In my next grow I will minimize my grow to one plant but I'm planning on to veg for almost two months. When is the best time to top for two colas? 4 weeks? Less?
I've read on another board just now that the general rule to top is this: Cut above the first true nod = get two main colas Cut above the second true nod = get four main colas. I can provide a link via PM if anyone is interested.
Plant growth is like a flow of water. If you dam the flow's primary outlet, the pressure of the flowing water is distributed to all of its branches between the source and the dam. Similarly, when you top a plant, the growth potential of the removed shoot is distributed to all shoots between the substrate and the cut. The more shoots in this area, the more stalks (colas) can form but the less of the original stalk's growth potential will be supplied to each shoot. The main problem with trying to force more than two shoots to grow is that the ones closest to the light will grow much faster than the others. Even if two nodes (four shoots) are left on a plant, most of the growth potential will be supplied to the top ones and the lowers will probably never reach the canopy level or get nearly as large as the other colas. By topping the two main stalks that grew in after the first topping and leaving one node on each, the lower shoots will have more time to reach the canopy. By the time they do, the nodes you left on the two topped stalks will start growing four new stalks. Each plant then goes into flowering with a total of six stalks whose tops are all at the same level. All six should grow evenly and create six colas of roughly equal size & distance from the light.