Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to Get 2 or 4 Main Colas

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BeatenByTheWorld

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Im just not gonna top that one right now. I want to make sure I have a good top for a clone and I don't have any root hormone on hand. My theory is that if normal plants get 2 and 4 main colas, should this one not get 3 and 6? I think they'd be smaller than normal 2 or 4 ones because like I said it has almost the same number of leaves as everything else, they're just spread out of 3 branches.
 
merahoon

merahoon

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Hey UB I thought I would come to you for my last question. I forgot to ask this in the pollenating thread but you mentioned that you continue to apply the pollen for 3 times during the week. How many weeks should I do this for or would one be enough? Also is the flour used because its a similar texture? And what does heating it up do?
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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merahoon said:
Hey UB I thought I would come to you for my last question. I forgot to ask this in the pollenating thread but you mentioned that you continue to apply the pollen for 3 times during the week. How many weeks should I do this for or would one be enough? Also is the flour used because its a similar texture? And what does heating it up do?
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Should have asked this in that thread but not to be anal I'll answer here......

I apply the diluted pollen about 3 times over a course of a few weeks, as new pistils are produced and mature, only to insure that I have a nice batch of seeds. I explained in the archive why the pollen is used, as a carrier. Heating it up first kills insects (weevils) and fungi spores and insures that it is bone dry. IOW, just do it!

Shiny side of foil is fine. I'm a white paint man mahself. :D

Good luck,
UB
 
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overmyhead

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UB - reps on the great thread. I have recently fimmed a few plants and was wondering if it's too late to back track and go for the 4 main colas with your method - from a hormone standpoint will that screw with them too hard?
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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overmyhead said:
UB - reps on the great thread. I have recently fimmed a few plants and was wondering if it's too late to back track and go for the 4 main colas with your method - from a hormone standpoint will that screw with them too hard?
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This is all about plant responses. What are you trying to accomplish?
 
M Blaze

M Blaze

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overmyhead said:
UB - reps on the great thread. I have recently fimmed a few plants and was wondering if it's too late to back track and go for the 4 main colas with your method - from a hormone standpoint will that screw with them too hard?
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If you FIMmed them then why would you want to top them? You should get at least 4 main colas from the FIM.
 
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overmyhead

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Uncle Ben said:
This is all about plant responses. What are you trying to accomplish?
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Thanks, I am trying to accomplish maximum yield with a mostly sativa (chocolope) in a tent that is 6.5 feet tall. Also, the simplicity of this technique is appealing. I only want to end up with a few big plants (might only be able to harvest once this year) to make tinctures with. I would love for them to be big bushes and plan on moving to big storage tubs in a week or so.

they were at 4, 5 and 6 nodes when i fimmed them. Some have responded nicely others I didnt cut close enough. but I like the idea of having those four even colas. Maybe I should wait till the next go round.

Also curous about your ideas on flushing. This is my first run and I'm using a tried and true nute formula that an old friend used for many years and got amazing results. It's Green Air's Genesis System. It's not organic, would you use that up till the end (assuming I harvest the tops and let the rest continue to flower like you reccomend?) https://www.greenair.com/browse/fertilizers-and-solutions.html
 
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born2killspam

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FIM accomplishes the same thing hormonally, as does LST, and HST.. The difference is with whats left over for those hormones to work with.. 'Cola' is a pretty wishy washy term when plants aren't merely keft to grow naturally.. No plant has 200+ 'colas'.. This method allows the plant to focus on cola production without spreading resources too thin..
 
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overmyhead

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I guess I misunderstood. I thought that there was some special effect from doing it at the second true node as opposed to the 4th or 5th where I fimmed.
 
