Time to pinch the top off?

NorthernJeff

NorthernJeff

Hi,
 
I'm wondering if now would be a good time to pinch the top of this orange hab. plant off?  It is about 2 months old now, and has 5 sets (10 total) of leaves plus the tender shoot coming out of the top.  
 
I can see a number of new nodes wanting to come out of the stem where the current leaves are, and I'm thinking if I pinch the top tender shoot off, it will encourage them to start new branches, thus making the plant shorter and more sturdy for now, and also with more branches for the future.
 
They're sitting under a Fusion Bright 4 FT 8 Lamp High Output T5 Flourescent 432W system, with eight T5 High Output Fluorescent Bulbs (6500k)
 
Please advise,
 
Thanks! 
 
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For me it's a big YES...that is a perfect plant to top right now...it will force all those other shoots to become a mass canopy vs a tree.
 
 
 
 
Yeah, I've seen various types of advice. Some people say to start topping once there's 6 true leaves on the plant. Others say to top it when it forks (which is what I was planning to do, until I saw all the nodes popping out at the base of all the current leaves).
 
you can top it now. looks like it has plenty of nodes.
or you can wait if you want the main stem to be a bit bigger.
 
it should be fine either way, no big deal.
 
juanitos said:
you can top it now. looks like it has plenty of nodes.
or you can wait if you want the main stem to be a bit bigger.
 
it should be fine either way, no big deal.
Click to expand...
You lollipop yours though, right? What is the advantage?
 
If I were you I won't cut it for sure.  If you want very strong and thicker stem, i guess it's not the time.  Anyway it depends on what you're trying to achieve. 
 
 
 
 
I was just curious. That would have been my guess but it's hard to guess without perspective. My main reason for wanting to know is my babies are still in 16 oz solo cups, sour cream containers and transparent fish oil bottles. Although the transparent ones are not showing "root-bound" characteristics,  I need to re-pot them soon and move them outside.
 
Well, I'm going to go ahead and top it and see how it does.  There's a bunch of younger plants to follow so just in case it doesn't work out, I'll be OK.
 
Its about to start growing branches out the side anyway..
iv got some plants which topped themselves and some which have not been topped. the ones that were topped by nature are still to have any open flowers.
The others have open flowers and are also branching out down low as well / anyway.
I think topping is a step sideways, not forward.
 
 
mas_fuego said:
You lollipop yours though, right? What is the advantage?
Click to expand...
 
Once you top your main stem you have to decide how many more branches you need. having 20 separate main branches causes them all to grow rather weak. Having 2 ... then there was no point in topping might as well just leave it. Having 4-6 seems a good number. You get the benefit of more tops while still letting the plant focus on few branches.
 
Now you have the 4-6 you will let grow from the main trunk. i trim everything else off for the first 12 or so inches. This area gets larger as the plant gets bigger so for a 2 ft plant i would only have the bottom 8 inches or so cleared. For a 6ft plant the bottom 2ft would be cleared.. you have to maintain the lolipop as the plant will keep trying to regrow branches. 
 
here you can see kinda in the background how everything lower is trimmed.
 
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this keeps the plant focused on sending nutrients only to the branches where you want growth. instead of growing new side shoots all the time and wasting energy.
 
also it 
 
keeps bugs from climbing up on your plant as much (less branches means stronger branches that stay off the ground) (less places for them to hide once they get on the plant)
keeps splash back which can contain diseases from soil off your leaves
ensures air still flowing at base of plants (prevent mold / fungus growth)
 
but i'll say this is all not necessary, you can just let the plant grow naturally if you want. 
 
Great advice Jaunitos, looking at my plants most of which are topped I can see the ones with 7+ branches are definitely not that solid but the ones with only a few are like trunks.

Thanks
 
Keep pounding them with light,you can see the plant putting out new growth at the nodes. If you have shitty lighting,or a floppy and weak plant,feel free to top it. That isn't the case in your situation. Let that plant do it's thing. If you are that far along in January,you will have small pods on that plant by the time you can put it outside in Toronto.
 
Well, I topped it 12 days ago, and here is the progress.  It punched out a bunch of branches, and according to Juanitos advice, I picked off the lower ones, to try limit it to about 5-6 branches going on the upper portion of the plant.  ALL of the original foliage has been trimmed off, and everything you see is new growth after the topping.
 
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