How Many Nodes Before Topping?

M

MikeAlex

Member
How many nodes should a plant have before topping it? If my plant is currently growing its 5th node, is it too late to top?
 
bluemagicman

bluemagicman

Well-Known Member
MikeAlex said:
From what I understand each node left will create 2 colas. So if you have 2 nodes you'll get 4 colas.
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Not so, topping will produce 2 terminal colas directly under the cut, branches below will receive more oxins but will not become "terminl colas" and the true answer is 1 node, but i'd reccomend 4-5 and always fim
 
bluemagicman

bluemagicman

Well-Known Member
Obviously more colas = more weed, to get 4 you need to fim, which is when you cut about 80% of the new node off and 2-6 new cola branches will form, check my grow in my sig i fim'd, it's not about the node, nodes really have nothing to do with it except you want some leafs so it can recover nicely
 
RawBudzski

RawBudzski

Well-Known Member
^ correct. also, if time is no issue. You can literally pop your girl into a 5gal, and spend 1-2 months designing her.. then when flowering hits. She alone could withstand 1x 600w and yield 4-6oz Ez depending on strain. I still dont know which is better, less & bigger or more & smaller. o_O but imo right now i like good 3ft'ers
 
canefan

canefan

Well-Known Member
There are so many ways to top, trim, fim, prune, whatever you want to do to a plant. Many strains lend themselves readily to this kind of treatment while others do not. I don't like to top or interfer with the plant until around the 8th node just to ensure that I have established a good root system inwhich to feed the new growth you are going to be producing. Plant health and vigor starts theres, I know lots of other things but the roots are the starting point.
Word of advice before you top or whatever, have you decided what you want your plant to look like when its done? Two or four main branches? Many buds sites with a lower canopy? This statement will get lots of different views but here is mine. If you are new to growing overall, not to mention our girls I wouldn't do anything the first grow. The more budsites, the smaller the container the more attention and balancing you are going to have to do to keep your girl at her peak throughout the grow. You can top and other things to a plant and produce more bud sites but until you learn how to grow a plant and what it needs and when, you are not going to know what the plant is capable of.
Right now the simplier you keep things the less stressed you will be over your plant during its grow. Just my two cents, but I also would be learning to take clones off of this girl and then go wild. This way you have guided the first plant through a cycle and know more about what it wants nutewise and such. I think you will find that doing this your multi-cola plant will do much better for you.
Good Luck and Welcome to RIU
 
gardengardian7

gardengardian7

Well-Known Member
canefan said:
There are ways to top, trim, fim, prune, whatever you want to do to a plant. Many strains lend themselves readily to this kind of treatment while others do not. I don't like to top or interfer with the plant until around the 8th node just to ensure that I have established a good root system inwhich to feed the new growth you are going to be producing. Plant health and vigor starts theres, I know lots of other things but the roots are the starting point.
Word of advice before you top or whatever, have you decided what you want your plant to look like when its done? Two or four main branches? Many buds sites with a lower canopy? This statement will get lots of different views but here is mine. If you are new to growing overall, not to mention our girls I wouldn't do anything the first grow. The more budsites, the smaller the container the more attention and balancing you are going to have to do to keep your girl at her peak throughout the grow. You can top and other things to a plant and produce more bud sites but until you learn how to grow a plant and what it needs and when, you are not going to know what the plant is capable of.
Right now the simplier you keep things the less stressed you will be over your plant during its grow. Just my two cents, but I also would be learning to take clones off of this girl and then go wild. This way you have guided the first plant through a cycle and know more about what it wants nutewise and such. I think you will find that doing this your multi-cola plant will do much better for you.
Good Luck and Welcome to RIU
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I had to respond to this though its old. I was collecting knowledge on topping and it landed me here. This is a fulfilling sectional of knowledge to be brought back to life in 2014. This is the best i ran into yet. Thanks to this member.
 
chronicals77

chronicals77

Well-Known Member
I know this is old, I just want to add my two cents. From my experience a good rule of thumb if your a beginner and unsure do your topping just as if your main lining. Pinch every 3rd node. No matter where you pinch the top two nodes will put out 4 new meristems and rarely below that. Always atleast let your plants get 3 nodes before pinching so it has a good root system and plenty of hormones. I like to keep my main branches as low as possible and early as possible so they have time to get thick and strong so they can handle the weight of big juicey buds without having to tie or very minimal tying of the plant. You can keep pinching every 3rd node until you have 8-16 colas if you like but the plant will require much longer veg time. The colas will all be a bit smaller but they will for the most part be even in size. Main lining is a good way to get a pound or close out of one plant with a 1000w HID system. I know cannabis masters that get 2lbs per 1000w light and only 2-3 plants! Thats knowing your shit right there... With atleast a 400w or stronger HID you should get atleast a half pound.
 
chronicals77

chronicals77

Well-Known Member
The apical meristem leaf bud. Not to be confused with flower bud. This pushes back energy/auxins to allow the lower 2-4 buds/nodes to grow branches faster. Im sure you know that however.
 
$bkbbudz$

$bkbbudz$

Well-Known Member
chronicals77 said:
The apical meristem leaf bud. Not to be confused with flower bud. This pushes back energy/auxins to allow the lower 2-4 buds/nodes to grow branches faster. Im sure you know that however.
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Know it? I never heard of it! apical meristem...auxins...don't mean much to me...I just give my plants what they need and they give me medicine. I have had this symbiotic relationship with Mother Ganja for years.

But this is newbie central and as such folks here want direct answers to simple questions and concerns. They don't need to know 4th year horticulture...Just sayin.

welcome to RIU.
 
chronicals77

chronicals77

Well-Known Member
True, but it sure helps a lot in the long run. Especially if aiming for high quality medical grade cannabis. You cant play Stevie Ray Vaughn without first learning Mary Had A Little Lamb. Well you could but you wont really know potential without the fundamentals first. Some people just have a gift, others do not and must study and learn the steps to get there. Im sure your doing just fine, BUT if you learned horticulture I promise your meds would be steps above what it is now. If someone is going to do something and spend time and money why not learn everything you can and be the best you can be. Maybe im partial being I have extensive experience in horticulture as a whole. I also grow high quality bonsai trees, and exotic hot peppers. Again, plants are plants when you strip everything down to the fundamentals.
 
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