The thing about topping, or pinching off the am, aside from the masternode/brain is a matter of the redirection of energy to repair the wound, and the dispersal of hormones to the lower nodes which stimulates lateral growth, resulting in a shorter, bushier plant, but its reproductive clock has been interrupted, so you have actually lengthened the time to full flowering by a few days. I don't know what Florida you live in, but it sure doesn't fit my memories. I know that even southern Florida can have a freeze now and again. But it only happens about every 5-7 years between Thanksgiving and Easter. They don't get a white one, just an icy glitter that drips away in a day or so. I am intrigued by the cap idea, for I have tried the idea of blacking out one branch to force a local sex display. Now I think I see how to make it work, by fooling both the am and the lower branch, maybe? C U....eg
one lil frost usually wont kill the plants.. they are millions of years old and have adapted to all temps. they will be fine , besides florida definitly doesnt get first frost before illinois and we dont even get one that early! if u cut the main stem then 2 stems will grow out and the top will eventually keep growing, thats why u start pruning after like the 3rd or 4th node i belive so u will add 2-4 branches/buds at every node. i didnt know about this until this year when i chopped the top of my plant the other week and now it has 2 top stems with the main one still recovering i guess.. the main stem is still cut but has a reddish purple colored stuff on top of it.
If your outdoor plant is getting conspicuous with its tall gracefull 'Christmas tree' shape, pinching won't do you much good, but you may try bending them, by tying and training, until they are only about 3' high, with the tops growing parallel to the earth. This causes some redistribution of hormones, but the disturbance is slight, and makes your garden goodies resemble vines.
The leaves on the thai plants I have are huge . They look more like palms but they're out in the woods so I don't have to worry about that. I have used the tying down technique before when the plants started gettin taller than the privacy fence and it works pretty well.
Since i began this thread i have had a spill of bad luck. I live in the country, the deep country. Two and a half weeks ago my neighbor (2.5miles away) got a new tractor and decided to come cut my grass for me at 5am. i had no idea until i woke up that day and he called me to tell me. i went out back and he had managed to cut down 6 of them. SIX! I was so furious. but he was trying to do me a friendly favor. i only have three survivors and they are just starting to flower now, i will take some pics tomorrow in the good sunlight. they are about 6' tall now. in a week or two they will be taller than me.! im so proud.
I feel ya brother. When I was a kid I had a huge crop in the woods behind my parents house and the property sold and the first thing they did was come out with a bush hog and cut everything down. Nowdays I keep a lot of smaller crops spread out everywhere 30-50 plants each that way hopefully half will make it to crop time. well good luck with your remaining soldiers!!!!
due to their location i dont feel comfortable taking pics of the other two girls, however, here is one that i moved after the others were cut down. She is approx 6' now and is standing next to a 13.5' barn. can anyone tell me why she only has three leaves? some of her branches go up to 7 leaves but for the most part she has three. her other two sisters both have 9. just curious. A close shot of one of the bottom branches
Birds eye view. this is the closest shot i could get to the apical meristem and the top of the plant.
i,ve had hundreds of plants over the years and have noticed that during budding the leaves put out less leaflets. but as far as vegitation stage less than 7 leaflets on average seems to point to lower quality strains or (maybe the individual plant and not the family (strain))