Cannabis Topping vs LST: Which Training Method to Pick First
Compare cannabis topping and LST. Learn which training method to pick first, what to look for in tools, and common mistakes to avoid.
What topping actually does
Short answer: topping is cutting the top growing tip off a cannabis plant during the vegetative stage. That single snip removes the apical meristem, the tissue that suppresses the shoots below it. Once it is gone, the plant stops pouring energy into one tall main stem and starts pushing growth into the side branches. The result is a wider, bushier plant with several main colas instead of one, plus a canopy that sits at roughly the same height. You trade a few days of recovery for better structure through the rest of the run.
Cannabis Topping vs LST: Which Training Method to Pick First
The benefits, in plain terms
- More main colas. Each node you top above can send up two shoots, and those can be topped again. Two rounds can turn one tip into four or eight top-grade bud sites.
- Even canopy. Uniform tops mean even light. Lower shaded buds that would have stayed larfy get a fair shot at ripening.
- Better use of your footprint. A plant that spreads sideways fills a tent or a screen instead of wasting vertical space near the light.
- Shorter, sturdier plants. Less stretch under LEDs. Shorter plants resist tipping and fit in low tents.
- More control. You decide how many tops you want, which sets yield and veg time before you flip.
How and when to top
- Wait until the plant has 4 to 6 nodes and is growing fast. Topping a seedling stalls it.
- Clean your snips with alcohol. Hemp is tough, but open wounds invite trouble.
- Cut just above a node, leaving the two small shoots there intact. Some growers cut above the 3rd node, some above the 5th. Either works.
- Leave the plant alone for 3 to 7 days. New shoots should start reaching within a week.
- Top again two or three nodes up on each new shoot if you want a wider bush. Most people stop topping 1 to 2 weeks before switching to flower.
When topping does more harm than good
Autoflowers are the big one. Their clock starts at germination and any stall eats into their fixed veg window. Skip topping unless the plant is unusually vigorous, and if you do top, do it early and only once. Skip it on sick, pale, or pest-ridden plants, on clones straight out of the dome, and any time you are already deep into flower. Topping in week 3 of flower just chops bud sites you already paid for. Also skip it if you already supercropped or FIMmed the same week. Stacking stress has a cost.
How topping compares to other training
FIM is a partial cut that often gives four tops instead of two, and it is less precise. Low-stress training bends stems without cutting anything, so recovery is faster but structure comes slower. Supercropping pinches and folds a stem, useful for a stubborn tall branch. A SCROG screen combined with topping is the classic combo for tents, since the screen spreads what topping creates. If you only do one thing, top once and bend the new shoots outward.
What I check after topping
Look for two new shoots at the node below the cut within a few days. New growth should come in the same shade of green as the rest of the plant, not yellow. If things look stalled after a week, check water, pH, and root zone temperature before you touch it again. Watering a little lighter for a few days helps, since the plant is not transpiring as hard while it repairs.