Whats topping a plant ?

There will usually be one main node at the top most point of the plant. Topping is when you cut this top most point on the plant in order to create multiple top points. So that not all the plants energy goes into just that one top node, instead it is dispersed throughout all the remaining lower ones.

 

Here's a good picture of what happens

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On some plants it really won't do anything. But there are other plants that actually benefit from it and produce a higher yield. It depends on the strain that you are growing.

 

I've actually never grown a single plant in my life. I'm an avid smoker though lol. All my information comes from reading The Cannabis Grow Bible, from cover to cover . I was able to get my hands on a copy and was very interested and read the whole thing. It taught me everything I would need to know to make my own grow (both soil and hydro). It covered LST, SOG, SCROG, topping, etc. Absolutely everything was covered from the point that you decide to grow to the final curing stages. A MUST read in my opinion. Only reason I haven't is because I don't have my own place yet.

 

Thanks. Yea man, I've actually mentally mapped out most of my grow lol. I'm so excited. But I don't wanna grow quite yet cause of privacy concerns. Although I have every step planned out, I know that there will be snags along the way and don't want them to occur where I currently live. So just putting it off for now. More time to do research basically.

 

Topping works to spread out the canopy more evenly. The reason for doings so is that while your top cola gets the most lights (on an untopped plant), every lower bud site gets significant less light the farther down they are. It's referred to as the inverse square law. The more bud sites closer to the light source, the better each bud grows. So, instead of one huge 'donkey dick' cola, you get several 'mini' donkey dick colas (so to speak).

 

No problem. I will be topping and doing LST in conjunction with a SCROG. That's the way to go if you have limited height to work with.

 

LST - Low Stress Training. There are various techniques. Bending, tying, topping, etc. The idea is to stimulate the growth of existing bud sites and create additional bud sites.

SCROG - SCReen OF Green. You top and train the plant to grow under/through/around a screen/net/chicken wire/fence, which is placed horizontally over the plant(s). The result (if done correctly) is ONLY the vertically growing bud sites are above the screen. The buds create an even canopy where each bud site receives equal light. The results can be AMAZING. See pick below.

 

Do you know if purple northern lights is one that is benefited? I can't find a list

 

It might be a bit of a misnomer to say that on some plants it really won't do ANYTHING. If done correctly, it will always do SOMETHING because pruning of the terminal (Apical) bud redirects the plant's auxins to the other bud sites.

"Auxin" is a hormone produced in the terminal bud that inhibits branching from lateral buds.

Again, if done CORRECTLY, you are essentially changing the hormonal operation of the plant. That will always have an effect. Now, some plants respond better than others. No doubt.