So I'm nearing a month into my newest indoor grow and I only have 4 plants going. I definitely want to increase my total # of plants. I'm going to proceed with my first topping on these 4 babies in about a week. (they have no real side branches yet obv.) so do you guys see any problems with using my topping cuttings as new clones? Only problem i see coming up is that the topping cutting will only be like an inch and wont have a very long stem to work with with cloning solution/growing from rockwool. whatcha all think? should I clone this way or wait longer for a bigger more stable side branch to clone from?
I'd wait for more stable branches. The topped leaves are essentially toast, and you want a nice sturdy stem. The idea of cloning is to give it everything it needs so it doesn't have to do any work, and can simply root. Ideally, there should be at least three to four nodes on the branch before you cut for clone.
I agree with above poster. I try and keep my clones with at least 3 nodes sometimes as much as 5. If you want a minimum number I would say 4 nodes