Questions about Topping my plant.

I know the basics of topping a plant, i am just a little confused where to make the cut on my plant beacuse it seems different. I know your supposed to amke the cut on the main stem right above the node where two leaves are sprouting out from either side. However my plant only has one leaving sprouting out on each node. It alternates to each side as the plant gets bigger. Ill include a picture beacuse i feel like im making no sense. Does there have to be 2 leaves sprouting out for topping to work properly? Is it because this plant is starting from a clone? Anything helps. Thanks

If I were you I'd pull ye top down and fasten it to a nail on the side of the bucket. All those branch spots will become main colas. I did this to a plant I called the golden ticket and it now has over thirty main colas growing. The whole process is in video updates in the global grow link in my sig. Swing through there's a lot of awesome growers and they all have great advice to give.

Replying in response to PM.

Alternating leaves doesn't prevent topping from being beneficial but it does decrease the effect. The plant probably won't respond quite as well to the procedure because you won't get the even "V" split at each node that you get when topping above a node with two shoots on it. However you can still top and still cause more branching from doing so. The condition is not due to the plant being a clone.

As far as the basic concept of topping goes, you simply cut off the top of a growing shoot to cause the energy the plant would have put into growing that one to be instead used to grow other shoots lower on the plant. The remaining shoots at the top of the plant will grow fastest, while lower shoots seeing more shade won't get as much of a boost to growth. Make cuts just above the nodes using sharp, sterile scissors or a razor without bisecting any nodes. You may top any shoot that has a node to leave on it and you can top plants multiple times to get a desired growth pattern. With the alternating leaves you have there, you'll need to leave at least two nodes on any shoot you top in order to get more than one stalk to replace the one you cut off.

Tying down the largest stalk(s) as Numb suggested is a great way to cause more branches to grow, especially with your alternating leaves, as well as to get more growth from lower budsites. You can use this technique in lieu of topping or in addition to it. You can tie it down to make side branches grow into vertical stalks and then top those stalks. There are endless combinations of training methods you could use. As a new grower (i assume), I suggest you try both techniques to really get a feel for how different methods of training affect your plants. More training does increase time to harvest, though. If you're looking to finish asap, you might try one technique now and another with a later grow. Personally, I always top my plants a few times and then tie down the resulting stalks during flowering for more growth at lower nodes.

concise and extremely helpful advice, this is why grass city is awesome