Can and should I top or fem this plant yet? - GreenPassion.org - Dedicated to Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Education

col.forbin · #1 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 07:50 AM

I have a Female BLue Hash plant that is about 2 weeks old....Im a noob at all of this, especially when it comes to topping/cloning- never done either yet, but im about to

.

Anyways, i'm wondering when the appropriate time to top or fem this plant.

I hear talk about counting nodes, of which I know nothing about...if anyone could also show how or send me a link on how to top, that would be great.

Zigzagman · #2 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 08:57 AM

Morning col. 2 weeks old is early for topping. Can you put up a pic so we can see where you're at with her?

col.forbin · #3 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zigzagman

Morning col. 2 weeks old is early for topping. Can you put up a pic so we can see where you're at with her?

Those pics are of her

Zigzagman · #4 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 10:22 AM

I'm not seeing any pics. Just two links to rollitup... Sorry...

SmokeToLive · #5 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 10:26 AM

F! Eye Missed!

unrefined.hybrid · #6 (**permalink**) 08-01-2009, 01:02 AM

Nodes are the "lumps" on the stem that the leaves/branches shoot from... yknow the lines around bamboo? They are nodes too.

You "can" pinch the tip out of anything once it has a node or two, but the smaller/younger the plant, the greater the amount of relative stress and the longer your delay will probably be. IE, give em a month and some branching, top em, and they'll be spitting out new growth in a week or so (usually) but do it to a seedling sized plant and they'll just sit there for two weeks going duuhhhh what happened then?

Canyou top? Yes. Should you? Probably not just yet. Very early topping is best kept for specific application like intentionally dwarfing plants for micro grows. trying to pinch out tiny new tips is tricky too, you might just damage the shoot without taking it down enough to force branching... all that delay and stress just to get a plant that looks the same but with butt ugly damage leaves here n there.

If in doubt - don't! (Or do it anyway, keep notes, and share the results - we learn most when we stuff something up sometimes!) . Almost anything to do with plants can either wait a day (except critical watering) or a week, or longer... especially under continuous lighting schedule. Can always prune more heavily later on, but you can't do much with a dying/sick/hermie'd out plant.

Best results for topping are usually once you have some "secondary thickening"... that is, when your seedling has a few "levels" of leaf and then starts throwing branches between them, and then don't be namby pamby about it.. knock out the top few nodes, leaving the desired number of branches/nodes below the point of the cut. Some people pinch, or snap, others prefer to use nice sharp snippers or a razor blade. I like a clean sharp sterile snip, one less thing to worry about then! Make a 45 degree cut to stop moisture pooling in the cut, this helps prevent rot/dieback. A cm or two above the node you want to make the new "top" of your plant is good, this gives the plant a lil room to dry and callous the fresh cut for a few days before the new shoots coming up from below start to shade it out.

Hope that helps, best of luck!

col.forbin · #7 (**permalink**) 08-01-2009, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zigzagman

I'm not seeing any pics. Just two links to rollitup... Sorry...

Wow, my bad...here are the pics

100_0064.JPG

100_0065.JPG

col.forbin · #8 (**permalink**) 08-01-2009, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unrefined.hybrid

Nodes are the "lumps" on the stem that the leaves/branches shoot from... yknow the lines around bamboo? They are nodes too.

You "can" pinch the tip out of anything once it has a node or two, but the smaller/younger the plant, the greater the amount of relative stress and the longer your delay will probably be. IE, give em a month and some branching, top em, and they'll be spitting out new growth in a week or so (usually) but do it to a seedling sized plant and they'll just sit there for two weeks going duuhhhh what happened then?

Canyou top? Yes. Should you? Probably not just yet. Very early topping is best kept for specific application like intentionally dwarfing plants for micro grows. trying to pinch out tiny new tips is tricky too, you might just damage the shoot without taking it down enough to force branching... all that delay and stress just to get a plant that looks the same but with butt ugly damage leaves here n there.

If in doubt - don't! (Or do it anyway, keep notes, and share the results - we learn most when we stuff something up sometimes!) . Almost anything to do with plants can either wait a day (except critical watering) or a week, or longer... especially under continuous lighting schedule. Can always prune more heavily later on, but you can't do much with a dying/sick/hermie'd out plant.

Best results for topping are usually once you have some "secondary thickening"... that is, when your seedling has a few "levels" of leaf and then starts throwing branches between them, and then don't be namby pamby about it.. knock out the top few nodes, leaving the desired number of branches/nodes below the point of the cut. Some people pinch, or snap, others prefer to use nice sharp snippers or a razor blade. I like a clean sharp sterile snip, one less thing to worry about then! Make a 45 degree cut to stop moisture pooling in the cut, this helps prevent rot/dieback. A cm or two above the node you want to make the new "top" of your plant is good, this gives the plant a lil room to dry and callous the fresh cut for a few days before the new shoots coming up from below start to shade it out.

Hope that helps, best of luck!

Thanks

justplainbill · #9 (**permalink**) 08-01-2009, 01:53 AM

I would top that plant now. The resultant stems will grow thick. I top most of my plants on the 3rd node, then the 4th, but I am different. Below are examples now and as a seedling. No dwarf here. It will be huge when mature. I topped it 3 times for 6 stems.