main-line topping ******best method******

[Funkstarfish]

nice man, diggin it. will play around some with this.

 

[Camdawg]

Can we get this stickied?

 

[Seamaiden]

YES! :D

 

[LegalGrow]

Have actually read this one a few times, as it is a ton of information, but I think the concept is really cool.
Was wondering how many days from cutting a clone can you begin this process of cutting and tying down for the 2 mains?

 

[monkeymun]

Haven't managed to finish it yet and have to run, but will be back to read the rest of it later. You can tell where I'm up to by my trail of likes. :D

Really great looking tech, thanks for taking the time to post it Clockworx! I am assuredly going to give this a crack.

 

[caregiverken]

Im going for it on most all of my latest seedlings!
This wifi is the 1st to react :)

I rarely top plants this early..it kills me to take all that new growth off! :arghh:
Now I stare at the little naked bodies waiting for them to grow back! :nailbiting:

 

[caregiverken]

I just hope they still show sex while doing this so young..
I dont want to train a bunch of males like this;)

 

[clockworx]

I just hope they still show sex while doing this so young..
I dont want to train a bunch of males like this;)

Like I was telling seamaiden, take a cut off the lower growth , after you top and split the 2 mains the plant will stunt growth a few days and lower lateral branches will naturally be the next growing points to take flight. Take the best one as a clone, root and flower it real quick to show sex. Or you can just take the top of the plant when you first top it and clone that to show sex. After you get a clone off it clear out the growth so energy can be used for that mains only....either way in normal growing you always do training on all the plants before you know sex, this is just a different kind. Its seems like a lot of work but once you have pots with tie down holes in them and your wires cut,,,it only takes a few minutes....

What I do is.......grow the seed to about 5 nodes, snip of the tops and clone them... when the clones have roots the plants they came from should be ready to bend at 90° and tie down /clear any other growth....the clones go into flower and show sex in a week or 2......during the time you wait,,,create other mains on the plant....if the clone shows male, toss it.....if female, continue ...

 

[clockworx]

Have actually read this one a few times, as it is a ton of information, but I think the concept is really cool.
Was wondering how many days from cutting a clone can you begin this process of cutting and tying down for the 2 mains?

Go back and read the clone section, it list what your looking for and the amount of time you will normally wait....

 

[caregiverken]

What I do is.......grow the seed to about 5 nodes, snip of the tops and clone them... when the clones have roots the plants they came from should be ready to bend at 90° and tie down /clear any other growth....the clones go into flower and show sex in a week or 2......during the time you wait,,,create other mains on the plant....if the clone shows male, toss it.....if female, continue ...

Great tip!
I already tossed the little tops I cut off. But next time I will let them get bigger and do like you said. Thanks!

 

[larebowm]

ive read this twice and it sounds great.
What im trying to figure out is how much time this will add to a 3 week veg?

 

[clockworx]

ive read this twice and it sounds great.
What im trying to figure out is how much time this will add to a 3 week veg?

That's dependent upon strain and amount of mains your going for. Every time you top and train a plant it sets it back a few days, some strains bounce back fast and others, not so much. There really is no possible way for someone else to know that, same with yield questions...I could run a clone for 5 years and pull the same amount every run and when I pass to to someone else it will look different , yield different, and just act totally different .....how fast your plants veg and flower is the sum of all your growing experience and methods, we don't know your media, lights, food, environment, its just not possible.

 

[larebowm]

That's dependent upon strain and amount of mains your going for. Every time you top and train a plant it sets it back a few days, some strains bounce back fast and others, not so much. There really is no possible way for someone else to know that, same with yield questions...I could run a clone for 5 years and pull the same amount every run and when I pass to to someone else it will look different , yield different, and just act totally different .....how fast your plants veg and flower is the sum of all your growing experience and methods, we don't know your media, lights, food, environment, its just not possible.

understood I was hoping for your average which may help to give me an idea of what to expect.
and thanks again you always have something to teach.this is great stuff

 

[clockworx]

understood I was hoping for your average which may help to give me an idea of what to expect

I feel your pain, if you just top it once and get 2 mains I will add around 7days, but like I said , your plant might be faster or slower, I've topped plants that just sit still for 2 weeks after, and I've topped some that never stop growing... now most people that do this method are going for a bunch of mains (its kinda the point) and it could add a month on if your keep topping and training. Ive seen plants with 50 tops which I'm sure was a few months veg....you see what I'm saying,,,that's the best I can do for you, any other answer is just a lie....

 

[ttystikk]

understood I was hoping for your average which may help to give me an idea of what to expect.
and thanks again you always have something to teach.this is great stuff

Based on my own limited experience, I'd plan for a long week extra for each round of topping, until you know the best way to minimize the shock to the plant. I like topping young ones, it does make life easier later, for sure!

 

[larebowm]

Based on my own limited experience, I'd plan for a long week extra for each round of topping, until you know the best way to minimize the shock to the plant. I like topping young ones, it does make life easier later, for sure!

Thanks much!!

 

[Confuten1]

Def gonna try this wit seedlings and clones but first i wanna know how u close or sealoff the gaping hole? I have clones that have hollow stems and I don't like leaving the plant wide open like that.
Mabe a vasoline type material( non petroleum based of course)?

Confu

 

[clockworx]

Def gonna try this wit seedlings and clones but first i wanna know how u close or sealoff the gaping hole? I have clones that have hollow stems and I don't like leaving the plant wide open like that.
Mabe a vasoline type material( non petroleum based of course)?

Confu

You dont , just leave it alone and it will close up fast on it own..when you make the cut the plants natural sap will fill the hole and by the end of the day it will be brown and start to shrivel up....when plants are hurt they send a signal out to stop growth and focus all energy towards fixing the problem, when its done the plant will resume growth...they are way more complex then people tend to give credit for...

 

[Confuten1]

I h

You dont , just leave it alone and it will close up fast on it own..when you make the cut the plants natural sap will fill the hole and by the end of the day it will be brown and start to shrivel up....when plants are hurt they send a signal out to stop growth and focus all energy towards fixing the problem, when its done the plant will resume growth...they are way more complex then people tend to give credit for...

Nice thread clock, dude I have plants right now I'm bout to flower them, topped the main growth tip, and a month later still have a gaping hole, like u can stick a dab wand right down to the next node several inches below. I think that voids runs the length of the main stalk, I just don't like the inner of my plant exposed like that. I'm sure I'm not the first one that has experienced this. A lot of my OG type strains tend to have a hollow stems. The plant I'm referring to in a from seed lemon alien dawg but my wifi clone also has hollow stems.
Confu

 

[clockworx]

I h


Nice thread clock, dude I have plants right now I'm bout to flower them, topped the main growth tip, and a month later still have a gaping hole, like u can stick a dab wand right down to the next node several inches below. I think that voids runs the length of the main stalk, I just don't like the inner of my plant exposed like that. I'm sure I'm not the first one that has experienced this. A lot of my OG type strains tend to have a hollow stems. The plant I'm referring to in a from seed lemon alien dawg but my wifi clone also has hollow stems.
Confu

Yea I've had stems like that a bunch of times, usually when the plants are growing fast and being fed a nice amount of N .....when you pinch them the make a crunch sound like fresh celery , its ok, as the plant grows in flower the stems will get harder and fill in, there is nothing you can do. The plant know what it needs to do, don't stuff anything in there, that will only harm the plant and creams or gels will form bacteria .... trust me ,,,leave it alone....I've been growing a very long time and have seen this before....the most I would do is zip tie the knob shut and it will heal closed....