Does Topping equal a higher yield?

JBloomers123 · Feb 9, 2021

Madbud said:
Step 10, things that make you go hmmm

Ha! Any truth to it? I’ve never But I’m sure there’s much I don’t know in the craft of cultivation

Pippins · Feb 9, 2021

Defoliation makes plants healthier by increasing airflow (thus directly lowering the chance of fungal infection) and also by directly inducing systemic resistance in the plant-this happens in nature when insects feed on a plant or herbivores feed on them. This is an extremely well documented phenomenon in the literature. The question is, how much defoliation is best? No one knows exactly, but some defoliation can improve any plant that needs it. In threads like this you have people who are totally against doing anything to the plant, based on their own feelings, vs people who have tried these techniques and experienced personal success, or have read the scientific literature on the topic and have an open mind.

JBloomers123 · Feb 9, 2021

Pippins said:
Defoliation makes plants healthier by increasing airflow (thus directly lowering the chance of fungal infection) and also by directly inducing systemic resistance in the plant-this happens in nature when insects feed on a plant or herbivores feed on them. This is an extremely well documented phenomenon in the literature. The question is, how much defoliation is best? No one knows exactly, but some defoliation can improve any plant that needs it. In threads like this you have people who are totally against doing anything to the plant, based on their own feelings, vs people who have tried these techniques and experienced personal success, or have read the scientific literature on the topic and have an open mind.

I was referring to lst - but still, my operation is very small. I’ve dabbled in several techniques to increase yields. They all seem to work but in my humble opinion the increased yields wasn’t worth the time.

growsince79 · Feb 9, 2021

Pippins said:
Defoliation makes plants healthier by increasing airflow (thus directly lowering the chance of fungal infection) and also by directly inducing systemic resistance in the plant-this happens in nature when insects feed on a plant or herbivores feed on them. This is an extremely well documented phenomenon in the literature. The question is, how much defoliation is best? No one knows exactly, but some defoliation can improve any plant that needs it. In threads like this you have people who are totally against doing anything to the plant, based on their own feelings, vs people who have tried these techniques and experienced personal success, or have read the scientific literature on the topic and have an open mind.

Defoliating might make overcrowded plants healthier. But for plants grown outdoors, or indoors with adequate space, it reduces yield and terps.

ReeferRon · Feb 9, 2021

I think the correct answer in the long run is, that its all pheno and strain dependent. Some plants flourish when topped, others seem to be stunted and never really recover from taking the top.

Some phenotypes take really well to being bend over while others again never seem to really recover. Depends a lot on the plants growth structure. I've had strains and phenos that only grow a single baseball bat sized cola with no branching at all.

If you top a plant like that sometimes it encourages branching, other times it stunts the heck out of the plant and you only get half a baseball bat. I've also had strains that have branches that are just as vigorous as their tops and make little even canopy bushes on their own.

Timing also plays a a big part... if your vegging for awhile after you top, you can at least yield as much as a bent over plant. But if you top a plant and don't give it time to recover before you flower it, a bent over plant will win every time. You can get away with a lot in early to mid veg, after that... strain and pheno dependent again.

After saying all that I just recently started using "super cropping" as technique to keep an even canopy in early flower. So far I'm sold. I'm amazed they heal so fast and continue to flower at the same time.

Hands On · Feb 9, 2021

Topping and LST

HaveApuff · Feb 9, 2021

There are many ways to train plants, as demonstrated here, so finding what works for you (your time) is what you are seeking. Since my time is valuable to me, I try to find the way that gives me less time overall to have to deal with growing cannabis, but doesn't sacrifice my yield.

I usually top my plants 3 weeks into veg when I have about 4 or 5 nodes, depending upon strain and growth, I may FIM, or not. I only top once. Then let it continue vegging for another week or two, then I lollypop the bottom larf (removing the small growth that will never catch up to the new tops), and then I pull out my apical branches to the sides and LST them out and up (like an elbow at 90 degrees) through a SCROG, exposing the center. Any smaller branches, below my now spread out apical branches, I will pull up towards the center and SCROG them up into the center of the plants canopy also. Now I flip my plant into flower. Over the first few weeks, while the plant is stretching, I continue to manipulate my growth into the canopy to keep things even across my canopy top. Of interest, I try to keep only a small temperature range from lights on and lights off to help keep my internodal spacing shorter during stretch, and helps create denser buds sites. Once the stretch is over the center of the canopy is now pretty even across the top with the earlier apical branches that I LST, even with the center of the canopy. By week five or six in flower, usually, I will have another SCROG to keep the canopy open and supported allowing my lights and feedings to do the work now as my bud sites fatten up until harvest.

