How-To : Fimming and Topping made Easy

Discussion in 'Plant Training' started by DierWolf, Nov 7, 2006.

  1. Topping and Fimming of your plants need not be the headache most make it out to be.
    Simply follow the instructions below and your well on your way to being a professional in Fimming and Topping.

    Topping a Plant

    1. Locate the very top of your plant and cut through the main stem just below the newest growth. This should be done after the 3rd or 4th leaf set but can be done at any time after the 3rd leaf set.

    2. Shows Plant Top cut off and where the 2 new Branches that will form a "Y" in the main stem will grow from.

    3. Shows the newly topped plant after 2 days of growth, notice the Y in the Stem Forming.

    [​IMG]



    FIMMING A PLANT!

    Fimming is actually no different that topping, what fimming does is virtually the exact same thing only your leaving part of the new growth. This only takes of part of the new growth and actually topping the very very new growth which is very hard to see.

    What this ends up doing is making it seem as if your getting 4 new tops right next to eachother when its actually only 2 at the very top (like topping) but since it was cut so closely to the next newest set of fanleaves 2 branches which would have formed there anyways seems to make it look like there is 4 new tops.

    This is how you go about doing this.

    1. Locate the very top of the new growth

    [​IMG]


    2. With a clean sterilized scissors, Fold the fan leafs over and cut approximately 80% of the new growth off the plant.


    [​IMG]


    3. View from the top showing the Cut

    [​IMG]


    4. View of the Cut section after 2 days growth, showing the 4 new growth shoots (branches)

    [​IMG]


    Thats IT!!!! you should be well on your way to Topping and Fimming of your plants.

    If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask.

     
    • Like Like x 4
  2. very good post dw!!
     
  3. awsome post +rep
     
  4. Thank you I did it and I will get pics in a few days!! Again thanks alot!
     
  5. Great post DierWolf. I've seen some pretty good narrative descriptions of top/FIM, but the pictures and illustrations were always too ambiguous. This is crystal clear. Cool.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. Seems pretty damn simple. Thanks for the post......keep em coming...
     
  7. Great post DierWolf. I'm bookmarking this one so I don't lose it.
     
  8. How tall should a plant be before you LST it, can you wait about a week or so to heal up from the fimming? how do you go about doing that? do you just tie a string around the stalk and tie it over to one siede, and how long should it be left tied down just long enuff to promote the new growth or unti the new growth is well established?
    and will they just perk back up after LST`ing? lol i know thats alot but any advice and input is greatly appreciated
     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. ty sir! +rep (even though it wont let me give you anymore)
     
  10. I still don't get when or how to top a cola.
     
  11. NIce Thanks Dierwolf This is great One question though. I know you should only top a plant once but how many times can you fim it?
     
  12. this might be alittle off topic but can you fimm your plants after you've done some LST'ing?
     
  13. topping a colla??? its no differnt that topping a plant... in other words you CUT OFF the very top small bud when it forms and the 2 NUGS under it at the next set of fan Leafs will create 2 Collas.

    Its that simple....

    If anyone is lost he is talking about topping 1 week after flowering begins.
     


  14. there is no rule on how much you can top a plant. You can top it the first time and then top the Y branches as well, the sooner you do it after the Y branch forms the better.

    I fim almost Daily at any new growth i see to force branching on the main stem and stems already formed, all the way until i am ready to flower.
     

  15. See my how-to on LST ( http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/122936-how-lst-low-stress-training.html )

    you can start LST at the 4 or 5th leaf set, waiting too long the main stem will be to hard to bend over properly....

    I do it very soon as soon as i can get a hook safely around the stem :) before 4th leaf set.

    Many say Fimming slows the plant down for a few days, thats not my experience, maybe its because these people that say that are focusing on vertical growth and not really watching the more important side growth.


    I dont use the sting method, i but a ton of cloth wire hangers and cut sections out of it and bend a u hook at one end stick it in the soil and bend the plant under the hook.

    You leave the plant in LST thoughout the grow and floweing process, in the end even after taking the hooks or string (whatever your way of doing it is) the stems will have grown to stay that way and will not spring back up.

    No it will not perk back up after you let it loose, it will only do so if you let it loose too soon and really if it does spring back to how it was then your whole excersize in LST was for nothing. The point is to keep the branch down so new growth off that branch can occur.
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  16. So I was having a debate with my fiance. we recently tryed to fim a plant. this is the first time we have tryed it so he cut the top and it has been about a week. the bottom branches are starting to grow straighter upwards than the other plant we did not fim. so he says that all of teh branches that were already there before fim are going to be tops.
    i am under the impression that he is incorrect and that all of the lower branches are not going to be tops. only the two top branches where we cut are going to turn to tops and anything that grows after that.

    please help me resolve this conflict

    THANKS

    dierwolf you are very smart i read a lot of your posts looking for my answer and you taught me a lot! thanks!

    peace bud and happiness:p
    maryjane
     
  17. HIGH All, great pictorial.




    I said the same thing and we went back and forth with it remember.
     
  18. Yes he is sort of right.. All branches reaching the same level as the top of the plant can be considered "Tops".

    Same with LST, all side branches formed because of it becomes Tops, more tops = better than one top.

    Fimming helps this process along greatly because it slows the top growth and the plant forces its energy towards the side pushing out branches faster... I fim continuously every new growth i see, causing alot of branches to grow even from the side branches that have formed.

    more branches = more bud sites or Collas (tops)
     
  19. Yes, but we were arguing/discussing the same thing..

    YOu said or many said fimming causes 3-4 new tops right at the top of the plant out of the main stem.

    This is not really what happens, it just appears so.. but i am sure the pictures and explaination now show exactly what its doing.

    Thanks for the reply Uniot, we havent spoken much in a while.
     
  20. thank u very much for the FIM guide the pictures are really worth a thousand words... just fimmed one of my plants to see if i did it right lmao.... been looking for a guide for a couple days
     

Share This Page