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A Complete Guide to Topping, Training and Pruning
- Thread starter Kodiak
- Start date
SLH and Kush FIM and toppings ...first attempt of a novice...2nd grow
SLH and Kush FIM and toppings ...first attempt of a novice...2nd grow
Hello Kodiak,how you doing my friend?notice than you had update this your TOP thread,sound mate...
my SLH'zes going to flower soon maybe,I am a bit afraid of take them clones,yet maybe take a few depends of flowering progress...
good grows and nice smokes
this pictures 2 weeks old...will try to post a more actual soon...
the kush in early bloom...
SLH and Kush FIM and toppings ...first attempt of a novice...2nd grow
Hello Kodiak,how you doing my friend?notice than you had update this your TOP thread,sound mate...
my SLH'zes going to flower soon maybe,I am a bit afraid of take them clones,yet maybe take a few depends of flowering progress...
good grows and nice smokes
this pictures 2 weeks old...will try to post a more actual soon...
the kush in early bloom...
horizontal disposition to light
horizontal disposition to light
Hi Kodiak!
How's you doing m8?Well hope you alright in show you a pic of my new light disposition to the plants and added more 100 watts cfl to the 225 w I had,and I am following your advice to horizontal exposure,cheers mate,
enjoy great smokes
please don't take this as a personal update only think that is all related to your guide and method and appreciate your advice if any my friend...and let you below the link to my brand new thread where you are welcome,thanks,
ERVABUE
horizontal disposition to light
Hi Kodiak!
How's you doing m8?Well hope you alright in show you a pic of my new light disposition to the plants and added more 100 watts cfl to the 225 w I had,and I am following your advice to horizontal exposure,cheers mate,
enjoy great smokes
please don't take this as a personal update only think that is all related to your guide and method and appreciate your advice if any my friend...and let you below the link to my brand new thread where you are welcome,thanks,
ERVABUE
Hey apanihi
Sorry but I won't expand into those areas in this guide because they have little to do with topping, training and pruning. Some of those things are covered in my grow guide. Look for it in my sig.
Covering all sorts of nutrients would take up a lot of space, so you will have to look up one of the many guides that can be found on this forum. The dosage can vary depending on the fertz. Some are chemical, others organic or liquid so you will have to look for instructions that match what you are using.
When it comes to transplanting there are a few ways of going about it. The easiest thing to do is to grab the plant at soil level with a reversed grip and then flip it on its head. The soil will rest against your hand so removing the pot will be easy. It is best to wait until the soil is dry before you try it. If the plants are too big for this you have to lay them down on the floor and remove the pot while supporting the plant. It will be fine as long as you don't cause any damage to the tap root. It is most vulnerable where the stem meets the soil so be careful.
Hi ERVABUE, things are good thanks.
I think that will work out better than allowing the plants to stand tall. Now all you have to do is watch how they grow and apply more training where needed. What you should aim at is an even canopy. Some branches will grow faster than others so you might have to use a scrog net. You also need to make sure that the main shoot is always tied down lower than the rest or the apical dominance will start kicking in again. This concerns the plant on the right but I think that you should mainly concentrate on the plant on the left because it has not started flowering yet.
Looks good though. I would perhaps have tried to bend the plant on the left closer to the pot but that's nothing to worry about now. Shouldn't take too long before the shoots start heading for the light. Try to bring the light in as close as possible. That is one of the major benefits of training. The truly effective range of 125w cfl's is only about 15-20 cm or 6-8 inches, so you really need to bring them in close if you want a decent harvest.
I think that you will see the potential of training by the end of this grow. For the next grow you can plan ahead and get plants that match your expectations.
Good Luck
Sorry but I won't expand into those areas in this guide because they have little to do with topping, training and pruning. Some of those things are covered in my grow guide. Look for it in my sig.
Covering all sorts of nutrients would take up a lot of space, so you will have to look up one of the many guides that can be found on this forum. The dosage can vary depending on the fertz. Some are chemical, others organic or liquid so you will have to look for instructions that match what you are using.
