I have 5 femanized white banners I’m gonna do this too I wonder how many times you can do it assuming you account in how long it stayes in veg


As much as you want, more the better usually.


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

From growing Manifold style I always wait till the plant has 6 nodes then top at the 4th node. Then wait till the new set of tops reach 6 and top to 4, so on and so forth.


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

Alrighty so I would clip of any new growth growing from a v shape and that will put all its growth into the v now and I can do it a bunch of times? How long between clipping should I wait how long do the plants take to recover?


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## budman111 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Alrighty so I would clip of any new growth growing from a v shape and that will put all its growth into the v now and I can do it a bunch of times? How long between clipping should I wait how long do the plants take to recover?


usually leave a few weeks between clipping.


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

budman111 said:


> usually leave a few weeks between clipping.


Alrighty so essentially the plant will be needing to veg for another month if I would like to top twice?


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## budman111 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Alrighty so essentially the plant will be needing to veg for another month if I would like to top twice?


Depends how fast they grow and that's determined by environment and grower skill, usually every few weeks is good.


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Alrighty so I would clip of any new growth growing from a v shape and that will put all its growth into the v now and I can do it a bunch of times? How long between clipping should I wait how long do the plants take to recover?


Look up Mainfolding (Mainlining) I top 3 times giving me 8 mainstems. You can do more, next would be 16 mains then 32 mains so on and so forth.
Just wait till the two new mains reach 6 nodes then clip at the 4th node, you want time for the roots system to develope, the key to manifolds success, powerful rooting system. I would say your looking at about 6 to 8 weeks veg. depending on your experience and grow method.

1.) Create “Base”

Let young plant grow 6 nodes
Top to 3rd node and clean all extra growth except top 2 growth tips and their fan leaves
Now you have 2 main colas – these form the “base” of your cannabis manifold
2.) Create 8 main colas

Let each side grow 4 nodes
Top to 3rd node on each side
Instead of cleaning all other growth like in the last step, just remove all the growth from the 2nd node on each side, leaving growth from node 1 & 3 on each side
Now you have 8 colas!
3.) Vegetative Stage

In addition to regular plant care, specifically check plants at least twice a week to make sure everything is growing flat like a table. Older stems start getting hard and woody and are more difficult to train, so if you check plants at least twice a week you’ll be able to bend stems while they’re still young and flexible. Getting used to checking on your plants regularly is a great habit that will serve you well in your cannabis growing adventures!
Try to fill every “space” under the grow light with colas that are a few inches away from each other, and all the same height. If at any point you can see a cola is growing taller than the others, gently bend it down and away from other colas.
Use twisty tie to secure stems so everything stays in place, otherwise your stems will turn back up overnight!
Keeping up with this process throughout the vegetative stage gives you a flat, even canopy with many evenly spaced bud sites.
4.) Flowering Stage

Switch to the flowering stage when the plant has reached half the final desired height.
Continue to arrange colas to fill up your space under the light for first 2-3 weeks after the flip to 12/12.
If any colas are growing much taller than the others, make sure to bend them down and away during the first few weeks, securing them just like before. This is especially important for colas growing directly under the grow light since they are most likely to grow too close to the light and get burned!
That’s pretty much it!
Although I use the 6/4 method, again I believe I get better growth this way.
This was my last manifold in 2015 I think, did not really trim as much bottom growth but still worked great.,
6 plants shared tent with 6 other plants kind of cramped, got over 3 zips per plant. You can see the size of the plants. Hard packed buds.  
Thinking of doing this again on my next grow but do 8 plants in my 4x4 letting them get a bit bigger. I believe Indica's work best for this method. IMHO


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

gr865 said:


> Look up Mainfolding (Mainlining) I top 3 times giving me 8 mainstems. You can do more, next would be 16 mains then 32 mains so on and so forth.
> Just wait till the two new mains reach 6 nodes then clip at the 4th node, you want time for the roots system to develope, the key to manifolds success, powerful rooting system. I would say your looking at about 6 to 8 weeks veg. depending on your experience and grow method.
> View attachment 4329058
> 1.) Create “Base”
> ...


Hmm very interesting. Only getting 3 ounces per plant?? That seems very low I get 4 ounces per plant or more with very simple tie down (lst) methods I wonder if the extra stress on the plant and wait time is even really worth it ...


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

gr865 said:


> Look up Mainfolding (Mainlining) I top 3 times giving me 8 mainstems. You can do more, next would be 16 mains then 32 mains so on and so forth.
> Just wait till the two new mains reach 6 nodes then clip at the 4th node, you want time for the roots system to develope, the key to manifolds success, powerful rooting system. I would say your looking at about 6 to 8 weeks veg. depending on your experience and grow method.
> View attachment 4329058
> 1.) Create “Base”
> ...


 Very nice plants by the way very beautiful and dense looking absolute props from me


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Hmm very interesting. Only getting 3 ounces per plant?? That seems very low I get 4 ounces per plant or more with very simple tie down (lst) methods I wonder if the extra stress on the plant and wait time is even really worth it ...


