toping a plant???

i have one big plant and 3 smaller ones, all in the same set up. i want to top the big one and slow its upward growth but i am unsure when to do it i think im still a little early but not sure.

I've topped them at that size (the size of the big one) with no ill effects.

Topping can generally done when the plant reaches the 5th node. I try to do all of my topping a good 2 weeks before the flowering cycle begins. I generally top three times during the veg cycle. I have heard that you don't want to top in the flowering cycle as it does need some recovery time to complete the new growth or Y shape that you are hoping to accomplish. This usually stunts or slows down growth as it does the repair. I know people that have done it early during the flowering cycle and had it work for them but I don't want to stress the plant out when it is in the flowering phase.

how do you top a plant? what does hte "node" mean? thanks for the help, sorry this is my first time growing and i am still trying to figure a few things out

russruss89 said:

how do you top a plant? what does the "node" mean? thanks for the help, sorry this is my first time growing and i am still trying to figure a few things out

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Here is a link to a section on topping in the GrowFAQ section here. Great info in that section for beginners. I lived in there for several weeks, good stuff. Nodes are sections of the plant that send out branches from the main stem.

GROWFAQ