Another benefit of topping plants is that it creates a bushier structure. With a more bushy structure, there's less risk of light leaks, and the plants are easier to manage. Topping your plants can also help to reduce the risk of mold and pests.
Cons of Non-Topped Plants
Non-topped plants focus most of their energy on developing one large cola, producing airy, lighter flowers on their lower branches. Non-topped plants may develop an uneven canopy, making it harder for light to reach lower bud sites, further affecting bud development in these areas.
Whether you grow indoors or outdoors topping your cannabis plants helps to produce a bigger and better yield, which is every grower's primary goal. The first thing to understand is that topping is an exact cut at the node, and while that sounds easy, the timing of topping is critical.
How do topping and training benefit plants? Topping's main benefit is increased lateral growth that sets your plants up for higher yields. Fueled by redirected growth hormones, lateral branches rush to catch up with vertical growth.
Topping is best done when the plant is very young (less than 2-3 weeks old) and has only 2-5 nodes in total. Topping is the removal of the plants 'top' growth just above a node (fig 2). Once topped, the two axillary buds immediately below the cut will then grow out into two new branches.
Topping Too Early or Incorrectly
The first rule of topping is that it is best to wait until the main stem has at least 3 or 4 nodes as topping the plant too early can slow or even stunt the growth of the plant. When the plant is topped at the right size, it often won't slow down at all!
If you wait too long, your buds will be overripe and possibly ruined. If you harvest too early, the buds may not have finished growing (and developing their potency). Ultimately, the goal is to harvest when your plants' trichome and resin production is at its peak.
Topped vs Non-Topped Plants Produce Different Yields
On the one hand, topping encourages bushier lower growth and the development of multiple colas. However, it also exerts a large amount of stress on young cannabis plants, resulting in slower, stunted growth for at least seven days post-topping.
It is recommended that you wait until your plants have at least four nodes before topping them, and most growers recommend topping the plant above the sixth node. Nodes are the part of a plant that connects new stem offshoots with older growth, which can form a branch, a leaf, or in the case of cannabis plants, a bud.
Make sure to cut just above a pair of leaves, as this will encourage the growth of multiple branches. Know when to top weed plants; it can be done any time after the plant has reached the vegetative stage, but it's typically done when the plant is between 3-5 weeks old.
Topping pepper plants is typically recommended for pepper varieties that produce small fruit. For instance, jalapeños, Thai chilis, serranos, cayenne, shishitos, habaneros (I prefer habanda), or other petite chili peppers.
Avoid watering: After topping your plants, they'll be stressed. To avoid stressing them even more, avoid watering them for a few days. Add nutrients: The extra stress on your plants will mean they need more nutrients. Add a fertilizer solution and make sure your plants have enough light.
Benefits of topping and sucker control include; increased root growth, reduced weight in the top of the plant, a reduction of the translocation of nutrients and moisture from lower leaves to support the growth and development of upper leaves.
You don't want to top too low either, as depending on the strain, auxins may still be present when regrowth occurs, causing vertical growth again. The general rule to follow is to cut your plant above the 5th leaf node in order to make sure that it's sturdy enough to deal with the stress.
Indoor trees, such as Ficus and Dracaenas, tend to grow vertically, but it is possible to encourage branching by trimming off the topmost point of growth. Doing this will force your plant to branch out from the sides of where you cut, rather than continuing to grow directly upwards.
Top multiple times
Every time you top your plant you are basically multiplying the number of colas and growth tips it will have. And you can top a plant as many times as you want.
Some say that it is best to top the plant at night when most of the hormones have been sent to the roots. This means that there is a smaller chance of the plant being stunted after the main shoot has been removed.
Make judicious cuts to encourage new growth. Cut just before a leaf node. Or when cutting back larger stems, cut as close to the main stem as possible. However, do not remove more than 25 percent of the plant.
In plants grown from seed, the plant and root grow from separate parts. Once plants are established, the green or woody part of the plant can grow directly from the fibrous roots below, and often, the plant stem can produce new roots. Root tubers found in some plants can develop buds that will produce new plants.
Wait Until Plant Has At Least 4-5+ Nodes – Topping a Too-Young Seedling Can Slow Down Growth. Waiting a Few More Days to Cut Can Result in a Much Faster Recovery. Growers use the plant's natural response to topping to produce short bushy plants with many colas.
Since topping is a high-stress training method, it's important to let the plant recover for a couple of weeks before doing any further cutting or pruning. But once the plant has stabilized and the new stalks are established, the topping process can be repeated over and over, potentially producing enormous yields.
Topping doesn't work with all plant varieties. It is most ideal for plants that have strong upward growth, with multiple nodes for branches and flowers to develop. This way when you cut off the top of the plant, the bottom portion is nearly identical.
You can remove fan leaves during flowering in much the same way you do during veg. Prune away large leaves that are overshadowing bud sites, as well as dead or dying fan leaves. One thing to keep in mind is that you should prune in intervals, giving at least a couple weeks between each session.
Usually, growers trim the fan leaves weeks before harvest, which is a period that leads to senescence, a phase in the plant cycle when the larger leaves start fading away. It is safe to start removing these dying leaves and continue until harvest.
You will need to wait 6-12 weeks until the harvesting depending on the strain. Harvest when around 90% of trichomes are milky white, and 10% are amber. Plus, around 50-70% of pistils should have turned red, brown, or orange.