When it comes to transplanting there are a few ways of going about it. The easiest thing to do is to grab the plant at soil level with a reversed grip and then flip it on its head. The soil will rest against your hand so removing the pot will be easy. It is best to wait until the soil is dry before you try it. If the plants are too big for this you have to lay them down on the floor and remove the pot while supporting the plant. It will be fine as long as you don't cause any damage to the tap root. It is most vulnerable where the stem meets the soil so be careful.
Hi ERVABUE, things are good thanks.
I think that will work out better than allowing the plants to stand tall. Now all you have to do is watch how they grow and apply more training where needed. What you should aim at is an even canopy. Some branches will grow faster than others so you might have to use a scrog net. You also need to make sure that the main shoot is always tied down lower than the rest or the apical dominance will start kicking in again. This concerns the plant on the right but I think that you should mainly concentrate on the plant on the left because it has not started flowering yet.
Looks good though. I would perhaps have tried to bend the plant on the left closer to the pot but that's nothing to worry about now. Shouldn't take too long before the shoots start heading for the light. Try to bring the light in as close as possible. That is one of the major benefits of training. The truly effective range of 125w cfl's is only about 15-20 cm or 6-8 inches, so you really need to bring them in close if you want a decent harvest.
I think that you will see the potential of training by the end of this grow. For the next grow you can plan ahead and get plants that match your expectations.
Good Luck
What kind of lights do you think are best ? I have a 5 foot x 5 ft area to grow with, (Not my seedling area) I grow for my husband and have only used shop lights until now. But I have never really gotten anything but popcorns size buds. I recently invested in a 600W dimmable HPS system but do I still need to run the florescence's too? Will they get the they full light spectrum they need with just the HPS? Thank You for your web pages they helped me a lot.
Bluenose510
Member
question
question
Hey dudes, im a new grower and just started yesterday. I was wondering if anybody can tell me the best fertilizers/nutrients to use, and how often should i use them. How many times should i water the soil durind the day.... What is bubble water? and how often do i spray that on the plants. One more question, when i mix the fertilizer how much would i add to a gallon of water?
question
Hey dudes, im a new grower and just started yesterday. I was wondering if anybody can tell me the best fertilizers/nutrients to use, and how often should i use them. How many times should i water the soil durind the day.... What is bubble water? and how often do i spray that on the plants. One more question, when i mix the fertilizer how much would i add to a gallon of water?
Hi guys
Mishap, Metal Halide lights are the best ones for vegging and HPS lights for flowering. I think that the 600w light was a good choice because it is also the most energy efficient. It's twice as strong as the 400w light but only uses 200w more electricity. I think that you will be fine beacause I have managed to use a 600w light in a grow area that was half the size of yours. Just keep an eye on the temps and make sure that you do not bring the light too close to the tops. You should be able to keep your hand comfortably above the shoots. You should always provide good ventilation for your plants. If need be, you can cool the hps with a cool tube or inside an air-cooled hood. You just have to try and see how it goes.
You should check if your ballast can handle both MH and HPS because that would be the perfect setup. 600w metal halides do wonders for the plants in the vegetative stage. If not, you should look for either conversion bulbs or enhanced spectrum hps bulbs. Conversions bulbs are metal halides that work with HPS ballasts and enhanced spectrum bulbs emit more blue light than regular hps bulbs. Eye Hortilux is a really good brand, so you might want to start there.
You can both veg and flower with the red light from the HPS but Metal Halides are mostly good for vegging. There is also a third alternative and this is to veg under compact fluoros. The cfl's are not as good at the high pressure bulbs but they will do a pretty good job at close range. The bigger the better, say 250w or larger. Just make sure that the cfl's are 6400K (blue) and not 2700K (red). If you like to keep things simpe, just use the hps from start to finish. You can always upgrade later on.
You can expect far greater yields with the HPS setup. Buds grow big and heavy, you might have to use string and stalks to keep the plants from tipping over.
