The James Gang

[H.A.F.]

I honestly haven't noticed much difference in mainlined plants, and those I just topped to keep 4 limbs from the start. But I am only running 4-tops. The more tops you have the more difference there will be. They will all get fed well and get fat.

 

[H.A.F.]

Lowers are getting a few ambers

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I manifold all my plants. It will lengthen the veg time but it’s a great way to fill the tent out and keep plenty of head room. This is my current run at the beginning when I started first topped and lightly pinned them down. Then, over the next week I just keep gently adding stakes until it’s nice and flat. I use cut up coat hangers with hooks bent on the end. The time between the top and bottom picture is exactly 1 week.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

For clones it will be a little different since you likely won't have the matched pairs of sprouts on a node. So topping to keep two and training them will look weird at first. the same with secondary or tertiary toppings for more sprouts.

You basically top for two, then each of those for two more, etc.

On seed plant it breaks the apical dominance (fat center cola, smaller everything else) and get's you an even spread of fat tops. On clones you don't really have that. But if you look back at how I did the HC flower clones, it's all about pruning the limbs until after flip so you keep to keep mainly tops.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to train my clones when they start branching out. I might just do some circular shape around the circumference of the pots, with LST, for those.

 

[H.A.F.]

I’ve been trying to figure out how to train my clones when they start branching out. I might just do some circular shape around the circumference of the pots, with LST, for those.

Easiest for me was to plant it on one side of the pot and lean it. Keep as many shoots as you plan to then top it. It'll look like one side of @TreeFarmerCharlie 's last pic.

 

[H.A.F.]

I personally stop at 4 tops now because you can get a respectable return quicker, shorter veg needed, and all 4 tops will get weight.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I personally stop at 4 tops now because you can get a respectable return quicker, shorter veg needed, and all 4 tops will get weight.

During this grow I topped the front plants once and the back plants twice, to see what kind of difference it would make, but my lights were shifted too far back and the front plants weren’t getting as much light, so my results aren’t going to mean anything. I’ve got 4 northern lights in the seedling stage now for my next round so I’m going to try something similar but I’ll have one front plant and one rear plant with multiple toppings.

 

[H.A.F.]

During this grow I topped the front plants once and the back plants twice, to see what kind of difference it would make, but my lights were shifted too far back and the front plants weren’t getting as much light, so my results aren’t going to mean anything. I’ve got 4 northern lights in the seedling stage now for my next round so I’m going to try something similar but I’ll have one front plant and one rear plant with multiple toppings.

If it helps I have done side-by-side grows with different numbers of tops (vegged the same time), and the weight was roughly the same between the two.

I have also done experiments on the same plant, pruning each limb different and the results were the same. Give or take the same harvest weight, but the less secondary shoots kept means more bulk per flower remaining.

 

[H.A.F.]

Right now my Rainbow Man are exactly that experiment - two 4-tops, pruned way different.

Well, not really an experiment any more, I know what will happen. More trimming on the one with lots of limbs LOL

 

[H.A.F.]

More trim jail, but they dry quicker and you can smoke some sooner!

 

[H.A.F.]

This pic came out pretty good. You can see the razor marks I make on the stem before the 45-cut.
Decision made, end of week 4, all but the tri-whatever got topped. And since I just watered them yesterday they won't need much of anything for a week or so.

and cloned just to check sex.

 

[H.A.F.]

I was going to wait on tripod, but it's just for convenience. I think weird plants usually end up female anyway LOL

 

[H.A.F.]

I want to veg these into respectable 4-tops, so I would love to cull males asap to make room. Might go for 8 depending on how many are girls.

 

[H.A.F.]

A note on how I manifold. I don't do the harsh bending unless they stretch crazy. The limbs naturally come out at a 45 degree angle, and if you keep them bent straight (not hyper-extended LOL) they'll spread out enough to make room for tops, but also be vertical enough to support weight later.

 

[H.A.F.]

bent straight

You know what I mean LOL

If you LST to maintain that 45.

 

[H.A.F.]

Big picture update. Only real description or thing I have noted is that the Hippie Crippler flower clones have much frostier leaves than mom did. starting to plump a little, and one is already turning a bit.


Top

Nugs

Flash/no-flash

 

[H.A.F.]

G13 Genius

 

[H.A.F.]

Banana Hash Plant tucked in her little hole

The crystal carrots

hidden forest in the middle

 

[H.A.F.]

The BHP looks like super-scissor-cloggers.

 

[BrokenHoeFarms]