C99. Best To Lst, Or Top?

[chuey316]

Growing 3 Cindy99's in 3gal pots. 2 are going good, and on their 3rd set. The other is going very slow, and will likely be a small plant, so I'm focusing the training of the larger 2. My grow cab is 10.5 sq ft. I've got about 325w of light, but plan on putting in a 400 mh for veg, and either 400 or 600w hps for flowering.

With the grow I just finished, the buds were fat, but too compact with each other with no training. I had to clip off a decent amount from the spaces where buds were touching and not getting any light. I won't make that mistake again.

So now my plans was to start lst soon, but I'm wondering if I can benefit from topping. I don't want to drag the grow out too long, because I have to plan my harvest around the yield from the prior run, so I don't run out. Ideally, I'd like to harvest in 3 months or under, which gives me 3-4 weeks of veg.

 

[MGG Nubie]

Growing 3 Cindy99's in 3gal pots. 2 are going good, and on their 3rd set. The other is going very slow, and will likely be a small plant, so I'm focusing the training of the larger 2. My grow cab is 10.5 sq ft. I've got about 325w of light, but plan on putting in a 400 mh for veg, and either 400 or 600w hps for flowering.

With the grow I just finished, the buds were fat, but too compact with each other with no training. I had to clip off a decent amount from the spaces where buds were touching and not getting any light. I won't make that mistake again.

So now my plans was to start lst soon, but I'm wondering if I can benefit from topping. I don't want to drag the grow out too long, because I have to plan my harvest around the yield from the prior run, so I don't run out. Ideally, I'd like to harvest in 3 months or under, which gives me 3-4 weeks of veg.

I top all branches and stress train them to grow independently. If your wanting a fast veg and flower just top the main cola, give it enough time in veg for the two new colas to grow apart

. But a short veg will be a smaller crop. I veg long enough to establish at least 18 colas. I bend twist and establish the grow so each cola has enough room to grow without interfering with other colas for fresh air and light. But support is needed as the buds start to stack. I use bamboo and internal tying one branch to another for strength. Veg is were all the magic happens.

 

[chuey316]

Is there any advantage from a lst standpoint of letting the stalk grow vertical, and tying the side branches down like in your last pic, and training the stalk down around 3-5 nodes, and around the pot? I just tied my new girls down 20min ago, but your way looks like it'd be alot easier to train. This is my 3rd grow, and 1st lst, so easier is better.

Also, what kind of avg time set back may I experience between topping once, or twice to get 4 colas?

 

[MGG Nubie]

Is there any advantage from a lst standpoint of letting the stalk grow vertical, and tying the side branches down like in your last pic, and training the stalk down around 3-5 nodes, and around the pot? I just tied my new girls down 20min ago, but your way looks like it'd be alot easier to train. This is my 3rd grow, and 1st lst, so easier is better.

Also, what kind of avg time set back may I experience between topping once, or twice to get 4 colas?

Depends on your grow room and lighting. Keeping the canopy as level as possible sounds like your best choice with the heaters. I use led on top with about 400w of clf for side lighting, wrap around for lower bud growth. I wouldn't tie down yet. Go about 2 nodes down and cut off the top. The picture you mentioned is the top, topped and being pulled down to the level of the side branches for a more even canopy. But this takes time. Just experiment. That's what it's all about. It all smokes good in the end.

 

[MGG Nubie]

Is there any advantage from a lst standpoint of letting the stalk grow vertical, and tying the side branches down like in your last pic, and training the stalk down around 3-5 nodes, and around the pot? I just tied my new girls down 20min ago, but your way looks like it'd be alot easier to train. This is my 3rd grow, and 1st lst, so easier is better.

Also, what kind of avg time set back may I experience between topping once, or twice to get 4 colas?

This was my first grow. I plant. Messed her up bad. Pulled 2oz off her wet. Dried to just over a half oz. I was thrilled. Been growing every since. I'm a very small grower. I have 8 in cups right now. I see 4 that look like maybe's. Out of those 2 will be boys. So another 2 plant grow. But I do everything possible to make them the best they can be.

