Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas

[Uncle Ben]

Uncle Ben,

Got a question about topping, your method above the 2nd true node causes 4 main cola's, and above 1st gives 2 cola's.

I understand that.

My question is, what about with a polyploid? i have one with 3 leaf sets per node atm, would topping at 1st node give 3, and topping 2nd node give 6?

I guess it would, but want your opinion because you know about the hormonal responce thing,

Thanks

Shouldn't matter, depends on the nodes. Like I explained in the first post and included photos, there are dormant buds at each NODE where the leaf petiole attaches to the "trunk". Your goal is to make them apical dominant, as opposed to recessive. If you have 3 opposing nodes at exactly the same point on the trunk, then you should get 3 main colas if it is the first node to top above. If they're alternating, the most dominant will be the top one, the most recessive the bottom.

I know The Herd parrots want you to believe it's all light related and try to justify their defoliation actions based on this paradigm, but this ties into why lower buds are usually popcorn sized. They're the last to form and will be the last to get the plant's goodies, hormones, etc.

UB

 

[Guitar Man]

Here are my plants, using UB’s topping technique. The girls are 47 days old (since planting germinated seeds). I’m 22 days into flowering and the plants have responded well to the top.

The 1[SUP]st[/SUP] picture is an Indica and the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] is a Sativa. I have grown the Indica 2 times before, and the Sativa 1 time, so I have a pretty good idea where my grow has been, and where it could end up. I also keep detailed logs of each grow, so I can compare and change things as needed.

At day 19, both plants had 5-6 nodes, so I made the cut above the second node as shown in the next 2 pictures (these pictures were taken today, on day 47). As you can see, 4 main colas have developed on each plant.

Because of growing the Sativa before, I knew she liked to stretch to the heavens, so I had a plan for another top in case she decided to go after my lights like last time. Well, she did, so I topped the 2 main colas @ the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] node to calm her down on day 12 of flowering.

The top on those 2 colas has created 4 tops, and the cut did exactly what I needed to keep the canopy under control. Current plant heights: Indica, 26”; Sativa, 44”. Watering every 3 days, with bloom ferts every other watering. PH testing all water and runoff when needed. Using 5 gallon Smart Pots, using MG MC Soil (all right everyone, no bashing on MG Soil LOL!! I have good luck with this soil.)

With my experience from my previous grows, the harvest of these plants will be the best of anything I’ve ever done. Bud sights and colas are everywhere, and 5-6 weeks from now, I should be having TONS of FUN at chop-chop!!

 

[grimeygreasy]

Yeah, I'm picking it up quite clearly. You're out to pick a fight, now get lost.

UB

The only person trying to pick a fight here is you. Your demeaning tone and hostility cheapen the quality information you provide to the community. This is your thread, and you're clearly not interested in having a conversation (read: constructive criticism) so I will respectfully bow out. For the record, I would have debated this via PM with you but you have disabled that function, feel free to PM me if you have any interest in discussing the topic further.

 

[Fruitbat]

Here is the core of this thread - To get result X use process Z

Imagine you are baking a cake. To make a specific cake you follow a specific recipe. What you are doing is changing the recipe then claiming the results will be the same when in fact they are different.

Plus he never said you can't top a clone.

 

[elkukupanda]

Hey UB,
I'm glad i did my homework before this thing flowered... I haven't harvest yet but i been nicking and picking, here and there and man... this plant is great... Thanks again brother, because i'm already ripping the benefits in my first grow and have a little bit more of understanding about plants.. Bless.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Hey UB,
I'm glad i did my homework before this thing flowered... I haven't harvest yet but i been nicking and picking, here and there and man... this plant is great... Thanks again brother, because i'm already ripping the benefits in my first grow and have a little bit more of understanding about plants.. Bless.

Good, glad it's working out for you.

 

[Guitar Man]

UB, and others on this Thread; with 4 weeks left in Flowering, I just can't believe how BEAUTIFUL my plants are right now!! UNFRICKEN BELIEVABLE! I'll be posting some mind blowing pics, soon!!

 

[drew425]

View attachment 2528045View attachment 2528047View attachment 2528050View attachment 2528053View attachment 2528056View attachment 2528058View attachment 2528060View attachment 2528061View attachment 2528062View attachment 2528063

Here are my plants, using UB’s topping technique. The girls are 47 days old (since planting germinated seeds). I’m 22 days into flowering and the plants have responded well to the top.

