Cannabis plant topping is an older approach that may be applied both inside and outdoors. This entails effectively removing the plant’s top. This is done to slow the development of your plants and encourage them to produce more branches rather than vertically. For every cut, two y-shaped branches sprout. The plant will regard both branches as “central stems.” this procedure does not result in a loss of yield. Smaller blooms will be produced by two new apical branches.
Cannabis plants naturally grow in the form of a Christmas tree. This is because they have been genetically modified to be tall, slender plants. Low-stress training (LST) may be utilized to encourage branch growth. This will enlarge them. It is advisable to top the plant to prevent it from growing vertically. The whole top of the plant must be removed.
Auxins regulate the shape of cannabis plants. Auxins may be found towards the tip of the main stem. They flow down through the plant, preventing lateral development. These auxins have a more difficult time reaching the plant’s roots. This is why plants that grow taller have larger branches, giving them the traditional Christmas tree shape. Topping permits you to remove the apex, or top growth point, and let side branches develop.
How to care for cannabis plants?
When your plant has 5-7 leaf nodes, it is ready to be topped. Because this is a strenuous activity for your plants, be sure they are in good health before you begin. Don’t go too low since auxins may still be present in regeneration, causing vertical growth.
You should trim your plant above the 5-leaf node to guarantee that it is sturdy enough to endure stress. It is also a good idea to wait until your plants have reached the age of 30 days. You’ll also have a lot of lower branches that may be expanded outwards. You may continue topping the two new branches after you’ve topped them once. However, avoid topping the second or third node to let them grow robust roots. Secondary toppings should be done exclusively by pros who want to develop monsters outdoors and optimize production.
To begin, clean all of your tools. You’ll need your sharpest pruning scissors for this. You’re seeking a precise cut. It is very advised that you sanitize your instruments before using them. If they are tainted with bacteria, they may infect plants when they come into touch with them.
Filming vs. Topping
These methods are commonly mixed up. While they seem to be the same, they create quite diverse outcomes.
Topping is the removal of a plant’s top from its stem above a leaf node. Filming cuts straight through any new growth. Although this procedure is softer and less stressful for cannabis plants, it may interfere with the plant’s capacity to generate new stems.
When a cannabis plant is topped, it produces two more stems that function as apex stems, resulting in dense and thick cannabis plants. Filming may generate up to eight new stems that must be trained. For novices with modest grow tents, this is an excellent method to enhance production.
Topping cannabis plants is a process of trimming the main stem in order to encourage the plant to grow lateral branches. This increases the plant’s overall surface area, which can lead to better yields. When to top cannabis plants can vary depending on the strain, but generally, it is done when the plant is around 6-8 weeks old.