Can you top sode shoots?

i was wondering if you can top sode branches and get the same effect. Ive topped my aK twice now and the side branches ae higher than the main cola, to avoid defoliating them can I top them to yield a similar effect?

Yes top everything!!!!!!!!!!

Lol for real tho, yes you can top all side branching. I topped all my sides when they grew the 3rd node

Topping will work on any shoot splitting in into two.

Thank you both! Ill Start topping they're reaching the third node.

Do you folks often defoliate underneath the main/ side shoots in veg or wait until flower?

I defoliate and prune in veg and in early flowering up to the end of the third week. However most of my defoliating/pruning and training is done in veg so it's only removing fan leaves blocking light to sites.

YouGrowYourWay said:

I defoliate and prune in veg and in early flowering up to the end of third week. However most of my defoliating/pruning and training is done in veg so it's only removing fan leaves blocking light to sites.

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Ahh okay, this is my first grow through and I did mass defoliation to one of my three plants and its currently growing the strongest (tallest and wide side shoots) but my other two are sagging over the last two days. 3 days ago there was tip on the non defoliated one burn so I thought nute deficiency or salt issue, so I flushed out the salts with nearly ph balanced water at 6.7 then waited until this morning to provide them with a fresh nute cycle. Ill post a picture when my phone charges. They look over watered I think, at least that is what im hoping. The tip burn stopped and lower leaves yellowing stopped they're just droppy.

Temps rocking 24 - 26 lights on 20 - 22 lights off humidity is 50 - 55% lights on below 35 - 40% lights off.
Have them under two 300W Viperspectra (comes out at about 355 true watt together 175-178ish each) BLED's at 30 inches above the canopy.
Have airflow directly on the canopy.

The r300 models?

Im all about heavy defoliation once the fan leaves grow back and start to get hand sized I defoliate again and train/prune any unwanted sites

Prior to flushing and rewatering they were on a cycle of about 3-4 days no water (I use the lifting method to check if dry) followed by about 75% Nutes, Using Calimag 1 1/2 tbsp / Gal, FloraBloom 3/4 tbsp / gal, 2 2/3 tbsp floragro, and 1 3/4 tbsp floramicro. (comes out to a ph balance of 6.5) then wait 3 - 4 days no water then next watering would just be nute free, repeat.

Use your ppm meter and see what they're doing see if your ppm is dropping or rising see if your pH is rising or dropping don't just feed water feed water learn to give them what they want when they want it...I'm looking for an article now for you on proper feeding schedules I know it helped me alot a few months back gimme a minute to find it

YouGrowYourWay said:

Im all about heavy defoliation once the fan leaves grow back and start to get hand sized I defoliate again and train/prune any unwanted sites...are you in soil?

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I am in soil, I used vegtable soil that in it, but flushed it 4 times, added about 25% sphagnum moss and 25% perlite to it. and yes I am using the R300 models.


On a side note I have 600W MH/HPS on its way for my second tent and am in debate on a 315W or 630W CMH for the third. (After this grow I plan to do 3 strains in 3 tents alone under the different lights.) I am also switching to Coco for my second set of growing.

Ahhh now lemme stop while I'm ahead soil is out of my realm I'm hydro...def go CMH if you're going HID...so the r300 are actually 175 w I didn't think they were that high lol I have three of them in a 2x4 they produced well I suppose on my second run with them now this time all three are on one plant instead of three

YouGrowYourWay said:

Ahhh now lemme stop while I'm ahead soil is out of my realm I'm hydro...def go CMH if you're going HID...so the r300 are actually 175 w I didn't think they were that high lol I have three of them in a 2x4 they produced well I suppose on my second run with them now this time all three are on one plant instead of three

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So should I return the HID I ordered and just got with two CMH systems? just due to heat exhaust I was going to do 1 600W MH/HPS system, and leave the CMH / LED's too keep the room temps stable. Also for experimentation. The CMH and LED tents both will have humidifer's and the MH/HPS tent will be mostly sealed (CMH tent feeding its exhaust air into MH/HPS)
My tents are 39x39x72, 36x36x70, and 36x36x84-96.
What my plan is: 39x39 gets 2x indica plants Bubba K CBD (my main ones for pain relief) the 36x36x70 gets one white widow plant. and then in the tall tent I'll be growing Blue dream due to its height, (CMH for blue dream)
The two r300w's pull between 154 - 178w, on start up they only pull 150, but after about 5 hours on they peak at 170 range.

the MH/HPS is a closed hood but putting backdraft protector on one side to allow it to exhaust air out of the tent through the hood, while CMH will be open. LED tent vents to room and intakes from room, room have general intake and exhaust to outside, with ac available. The room is also a indoor garden so it self maintains humidity rather well

Hope this isn't confusing I just had a bowl and never thought I'd explain this to someone

Next year this time I'll be looking to convert to hydro, just due to the start up of three tents (about 2.1grand CAD I have high standards) I couldn't afford a hydro system this year.

Actuosity said:

Next year this time I'll be looking to convert to hydro, just due to the start up of three tents (about 2.1grand CAD I have high standards) I couldn't afford a hydro system this year.

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Say less my friend I'm expensive too at least you are growing your own meds

As far as returning it I would because of all the great grows I've seen with CMH but I have no real world experience with them. @Renfro or @Thundercat may be able to help better with the lights. I'm currently looking to upgrade to cobs so I'm staying led

But as far as your set up goes I like it a lot and can't wait for your journal
Edit
You said the rooms an indoor garden?? Whatcha growing bro??

YouGrowYourWay said:

But as far as your set up goes I like it a lot and can't wait for your journal
Edit
You said the rooms an indoor garden?? Whatcha growing bro??

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Had to restart as I just moved provinces but currently ive got 3 large cucumber plants, 10 vine tomatoes and 6 bush (minitoms) beat greens, kale and lettuce. In seedling stage I have sweet pepper carnival mix 24 and 24 kale bunches and 24 beat grean bunches. In the comming few weeks Ill be starting about 30sq fr of brocolli and 120sq ft of microgreens, then i just have to get my herbs back up and running and Ill be golden.

Im a chef in training so I try to grow the majority of my families food year round. Sadly had to restart all the plants after my move, none survived the trip mid fall

Here are photos and good news, after thismornings nute refresh my girls are perky again. Ill give em another day to ensure recovery before i start topping those sides

Edit: i may do a grow journal for the second batch but im not sure, ive always been a “heart gardener” just listen to the plants and flow with nature so i often dont write things down or keep logs.

I only top twice. I found that is bushy enough to give large colas without delaying the process too much. If it gets too bushy you run into light penetration problems, so then you have to start pruning.

I am an anti pruning in general. Sick growth, half dead leaves, etc are fair game. But I've never been into the whole deal where shoots are cut because they don't receive enough light. The ones with too little light die off, and those are pruned. But if it is a healthy green leaf - I leave it.

I have had my plants outside for a few years so light penetration isn't an issue.

To help light penetration I lean more towards training (tying branches down to open it, to flatten the canopy) rather than pruning.

This tends to make a plant much wider than it normally grows so in space constrained spaces is not advisable.