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If you want to get the most out of your cannabis plants, you need to know how to top them. Topping is a technique that involves cutting off the main stem of the plant to encourage it to grow more lateral branches. This can increase your yields and make your plants more robust. Keep reading to learn more about how to top a cannabis plant for greater yields.
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The Basics of Topping
Topping a cannabis plant is a common method used by growers to produce more buds and increase yields. The process involves cutting off the main stem of the plant just above a node, which encourages the growth of two new shoots. This can be done once the plant has reached a certain height and has at least four nodes. Topping can be a little tricky, so let’s go over the basics.
What is Topping?
Topping is the process of removing the growing tip of a cannabis plant. This forces the plant to grow lateral (sideways) branches, which results in a shorter, bushier plant with more buds.
Topping is typically done when the plant is 4-6 weeks old and has 4-6 nodes (sets of leaves). It can be done sooner or later, but this is considered the ideal time.
Topping can be done with a sharp knife or shears. Simply cut off the main stem about 2 inches (5 cm) below the last node. New growth will emerge from these nodes within a week or two.
You can topping once, twice, or even three times if desired. The more you topping, the more branches (and buds) your plant will produce. However, each topping decreases the overall size of your final yield, so it’s important to find the sweet spot for your particular grow setup.
As a general rule of thumb, 1-2 toppings is ideal for most growers. More than that is often unnecessary and can actually result in poorerQuality buds.
When to Top Your Plants
Topping your cannabis plants is a common grow technique to encourage them to produce more buds. Most growers top their plants once, but some may top multiple times if they want an even higher yield. If you’re wondering when the best time to top your plants is, it depends on a few things. In this article, we’ll go over when you should top based on the growth stage of your plant, the method you’re using (FIM or ScrOG), and whether you want an earlier or later harvest.
The best time to top your cannabis plant is during the vegetative stage when it has 4-6 nodes. Nodes are the points on the stem where leaves branch out, and they usually have 2 leaves each. Topping at this point will encourage your plant to grow more horizontally instead of vertically. This is because when you cut off the main stem, two new main stems will grow in its place. This will cause your plant to branch out and fill in more of the grow space, leading to a higher yield.
If you’re using the Screen of Green (ScrOG) method, you should top your plant when it has 4-6 nodes and is about 6-8 inches tall. The ScrOG method involves training your plant to grow horizontally along a screen or netting. When you topped early and often during vegetative growth, your plant will have a flat canopy that is densely packed with buds come harvest time.
If you’re using the Fill in Missing (FIM) method, you should wait until your plant has 8-10 nodes before topping. The FIM method is similar to ScrOG but with a Fewer cuts are made during FIMing, so each one counts more towards final shape than if done heavily as with ScrOGging Topping at this point will result in fewer but larger colas (bud sites).
You can also top your plants closer to flowering for an earlier harvest or later into flowering for a slightly later harvest. If you want an earlier harvest, you should top your plants 3 weeks before flipping them into 12/12 lighting schedule for flowering. If you want a later harvest, wait until 2 weeks after flipping them into 12/12 before topping your plants.
In general, it’s best to err on the side of topping too early rather than too late because it’s easier to fix a too-early topping than a too-late one. When in doubt, always ask yourself if you would rather have an earlier or later harvest—topping early will give you an earlier harvest while topping late will give you a later harvest.
The Different Ways to Top
Topping is the process of removing the main shoot tip (apical meristem) of a cannabis plant in order to encourage the formation of more main shoots (branches). The number of new shoots formed depends on the plant species, variety, and how the topping is done.
Cannabis can be topped in several ways, including FIMing, Screen of Green (ScrOG), Main-Lining, Supercropping, and Manicuring. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages that growers must weigh before deciding which technique is right for them.
FIMing (FIM = Fuck I Missed) is perhaps the most popular topping method among growers. It involves taking a sharp knife or pair of scissors and removing approximately one-quarter to one-third of the main shoot tip. This technique typically results in the formation of four to eight new shoots.
