how early can you top..My plant is constantly growing symmetrically so there is constantly 2 tops, how do and when can I do this?
o yeah, seperate question now that I think of it. Multiple people have commented about watering at night as to evaporate water on leaves to avoid burning. Is this normal, should I start feeding at night...Also, someone told me to rub the nutes into the leaves, would it be best to water at night and take 5 minutes to rub in some nutes????
Hiya TyPo
Topping can be done from about the 4th or 5th node onwards. To top, you simply cut just below the growing shoots at the top of the meristem.
Regarding watering, I don't think it makes any difference when you water (you shouldn't be getting water on the leaves anyway!) but whenever you do it - do it consistently, so if you water in the morning always do it in the morning.
Watering is a subject that comes up quite often and whilst everyone thinks its fairly easy and straightforward, many still get it wrong. Watering needs to adhere to a wet/dry cycle, that is the water should fully saturate the soil right the way through and then not be watered again until it's dry. By dry I mean about 5-10% water retention in the soil. A good way of judging this is to feel the weight of the pot before you water it and it should feel fairly 'light', then fully saturate the soil with at least 20% run off off out of the bottom of the pot (this helps to drive out any stale and old air in the soil and replace it with fresh) and then feel the weight of the pot - it should now feel heavy. Don't water it again until it feels light or until you see the soil 'just' starting to pull away from the sides of the pot, ideally you should water just before that happens. Also 'cultivate' the top 1/4 - 1/2 inch of so of soil with your finger or the back of a pencil - just rough it up and move it about - this helps the water penetrate the soil evenly.
Don't be fooled into thinking that just because the soil on the top of the pot is dry it needs watering - judge it by the wet/dry cycle and 'weight' of the pot. Small plants in small pots will need watering far more regularly than big plants in big pots - bear that in mind as well. My clones at the moment in 4 inch pots need watering every 2 days, my flowering female in a 11 litre pot needs watering every 4 days.
On no account rub nutrients into the leaves you will burn them. If you want to or need to 'foliar feed' make up a weak solution of nutrient and spray the leaves after lights out. Many people use a weak epsom salts solution as a foliar spray as this has a faster affect than in the feed water.