I have been running vertical grows for the past 3 yrs and doing over 6 zips per plant.
The difference is the size I wanted to keep the plants, I always wanted short. If I do manifolds this winter I will allow them more veg time and get some size. 
I am debating vertical or manifolds, I have about 3 lbs but will be making oil and dab with a lot of it soon. As long as I can get at least a lb per grow at two grows a yr then I am good. Enough to smoke and enough to make some meds.
You can see my vertical grows in my Big Buddha Cheese signature.


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

gr865 said:


> I have been running vertical grows for the past 3 yrs and doing over 6 zips per plant.
> The difference is the size I wanted to keep the plants, I always wanted short. If I do manifolds this winter I will allow them more veg time and get some size.
> I am debating vertical or manifolds, I have about 3 lbs but will be making oil and dab with a lot of it soon. As long as I can get at least a lb per grow at two grows a yr then I am good. Enough to smoke and enough to make some meds.
> You can see my vertical grows in my Big Buddha Cheese signature.


Nice yeah 6 is more like it I actually was just talking to a guy that told me if your not pulling 8 ounces of a plant throw it out or quit growing, so lately I’m trying to find ways to increase my yield that’s why I’m thinking about toping or manifold or main lining with my already used techniques or lollipoping and lst tieing down I’m definitely gonna try some of these other methods and see if anything helps thanks so much for your info man it definitely helped me


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Hmm very interesting. Only getting 3 ounces per plant?? That seems very low I get 4 ounces per plant or more with very simple tie down (lst) methods I wonder if the extra stress on the plant and wait time is even really worth it ...


If I do the manifold grow it will be in 3 gallon smart pots in coco, I use 2 gallon for my verticals. Those pics are White Rhino, 1 gallon Folgers plastic coffee cans, grown Hempy style. That is probably the biggest difference in size of plants. I got Fungal Gnats at about week 4 of flower, so battled those fuckers the rest of the grow.
I believe growing 6 manifold plants in 3 gallons Smart Pot with coco and my irrigation system I can do equally as well.


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Nice yeah 6 is more like it I actually was just talking to a guy that told me if your not pulling 8 ounces of a plant throw it out or quit growing, so lately I’m trying to find ways to increase my yield that’s why I’m thinking about toping or manifold or main lining with my already used techniques or lollipoping and lst tieing down I’m definitely gonna try some of these other methods and see if anything helps thanks so much for your info man it definitely helped me


Most ever thing depends on the strain you choose, if I do a vert or manifold this winter I plan on using an Indica.
Check out vertical growing.
 
How many plants is your friend growing, indoors or outdoors, what is his grow tech. and medium.
I did a Monster Crop with Barneys Farm LSD, one plant 19 zips in a 4x4 but don't want to do it again, too much work.


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

Have you ever tried 5 gallon pots or even 7 gallon pots and just tied them down in a spiral motion to help with height? It’s loke having a 6 foot tall plant but it’s only 14 inches from the pot it’s in ? Always works well for me all the new growths grow right through the fan leaves and everything and your left with just the new growths poking through and they all become colas. I did one plant in a 8 gallon pot and filled a 5 foot long grow tent by tieing it down and let it grow horizontally across the whole tent everyone would ask me if I had 4 or 5 plants in there and I was like nope just 1 lol


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

gr865 said:


> Most ever thing depends on the strain you choose, if I do a vert or manifold this winter I plan on using an Indica.
> Check out vertical growing.
> How many plants is your friend growing, indoors or outdoors, what is his grow tech. and medium.
> I did a Monster Crop with Barneys Farm LSD, one plant 19 zips in a 4x4 but don't want to do it again, too much work.
> View attachment 4329090


Nice man that grow looks great and 19 zips wow that’s great but I know what you mean it’s nice to simplify things keep them simple and quick if you can


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

My Monster Crop branches, yes I tie them down.


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## gr865 (May 6, 2019)

Josh33 said:


> Nice man that grow looks great and 19 zips wow that’s great but I know what you mean it’s nice to simplify things keep them simple and quick if you can


Posted a pic in that same thread of one of my vertical plants.


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## Josh33 (May 6, 2019)

gr865 said:


> Posted a pic in that same thread of one of my vertical plants.


Yeah I saw very nice I’m impressed it looks great


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## smacko420 (Dec 27, 2021)

hey guys im kinda new to this thing but i have just topped 4 of my plants and i didnt check until after if i had done it to ealry, i topped them at the 3rd node but all i have read online is to top them at the 6th i was wondering how badly it will effect my plants and have i done it to early any help or pointers would be much appreciated


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## Coldnasty (Dec 27, 2021)

smacko420 said:


> hey guys im kinda new to this thing but i have just topped 4 of my plants and i didnt check until after if i had done it to ealry, i topped them at the 3rd node but all i have read online is to top them at the 6th i was wondering how badly it will effect my plants and have i done it to early any help or pointers would be much appreciated View attachment 5054937View attachment 5054938View attachment 5054939View attachment 5054941


It will be fine. My preference is the fifth node but you will sort your own style out over time.


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## smacko420 (Dec 27, 2021)

Coldnasty said:


> It will be fine. My preference is the fifth node but you will sort your own style out over time.


cheers, i was stressing that i had fucked it


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