Screen of Green (ScrOG) is a popular topping method that involves using a net or screen to physically control the height and shape of the plant. The ScrOG method can produce very even canopy with good light penetration and fewer leaf nodes, which is ideal for maximizing yield.
Main-Lining is a topping method that emphasizes proper branch selection and internode spacing in order to create a “main line” of flowering branches that extends evenly across the width of the canopy. This method often results in fewer total branches than other topping methods, but it can produce very even light penetration and good yields.
Supercropping is a topping technique that involves carefully bending and breaking branches in order to damage the Cambium layer (the innermost layer of bark). This damage forces the plant to produce new growth hormones that result in increased branching and bud production.
Manicuring is a term that refers to trimming away any leaves or stems that are blocking light from reaching lower buds. Manicuring can be done throughout the vegetative stage or just before flipping plants to 12/12 flower photoperiod. This practice can improve yields by increasing bud sites that receive direct sunlight.
How Topping Affects Yields
Topping a cannabis plant is the process of removing the main stem, or tallest point, of the plant. This is typically done when the plant is about halfway through its vegetative stage. Topping forces the plant to produce two new main colas, or central stems, instead of one.
More Main Stems = More Sites for Flowering
Topping is a common high-stress training (HST) technique used to force cannabis plants to grow shorter and bushier. By chopping off the main stem of a plant, multiple new tops (or main stems) are produced. Since each main stem can produce flowers, topping can theoretically increase the number of flowers (and hence, the yield).
More Light = Faster Growth
Topping a cannabis plant is the process of removing the growing tip (or apical meristem) of the plant. This action stimulates the plant to produce lateral branching, or “sideshoots”. The more sideshoots a plant has, the more sites it has available for flowering. More flowers = more potential yield.
Topping also has the effect of slowing down vertical growth, which allows for a better distribution of energy and resources throughout the entire plant canopy. This results in healthier, more vibrant plants that are better able to resist pests and disease.
There are 2 main methods of topping:
The first method is to simply cut off the top of the plant with a sharp knife or pair of scissors. This method works well, but can be messy and it can be difficult to get a clean cut on larger plants.
The second method is to use a technique called “lollipopping”. This involves removing all of the lower leaves and branches from the plant so that all of the energy and resources can be focused on the main stem and uppermost leaves. This helps to produce cleaner cuts and faster healing times. It also allows for better airflow and light penetration, which results in healthier plants with higher yields.
More Air Circulation = Less Disease
Cannabis growers topping their plants create more sites for air to circulate and thus diminish the possibility for certain types of fungal spores and bacteria to take hold and cause disease. When you top a cannabis plant, you’re also stimulating it to grow wider, not just taller. More leaves mean more surface area for the plant to photosynthesize light and produce energy, which leads directly to bigger yields.
How to Top Your Cannabis Plants
Topping your cannabis plant is a great way to increase yields and produce more flowers. It’s a simple process that involves removing the top of the plant to encourage lateral growth. This can be done with a sharp knife or pruning shears. Keep reading to learn more about how to top your cannabis plant for greater yields.
The Traditional Method
One of the traditional ways of topping a cannabis plant is called the “Screen of Green” or SCROG method. Scrogging involves using a screen or netting to evenly distribute the top growth of your plants. This even canopy allows more light to penetrate through to the lower buds and encourages them to grow.
Topping your plants also forces them to put out more lateral (side) branches, which increases the overall yield of your crop. When done properly, topping can also help to promote a more even canopy, which will produce larger, higher-quality buds.
Topping is usually done when the plant is around 8-10 weeks old and has developed 4-5 main branches. The main stem is cut just above the 5th node (where the leaves branch out), and this will encourage 2 new shoots to grow in its place. These new shoots are then cut back to 2 nodes each, so that they branch out and create a fuller, denser plant.
This process can be repeated 1-2 more times during the vegetative stage, but be careful not to overdo it as this can seriously stress out your plants and reduce yields.
