Topping Cannabis (2024)

FAQs

Does topping actually increase yield? ›

Topping is a training technique specifically designed to change the plant's natural growth habit and increase plant yields. Plants naturally direct their energy into the growing tip at the top of the plant's center stalk. When plants are topped, that growing point is removed by pruning.

The most suitable time to top your weed plants is around 2-4 weeks into the vegetative state. Recognizing this point of no return is pivotal for successful cultivation.

It is recommended that you wait until your plants have at least four nodes before topping them, and most growers recommend topping the plant above the sixth node.

Important points for topping:

2. Healthy plants usually take 2-3 days to recover from topping. After topping, do not remove the leaves from that node as these are needed to power growth of the branches from that node. Never top during flowering as it causes too much stress – which slows growth and inhibits yield.

Topping forces the plant to grow laterally rather than vertically, but when to do so depends on soil health, plant health, lighting, size and age of the plant, and the growth goals. If you are new to cannabis cultivation, topping cannabis plants is a vital step to maximize the overall quality of the yield.

Does Topping Improve Yields? One of the main reasons cannabis growers top their plants is in an attempt to improve yields. And in most cases, a topped cannabis plant will produce larger yields than an non-topped plant. However, it's important to understand that topping doesn't guarantee better yields all on its own.

Pros of Topping Cannabis Plants: Topping can lead to higher yields, more even canopy growth, and increased airflow and light penetration. It can also improve the quality of the buds and make them more potent.

Topping is a commonly used technique among growers. By removing excess tops, the plant makes two new side branches. This way your plant grows less in height and more in width.

To improve the size and quality of yields, try pruning your cannabis plants. This involves cutting off parts of the plant that get in the way of overall growth. A major problem is large leaves sticking up above the canopy and blocking light from reaching the rest of the plant below.

Considering this, the majority of growers will tell you to wait 1–2 weeks between the end of topping and the beginning of flowering. A decent amount of growers, however, believe a plant can handle the transition with only 5–7 days of recovery.

How many nodes do you leave when lollipopping? ›

Also at this stage, you should remove any branches or leaves that are dying or yellowing. Finally, you'll want to get to actually lollipopping each individual branch on your plant. Some growers recommend leaving no more than three nodes from the tip of each branch.

Topping encourages the growth of multiple colas, resulting in increased bud production and a bushier plant structure. LST, on the other hand, promotes an even canopy and improves light distribution, ensuring maximum bud development throughout the entire plant.

Many beginner growers utilize the topping method to grow bigger and better-yielding plants. Fortunately, those looking to start the topping process don't have to throw their top away! They can use it further for cloning!

Over-ripe buds can be identified by their distinct physical characteristics. They often appear brown instead of the vibrant green you might expect and may have an unpleasant odor. The marijuana trichomes may also turn amber and lose their potency.

Overall, when you top a plant (or even the many side branches), you will get two new branches in the place of the old one. Growers then have two bud sites, which is one way that topping can help increase yields. The change in distribution of growth hormones also encourages lateral branching in the plant.

Topping and fimming are both techniques used to encourage lateral growth in cannabis plants. The technique you use will depend on your personal preferences. Topping involves cutting off the main stem of the plant just above a leaf node (where the leaves branch out).

Too many bud sites will mean that some buds cannot sit on top of the plant canopy, and thus do not get enough light and end up being smaller and less desirable. At the end of the pruning process, each plant should have 4-5 branches with multiple bud sites.

When Is The Right Time To Top Cannabis? The best time to top your cannabis plant is after the 6th node appears (a node is a pair of branches + leaves that grow 90 degrees from each other). This means you will have 5 formed nodes, and the 6th still pointing upwards.

Topping doesn't work with all plant varieties. It is most ideal for plants that have strong upward growth, with multiple nodes for branches and flowers to develop. This way when you cut off the top of the plant, the bottom portion is nearly identical.

“Top shelf” means cannabis flower of the highest quality, so it lives on the highest shelf in the store, with more visibility, rather than hidden below on the low shelf. Top shelf strains are produced by quality growers, with high potency and great flavors and aromas.

Does topping double yield? ›

Plus, successfully topping cannabis plants can also lead to quite a large increase in yield, especially outdoors and combined with a SCRoG when growing indoors. This pushes a lot of people to maximize their yield via the topping technique.

Topping can encourage lateral growth of the branches as well as multiple colas, which can increase the yield of the plant by promoting shorter plants with more buds.

What Does Low Stress Training Do? The main premise behind LST is that you can expose your plant to more light, and thus, create a wider plant that receives light deeper into the canopy. You'll increase yield with bigger colas throughout the plant, and fewer popcorn buds. This leads to an overall increase in yield.

Main-lining is a well-known technique that combines LST and HST methods to achieve an efficient energy distribution to all the colas and an even canopy, resulting in more yields and denser flowers when growing cannabis seeds.