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SHOULD AUTOFLOWERS BE TOPPED?

Topping and training are very effective ways to make crops bigger and plants' appearance neater. So, why are there so many debates when it comes to topping autos? Unfortunately, those very things that make us love autoflowers also make them a disaster to top properly. In this article, you will find out why topping is such controversial for autos, how it should be done properly, and what are safer alternatives to it. If you are looking to buy quality auto flowering marijuana seeds, make sure to check out this place.

How Genetics Affect Topping

To make sure we are on the same foot, autoflower cannabis strains are hybrids of Cannabis ruderalis, a hardy northern plant that gives autos their small size, fast growth, and ability to bloom in a set period, about 3-4 weeks after germination. That is the root of the problem.

Topping a plant exposes it to a certain amount of stress that it has to overcome before flowering. With photoperiod plants, which bloom depending on light cycles, a veg period can be prolonged to give the plant time to heal. It can't be done to auto, so if you mess up the topping, it may not recover by the blooming period, and your crop will be lost.

How to Crop Autoflowers?

Only do it if you grew autos before and understand their lifecycle. Do it only to healthy, young plants as soon as they've developed 3-4 nodes. If a plant shows signs of infection and lacks nutrients or sunlight, it is better to leave it alone.

Alternatives to Topping

Not all training techniques require cropping a plant. LST (low-stress training) is a practice of forcing the main stem to look downwards by bending it. It has the same effect as a topping but involves less stress. Also, you can try SOG (sea of green) method, when several plants are grown close to each other in small pots. It's among the best for autoflowers.

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