Auto topping thread,pushing the auto limits;)

Good day growers im a master photo and auto grower.but my passion is with autoflower seeds.i been on a mission for 5 years growing now trying diffrent methods of training on autos to see what they truly behold.truth is autos aint no diffrent to a normal plant other than they flower on there own.u can top lst supercrop and defol autos with monster results if done at the correct time.oviously every plant is diffrent so always use the seed info as a rough guide and a short plant can yield just as much as a tall plant in this thread i will show u all along the way of the true limits of autos and there true potential as i grow them for u all to see.also if ur an auto grower who likes to push the limits,do speak up and all pics of ur autos and talk and all questions welcome on pushing the auto limits.here a few examples of the results achived topping an auto young followed by later lst.few heavy defols along the way ,gives u an army of dominant colas and a big heavy yield.and a beautiful plant.here is automazar topped and lstd

 

[Mara Cachafa]

how to count the colas after topping?

Looking from the top it's hard to tell what's a main branch and what's not. Each main branch should turn into a cola. Looking from the bottom you can see where the branches come out of the main stem. Count those, and follow them up to see if they reach the top. If the lower ones don't reach the top, you might be able to encourage them with a little LST, pulling down the highest tops to the level of the lowers so the lowers can get the same amount of light as the uppers.

 

[JAB]

Looking from the top it's hard to tell what's a main branch and what's not. Each main branch should turn into a cola. Looking from the bottom you can see where the branches come out of the main stem. Count those, and follow them up to see if they reach the top. If the lower ones don't reach the top, you might be able to encourage them with a little LST, pulling down the highest tops to the level of the lowers so the lowers can get the same amount of light as the uppers.

I have 9 reaching the top but there are also side branches that are reaching the top as well. Its growing like crazy. Lol ive tucked as many leaves as i could might have to defoliate in the next week or so to get the bud sites to light is that ok?

 

[DOA]

I have a few questions here.. Can someone help me out on understanding how to count the colas after topping? I feel like this is probably a stupid question as i think i know the answer just want to be sure.. I topped at 6th node on 4 week old afghan auto and also LST done as well. Also should i be defoliating the center of the plant a little more or leave it?
EDIT - Guess i should add this is my first time topping, and second grow. So help is greatly appreciated. Lol View attachment 1479840

I always try to top above the 4th when they're young, to give recovery time between days 15-20. If the plant is very squat and the 1st node is just above touching ground and perhaps that node won't come too much you can top above the 5th and remove the lower 2 branches. This will reduce the number of main branches you'll have to work with though but light penetration shouldn't be an issue.

Don't count the 1st set of leafs, the first set of proper branches is node 1. If you look back a few pages @Mañ'O'Green has provided a drawing of where to top. Regarding defoliation, I like to have a light defol around day 30-35 then I wait for stretch to finish before removing more leaf matter before full flower takes hold. Have a look at @420autoflower and how he defoliates his girls, I think you'll be impressed.

 

[JAB]

I always try to top above the 4th when they're young, to give recovery time between days 15-20. If the plant is very squat and the 1st node is just above touching ground and perhaps that node won't come too much you can top above the 5th and remove the lower 2 branches. This will reduce the number of main branches you'll have to work with though but light penetration shouldn't be an issue.

Don't count the 1st set of leafs, the first set of proper branches is node 1. If you look back a few pages @Mañ'O'Green has provided a drawing of where to top. Regarding defoliation, I like to have a light defol around day 30-35 then I wait for stretch to finish before removing more leaf matter before full flower takes hold. Have a look at @420autoflower and how he defoliates his girls, I think you'll be impressed.

Thank you! Im at day 30 now so defoliation will line right up around 35 days!

 

[DOA]

Thank you! Im at day 30 now so defoliation will line right up around 35 days!

I try not to remove any leafs attached to bud sites and focus on the big fans and everything else.

 

[DDubs]

I once read to look at inward facing fan leaves and to take those as well. Helps to get light down through the middle of the plant. It's worked for me so far.

 

[Legz]

I've been using wire hoops to spread the colas to get a flat top after topping. Here's Gnome Moth Man I just spread with a 9" hoop on day 35 (topped on day 22). I used to tie down individual branches, but it's too much work, and my plants started getting too tall to get a good angle from the rim of a 3-gallon pot:
View attachment 1479441

Do you fix it to the pot or just poke the stakes in the soil?

 

[Legz]

The above was a bendy flexible plant, but the one below as you can see is of the more shorter and rigid type, these are only 3 cm long so you can see how close it is to the stem. This is what I meant earlier when I said I'd never attempt to pull these branches out till they got a bit longer for fear of just snapping them off at the stem. But once positioned correctly (which is a bit of a brain teaser) I could pull the outer part of the branch down and under the clip while putting no force at all near the stem, supporting the middle round part as I pulled the branch under. This felt very satisfying and released a big rush of dopamine.

I think it goes well with topping autos.

Where do you get these clips ?

 

[PeaceLove&Buds]

Where do you get these clips ?

i think they look cool also. Here’s a couple examples I see on Amazon

 

[Mara Cachafa]

Do you fix it to the pot or just poke the stakes in the soil?

I just drop the wire hoop between the tops, and push it down 'til the branches spread enough to form a flat top.