This is a great way to utilize your lights on your bud sites in a given area, keeps the plants from running up into the lights in an indoor grow, and keeps the plant count at a reasonable number in my space which also makes it easy to manage and maintain overall.

Madbud · Feb 9, 2021

JBloomers123 said:
Ha! Any truth to it? I’ve never But I’m sure there’s much I don’t know in the craft of cultivation

Oh yeah, 48 hours of darkness before chopping is common, i’ve put outdoor cuttings in a water vase in darkness before drying too.

JBloomers123 · Feb 9, 2021

Madbud said:
Oh yeah, 48 hours of darkness before chopping is common, i’ve put outdoor cuttings in a water vase in darkness before drying too.

Interesting. I’ve got a harvest coming up in a few weeks I’ll give it a try. Thanks,

quirk · Feb 9, 2021

growsince79 said:
LOL I love the way the internet growers try to turn topping and bending a plant into rocket science. If they really wanted to increase yield, sea of green is the way to go- no topping or bending needed.

I've never tried the sea of green because my plants are outside during the day and it seem like it would be a lot of work to take them in and out of the netting. But I grow autos.

growsince79 · Feb 9, 2021

quirk said:
I've never tried the sea of green because my plants are outside during the day and it seem like it would be a lot of work to take them in and out of the netting. But I grow autos.

I don't do autos, but I hear you shouldn't ever top them.

HaveApuff · Feb 9, 2021

A SOG is nice to do, but requires a larger plant count and I find feeding seem to last forever, but it has its advantages, like vegging period is usually only a few days, so your into flower quicker...and makes trimming oh so much easier

JBloomers123 · Feb 9, 2021

quirk said:
I've never tried the sea of green because my plants are outside during the day and it seem like it would be a lot of work to take them in and out of the netting. But I grow autos.

That’s not how I understand sea of green. Sea of green is having something going on at every stage..cloning / rooting, veg, bloom

mysticepipedon · Feb 9, 2021

Some people like large, meaty colas, flopping every which way.

Others prefer smaller buds, maintaining the firmness of their stalks — the perfect size for an intimate smoking session and nothing is wasted, but you.

Then again, some people…

Wait, what were we talking about?

MIMedGrower · Feb 9, 2021

JBloomers123 said:
That’s not how I understand sea of green. Sea of green is having something going on at every stage..cloning / rooting, veg, bloom

Thats a perpetual garden. SOG is typically a grow with 4 plants per square foot. All monocrop of clones and little or no veg time. Fastest way to a good yield.

HaveApuff · Feb 9, 2021

JBloomers123 said:
That’s not how I understand sea of green. Sea of green is having something going on at every stage..cloning / rooting, veg, bloom

I am not sure I understand this statement JBloomers123...??? A sea of green is basically one large cola for every pot you grow in.....

MIMedGrower · Feb 9, 2021

mysticepipedon said:
Some people like large, meaty colas, flopping every which way.

Others prefer smaller buds, maintaining the firmness of their stalks — the perfect size for an intimate smoking session and nothing is wasted, but you.

Then again, some people…

Wait, what were we talking about?

probably defoliation or flushing. ;-)

JBloomers123 · Feb 9, 2021

MIMedGrower said:
Thats a perpetual garden. SOG is typically a grow with 4 plants per square foot. All monocrop of clones and little or no veg time. Fastest way to a good yield.

Details...lol

quirk · Feb 9, 2021

growsince79 said:
I don't do autos, but I hear you shouldn't ever top them.

I've heard this rumored as well.

quirk · Feb 9, 2021

JBloomers123 said:
That’s not how I understand sea of green. Sea of green is having something going on at every stage..cloning / rooting, veg, bloom

I'm probably confusing the acronyms and training methods.

Does Topping equal a higher yield?

Does Topping equal a higher yield?

JBloomers123

Pippins

JBloomers123

growsince79

ReeferRon

Hands On

HaveApuff

Madbud

JBloomers123

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Does Topping equal a higher yield?

Does Topping equal a higher yield?

JBloomers123

Pippins

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ReeferRon

Hands On

HaveApuff

Madbud

JBloomers123

quirk

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HaveApuff

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