Topping Clones??

[Kushfan]

Hello guys, long time lurker, first time poster. First indoor grow, I have 6 plants in veg, 3 from seed 3 from clone. I topped the seedlings a few weeks ago, and they grew new branches as expected and are growing vigorously. The clones never grew new branches. So basically I just cut off the main branches and now the side branches are the only future budsites.

1. Can you not top clones? Or is there a different way to do it?

2. Is it even worth it for me to grow these clones out now, with no main cola?? I could always go to the dispensary and pick up 3 replacements to grow to their full potential. As for now they are bushing out pretty decent, but I'm afraid that I will end up with a bunch of popcorn after all this work.

 

[sine143]

just ride it out. I suspect you may have taken the scissors to the clones too early, and they might not have had a well established rootball. Topping DOES slow your plant down, however, many will argue that it is still beneficial because it makes your plant more managable, allowing you to maximize production on the new branches, as long as you continue to train the canopy and keep it nice and even. Some strains just dont like being topped, and clones can grow quite slow if they were not selected of a vigorous mother. your seed plants are most likely hybrids, meaning that once they're popped they show "hybrid vigor", and grow nice and quickly. this doesnt last through the whole grow cycle, so if the clones are taken off an older mother plant, they will be lacking that vigor your seeds have shown you.

post some pics, we'll be able to let you know better after that.

 

[slump]

Hello!

Sounds like you went with 2 different techniques. If you remove the lead growth, like with the seedlings, the subsequent node will become the new mains...if you just literally cut the top off @ an established internode, there will not be a new set of mains but the remaining branches will receive the redistribution of auxin and essentially become mains.

I'd grow the clones out, just give them some time to recover. To avoid popcorn, I'd prune the lowers a bit more than usual before flowering as their individual canopy will be a bit heavier and light penetration may be an issue.

Grow Safe

 

[Kushfan]

just ride it out. I suspect you may have taken the scissors to the clones too early, and they might not have had a well established rootball. Topping DOES slow your plant down, however, many will argue that it is still beneficial because it makes your plant more managable, allowing you to maximize production on the new branches, as long as you continue to train the canopy and keep it nice and even. Some strains just dont like being topped, and clones can grow quite slow if they were not selected of a vigorous mother. your seed plants are most likely hybrids, meaning that once they're popped they show "hybrid vigor", and grow nice and quickly. this doesnt last through the whole grow cycle, so if the clones are taken off an older mother plant, they will be lacking that vigor your seeds have shown you.

post some pics, we'll be able to let you know better after that.

The clones had a very established rootball, they are about 12" in 3 gallon smart pots. Actually all of my plants are hybrids. The clones are Jupiter OG and Pure Kush, and my seed plants are White OG and Pre98 Bubba x Socal Master x Tahoe OG x Alien Kush. I don't have any good pics at the moment.

Hello!

Sounds like you went with 2 different techniques. If you remove the lead growth, like with the seedlings, the subsequent node will become the new mains...if you just literally cut the top off @ an established internode, there will not be a new set of mains but the remaining branches will receive the redistribution of auxin and essentially become mains.

I'd grow the clones out, just give them some time to recover. To avoid popcorn, I'd prune the lowers a bit more than usual before flowering as their individual canopy will be a bit heavier and light penetration may be an issue.

Grow Safe

Yeah I just cut off the top at an established internode. By pruning do you mean just remove the lower branches? Nice dog btw

 

[slump]

Yeah I just cut off the top at an established internode. By pruning do you mean just remove the lower branches? Nice dog btw

Not so much lower branches as they may be headed to the top of the canopy with the way it was topped, but just the lower growth that will not get any light. If you also trim around day 15 of flower, it will be easy to tell which nodes/branches aren't going produce much.

Thanks! Chuck is my boy...just wish he was a better guard dog

Grow Safe

 

[Kushfan]

Not so much lower branches as they may be headed to the top of the canopy with the way it was topped, but just the lower growth that will not get any light. If you also trim around day 15 of flower, it will be easy to tell which nodes/branches aren't going produce much.

Thanks! Chuck is my boy...just wish he was a better guard dog

Grow Safe

Pits are known to be not the best guard dogs, as they are too friendly and eager to please contrary to popular belief

Thanks, I guess I'll let them hang out in my tent for the experience if nothing else.

 

[lovemug]

How high up the plant did you top your clones? Im assuming they are mature plants with alternating nodes and not growing sets anymore. I top plants at the tip about 1-2 weeks before they go into flowering and end up with a spread out cola. Its more like 3-8 colas. I am not fimming when i do this just removing the top between two alternating nodes.

 

[Kushfan]

How high up the plant did you top your clones? Im assuming they are mature plants with alternating nodes and not growing sets anymore. I top plants at the tip about 1-2 weeks before they go into flowering and end up with a spread out cola. Its more like 3-8 colas. I am not fimming when i do this just removing the top between two alternating nodes.

I actually cut them about halfway down. I should've researched first, my mistake. I've never had any problems at all topping a seedling.

 

[pacificarage]

When you top, you're just discontinuing the growth from the main stem. So it finds different paths to grow upward on the plant. Any spot will do whether its a clone or from seed. As long as you don't take too much off.

 

[theR6maniac]

When you top, you're just discontinuing the growth from the main stem. So it finds different paths to grow upward on the plant. Any spot will do whether its a clone or from seed. As long as you don't take too much off.

That's an awesome way of explaining it

Haha holy shit 2012 I'm a little behind!