Bluenose, there are different approaches to growing. Some grow in soil while others prefer to grow hydroponically. I cannot give you any advice on hydro because I love growing in soil. Personally I like to use organic fertz, both solid an liquid. They really bring out the taste and scent of the bud. I usually mix some organic fertz into the soil when I plant the seeds. These fertz will last a while and make sure that the plant is never deprived of food. I also feed the plants liquid nutes to further improve on the quality of the bud.
Guano (roasted bat shit) is without a doubt some of the best stuff that you can give your plant. Plants need different things at different times of the their life cycle. Guano provides them with phosphorus (P) but they also nitrogen (N) during the growth phase. To cover that I also mix blood meal into the soil. The liquid fertz that I use are from BioBizz. It's top of the line dutch stuff, a bit expensive but well worth the money. Different fertz need different doses so you should follow what the manufacturer recommends.
You can tell when the plants are hungry by looking at the leaves. When they are deep green, the plant is well fed. When the leaves are pale, it needs more food.
Some people also use chemical fertz but they are more difficult for the plant to break down and can sometimes accumulate in the bud. That can ruin the natural scent and taste of the buds.
You can also feed the plants by spraying the leaves, especially underneath. Plants love this. You can mix a tiny amount of nutrients in to the water because it will be absorbed through the leaves. NEVER spray the plants when they are flowering because that will result in mold or bud rot.
You should not water the plants every day. The soil should be allowed to dry inbetween waterings or the plant might get into trouble. Roots need oxygen and wet soil can pack together tightly and turn into mud. Also make sure that you mix something into the soil to aerate it, like clay pebbles, for example.
You could water the plants once a week. You can tell when it's time by the weight of the pots. Wet soil is heavy and dry soil is light. Over watering and feeding is the most common mistake among new growers.
I know that you have a lot of questions so perhaps you should take a look at my grow guide, it explains pretty much everything that you need to know.
You can find it here:
Growing Good Weed
Good luck guys
Mishap, Metal Halide lights are the best ones for vegging and HPS lights for flowering. I think that the 600w light was a good choice because it is also the most energy efficient. It's twice as strong as the 400w light but only uses 200w more electricity. I think that you will be fine beacause I have managed to use a 600w light in a grow area that was half the size of yours. Just keep an eye on the temps and make sure that you do not bring the light too close to the tops. You should be able to keep your hand comfortably above the shoots. You should always provide good ventilation for your plants. If need be, you can cool the hps with a cool tube or inside an air-cooled hood. You just have to try and see how it goes.
You should check if your ballast can handle both MH and HPS because that would be the perfect setup. 600w metal halides do wonders for the plants in the vegetative stage. If not, you should look for either conversion bulbs or enhanced spectrum hps bulbs. Conversions bulbs are metal halides that work with HPS ballasts and enhanced spectrum bulbs emit more blue light than regular hps bulbs. Eye Hortilux is a really good brand, so you might want to start there.
You can both veg and flower with the red light from the HPS but Metal Halides are mostly good for vegging. There is also a third alternative and this is to veg under compact fluoros. The cfl's are not as good at the high pressure bulbs but they will do a pretty good job at close range. The bigger the better, say 250w or larger. Just make sure that the cfl's are 6400K (blue) and not 2700K (red). If you like to keep things simpe, just use the hps from start to finish. You can always upgrade later on.
You can expect far greater yields with the HPS setup. Buds grow big and heavy, you might have to use string and stalks to keep the plants from tipping over.
Bluenose, there are different approaches to growing. Some grow in soil while others prefer to grow hydroponically. I cannot give you any advice on hydro because I love growing in soil. Personally I like to use organic fertz, both solid an liquid. They really bring out the taste and scent of the bud. I usually mix some organic fertz into the soil when I plant the seeds. These fertz will last a while and make sure that the plant is never deprived of food. I also feed the plants liquid nutes to further improve on the quality of the bud.
