To top or not to top?

[Cannaficionado]

I thought topping was HST. Would you ever Supercrop instead of LST?

I only supercrop if my plants outgrow my space. And topping is relatively low stress if your plant is in good shape. The healthier it is the faster the rebound. When I top, my plant slows down for no more than a day to a day and a half, then the side branches just start taking off. I guess it IS technically high stress. But it really doesnt effect the plant too much.

 

[I love weed]

Would you say your plant looks more stressed when you supercrop compared when you lst? I dont know whether to lst or supercrop. Supercropping sounds easier, and less chance of a branch snapping, but i dont know if it would stress the plant too much

 

[Mozzy]

I'm considering topping both plants. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience topping this particular strain? And if so any advice?

If you are uncomfortable doing it and have no experience with the strain...you can always just do one for a side-by-side and gain knowledge and experience that way. Or let them grow natural and you'll learn things that way as well.

Can you top, and lst?

The autos I grow say yes

You can supercrop too as needed, but have a reason and a purpose…healthy autos dngaf though:

Should you top, and LST, or is one technique enough?

Enough for what?...the reason for doing these things is usually related to having even canopies, good light penetration, and sufficient airflow. What is you setup, do you have pictures, and what are you trying to accomplish? Have you already been able to grow healthy plants seed-to-harvest, regardless of training techniques?

The answer to all your questions could be yes (or no), depending on you situation's details, and reasons for wanting to. The folks that successfully grow, generally have excellent ongoing management of their environment and related details…Medium, Temp, RH, Proper Water/ing, PPFD/DLI, Airflow, Pruning, Training, Drying, Curing, etc. You are asking about pruning and training techniques but those things are typically secondary and interdependent on the rest.

 

[Cannaficionado]

Would you say your plant looks more stressed when you supercrop compared when you lst? I dont know whether to lst or supercrop. Supercropping sounds easier, and less chance of a branch snapping, but i dont know if it would stress the plant too much

I would say that in either method as long as the plant is healthy neither really causes too much stress, both are just ways to maximize the space you're limited to while also helping the plant have enough room to do what it needs to do. Cannabis can tolerate a good deal of physical "abuse" as long as it has enough food and water and the environment is right. Honestly I wouldnt say I have a green thumb, my main struggle is getting the right nutrients at the right phases of growth, and not over or under feeding.

Remember in nature plants have all sorts of stressors, whether that be environmentally, pest related or just infertile ground its growing in, but it is a shrub. It will overcome a lot of adversity, so if you're looking to deal the least stress to your plant as possible that might actually lower yields by a bit. A little stress every now and again causes cannabis to "reinforce" the areas under the most stress and can actually increase yields. Think about it like this, growers use uv light as a stressor. Its intense light that the plant responds to by making more terpenes and oils to diffuse that light before it hits the plant, the same works with physical stressors, like bending branches down to keep the canopy even. If you look at a plant thats completely untrained and untopped the biggest bud is always the main cola because the plant sends the most hormones to that area as it has the best chance for fertilization as its the tallest and most exposed. Keeping the canopy even causes the plant to distribute hormones evenly throughout all the tops because they are all relatively the same height.

 

[BudDan]

Growing mephisto genetics for the first time. Forgotten strawberries was my choice. They are still seedlings at this point. I'm considering topping both plants. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience topping this particular strain? And if so any advice?

If it's an autoflower I would not.

 

[Mozzy]

If it's an autoflower I would not.

Why is that Dan, have you had bad experiences?

Only growing autos, it has been quite a few plants since I haven't topped, lst'd, and significantly defoliated all of them , and there are on here that make me look like a bumpkin.

 

[Cannaficionado]

Why is that Dan, have you had bad experiences?

Only growing autos, it has been quite a few plants since I haven't topped, lst'd, and significantly defoliated all of them , and there are on here that make me look like a bumpkin.

I concur. The only auto I ever grew so far I topped and it turned out pretty damn good.

 

[stvkc69]

I topped my first autoflower. Im on day 32 And so far she seems to be taking it stride.

 

[PeaceLove&Buds]

I only grow autos and I top them all. I wait until I can have at least 1/2 inch of stalk after I snip because it encourages fat knuckles at the top which will help the top nodes withstand some training.

 

[Mozzy]

fat knuckles at the top which will help the top nodes withstand some training.

Word.