The 1[SUP]st[/SUP] picture is an Indica and the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] is a Sativa. I have grown the Indica 2 times before, and the Sativa 1 time, so I have a pretty good idea where my grow has been, and where it could end up. I also keep detailed logs of each grow, so I can compare and change things as needed.

At day 19, both plants had 5-6 nodes, so I made the cut above the second node as shown in the next 2 pictures (these pictures were taken today, on day 47). As you can see, 4 main colas have developed on each plant.

Because of growing the Sativa before, I knew she liked to stretch to the heavens, so I had a plan for another top in case she decided to go after my lights like last time. Well, she did, so I topped the 2 main colas @ the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] node to calm her down on day 12 of flowering.

The top on those 2 colas has created 4 tops, and the cut did exactly what I needed to keep the canopy under control. Current plant heights: Indica, 26”; Sativa, 44”. Watering every 3 days, with bloom ferts every other watering. PH testing all water and runoff when needed. Using 5 gallon Smart Pots, using MG MC Soil (all right everyone, no bashing on MG Soil LOL!! I have good luck with this soil.)

With my experience from my previous grows, the harvest of these plants will be the best of anything I’ve ever done. Bud sights and colas are everywhere, and 5-6 weeks from now, I should be having TONS of FUN at chop-chop!!

So basically you took UB's technique and took it 1 step further and topped another cola after getting the 4 colas? So you have 7 toal now?

This is my Sativa at 32 days in 12/12. Haven't measured her in the last week but she's about 45-50" tall. I used UB's technique accidentally by dropping a light on her. At the times she was about 3 weeks old at an estimated 8-10 nodes tall but it still worked. Wish id know this before and I have topped her again as shes just getting way too big. Im not even sure how many colas I have as im not very good at counting them but it looks like at least 4

 

[Guitar Man]

So basically you took UB's technique and took it 1 step further and topped another cola after getting the 4 colas? So you have 7 toal now?

This is my Sativa at 32 days in 12/12. Haven't measured her in the last week but she's about 45-50" tall. I used UB's technique accidentally by dropping a light on her. At the times she was about 3 weeks old at an estimated 8-10 nodes tall but it still worked. Wish id know this before and I have topped her again as shes just getting way too big. Im not even sure how many colas I have as im not very good at counting them but it looks like at least 4

View attachment 2535853

Right now, it looks like I have 6 colas instead of 4 because of the top I did to shorten the plant. 4 colas coming off of the 2 I topped, and the other 2 that I didn't have to cut. That being said, the bud activity on this plant and the other one I'm growing is just incredible!! Fucking BUD JUNGLE!! This technique is working perfectly in my closet because I have limited space.

 

[elkukupanda]

UB,
i think i finally have an answer regarding what makes the meristem thicker... After some good readings and watching my plants closely.. I noticed that they all had something in common. Either it was the plant with a single cola... 4 big colas or a not so healthy plant... Their trunk girth was about the same size... I read some about the functions of the lateral or secondary meristem.. which is the one in charge of that type of growth and understood a little bit more about what makes a plant have a thick stem... Is not only one thing that makes the plant grow its secondary meristem thicker... The plant sensory system is #1, Environment for root growth is #2 (soil i'm assuming) #3 availability of water//water uptake and health of leaves..
Here is a paper!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560032/

so what? am i right or am i right?

 

[Guitar Man]

UB, i think i finally have an answer regarding.. what makes a thick meristem... After readings and observations.. i noticed that all my plants... apical dominance... 4 big colas, not so healthy plant... all of them had something in common... that the meristem was about the same girth in all of them.... How could three plants that reacted and grew completely different to the other could have in common... then i began reading about the functions of the lateral or secondary meristem.. which is the one that pretty much regulates the growth of the meristem... understood why a plant grows in the way they do... the feeling and adjusting the plant does to the environment etc.. also importance of water uptake and the importance of root mass distribution for soil... i also found i think a beautiful piece of paper with a very interesting study that cover a lot... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560032/

so what? am i right or am i right?

Are you saying your plants did not respond well to UB's topping technique?

