Topping off

[Alexrsx]

Hey everyone, first time grower here, growing a autoflower, strain is auto melons runtz I’m currently on day 23, I know there’s a a lot of people that say you shouldn’t top a auto, for with this specific strain I’ve heard a lot of people recommend topping this strain, my question is with the growth that my plant is at, would it be ok to top off now and at which node, or am I to late?

 

[Eledin]

Im not sure your plant will be able to handle toping, not because its an auto melonade runtz, Ive grown it, generous harvest. Rather because it looks very stretchy which means she doesnt have enough light and wont produce at its full potential. What light are you using? Heavy training on a plant that is not getting enough light is not a good idea, even less if its an auto.

 

[Eledin]

I think you will get more yield if you let it be and grow more nodes instead of toping it, but I dont know, maybe someone has a different opinion.

 

[Alexrsx]

Im not sure your plant will be able to handle toping, not because its an auto melonade runtz, Ive grown it, generous harvest. Rather because it looks very stretchy which means she doesnt have enough light and wont produce at its full potential. What light are you using? Heavy training on a plant that is not getting enough light is not a good idea, even less if its an auto.

Yes for the first week after sprout I had a really terrible light that was giving no light, I upgraded to sf1000d in like week 2 right now I have it 18 inches above the plant, which is getting around 600 ppfd

 

[Eledin]

As long as you dont see pistils in the bud sites you can top it then, she will have enough light to push the secondary branches but you only have 2 nodes if you top now right?

 

[Eledin]

Also my experience with toping autos is mixed, even with the ones that are healthy and grow vigorously. Ive had some strains that were safe to top give me airy buds so I think there's always that risk.

 

[Alexrsx]

Also my experience with toping autos is mixed, even with the ones that are healthy and grow vigorously. Ive had some strains that were safe to top give me airy buds so I think there's always that risk.

I’m assuming that it’s growing to the 4th node right now since it’s the 4th set of true leaves

 

[Eledin]

The cotyledons and the leaves with only one tip dont count, no bud is gonna grow there, just in case.

 

[Eledin]

I see 2 sets of leaves already formed, 1 forming and you wanna top the incoming one? So that would make 3 nodes I think.

 

[Alexrsx]

I see 2 sets of leaves already formed, 1 forming and you wanna top the incoming one? So that would make 3 nodes I think.

Ok I didn’t know the the leaves with one tip didn’t count, so to top would I have to wait for the incoming set to get a bit bigger?

 

[Eledin]

Depends on how many nodes you want. In any case you wanna top when the new set of leaves that youre gonna remove is still small so the wound is not big and doesnt stress it as much.

 

[ArtfulCodger]

The issue with topping autos is that you only have X amount of time to veg. Topping and other high stress techniques make the plant use some of that limited veg time for recovery. So you sacrifice some plant mass for making the shape you want. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but that's the trade-off.

 

[JIMKSI64]

No.
Topping an auto depends on how good you can grow an auto.
Autos can be finicky but there is a code to growing these things and you just have to crack it. Here is a plant at 16 days and I have 4 just like it and 5 one node behind. It already has secondary tertiary stems in secondary stems.
Apple fritter Auto 17 days above ground

The biggest problem I see with getting a good jump on autos is getting the soil setup for trouble free 3 week growing and a steady environment with gentle changes in temp and humidity. I am running these at 79 degrees and all but one appears to love it.

Now the difference. Here is an unstopped plant at end

The only way this works is with a lot of side lighting.
Here is a plant topped and the 2 mains allowed to grow.

This one has much more chunky flowers on the lowers as the growth hormones are more spread out than just a unstopped plant.
My rule is top at 7 and if I see ANY preflower signs I give it one more week and then top. Trying to move one large auto stem sideways on this specific strain does not work as you will not get more than a 50% stretch and on a plant that is small anyways you will not make it outside the other stems and turned upright for growth

 

[Alexrsx]

Da

No.
Topping an auto depends on how good you can grow an auto.
Autos can be finicky but there is a code to growing these things and you just have to crack it. Here is a plant at 16 days and I have 4 just like it and 5 one node behind. It already has secondary tertiary stems in secondary stems.
Apple fritter Auto 17 days above ground
View attachment 2551191

The biggest problem I see with getting a good jump on autos is getting the soil setup for trouble free 3 week growing and a steady environment with gentle changes in temp and humidity. I am running these at 79 degrees and all but one appears to love it.

Now the difference. Here is an unstopped plant at end
View attachment 2551192
The only way this works is with a lot of side lighting.
Here is a plant topped and the 2 mains allowed to grow.
View attachment 2551197
This one has much more chunky flowers on the lowers as the growth hormones are more spread out than just a unstopped plant.
My rule is top at 7 and if I see ANY preflower signs I give it one more week and then top. Trying to move one large auto stem sideways on this specific strain does not work as you will not get more than a 50% stretch and on a plant that is small anyways you will not make it outside the other stems and turned upright for growth

Damn 17 days and that plant is way bigger then mine