Topping With Limited Space

I have a limited height of about 4ft of plant room, If I top the plants, how much height should I expect during flowering?

depends on so many variables, ive heard plants can grow more than double their height during the beggining of flowering......

I understand that they normally double in size when flowering, but I plan on topping them to try to prevent some height issues, I'm just wondering if they still double in size vertically after topping..

yeah it will. i top all my plants and it will still double if not triple in vertical size during flowering. u should of went with a scrog so u dont have to worry about the plants getting more than a foot above the screen.

Have you ever used that method before? I still have plenty of time.I'm hope for at least 3 ladies outta 7. I heard you can yield more that way. Do you have any tips on screen placement in a 4'x4' area with 5 ft height. Using 400watt M/H for veg.

FourTwenty47 said:

Have you ever used that method before? I still have plenty of time.I'm hope for at least 3 ladies outta 7. I heard you can yield more that way. Do you have any tips on screen placement in a 4'x4' area with 5 ft height. Using 400watt M/H for veg.

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i have a 9x4 area scroggin right now. i use 24 inch wide screen with 2x3 inch holes. you yeild alot alot more when u scrog correctly. for indica varietys the screen only needs to be about 8 inches above the pots maybe 10. for sativa varieties screens need to be about 18-24 inches above the pots. for a 50/50 variety screens should be around 14 inches. check out my scrog with 8 strawberry coughs and 4 blueberries.

Alright, Im sold on it. I'm gettin' a screen tomorrow. So I just weave the tops in and out of the top of the canopy? I'm also using some cfl's and 4 four ft. flourecent Sunsticks. Should I use those under the wire for added light? or should all the light be coming from the top? I'm also gonna switch to HPS for flowering. I checked out yours. Looks awesome. Any more tips would be greatly appreciated. I'll let you know how it ends up. Thanks again..

just make sure u have the screen secured good. the plants will be pushing on it. and yeah u just weave the tops in and out of the screen along with all the branches. u can use light under the screen during veg but i wouldnt during flowering. u want the underside to be as bare as possible during flowering. mold can be a problem cause of such a tight canopy and leaf matter everywhere if u dont have good ventilation. you want all the growth out of the tops and none under the screen during flowering. i would use hps all the way through veg and flower. the sheer brightness and light penetration of the hps beats the spectrum of the cfl IMO. and with a scrog u can keep ur lights super close to the canopy. thus eliminating the small underdone popcorn nugs that usually occur at the bottom of the branches during normal grows.

I'm using the 400 watt M/H right now for vegging the cfl's and flourencents were justs added for some extra light. I hear mixed opinions on M/H vs HPS during vegging. Most have been saying to use M/H first then switch to HPS for flower. Whats best for a scrog setup?

ideally you want all more blue spectrum during veg and more red during flowering. but a little of red in vegging and a little blue in flowering really is like the best u could do. people say to only use one or the other during veg or flowering cause most people dont have multiple lights laying around to use during both stages. i have my 2 600s and i am planning on hooking up my 250 mh into my flowering room for some more watts and more spectrum. but on another note. are u going to scrog all your plants? cause if some turn out males its super hard to get them out of the screen so they dont pollinate your females. its possible but very tough. thats why i go with feminized seeds or clones.

I find using MH lamps ( the ones with a small metal strip in a bulb ) they heat up the room too much even @ 150 watts. Please advise if incorrect

any heat problems caused by lights can be solved by proper ventilation. end of story. i have a 250 mh in a 24"x30"x36" and my temps never rise above 80 degrees. in my flowering room i have 1200 watts of hps and my temp never rises above 76 degrees.

Well I hope to get at least 3 ladies outta this but your right it may be an issue with males but Im gonna take my chances. This just seems like more of a challange, so I don't mind. The M/H bulb actually keeps my space at 78 degrees so with out it my temp would be around 45-50 degress. Do I need sides or walls on the scrog setup?

to be honest with you bro, for your first try i wouldnt go with a scrog. its tough for a first timer. i would just grow normally, get some skill under my belt, and then try more advanced techniques. but if your hell bent on it, nah u dont need side screen. the branches will grow up towards the light. once they hit the screen u bend them over and train them to weave into the screen. once 50-75% of the screen is filled u flip to flowering. u train til the 2nd week of flowering and then u stop. all of the budsites will then grow vertically with equal light. no more pussy popcorn nugs at the bottom of the plants. just main colas everywhere.

I love a challenge. I already built my setup about an hour ago. I would probably have waited to try this method, but like I said my height is gonna be a real issue. I think I can handle this.Besides, just about anyone (that has common sense, and can read) can grow normally with a good light. Is seems a lot more fun and involved with the screen.. You have been extremely helpful. Thanks for your time....I will keep you updated on this.

i feel ya man, i'll be here to help.