 

[elkukupanda]

I sound illiterate, don't I? ^^ Ok, i think it is readable now.

 

[Uncle Ben]

UB,
i think i finally have an answer regarding what makes the meristem thicker... After some good readings and watching my plants closely.. I noticed that they all had something in common. Either it was the plant with a single cola... 4 big colas or a not so healthy plant... Their trunk girth was about the same size... I read some about the functions of the lateral or secondary meristem.. which is the one in charge of that type of growth and understood a little bit more about what makes a plant have a thick stem... Is not only one thing that makes the plant grow its secondary meristem thicker... The plant sensory system is #1, Environment for root growth is #2 (soil i'm assuming) #3 availability of water//water uptake and health of leaves..
Here is a paper!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560032/

so what? am i right or am i right?

Not sure. That is an exhaustive study and needs a better glance than what I'm willing to give it right now. Getting anal, looks like a fight between cytokinins and auxins regarding apical dominance.

Been practicing it for years and it's never failed me.

Just for the record, to clear things up, there have been allegations by some that are trying to twist the cause-effect.....nomenclature may be at work here too with these people. There is a big difference between getting numerous tops and inducing 2 or 4 main colas instead of the usual one that occurs with an untopped plant. It's clear to me but not all. I assume those that are confused or inexperienced and just haven't learned the subtle nuance of cannabis anatomy or development.

Good luck,
UB

 

[elkukupanda]

I was wondering what size planting pot you use... HxW as well

 

[Uncle Ben]

There's a lot to chew on in that article, but regarding my technique, it seems to come down to what I wrote in the first post and elsewhere:

3.2. Auxin – An essential regulator of branching

A process fundamental to the control of axillary bud activity is apical dominance. It has long been known that the main shoot apex suppresses the outgrowth of axillary buds (Snow, 1929) and thus, apical dominance is relevant in the definition of plant architecture. Indeed, the expression of a particular growth form is linked to the degree of apical dominance. For example, some species carry a dominant primary stem, while in other species lateral branches grow similarly vigorously as the main stem and sometimes even overgrow it. These two branching habits are called excurrent and decurrent, respectively, and can easily be associated to various annual species.

 

[Uncle Ben]

I sound illiterate, don't I? ^^ Ok, i think it is readable now.

Meristem is a particular tissue located in the tip of buds and roots. It's the tissue used in cloning plants in a lab. I used to grow orchids and bought many a "mericlone" or a genetically identical clone of the mother plant grown out from meristem tissue using a nutrient plate and centrifuge to induce nurture and promote asexual cell division.

Are you talking about the "trunks"?

UB

 

[elkukupanda]

Meristem is a particular tissue located in the tip of buds and roots. It's the tissue used in cloning plants in a lab. I used to grow orchids and bought many a "mericlone" or a genetically identical clone of the mother plant grown out from meristem tissue using a nutrient plate and centrifuge to induce nurture and promote asexual cell division.

Are you talking about the "trunks"?

UB

Yes bro the sexy trunks. Sorry, I was referring to the secondary//lateral meristem... the cork cambium// vascular cambium(unless i'm a little bit off here). So i what i was saying//asking... If the main trunk girth is directly associated with root//plant growth (development).. I was wondering if the flowering pot dimension HXW could also play as one of the factors to make the trunk thicker... I'm just trying to get great results with min veg time as possible from seed... I'm dropping all kinds of HST/LST... and try to keep optimal the photosynthetic rate of my plants... but yah... that's my question...

 

[elkukupanda]

I think now i get the point of your experiment growing that plant in a 16oz cup...

 

[elkukupanda]

Are you saying your plants did not respond well to UB's topping technique?

Nope. I was not questioning his technique... it was just the same old... "what makes a trunk thick" my bad.. i was referring to the trunk as meristem.. problem corrected..

 

[Guitar Man]

Here's an update on my plants at day 28 of flowering. Still have 4-5 weeks to go and the bud activity is the best I've ever had in my grows. 2 plants, using UB's topping technique. Plant on the left is an Indica and the one on the right is a Sativa. The Indica has 4 solid colas, with other tops coming up everywhere. The Sativa, which I had to top a second time, has 6 main colas and numerous other tops as well. So far, they are healthy and strong.