Not quite sure of the concept

noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
Now, I read about topping a plant, and that will make it bush out. So how tall should a plant be to safely top it? When topping, do you cut at an angle, or do you just do a straight horizontal cut? Another question I have, say you top the plant, you then end up with two tops right? So are you able to top those two and end up with four main tops?

I saw a post that someone has on here and they topped their plant, it ended up with four main colas(?), but he didn't say that he topped it more than once. Can this happen, can you just top the plant one time and it ends up with four tops?

Last question, say someone were to top their plant, then some time goes by and you now have two tops, then they cut those two, they end up with four....so on and so on...how much can you do this before it starts to hurt the plant?
 
Sir. Gonzo

Sir. Gonzo

New Member
Dug this up for you bro. Enjoy!


Topping a Plant

1. Locate the very top of your plant and cut through the main stem just below the newest growth. This should be done after the 3rd or 4th leaf set but can be done at any time after the 3rd leaf set.

2. Shows Plant Top cut off and where the 2 new Branches that will form a "Y" in the main stem will grow from.

3. Shows the newly topped plant after 2 days of growth, notice the Y in the Stem Forming.





FIMMING A PLANT!

Fimming is actually no different that topping, what fimming does is virtually the exact same thing only your leaving part of the new growth. This only takes of part of the new growth and actually topping the very very new growth which is very hard to see.

What this ends up doing is making it seem as if your getting 4 new tops right next to eachother when its actually only 2 at the very top (like topping) but since it was cut so closely to the next newest set of fanleaves 2 branches which would have formed there anyways seems to make it look like there is 4 new tops.

This is how you go about doing this.

1. Locate the very top of the new growth




2. With a clean sterilized scissors, Fold the fan leafs over and cut approximately 80% of the new growth off the plant.





3. View from the top showing the Cut




4. View of the Cut section after 2 days growth, showing the 4 new growth shoots (branches)




Thats IT!!!! you should be well on your way to Topping and Fimming of your plants.
 
Shmulster

Shmulster

Active Member
when you top i dont think its important to cut horizontal... thats only when you clone and want to expose the "flesh" of the stem to the soil so it will root better... you will need to top twice to get 4 colas... and everytime you top you are basically hurting the plant. if your question is how many times until it dies i never heard of someone trying that so if you do please update. Good luck :)
 
THCBD

THCBD

Active Member
every topping is different, i've gotten over four primary colas off of one accidental top and some bending. then i've yielded almost nothing off of other intentional tops... get to know your strains to know if you wanna top. i like to bend the stretchy strains, and only top the really short bushy ones.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
Read the first message of this thread .... https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html ... it will tell you all you need to know.


when you top i dont think its important to cut horizontal
Click to expand...

In a way it does matter. It is the same if you are topping or if you are pruning bushes or cutting off a branch of a tree. An angled cut will heal faster.


you will need to top twice to get 4 colas
Click to expand...
If he follows Uncle Ben's topping technique he will likely only have to top once to get four colas. When I use the technique I normally will get four colas. Sometimes one will lag behind, but there will still normally be four. Sometimes I only get three but if done right he should very seldom, if ever, end up with only two.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
Sir. Gonzo said:
Dug this up for you bro. Enjoy!


Topping a Plant

1. Locate the very top of your plant and cut through the main stem just below the newest growth. This should be done after the 3rd or 4th leaf set but can be done at any time after the 3rd leaf set.

2. Shows Plant Top cut off and where the 2 new Branches that will form a "Y" in the main stem will grow from.

3. Shows the newly topped plant after 2 days of growth, notice the Y in the Stem Forming.





FIMMING A PLANT!

Fimming is actually no different that topping, what fimming does is virtually the exact same thing only your leaving part of the new growth. This only takes of part of the new growth and actually topping the very very new growth which is very hard to see.

What this ends up doing is making it seem as if your getting 4 new tops right next to eachother when its actually only 2 at the very top (like topping) but since it was cut so closely to the next newest set of fanleaves 2 branches which would have formed there anyways seems to make it look like there is 4 new tops.

This is how you go about doing this.

1. Locate the very top of the new growth




2. With a clean sterilized scissors, Fold the fan leafs over and cut approximately 80% of the new growth off the plant.





3. View from the top showing the Cut




4. View of the Cut section after 2 days growth, showing the 4 new growth shoots (branches)




Thats IT!!!! you should be well on your way to Topping and Fimming of your plants.
Click to expand...