The FIM Method
One of the most common ways to top a cannabis plant is called the FIM method. It’s easy to do and only requires a small amount of care to get right. FIM stands for “Fuck I Missed,” which is referencing the fact that you’re essentially hacking off the top of your plant.
To start, find a node (a joint where leaves meet the stem) on your plant that has two leaves coming off of it. Using a sharp knife or pair of scissors, cut off the entire node, being careful not to damage any surrounding leaves.
Once you’ve removed the node, you should see two new shoots beginning to grow out of the cut area. Let these shoots grow for a few days until they’re about an inch long, then come back and repeat the process on each shoot.
You can continue topping your plant this way until you have 4-8 main colas (the large buds at the top of the plant), at which point it’s time to stop and let your plant finish flowering.
The Screen of Green (ScrOG) Method
The Screen of Green (ScrOG) method is a great way to get bigger yields from your cannabis plants. The idea is to train the plants so that they grow horizontally across a screen, which allows you to pack more plants into a small space. This method can be used with either indoor or outdoor plants.
To ScrOG your cannabis plants, you will need:
-A screen that is big enough to cover your grow area
-Some wire or string
-Some gardening scissors
Here’s how to do it:
1. Put the screen over your grow area. Make sure that it is big enough to cover the entire area.
2. Tie the wire or string around the perimeter of the screen. This will help to keep it in place.
3. Start training your plants to grow horizontally across the screen. You can do this by gently bending the stems and tying them down with the wire or string. Make sure that you leave enough space between each plant so that they have room to grow.
4. As your plants continue to grow, keep training them so that they stay on the screen. You may need to trim away some of the leaves so that the stems can reach down to the other side of the screen. 5 . After a few weeks, you should have a canopy of green leaves covering the entire screen!
Tips for Topping Success
Topping a cannabis plant is a common way to improve yields while growing. When done correctly, topping can increase the number of main colas produced by the plant, as well as the size of those colas. It is a simple technique that anyone can learn with a little practice. Let’s go over how to top a cannabis plant for the best results.
Be Gentle
When topping your plants, be very gentle so as not to damage the stem or leaves. Use sharp, clean shears or a sharp knife to make a 45-degree angle cut about ½ an inch above a node. You should see two new little branches (sometimes called “sites”) that have been revealed by the cut. These are where your new growth will occur.
You can top your plants as many times as you like, but be aware that each time you do, you are stressing the plant and it will take some time for it to recover. If you want to get the most out of your plant, it’s best to top it no more than 3 times.
Use Sharp Scissors
For the best possible results, use sharp scissors when topping your cannabis plant. Blunt scissors can cause damage to the plant, which can lead to a less than ideal yield.
Make Sure Plants are Healthy
With all the attention cannabis growers give their plants during the flowering stage, it’s easy to forget that topping is just as important for maximizing yields. Topping is a pruning technique that involves cutting off the main stem of a plant to encourage lateral (sideways) growth. When done correctly, topping can lead to bigger, fuller plants with more buds. Here are a few tips to help you achieve topping success.
Before you start topping your plants, make sure they are healthy and well-nourished. If your plants are stressed or undernourished, they will be more likely to suffer from shock when you cut off their main stems. Topping also puts extra stress on plants, so it’s important to give them a boost before you start. Use a balanced fertilizer and make sure your plants are getting enough water.
Another important tip is to top your plants early in the vegetative stage, before they get too big. If you wait too long, it will be more difficult for your plants to recover from the shock of having their main stems cut off. Older, larger plants are also more likely to suffer from stem breakage when toppings are done incorrectly.
When it’s time to actually do the topping, use sharp scissors or pruning shears to make a clean cut at an angle just above a set of leaves. Avoid cutting too close to the leaves, as this can damage them. Once you’ve made the cut, remove any leaves that were attached to the section of stem that you removed.
It’s important to be patient after topping your plants – they will need some time to recover before they start growing again. Avoid fertilizing or watering your plants for at least a day after topping them, as this can further stress them out. Keep an eye on your plants and make sure they are getting enough light and air circulation. If all goes well, you should see new growth within a week or two
