@whitebob
prob 150 pages back when I started this grow,
Wisher had me do this tech...
What I did was let the plants grow about 6 nodes,
then I removed the VERY VERY top 2 fan leaves
They were very lil, but had enough stem for me to cut with my trimmers.
That slowed down the top, and encouraged my branches at the other nodes to grow out and up..
A week later the top had regrew 2 new fans and the branches underneath that node were even with the top, so i had 3 tops at canopy level.
I removed all 3 of them tops fan leaves( they were small but had enough stem to cut.
That slowed down them tops and made ALL OF THE BOTTOM BRANCHES
shoot up to canopy level.
I know had about 12 tops per canopy per plant,
AND SINCE I DIDN'T TOP,
I still got the apical cola which will always produce the biggest cola....
So its a way of achieving the same as topping with out topping,
allowing you to get that apical cola...
Plus removing the fans doesn't stunt as long as topping..
The plant takes a cpl days when topping to get the signal to the other branches to grow..
I felt the signal was quicker to the lower branches that hey somethings wrong with the apical top, lets get to growing..
See this all comes down to the science of plants
A plant has 1 goal!
All it cares about...
REPRODUCING...
Its goal is to grow that main top up as high as possible,
get pollinated,
produce resin as a protection against predators, uv, and other life altering
factors...
See we get high off its defense mechanisms.
Anyway if its growing and anything happens to the main apical colas,
the plant sends hormonal messages,
ALL BRANCHES MATTER,,,
And all the lower branches go into over drive trying to be the one to make it to the top of canopy, so come fall it can release its seed...
Except we dont let it get pollinated, so it just grows full of resin in the form of tricomes.....