FIM
-Pros
Potential to produce many bud-sites in some strains
More careful methods
Can keep canopy level the same
Great for small grows

-Cons
Large risk of failure - if you cut wrong, you won't get the results you're looking for
Larger risk of infection - more exposed foliage
More time consuming
More difficult

Topping
-Pros
Quick
Easy
Does not require tools
Great for large grows

-Cons
Depending on strain you may end up with slightly fewer potential bud-sites than the FIM technique
Slightly longer recovery time
 
smallclosetgrowr

smallclosetgrowr

Well-Known Member
cut your plant straight across just above the 2nd node to get 4 colas, anything above that will give u just 2 main colas. gl my man
 
smallclosetgrowr

smallclosetgrowr

Well-Known Member
u care to explain why u think this lol? an angled cut is only for clones because it gives a wider diameter for the roots to drop.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
smallclosetgrowr said:
u care to explain why u think this lol? an angled cut is only for clones because it gives a wider diameter for the roots to drop.
Click to expand...
I don't; "think" it, I know it. It is how plants and bushes and trees heal better and faster.

Just like you I did not know it is the best and the proper way to make cuts on plants or bushes or trees until along with four members of my family, all with degrees in horticulture, started a nursery and they told me. Unless N.C. State University taught all four of them incorrectly I have to believe them over what you; "think" is the correct way to do it.
 
noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone, sounds like some good info. Not to sound totally retarded, but does it usually generate a higher yield by topping, or does it just really depend on the strain? What about Ice and Kush? Looking for alot of info on these strains but not finding what I'm looking for. Are these bushy plants, or do they usually grow tall with one main long bud at the top?
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
noxiously said:
Thanks everyone, sounds like some good info. Not to sound totally retarded, but does it usually generate a higher yield by topping, or does it just really depend on the strain? What about Ice and Kush? Looking for alot of info on these strains but not finding what I'm looking for. Are these bushy plants, or do they usually grow tall with one main long bud at the top?
Click to expand...
Like some things when it comes to growing certain strains will respond better to topping or other methods of growing and others will not. Some do not respond well to some sorts of growing methods. It can even come down to which breeder's version of a strain since they will be different.
 
smallclosetgrowr

smallclosetgrowr

Well-Known Member
Brick Top said:
I don't; "think" it, I know it. It is how plants and bushes and trees heal better and faster.

Just like you I did not know it is the best and the proper way to make cuts on plants or bushes or trees until along with four members of my family, all with degrees in horticulture, started a nursery and they told me. Unless N.C. State University taught all four of them incorrectly I have to believe them over what you; "think" is the correct way to do it.
Click to expand...
i didnt say it wasnt true i said explain how , im in the horticulture industry and havnt heard of this b4, obviously cutting on the angle is better for the clone but i didnt relize that it also contributed to the plant.
 
Kiboko

Kiboko

Well-Known Member
I'm quite drunk right now, but the diagonal does reduce the force on the blade, hence you use less force in cutting. Think of the guillotine, the 45deg blade is more efficient than a 90deg one, leaving a cleaner cut.

cleaner cut, less damage to a gal that's still living.

of course, that's just my outlook on it.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
smallclosetgrowr said:
i didnt say it wasnt true i said explain how , im in the horticulture industry and havnt heard of this b4, obviously cutting on the angle is better for the clone but i didnt relize that it also contributed to the plant.
Click to expand...

I apologize .. but the way your message read seemed to say you did not believe what I had written.

Originally Posted by smallclosetgrowr u care to explain why u think this lol? an angled cut is only for clones because it gives a wider diameter for the roots to drop.
Click to expand...

The; "lol" after asking why I; "think" it is true read like you were laughing at what I had said, as if you did not believe it and believed what I said was worthy of being laughed at. That was followed by; "an angled cut IS ONLY FOR CLONES," which read too me like you were saying I was wrong, since you said; "an angled cut is only for clones," and the two combined gave me the impression that you believed what I said was incorrect. Sorry if I misunderstood you.

Even though like many people I use the word heal in regards to the wounding of a plant due to cutting/topping/pruing or damage plants don't actually heal. People heal, animals heal, plants seal, they seal off what to them is damage. Sap will first create a slight temporary seal followed by the creation of callus development. The idea is to make cuts that will make the creation/growth/coverage of callus faster. The faster callus will form a thickened tissue that seals off wounds, properly and minimizing the chance for decay, the better off plants will be. It is just a matter of knowing how plants seal wounds. Cuts need to be made in the right places and at an angle, that can vary depending on what is cut. so that the plant will seal as fast as possible.

You don't want to make a cut too high above the branch you are cutting above. That will cause die-off of part of the 'stub' and that makes disease a risk. While not as big of a problem indoors as outdoors a flat/horizontal cut will leave a 'cup' for moisture to build up in and that will slow down sealing and it will also increase the risk of disease. Moisture will not build up as much on an angled cut and a dry callus will form and seal faster with less risk of disease and rot.

Since you work in the horticulture industry I am sure there is someone you work with who has a degree and who can explain in detailed technical terms how and why angled cuts seal faster and better than flat/horizontal cuts.
 
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