topping-or not

[tlranger]

Seems there's some discussion about topping vs lolly-popping.

some know I like a big budAttachment 294265 But I did try some topping created George Bush (there's a thousand points to light)Attachment 294266

tlranger Reviewed by tlranger on 09-02-2013. topping-or not Seems there's some discussion about topping vs lolly-popping. some know I like a big bud294265 But I did try some topping created George Bush (there's a thousand points to light)294266 Rating: 5

[Shovelhandle]

strain selection is everything for a lollypop plant. Some strains do it naturally, some are Christmas trees. I top my indoor plants because I have a low ceiling and only use 400 watt lamps. Bubblegum is one strain I could get to lollypop but it still gets too tall for my grow area (it's not even seven feet tall).

[tlranger]

Your very correct, neither plant required much trimming just doing there thing

[MrGrowBig]

That is one BIG bud :jointsmile: :greenthumb:

With the stain I'm growing, topping it made it too "airy".. I would've rather had a thick "christmas tree" instead of a big wide bush.

When left un-topped it seems to feed each cola more equally, and they have less popcorn nugs.

From now on, I'm just going to let the plants do their own thing

[Louie420]

I've been researching what topping is but regardless of topping or no topping I believe the plants yield would be the same. Correct me if I am wrong but yield depends a lot on lumens/wattage as well as spectrum nutrients etc... but in general you get the idea.

[MrGrowBig]

Yes you are correct. They tend to yield the same amount.. BUT, the way they yield is the big difference...

When you top, FIM, or LST, you're forcing the plant to increase the amount of branches and bud points.
This causes the plant to produce more buds in quantity, but not size or quality!!

Let me explain..

All of the energy/nutrition that would have gone to 1 branch/cola, is now separated between 2-3 colas, because you forced it to do so.
Now, it takes 2-3 branches to produce the same amount that 1 branch could've produced before!
So the buds will be 2-3x smaller, not as dense, and not as potent!


It all depends on the appearance you want, and what you want to harvest..


For example..
If you want a taller plant, with 50 large, dense, potent buds, leave it untopped.
If you want a shorter/wider plant, with 150 small, airy, less potent buds, top it.

:thumbsup:

[Shovelhandle]

topping does not make less potent bud.
Maybe for amateurs diddling around with some seeds and a light but pro growers grow awesome trees and trimming and cropping is part of the book.

ps I"m not refering to you as an amature, Mr Grow Big, I've seen your plants, very fine.

[MrGrowBig]

Maybe its how it looks on the screen, I should've explained that better..

I didn't mean that topping is going to drastically change the potency of the flowers. I meant you are gonna have 2-3x the under growth, pop corn nugs, etc. And those nugs are mostly useless, unless you plan on making concentrates.

Now we are on the lollipop topic.. :jointsmile:

If you were to top your plant, and completely clean out all of the small foliage, lower branches, etc., right before flowering, you will be left with a bunch of colas.
To me that's the best way to do it, and doing it that way would probably yield the most smokeable flowers.

It honestly depends on the stain like you said early. Ive only grown very lengthy stains that don't do better when topped.

I'm definitely not trying to rule out topping, fimming, and lst.. But there are some disadvantages if you don't do it correctly.

[tlranger]

:smokebong:Kinda surprised me that we're talking about potency, first page in my book, if it don't bubble-in ain't worth the trouble. In other words, potency IS job one.

Then throw it the old school, what don't kill you makes you stronger, stress I have found makes em stronger. Plus the mamas tested close to thirty when tested at cup.:jointsmile:

[tlranger]

I was goin to talk about yield, trimmers on tour all salivate over the big buds, but by the time you break in down especially for mold reasons and bagging the nugs look very similar. Now I do like to keep the ends if clean and dry, this way they can get the twelve inches they want so bad. During those special times!!

But will say the other plant, if it holds to form, I hope will produce a couple of Turkey bags full of golf balls, that some really like. It's a green banana-black banana thing.