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BeatenByTheWorld

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After reading the WHOLE thread, what I can gather from Uncle Ben is that cut a at the first node you get 2 colas, 2nd node you get 4. Anything higher than that (nodes) is a gamble for how many 'colas' you get.
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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born2killspam said:
FIM accomplishes the same thing hormonally, as does LST, and HST.. The difference is with whats left over for those hormones to work with.. 'Cola' is a pretty wishy washy term when plants aren't merely keft to grow naturally.. No plant has 200+ 'colas'.. This method allows the plant to focus on cola production without spreading resources too thin..
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Yep, whole different ball game. Guess it's time to define "cola". A cola is made up of ONE chunky stem aka "trunk" from which secondary lateral branching occurs. Flowers arise from the axils of these branches or where the leaf petiole attaches to a stem. IOW, a cola is a collection of buds from one main branch or "trunk", see the photos on the first page. Topping "my way" produces more than one main cola, up to 4. Any more than that induced by the infamous (and unreliable) FIMMing or topping high on the plant or LST does NOT produce a main cola but rather a series of outputs from the points where the branches/petioles attach to a stem, in the axils.

UB
 
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overmyhead

Well-Known Member
Uncle Ben said:
Yep, whole different ball game. Guess it's time to define "cola". A cola is made up of ONE chunky stem aka "trunk" from which secondary lateral branching occurs. Flowers arise from the axils of these branches or where the leaf petiole attaches to a stem. IOW, a cola is a collection of buds from one main branch or "trunk", see the photos on the first page. Topping "my way" produces more than one main cola, up to 4. Any more than that induced by the infamous (and unreliable) FIMMing or topping high on the plant or LST does NOT produce a main cola but rather a series of outputs from the points where the branches/petioles attach to a stem, in the axils.

UB
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Right, but in your opinion would it be worth it to go back and top at the second node after fimming above or should I just wait till next time? THanks.
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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overmyhead said:
they were at 4, 5 and 6 nodes when i fimmed them. Some have responded nicely others I didnt cut close enough. but I like the idea of having those four even colas. Maybe I should wait till the next go round.
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If you want my particular plant response, then you need to follow it to the letter.

Also curous about your ideas on flushing. This is my first run and I'm using a tried and true nute formula that an old friend used for many years and got amazing results. It's Green Air's Genesis System. It's not organic, would you use that up till the end (assuming I harvest the tops and let the rest continue to flower like you reccomend?) https://www.greenair.com/browse/fertilizers-and-solutions.html
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I believe "flushing" just before harvest is a myth, another marketing scheme conjured up by the Dutch to sell products made for producing "tastier bud" and good fodder for forum talk. Only way to find out is to "flush" some, not others and try 'em.

Since it's healthy leaves that produce bud, not snake oils, I fertilize right up to harvest, anything to keep the leaves healthy and green is my MO. There is a side benefit too, which I practice - by keeping most of the leaves healthy and green until harvest, I can take out the solid colas on the first harvest, place the bottom part of the plant back under the lights to bulk up and mature the airy lower buds and then harvest them when they're ready. Trust me, it can make quite a difference in total plant yield and Mel Franks has documented that mid to lower buds can be more potent than those found at the top of the plant.

Good luck,
UB
 
Uncle Ben

Uncle Ben

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BeatenByTheWorld said:
After reading the WHOLE thread, what I can gather from Uncle Ben is that cut a at the first node you get 2 colas, 2nd node you get 4. Anything higher than that (nodes) is a gamble for how many 'colas' you get.
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You got it, thought I made it quite clear on page one. ;) Like I explained, you cut above the 5th node and higher, and you don't have "colas" in the purist sense of the word, you have a missmash of buds. See me standing behind that plant in my avatar sig, that's what's called a (single) cola fellers. :dunce:
 
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overmyhead

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all of your time and effort helping others. To make sure I have it staright, you think I should wait till next time since I've already fimmed? Do you notice any difference in taste of your buds vs someone who flushes? The whole thing sounds crazy to me - i mean do farmers pull up their veggies and plant them in pure h2o before harvest? I dont think so.
 
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