 

[Hydro head]

I’m doing C99 in nft, I topped it and lst it seems to love it, mine is female seeds C99, the plant in the pic I topped once and trained a little, she’s coming on nice, day 11 of flower the pic was taken

 

[MW7945]

Just run a scrog and pull the cola to the side

 

[chuey316]

Just run a scrog and pull the cola to the side

I thought about doing a scrog, but these were freebie seeds, and I'm afraid of filling a screen only to find that ones a male.

 

[MW7945]

I thought about doing a scrog, but these were freebie seeds, and I'm afraid of filling a screen only to find that ones a male.

ahh... well, it wouldn't take much to rip it out I guess.

 

[chuey316]

True. I may end up doing it. I already have a screen. I plan to fim when it gets another couple nodes. Doing some reading now to decide whether or not to fim the side shoots as well. I'm hoping to fill as much of my space as I can with 2 plants to get the most yield out of em with a 4wk veg.

 

[hawkman]

I top all branches and stress train them to grow independently. If your wanting a fast veg and flower just top the main cola, give it enough time in veg for the two new colas to grow apartView attachment 759251 View attachment 759252 View attachment 759253 View attachment 759254 . But a short veg will be a smaller crop. I veg long enough to establish at least 18 colas. I bend twist and establish the grow so each cola has enough room to grow without interfering with other colas for fresh air and light. But support is needed as the buds start to stack. I use bamboo and internal tying one branch to another for strength. Veg is were all the magic happens. View attachment 759250

good tip - establishing at least 18 colas - would that bring the just "veg" time to 60 - 90 days for veg ?

 

[gwheels]

You can top them faster than 60 to 90 days. Just keep topping them and keep them low. It will grow faster than you think. I had 16 colas on one plant with a 6 week veg in a grow tent. The strain was king tut but I had equal success with white widow and sour kush. Top them and keep them low if height is a problem

 

[MGG Nubie]

I’m doing C99 in nft, I topped it and lst it seems to love it, mine is female seeds C99, the plant in the pic I topped once and trained a little, she’s coming on nice, day 11 of flower the pic was taken

Going to make some smoke. Nice. I got 4 for sure in solos. Might do the net this time and turn off some side lighting. Maybe. I do like veg and sculpting for even top growth. Looks very healthy and strong. Going to fill some jars.

 

[chuey316]

I went ahead and put the my screen in today. Got it around 8" above the pots, and the lights are an inch or less above the screen.

To fill the screen the quickest, should I fim the side shoots as well, or just do the top, then do the new shoots after a few nodes? My space is about 4 1/2 ft wide and about 2 1/2 ft deep.

 

[hawkman]

You can top them faster than 60 to 90 days. Just keep topping them and keep them low. It will grow faster than you think. I had 16 colas on one plant with a 6 week veg in a grow tent. The strain was king tut but I had equal success with white widow and sour kush. Top them and keep them low if height is a problem

"tut" woulds be a good one once grown was a Blue Dream ( tall phenotype) got 6.5 ft tall using LST - juts think of the SCROG !!!!!!! WOW going to try I could see a 4 by 4 space being maybe not enough room. Know of any Blue Bream Scrog grows?

 

[Hydro head]

Just finished my 1 C99, had 6oz off it, vegged for two weeks, topped, lst, it was chopped at 8 weeks from flip as it spat out a couple nanas, lovely smoke, how is yours coming on?

 

[chuey316]

Doing good. I flipped to 12/12 about a week ago. Screens filling in nicely.

 

[Hydro head]

Nice, keep us updated

 

[chuey316]

Will do. These girls were 8-1/2 weeks from seed when I flipped. Went in hoping to pull a lb from the 3, but so long as I get 10 zips, I'll be happy. I switched over to mh running at 250w 2-3 weeks ago, and changed to hps about 1 week ago when I flipped. Just upped the wattage to 400w last night. Also transplanted into 5gal buckets around 2 weeks ago.

 

[hawkman]

C99 from Female Seeds? Looking at (Secret Valley Seeds) Purple Pineberry has a 48 days flower time "5th Element (Element Seeds) ' Cheese' (Dinafem Seeds) and Portela (R -Kiem Seeds)