Is it too late to top my plants?

[Drunature]

So I am a long time fan, first time grower and my plants aren't exactly in great shape.

They have had a stressful life from seed to this stage, dealing with nutrients and water problems, they lost a lot of leaves due to presumed potassium difficiency. But, they are finally starting to thrive thanks to better soil in these larger pots and a more accurate PH thanks to some test kits!

These are my 5 females and I am only now realizing after sexing them and transplanting that I need to worry about topping them.

So... I am wondering if these plants look healthy enough to top, first, and second if they are too far into the flowering stage to top. they only have small female organs, but the hairs are starting to show.

see attached images and thank you very much!

 

[Dr.B]

You can still top them. You're growing outside though?? Why top at all?

 

[Drunature]

You can still top them. You're growing outside though?? Why top at all?

I don't know, this is my first time growing, I thought topping it would greatly increase my yield, is this only true for indoors?

 

[Aqua Man]

I don't know, this is my first time growing, I thought topping it would greatly increase my yield, is this only true for indoors?

We top indoor to get an even canopy because the lights we use only come from the top straight down. And intensity changes quite a bit at differing heights.

I mean there is more to it and other benefits.

This is not an issue outdoors. But if your in an environment that is conducive to bud rot like lots of rain then topping will give more evenly sized buds across the plant and may reduce the risks depending on the strain and size buds it produces.

I'm an indoor grower but just some info I thought I would share. It's by no means a complete rundown.

 

[Dr.B]

+1 here

 

[Jimster]

You can top plants just about anytime, but as someone mentioned... if they are already this big and outdoors, why bother topping them at all? You get the most benefit from topping when the plant is much smaller, but topping is usually for dealing with limited spaces. Left to their own, plants that aren't topped will produce some very large colas as well as alot of side growth, depending on the strain.
If it was my decision, I would let them continue as they are, since topping them will stunt them for a little and won't provide the benefits that topping them when they are smaller does.

 

[Drunature]

You can top plants just about anytime, but as someone mentioned... if they are already this big and outdoors, why bother topping them at all? You get the most benefit from topping when the plant is much smaller, but topping is usually for dealing with limited spaces. Left to their own, plants that aren't topped will produce some very large colas as well as alot of side growth, depending on the strain.
If it was my decision, I would let them continue as they are, since topping them will stunt them for a little and won't provide the benefits that topping them when they are smaller does.

awesome, I'd like to thank everyone for their responses!
I don't think I am going to top them, It's my first grow and I don't wanna risk any more stress to my babies!! I'm on track to have 10/11 seeds be females! fingers crossed haha.

Should I be concerned with having a trellis or something for them to be propped up on if they get too tall and skinny?

 

[Jimster]

awesome, I'd like to thank everyone for their responses!
I don't think I am going to top them, It's my first grow and I don't wanna risk any more stress to my babies!! I'm on track to have 10/11 seeds be females! fingers crossed haha.

Should I be concerned with having a trellis or something for them to be propped up on if they get too tall and skinny?

When the buds get very big and heavy, they can weigh down the branches or snap them off in some cases. I use the bamboo sticks you can buy to act as a stake to prop the plants or branches up. A trellis would work but a pole/stick seems better because it takes up a lot less space and is easy to stick into the ground/medium.