A Complete Guide to Topping, Training and Pruning

[Kodiak]

Yeah, I agree.

Keeping the Metal Halide/Blue Spectrum light in place for the first two weeks or so of 12/12, seems to reduce the stretch quite a bit. The spectrum enhanced HPS will also help to reduce the stretch but not as much as the MH. The really is no need to switch to the HPS until the transitional stage is over and the plants have begun flowering properly.

I also believe that shortening the day gradually will result in a lesser stretch than if the plants are thrown directly into flowering from veg.

 

[Scrogerman]

Thanks for sharing bro'
peace......Scroger'

 

[love?]

Great writeup, thanks for posting it Kodiak!

I hadn't even heard of monster cropping, very interesting. Gotta try it out some day. Do any common strains respond particularly well to the technique?

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks, I'm glad that you liked it.

I had to give the technique a name since it was only known as the method of flowering clones, which didn't have much of a ring to it, so I thought that Monster Cropping would be a good name for it.

I cannot say which strains respond well to this technique since I have not tried it myself but I think that you could try it on any strain.

Usually there is some variation between the individuals of any particular strain. Every plant is unique and they all respond differently to any given treatment, so I guess it all boils down to finding a good plant for that particular style of growing.

Try it out on the plants that you have and see what happens.

 

[HansHanf]

thx for sharing this one kodiak
good one as always

peace

 

[JazzMatazz]

Hi,

thanks for your write up. I even forced my GF to read it.

My girlfriend and I have grown "mostly indica" Hybrids um until now. For this run, weve decided on some Jack Herer clones purchased locally.

These are expected to go for 10 Weeks at 12/12 . And the pictures below show ~ 40 CM plants at 4 days into 12/12, 400 Watts, Soil, Plagron Alga Series. During the 3 Weeks of Veg I cut off 3-5 branches on each.

My question now would be, if I should cut off even more branches right now, considering that they will most certainly double in size still. Im hesitating because the darn plants have invested so much into these branches already. - Maybe I should cut out middle branches instead and leave the lowest ones?

Since I have no idea how the Jack Herer will branch I thought I might ask here.
Edit: The question boils down to how many branches is an optimum to balance lost energy of branches/less light consumption with big buds?

Thank you for your help,

Jazz

 

[JazzMatazz]

more pictures... sorry

 

[Kodiak]

Cool plants Jazz

I would not remove anything at this point. If anything, I would remove some of the lower branches. Anything that spends too much energy on building stem will have to go. The same goes for the lower popcorn buds. The energy could be better spent at the top, fattening up the buds.

I think that you will get a nice and even canopy in a few weeks. It might be easier to decide what to keep then.

 

[milehimedi]

Kodiak

when do you usually cut out the lower growth? I am growing a 12 week strain.

 

[Kodiak]

Hi milehimed

I remove some of the lower growth when the plants start flowering properly, after the stretch.

I also scrog them becuase, in my eyes, it makes things a bit easier to see. I usually go by what the plants tell me.

I get the best results by topping and training them in veg and then trimming the leafs in say early to mid-flowering.

More or less, depending on the plant, the style of growing and the setup. I would remove less from a plant that is left untopped because more light travels down the canopy in that case. Topping the plants and then scrogging them also make them easier to handle. You also have more options during flowering. If need be, you can bend the branches and tie them vertically over the scrog net. The plants will find a way.

 

[m4rkk]

Keep in mind that when cannabis plants are cut they release jasmonic acid. This hormone acts a defensive chemical against what the plant perceives as an insect attack. If too much of this hormone is present, the plant will be effectively stunted for a while as JA also inhibits growth in favor of defense. If you have to trim, always trim conservatively.

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks

I didn't know that but apparently JA also controls the rate at which trichomes are formed, for the same defensive reasons.

I updated the guide with this new information.

 

[bucketbot]

Thank you very very much! Highly interesting and clear!

Cheers!

 

[zingablack]

hey got a quick Q. can you start training to early? i just had to plants show male that i started and trained extensively LST from when they were very small.

did i stress them to much to early?

 

[Kodiak]

Hey zingablack

Sure, it's possible to start training too early but that usually means that you will see stunted growth for a while. If you top the plants when they are very young, you can actually remove their ability to grow altogether, but this is rarely the case. If the plants keep on growing there's really nothing to worry about.

The sex of the plant is genetically determined. Cannabis plants are basically either true males/females or hermaphrodites. Only hermaphrodites will change sex under stress and most of the time we're talking about predominantly female plants that produce incomplete male flowers, although it works both ways. I like to divide up the plants in this way because that way I can keep it simple. In reality, hermaphroditism is a genetic trait that most female plants possess. Dioecious plants apparently evolved from hermaphroditic ancestors.

I'm not sure I understand your question exactly, but if you are asking if training the plants turned them into males, the answer is no. They were male to begin with. If the plants were female at first but now show male flowers as well, you've got hermies on your hands. If that's the case, the plants were prone to the hermaphroditic state all along and the stress just brought on the sex reversal.

It's always a good idea to stress test your plants in order to weed out the hermies. Especially if you are looking for good mother plants or stable breeding material.

 

[zingablack]

alright thanks kodiak. i guess i just popped two poopy beans. lol.. owell im liking clones lately.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Great thread Kodiak, thank you for all the info.

I have a situation where I need to have some young plants catch up with some older plants and I am thinking about severely topping the older plants and was wondering what you thought.

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks man,

I agree. If you want all the plants to be of the same height when they go into flowering, you will have to cut the older plants way down in size. It's not really a problem since the older plants will have time to put on more weight while the smaller ones are vegging. The older plants will also grow faster because their roots are already well established.

You could take this opportunity to train the older plants for a greater harvest. Top the plant fairly low and then train it into a dense bush. You might get even more bud out of them this way. You'll at least get some fresh clones out of it.

Good Luck

 

[StonedSoul-dier]

Amazing Column kodiak, Lots of my questions answered. The part on monster cropping was excellent.

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.