Guano (roasted bat shit) is without a doubt some of the best stuff that you can give your plant. Plants need different things at different times of the their life cycle. Guano provides them with phosphorus (P) but they also nitrogen (N) during the growth phase. To cover that I also mix blood meal into the soil. The liquid fertz that I use are from BioBizz. It's top of the line dutch stuff, a bit expensive but well worth the money. Different fertz need different doses so you should follow what the manufacturer recommends.
You can tell when the plants are hungry by looking at the leaves. When they are deep green, the plant is well fed. When the leaves are pale, it needs more food.
Some people also use chemical fertz but they are more difficult for the plant to break down and can sometimes accumulate in the bud. That can ruin the natural scent and taste of the buds.
You can also feed the plants by spraying the leaves, especially underneath. Plants love this. You can mix a tiny amount of nutrients in to the water because it will be absorbed through the leaves. NEVER spray the plants when they are flowering because that will result in mold or bud rot.
You should not water the plants every day. The soil should be allowed to dry inbetween waterings or the plant might get into trouble. Roots need oxygen and wet soil can pack together tightly and turn into mud. Also make sure that you mix something into the soil to aerate it, like clay pebbles, for example.
You could water the plants once a week. You can tell when it's time by the weight of the pots. Wet soil is heavy and dry soil is light. Over watering and feeding is the most common mistake among new growers.
I know that you have a lot of questions so perhaps you should take a look at my grow guide, it explains pretty much everything that you need to know.
You can find it here:
Growing Good Weed
Good luck guys
smileallday
New member
thanks man.. people have been telling me i need to learn this.. great info man
KFSwantoon
New member
Uh huh....so that's why that cutting I took grew into a freak of nature. Looked like a bunch of mustard greens or something. Nice to see that there is a logical explanation for that. I thought I just had an evil possesed plant growing in my shed.
R
Rabbi Reefer
Thanks for the great insight!
Sourbear
Active member
Brand new grower here, just read this thread and decided to do some topping and Knuckling, or super cropping as its put here. So I have 5 clones under 400 watts on 18/6 some where old as 9/17 and some new as 10/4 but they all are between 7-10 inches tall, and some have 6-7 nodes with secondary nodes on the bottom nodes. So i figured it was time to top them. I want to top them twice while they are still in veg, but will 2 weeks be long enough to top them twice?
We plan on vegging them for another week or 2 so we can get some really good healthy clones. then flipping to 12/12 and flowering them out.
I want to do the super cropping during the first or second week of flowering.
I am assuming during the stretch time of the first week or 2 of flowering, it would be good to knuckle or super crop.
But im not totally sure, thats why im asking if I should.
We plan on vegging them for another week or 2 so we can get some really good healthy clones. then flipping to 12/12 and flowering them out.
I want to do the super cropping during the first or second week of flowering.
I am assuming during the stretch time of the first week or 2 of flowering, it would be good to knuckle or super crop.
But im not totally sure, thats why im asking if I should.
Hi guys, I'm glad that you enjoyed the guide.
BigBear, I don't think that you will have time to top the plants twice within 2 weeks. It might take a bit longer but you can also top them in early flowering, as long as they are strong enough for it. Top too soon and you might not get the results that you are hoping for. Watch and see how it goes.
Yeah, training the plants during the first two weeks of flowering is not a bad idea since you can reduce the stretch by working with them during this time. LST or low stress training can be done after that if you feel like it's necessary. I would not remove much growth once the plants start flowering. Perhaps some of the lower branches that take up too much energy, but that's about it.
Good Luck
BigBear, I don't think that you will have time to top the plants twice within 2 weeks. It might take a bit longer but you can also top them in early flowering, as long as they are strong enough for it. Top too soon and you might not get the results that you are hoping for. Watch and see how it goes.
Yeah, training the plants during the first two weeks of flowering is not a bad idea since you can reduce the stretch by working with them during this time. LST or low stress training can be done after that if you feel like it's necessary. I would not remove much growth once the plants start flowering. Perhaps some of the lower branches that take up too much energy, but that's about it.
Good Luck
