Auto Technique: to top or not

[sheep_dreamer]

Hi everyone,

Is there a general consensus that when growing Auto's that they should not be topped? and the reason for this is that Auto's don't generally spend enough time in a Veg stage of growth to recover.  Following on it doesn't then get a chance to be strong as it quickly moves to its Flower stage of growth.

 

Also, if an Auto is topped, then there will be a higher likelihood that the yield and bud site multiplication that topping is meant to generate will not eventuate and on the contrary, topping an Auto will reduce the yield because the young plant will sort of stunned.

 

What are your views?

 

I have an auto on the go, it's my first one and I don't want to do anything silly without asking for some good advice.

 

As always, thanks heaps.   

[Ozzy420]

I have never grew an auto.

 

U have basicly answered your question, when u top the plant its groth rate will slow and for an auto imo u need all the veg stage and fast growth u can to get a decent yield...

[louise]

Don't top it!

[sheep_dreamer]

Thanks Ozzy420 and louise. Great quick responses. In this bit of the technique I'm sorted. I've just remembered that the other function of topping is that it keeps the plant height lower than it would be without topping. I'm growing in a small space with a total height of about 75cm. Taking away the space for the plant pot/medium and then space of the light, because it's an indoor, I'm left with only about 40cm of actual plant room. So with topping out, I also think SCROG is out (again no time to bend into the screen with little veg) all that remains, as far as techniques go, is low stress training. Am I missing anything?

[sheep_dreamer]

And basically would anyone recommend I do anything special if height is going to be an issue for me?

 

(Apart from getting a taller grow space! ... I wish I could do that)

[Naycha]

You could use scrog or lst really as neither method will stress the plant.

 

Good luck.

 

Naycha

[sheep_dreamer]

Thanks Naycha. I'm really wanting the best for my new baby. In any case, I figure that I've got a couple of weeks to ponder this one.

[Sir PsychoHashy]

LST is the go for autos.  At about 2-3 weeks I tie them down to one side, and then throughout the stretch stage I train the branches to try and spread them out for light penetration and to vaguely attempt an evenish canopy.  A SCROG screen should work well, but could take a bit of practice to nail down the timing on when to stop training and let the branches go up.

[Ford Fairlane]

Tying down is the go mate.

[sols]

be same as any other plant, cut top off and plant will not know it happened but lateral branches will grow more.

if my plants get too tall I snap the branches, not off but snap and fold them down, plant suffers no stress at all and snapped branch curves up again in day or 2.

dope is hard to kill sometimes., snap main stem half way up and as long as you don't break it into 2 pieces it will continue as if nothing happened.