topping to get bushes
- Thread starter jackbog
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Scrotie Mcboogerballs
Well-Known Member
You really want to start topping between the plants 3rd to fifth node. There are already a ton of threads on this subject though.
dc4
Well-Known Member
indcolts77
Active Member
I LST to get bushes at week 4 veg then top the main stem week 8 of veg...worked beautifully
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SenorBrownWater
Well-Known Member
low stress training...
mwooten102
Well-Known Member
I prefer to trim from the underside in a specific manner to create bushes and believe its possible to create well over 100 tops without actually topping the plant.
chickenpoop
Well-Known Member
from my experience, if you just leave them alone you get the christmas tree look. And when you top them later in life that christmas tree turns into a Huge Bush. but if you top early you get a smaller bush, that still gets pretty big lol
If growing outside then you definanately want to top, trim, and supercrop. I know that many will say don't do it, but just try to check your colas for mold or bugs on a twelve foot plant without having to buy an orchartd ladder 
. I know because I now have 2 haze plants that are above 12 foot in height and they are a real pain to service. I broke the tops on one trying to bend it down to check it out, not good.
That being said, if growing indica dominant plants, it's not so much of an issue as they tend to bush naturally anyway, but sativa dominant varieties tend to grow more like a christmas tree and reach for the sky with one central stalk and main cola.
The only reason I didn't top/trim the two sativas was on the advice of a 'friend' who claimed to have grown the same strain as I have. Free advice is sometimes worth only what you paid for. I will now top and trim ALL plants that are going into my outdoor grow that have ANY sativa in their heritage.
As an example, I have 6 Mr. Nice ( Indicas ) that I didn't top and they are all nice round bushes that stand 5 to 6 ft. in height and equally large in diameter. As opposed to my sativa dominants that I didn't top that are 8 to 12 ft. tall without much in the way of side shoots.
Another advantage to topping is that you elliminate that one big central cola and exchange it for multiple smaller colas. This is an advantage because the larger colas tend to retain moisture and are more subject to bud rot and other problems than smaller colas are.
This is important if you live in an area that has a high humidity or is subject to a lot of airborn moisture, like fog. The Pacific Northwest and coastal California comes to mind as places that growers are constantly battling mold and fungas problems. Smaller colas will dry out quicker than those hog leg monster colas.
Thats my reasoning anyway.
. I know because I now have 2 haze plants that are above 12 foot in height and they are a real pain to service. I broke the tops on one trying to bend it down to check it out, not good. That being said, if growing indica dominant plants, it's not so much of an issue as they tend to bush naturally anyway, but sativa dominant varieties tend to grow more like a christmas tree and reach for the sky with one central stalk and main cola.
The only reason I didn't top/trim the two sativas was on the advice of a 'friend' who claimed to have grown the same strain as I have. Free advice is sometimes worth only what you paid for. I will now top and trim ALL plants that are going into my outdoor grow that have ANY sativa in their heritage.
As an example, I have 6 Mr. Nice ( Indicas ) that I didn't top and they are all nice round bushes that stand 5 to 6 ft. in height and equally large in diameter. As opposed to my sativa dominants that I didn't top that are 8 to 12 ft. tall without much in the way of side shoots.
Another advantage to topping is that you elliminate that one big central cola and exchange it for multiple smaller colas. This is an advantage because the larger colas tend to retain moisture and are more subject to bud rot and other problems than smaller colas are.
This is important if you live in an area that has a high humidity or is subject to a lot of airborn moisture, like fog. The Pacific Northwest and coastal California comes to mind as places that growers are constantly battling mold and fungas problems. Smaller colas will dry out quicker than those hog leg monster colas.
Thats my reasoning anyway.
firelane
Well-Known Member
I think randm is right about the sativa vs indica thing. I can only grow indicas because of the short growing season, but they always end up nice bushes. I think one advantage to not topping is that the plants seem to be a bit sturdier late in the year. Plants that I've topped always needed a little more staking come budding season. The untopped plants seem to hold their weight a little better. If you get a full day of sun, your indica will end up a nice round bush no matter what you do.
indcolts77
Active Member
Yea man nice thread... and exactly i started LST at 4 weeks from sprout and circled the main tip around the pot...at week 8 i topped the main and it turned into those bushes lol keep in mind that theyre indica dominant hybrids tho so its naturally bushy
I have more pics if you wanna see em
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Supercropping is a way of adding strength to the branches by deliberately bruising the plant, forcing it to repair the damage and thusly creating a stronger bush. Do a search on this subject.
I also trim the smaller lower branches and inner branches to create a better air flow in the plant and to eliminate anything that may brush the ground, this is for fungas/mold/bug control. It also concentrates the growth on the desirable end colas by eliminating the smaller popcorn nuggets that lurk on the bottom and inner part of the plant.
Thats the idea anyway.
ddimebag
Active Member
You should check out the Main-lining thread, that looks like a useful technique for you (https://www.rollitup.org/subcools-old-school-organics/542308-main-lining-thread.html). In your situation, I would recommend topping at the second true node, then topping again three or more times as soon as the new growtips are established. When you have as many tops as you want (which should all look identical and symmetrical), you should supercrop each one of them (pinch stem and bend it down. a hard callus forms at the damaged spot and the buds on that branch get much bigger). Once they heal from the supercropping, you should LST them to control height and to shape them into the bush you want. A scrog would come in handy at this point, but is not mandatory. Right before flowring, remove all fanleaves and shoots from the lowest 30-50 cm or so (depending on the height and size of plant). This will focus growth on areas that actually get enough light to make proper buds, and also improves airflow under and within the plant, which prevents mold and fungus, and makes it harder for crawling insects to get up on to the plant. Don't underestimate the importance of airflow...i made that mistake once, and lost half of my crop to mold.
PaulN'Chuck
Well-Known Member
Go with Main Lining. Its apparently the new thing but I like to do it with less violent node removal. Makes for a faster bush and I skip One step of tying down