I've heard the phrase over and over and I did a search but all the topics are about how to top and when to top, not about what exactly topping means or why do it. and what is fimming? all I know is that it has to do with cutting the top of the plant
In topping, you cut the main stem at a chosen point. This causes the plant to redirect hormones to the secondary branches, causing the to grow as main branches. So instead of one main branch you can have four, six, eight, or however many "tops" that you choose. Each of these new tops will then grow its own side branches making a wide bushy plant. You can top each of the new tops as well, causing each of those to form more multiple tops. Fim is a form of topping that stands for f#@k I missed (seriously).
[quote name='"vindeezy"']What does that do for the plant? Increase the amount of bud that grows?[/quote] That is the main purpose. It also allows you to keep plants shorter, but by spreading them out you get the same or better yield.
[quote name='"vindeezy"']What does that do for the plant? Increase the amount of bud that grows?[/quote] Joker explained it clearly but what happens is this. Say you top your 2 foot plant at the main stem cuz you don't want one cola. When you do it it forms new growth making it split into 2 colas. Now to answer your question about what it does. If you know what your doing you can get more yield out of this technique. I do it but I also prune since I only focus on main colas and not bottom buds... Hope I helped peace....
Props to the others here who offered good info. Take a look at this recent thread, it has lots of good info as well: http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/1033159-whats-point-topping-plant-how-do-i-do.html If you elect to top (and I highly recommend you do!!!!), be aware there are a couple of techniques. One is more severe - you chop off the top of the plant so the main trunk is equal to the tips of the lower side branches. Whack it just above a node where there are side branches, and each side branch will become two new leaders (or tops or colas). The other technique is much less severe and causes much less stress on the plant. As the very top of the plant's two leaves have opened, look down inside and you'll see the new leader... just a tiny clump of two leaves that have not opened yet. Clip that. When the plant resumes growth, it will almost always be with two new leaders. MUCH less stress on the plant this way. I much prefer the latter for this reason... MJ plants do not determine their sex until they are well into their vegetative growth stage, just before they are ready to flower. It's theorized that any undue stress during this early to mid vegetative period can result in more males. I have male friends, but I don't want their ass in my garden!!!!! Oh yeah, Joker's right about FIM... nobody believes it the first time they hear it, and I still get a kick out of it after years and years and years.
The apical meristem of the plant or the growing point at the top of the main stem produces plant hormones called Auxin that travels down the stem and inhibits the growth of lower axillary bud meristems which there are two on either side of the stem at each node. If you just let the plant grow normally it will form more of a christmas tree shape, growing straight and the lower bud sites starting to grow after the main stem has grown far away from them. When you top the plant you remove that apical meristem and stop it from causing apical dominance and then cytokinins that are translocated up from the root tips are no longer inhibited at the axillary buds and those bud sites start to grow and take on the role of the apical meristem. So afterwards instead of just having a single main stem it is like from the node below where you chopped the stem it forms 2 main stems. You can keep doing this over and over and each time you do it the 2 nodes directly below where you chop off the shoot tip will start to grow and form new apical meristems. The other axillary bud sites further down the plant will also start to grow more but less so than the ones directly below the shoot tip you chopped off. The main reason for doing this is that it is one of the easiest ways to keep a plant short and form lots of main colas instead of just one main cola at the top. If done correctly and if the plant remains healthy you can essentially get each of the new colas to perform and yield the same as the original main cola. Fimming is the same basic concept and as topping except instead of cutting of the apical meristem entirely you slice off only part of it which causes results in the stopping of auxin production and increased growth of lower nodes, but you can also cause the apical meristem to regrow into 2-4 new shoot tips. Supercropping also results in the same action. By bending and crunching the main stem it stops the flow of auxin down to lower buds and they start to grow, but then the wounded part of the stem heals and actually acts as a better pathway for nutrients than it did before, and you don't get rid of the apical meristem. You also aren't cutting off part of the plant which can cause stress and open the plant up to pathological disease.