People across the country are getting in on the weed-growing bandwagon. Some grow their own marijuana simply because the law now says they can. Others do so because they can’t get the strains they’re looking for at their local dispensaries. In many cases, people are growing their own crops as a discreet way to build their stashes in states where buying weed isn’t quite legal yet.
No matter what your reasons for becoming a self-made marijuana farmer may be, getting the most out of your harvest is probably a top priority. For many growers, that simply means cultivating more plants to get more buds. Of course, planting more cannabis seeds to get a bigger yield isn’t an option for everyone.
Even in states where growing marijuana is legal, there’s generally a limit to the number of plants each person or household can have. At the same time, not all growers have enough space for a sizable crop. As such, being able to get maximum yields from a minimal crop is sometimes essential.
Getting the Highest Yields from Your Cannabis Crop
If you want to get the highest possible yields from your marijuana plants, there are several ways to do so. First and foremost, it’s important to take good care of the plants from the moment you first place the seeds in their growing medium.
Give them the right types and amounts of light at the proper times, and be sure to provide the perfect amount of water when they need it. Giving them the added benefit of fertilizer or plant food can help as well. Optimal growing conditions will definitely be reflected in the size and quality of their yields.
Having said that, those basic plant care techniques can only go so far. Certain techniques can take your yields to entirely new levels. You can use a variety of training strategies or practice the art of super cropping to name a couple of the options at your disposal. One of the simplest and most effective alternatives, though, is topping your marijuana plants.
What Is Topping?
As the name indicates, topping a marijuana plant means cutting off the top portion of its growth. This is a time-tested strategy that has been used for many types of plants. It offers numerous advantages for your cannabis crop as long as it’s carried out correctly. It can also be an intimidating endeavor if you’re new to the process. That’s why we’re here to give you the tools you need to do the job right.
Why Is Topping Beneficial?
Topping can benefit you, your plants, and your overall harvest in a few key ways. Since this technique gets rid of the uppermost portions of the plants, it keeps them from gaining too much height. Instead, it prompts them to grow bushier.
This can certainly be helpful if you’re growing indoors where a ceiling could become an issue. It’s also advantageous if you’re growing outside where you’d like to keep your cannabis plants shorter than the fence that’s surrounding them. That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Increased Light Exposure
Topping marijuana plants increases their light exposure. When you let the plants grow tall and straight, the main shoot gets the majority of the light. Some light still filters down to the lower shoots, but that main branch can leave its smaller counterparts a bit deprived. Allowing the lower branches to get more sunlight fosters the process of photosynthesis and helps keep the plants healthier.
Improved Airflow
Additionally, topping your cannabis plants can lead to better airflow. It’s no secret that those plants need proper ventilation. It gives them a chance to take in more carbon dioxide to help make glucose. That compound provides the energy the plants need to grow and produce potent buds. Better airflow also decreases the likelihood of mold and other fungal infections that could detract from the plants’ health and productivity.
Better Bud Production
All that brings us to what could be considered the most important reason for topping cannabis plants: amped-up bud production. Marijuana plants generally produce a single bud at the top and several additional buds at various nodes. Those are the forks where smaller shoots branch out from the main stalk of the plant.
When you cut the top off the main stalk, two branches grow back in its place. That means you’ll have two buds at the top of the plant rather than one. As the plant grows, you can top other branches, too. Each time you top a branch, the process doubles the areas where buds can grow. In a nutshell, your yields will skyrocket while the cost of creating your crop and the space it takes up remain the same
Is It Dangerous to Top a Marijuana Plant?
Truthfully, topping can be hazardous to a marijuana plant if you don’t do it properly. Exercising caution is essential. If you’re not careful, you could tear the branches rather than giving them a nice, clean cut.
Damaging the main stalk and its branches could cause the plant to stop growing and direct most of its energy to healing its wounds. This might ultimately slow the plant’s development and detract from the potency of its buds rather than generating the effects you’re hoping for.
Causing undue damage to the branches is only one problem to be mindful of. If you cut too much off the top of the plant, you could send it into shock. It may even cause female plants to take on hermaphroditic traits. That might leave you with a harvest of seeds and weak buds, which would be counterproductive to your efforts.
On top of all that, topping a plant before it’s big and strong enough to handle the stress might altogether kill it. Instead of having a healthy, bountiful harvest to show for all your efforts, you could end up having to start all over from scratch. Fortunately, we’re here to help make sure you have the knowledge to top your plants properly and avoid the potential downsides.
Proper Plant Topping Technique
Before you begin topping your weed plants, be sure to have the right tools for the job. You’ll need a sharp knife or scissors that have been disinfected with rubbing alcohol. When the tools are sharp, they won’t cause undue damage and stress as you top the plants. Disinfecting them will reduce the likelihood of passing harmful pathogens along to the plants.
From there, you’ll need to know the proper place to cut. It’s best to make the first cut on the main stalk of the plant above the fifth node. That will leave enough secondary branches in place for the plant to continue growing bushier. Don’t cut too close to the node. Try to leave an inch or so of the main stem intact to minimize trauma and reduce the likelihood of damaging the node.
Post-Topping Measures
After topping a plant, be sure to keep a close watch over it to make sure it doesn’t succumb to the stress of the procedure. Consider giving it a healthy dose of water and plant food afterward as well. This will give it the fuel it needs to heal properly and continue growing. If you’re growing indoors, be sure to keep up with your lighting schedule, too. Giving the plant too much or too little light at this crucial time could be harmful.
Taking Things a Step Further
To further boost your bud-producing potential, you can clip other branches of the plants. It’s best to prune the older branches rather than the younger ones. Leaving the newer growth intact for the time being will reduce the amount of damage the plant sustains. Be sure to give the plants a couple of weeks in between toppings to give them a chance to recover.
Also remember that timing is everything. Don’t top your cannabis plants when they’re too young. Wait until they have at least four nodes on the main stem. Letting them develop five nodes is recommended. Don’t top them after they’ve entered the flowering stage, either. Waiting too long could damage the buds that are already growing.
What to Do with the Scraps
Some growers struggle with the thought of cutting perfectly healthy growth off of their plants and simply throwing it away. If that’s the way you feel, there’s good news. You don’t have to waste the portions of the plant you cut off. You can use them to grow clones of the parent plants. That’ll give you even more opportunities to maximize your crops while minimizing costs.
Amplifying Your Marijuana Yields with the Right Techniques
Topping your marijuana plants is an effective and fairly simple way to boost bud production. You can also combine this technique with others to further maximize your yields. Here at Kind Seed Co, we offer far more than a wide range of high-quality cannabis seeds to get your garden off to a great start. We’ve also provided several resources to help you make the most of your marijuana crop. With your passion and effort and our seeds and expertise, the possibilities are endless.
