(3) feminized AK-48s still in vegging. All are very bushy and tall. The tallest is 2 feet, the second tallest is not far off from 2 feet and the shortest is about 1 foot.
Topping
Topping is a must otherwise I suspect they'll out-grow their flowering area. Flowering area is 4.25'x4.25'x5.5' total. Estimating a total of about 3 and a half feet grow space max after account for growing buckets at the bottom and CFL lighting space at the top. There is also a DIY carbon filter taking up space at the top. So I'm thinking I'll need to top them down to about 1 and a half feet tall, maybe shorter. But most of the topping threads and tutorials I've seen talk about cutting just above the new growth.
Can I top off several nodes at once? Maybe 3 - 5 nodes?
Where do I cut? Closest to the node above, or the node below? Cut between internodes or between nodes? At what angle do I cut? 45 degree or straight 90 degree? Do I want to pinch and cut or a clean razor cut?
Cloning
I'm going to clone these girls, and I want to try cloning from both the topped parts and the bottom growth.
I was looking at the info in the OG FAQ entitled "How do I take multiple clones from the whole branch?". But I was thinking I could just take some of the branches with multiple nodes on the side shoots at the top. Better to use the main stem or the side shoots with multiple nodes? Or both?
Also, how many clones do I want to take from the three if I ultimately only need about 4 after these are done flowering? I'll be aero-cloning with straight pHed water -- maybe adding some superthrive later once the roots start growing out. Most people seem to get a 90-100% success rate with aero-cloning. Am I wasting possible bud sites by trimming the bottom growth on all three to fill out all 14 sites on my DIY aero-cloner? Should I even try other cloning methods? Water, bubble or maybe one of the other cheapo methods I've come across throughout these forums? Hedge my bets even further than 14 for ultimately 4 healthy clones?
When cutting the clones from the side branches at the bottom of the plants, do I want to leave any amount of the side branch stem attached to the main stem or can I cut pretty close to the main stem? At what angle? 45, 90?
I had planned to cut off the branch, dip it in tap water (I've read the chlorine can help with bacteria), trim off the lower leafs leaving a few nodes at the top. Then I'll remove it from the water, cut at 45 with a razor and put it back into the water leaving it sit for maybe 15 mins to an hour. Then I'll put them into my cloner which has aged water (Ascorbic acid added to remove chloramine).
Also should I cut the 45 degree under water or doesn't it matter? I had planned to just do it on a small cleaned (wiped down with a diluted solution of alcohol) cutting board to make it easier.
Pruning
When pruning to maintain plant height, width, grow shape or whatever, is there a certain amount of the stem I should leave behind or an angle at which I cut? I've seen some people literally pull the branches right off the main stem with their fingers. How precise do you really have to be?
Final Questions and Thoughts
I read a lot about cleanliness and potential for embolism but some people seem to do just fine with their quick and dirty methods.
The plan is to clone, wait and see how my aero-cloner performs in the next 5-7 days, make any necessary adjustments and potentially need to clone some more. Should I do the topping and use the clones from those or take the clones from the lower branches and wait to do the topping? Also should I hold off on putting my mothers into flowering for now?
I have a feeling I'll be Ok with what I do know about the above methods, but I'm the type to measure 100x and cut once. I don't know what it means to K.I.S.S.
If anyone has any input on my questions above, your help would be greatly appreciated.
Topping
Topping is a must otherwise I suspect they'll out-grow their flowering area. Flowering area is 4.25'x4.25'x5.5' total. Estimating a total of about 3 and a half feet grow space max after account for growing buckets at the bottom and CFL lighting space at the top. There is also a DIY carbon filter taking up space at the top. So I'm thinking I'll need to top them down to about 1 and a half feet tall, maybe shorter. But most of the topping threads and tutorials I've seen talk about cutting just above the new growth.
Can I top off several nodes at once? Maybe 3 - 5 nodes?
Where do I cut? Closest to the node above, or the node below? Cut between internodes or between nodes? At what angle do I cut? 45 degree or straight 90 degree? Do I want to pinch and cut or a clean razor cut?
Cloning
I'm going to clone these girls, and I want to try cloning from both the topped parts and the bottom growth.
I was looking at the info in the OG FAQ entitled "How do I take multiple clones from the whole branch?". But I was thinking I could just take some of the branches with multiple nodes on the side shoots at the top. Better to use the main stem or the side shoots with multiple nodes? Or both?
Also, how many clones do I want to take from the three if I ultimately only need about 4 after these are done flowering? I'll be aero-cloning with straight pHed water -- maybe adding some superthrive later once the roots start growing out. Most people seem to get a 90-100% success rate with aero-cloning. Am I wasting possible bud sites by trimming the bottom growth on all three to fill out all 14 sites on my DIY aero-cloner? Should I even try other cloning methods? Water, bubble or maybe one of the other cheapo methods I've come across throughout these forums? Hedge my bets even further than 14 for ultimately 4 healthy clones?
When cutting the clones from the side branches at the bottom of the plants, do I want to leave any amount of the side branch stem attached to the main stem or can I cut pretty close to the main stem? At what angle? 45, 90?
I had planned to cut off the branch, dip it in tap water (I've read the chlorine can help with bacteria), trim off the lower leafs leaving a few nodes at the top. Then I'll remove it from the water, cut at 45 with a razor and put it back into the water leaving it sit for maybe 15 mins to an hour. Then I'll put them into my cloner which has aged water (Ascorbic acid added to remove chloramine).
Also should I cut the 45 degree under water or doesn't it matter? I had planned to just do it on a small cleaned (wiped down with a diluted solution of alcohol) cutting board to make it easier.
Pruning
When pruning to maintain plant height, width, grow shape or whatever, is there a certain amount of the stem I should leave behind or an angle at which I cut? I've seen some people literally pull the branches right off the main stem with their fingers. How precise do you really have to be?
Final Questions and Thoughts
I read a lot about cleanliness and potential for embolism but some people seem to do just fine with their quick and dirty methods.
The plan is to clone, wait and see how my aero-cloner performs in the next 5-7 days, make any necessary adjustments and potentially need to clone some more. Should I do the topping and use the clones from those or take the clones from the lower branches and wait to do the topping? Also should I hold off on putting my mothers into flowering for now?
I have a feeling I'll be Ok with what I do know about the above methods, but I'm the type to measure 100x and cut once. I don't know what it means to K.I.S.S.
If anyone has any input on my questions above, your help would be greatly appreciated.
