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.
Most growers top their plants early in the vegetative stage when plants are still relatively small. It's typical to top plants 1-3 times throughout the veg cycle. Again, topping can be stressful, so observe you plants for about 2-weeks between toppings to ensure they are healthy enough for further trimming.
If you top them too early, you risk stunting their growth. Consider your light: If you're growing in an indoor grow space, and light leaks are a problem, consider topping your plants early. There are a few different ways to tackle light leaks, but topping is the most reliable solution.
The side branches will end up filling out a bit more so it won't be a huge loss but all topping should be done during the vegetative stage and preferably not within two weeks or so of the plant starting the flowering stage.
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.
Here are some tips for topping marijuana plants:
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.
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.
At week 4 of the flowering stage, your cannabis plants will likely have stopped growing altogether and are now spending all their energy on growing buds. There will still be white hairs sticking out from the buds, but the buds themselves will become bigger and fatter with each day.
Week 2 – First signs of flowering
4 in autoflowers), little white whiskers known as pistils begin to emerge from the spot where fan leaves protrude from the plant's main stem. These sites are known as bud sites and will be the spot to watch for emerging buds.
Week one is the transition stage between pre-flowering and full flowering when your plant switches from growing tall to producing buds. During this transition, some strains will double in height from what they were a week earlier. Because of this rapid growth, week one is commonly known as “the stretch”.
Considering this, the majority of growers will tell you to wait 1–2 weeks between the end of topping and the beginning of flowering. A decent amount of growers, however, believe a plant can handle the transition with only 5–7 days of recovery.
Non-topped plants tend to develop one strong central stem that grows much taller than the rest of the plant, and becomes laden with flowers during the bloom stage. This dense region of flowers is called a “cola”. Meanwhile, the lower branches of the plant develop lighter foliage and fewer, often smaller flowers.
Top watering is a natural way to water and mimics the rain coming down on the plant. You'll use a watering can and water the top surface around the pot's diameter. The water will run down throughout the soil and drain out the drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
WHEN SHOULD I STOP USING RECHARGE? It is not harmful, but most folks stop using Recharge in week 5 or 6 of flower.
Ending Nutrient Cycle / Flushing
To prevent harsh tastes and unsavoury chemicals making their way into your stash, you can simply stop feeding any nutrients in the last 1.5–2 weeks of flowering. If you are growing hydroponically, you shouldn't stop feeding until the last five days as they will be growing in water only.
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!
Late flowering / Ripening stage – week 6 to harvest
In the last few weeks, buds gain the most weight. They are sticky to the touch and can be very smelly.
Days to 50% flowering was determined by recording the number of days following transplanting (DAT) until 50% of plants in a plot had at least one open flower.
By weeks 5 and 6, your plants will be well into flowering. Their buds should be big, thick, and loaded with white pistils. They will also be developing a thick coat of trichomes, which should be giving off a nice, pungent aroma.
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.
Generally, you want to water every 2 or 3 days during Flowering and you want to water enough that 10-20% of water comes out from the pot as runoff. You can check your soil moisture by sticking a finger in the pot: if the soil is dry a couple inches down, then it is time to water again.
Well that concludes are look at Week 5. The plants have gotten deeper into flower, the buds are getting bigger, and the vegetative growth has slowed.
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.
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.