10/09/2019
Want a free way to increase your yields? Consider "topping" your plant. This is what it looks like to "top" above the 5th node (cut off tip above 5th set of serrated leaves).
"Topping above the 5th" is an underrated technique that is easy but surprisingly effective. If you tuck the fan leaves to expose the lower growing tips, your plant will naturally grow 6-8 main growing tips ("colas" or main bud sites) as it gets bigger. Basically, you are forcing 6-8 of your branches to reach the top of your plant before it starts flowering. Each of these will turn into a big long bud.
Most plants naturally grow just one big main bud, so forcing each plant to grow 6 or 8 big buds can dramatically increase your yields.
Topping above the 5th node gives you yields similar to a "manifolded" plant without adding weeks onto your vegetative stage. In fact, if you top your plant right after it grows the 6th node, like this plant, it likely won't even noticed getting topped. Even autoflowering strains don't mind if they haven't started flowering yet.
Another benefit: a topped plant is easier to spread out and control the height since you break the apical dominance (the tendency to grow just one main stem).
I recommend any new grower try topping above the 5th when their plants are 3-4 weeks old. After that, your only job as far as training is to bend tall branches and tie them down. I also recommend defoliating after buds start forming. Otherwise just let your plants do their thing and enjoy your 6-8 main colas 🙂
Do you top your plants? Do you have a particular system, or just when it's convenient? Who prefers to let plants grow naturally?