When, how and why to "top" your plant

Hi I was wondering if anybody had any information on plant "topping".......when you should do it, how you do it, and why you do it? Thank you all in advance for any feedback.

you came to the right place to find information on plant 'toppin'
"topping" in the search bar brings up a nice selection. Read the stickys

I top when there is 1 1/2 to 2 inches of growth beyond the 4th set of true leaves. The cutting goes into the 12/12 closet to sex. The cuttings sex out, and sometimes root :thumbsup: , while the seedlings grow bigger. I eliminate the males. I like plants that will root while flowering- they are easy cloners.

Meanwhile, the seedling is being gently bent over, more and more for the next few days. Eventually the seedling is either staked down with bamboo skewers and twist ties, or weighted down with nuts and bolts on twist ties. They end up growing horizontally.

This makes every side shoot (all 8 of them) "think" it has a shot at being top bud! All the side shoots put on growth rapidly to take advantage of the opportunity. It may all be one plant, but there is still heavy competition to be top bud! (OK, I could have explained this scientifically- but this gives you the idea without all the long words)

In veg, I train these side shoots to continue growing horizontally using weights and stakes. When the plants are big enough, they go into tubs. I grow a single plant in each of my 19 gallon tubs. Usually, my plants pretty well cover the surface (23 x 18 inches). When they flower, each stem in a mass of buds. It's labor intensive, but it's such a fun hobby! And that's why and how I top. - Granny:hippy:

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Originally Posted by Storm Crow

I top when there is 1 1/2 to 2 inches of growth beyond the 4th set of true leaves. The cutting goes into the 12/12 closet to sex. The cuttings sex out, and sometimes root :thumbsup: , while the seedlings grow bigger. I eliminate the males. I like plants that will root while flowering- they are easy cloners.

Meanwhile, the seedling is being gently bent over, more and more for the next few days. Eventually the seedling is either staked down with bamboo skewers and twist ties, or weighted down with nuts and bolts on twist ties. They end up growing horizontally.

This makes every side shoot (all 8 of them) "think" it has a shot at being top bud! All the side shoots put on growth rapidly to take advantage of the opportunity. It may all be one plant, but there is still heavy competition to be top bud! (OK, I could have explained this scientifically- but this gives you the idea without all the long words)

In veg, I train these side shoots to continue growing horizontally using weights and stakes. When the plants are big enough, they go into tubs. I grow a single plant in each of my 19 gallon tubs. Usually, my plants pretty well cover the surface (23 x 18 inches). When they flower, each stem in a mass of buds. It's labor intensive, but it's such a fun hobby! And that's why and how I top. - Granny:hippy:

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I like your idea of weighing down instead of tying as sometimes you dont have a place to tie to. Any cons opposed to actual tying, I know its probally hard to get the perfect amount of weight without breaking it.

Weight or tying work the same, but like you said you will need to have the correct amount of weight to keep them "down" without breaking them.

When: Anytime after the 4th set of ADULT leaves is fully unfolded. Top early for better height control and side shoot production. And no less than 2 weeks before you intend to flower.

How: Pinch off the growing tip.

Why: To increase number of growing tips for cloning or more bud sites. To give a different shape to the plant. To control height. To take advantage of your lights better, especially true when using flouros. To give shoots that may be used in a SCROG setup.