I also strongly believe that wider leaf autos handle topping way way better then a sativa or thin leaf.
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Well said, especially the part about FUN! I am having a great time with my first grow with 4 WhiteWidow autos. Topped 2 and let 2 ride I live in a high humidity area and have chosen to do an outdoor weather protected grow. So far it has gone exceedingly well. So far…
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Thank you all so much, I’ve been documenting your guys information in my irl journal. I can’t reply to everyone because I’m new and I can only post so much.
But I spent time looking into the genetics of my seeds and grouped them into different groups that kinda almost match or/are sister seeds.
I’m watching @LoveDaAutos as well and documenting what’s over there. So thanks for the live example!
Over all I have two sativas sister seeds right at this moment that look pretty good, thick green leaves… Gonna top one but for sure LST the rest.
@TARpits honest you were the first feed I came across, you alone are the reason I’m just going to top one. They are all already kinda controlled group almost. But I here what @RainToday is saying, gotta get the basic together, some discipline, and have fun is key ( which is big feel like I’m stressing a lot 
)
@Toker1 I felt that @the_bot you my rock 🪨
Thanks again for schooling me guys, love the collective knowledge!! 
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I’ve had some stunt and some thrive. Depends on genetics and medium. I ran a white widow/gsc cross from Captain Red Beard out of Oregon…in a dwc bubble bucket. Topped and it was beautiful.
Topped a runtz auto in a fabric pot and she was a damn runt for sure.
Autos in general are wicked finnicky, to the degree that it’s hard to give any broad advice.
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Sounds great! You won’t be “new” long I hope, because I would love to see you start a grow journal on here with photos. 
I love seeing how other people experiment with their autos!
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Whoever mentioned having fun, I second that. It may be the old mindset of babying autos has been rectified with much better vigor.
I think the best advice is a case by case basis. If you experience good branching/spacing/speed, topping can get you better/more tops, if you’re dealing with something more runty/obviously sensitive, don’t top.
I start pinching the main stem starting at the third node, and each new node as they emerge, instead of topping most of the time. Side/lower branches will stretch up alongside the main cola, and you haven’t removed anything.
If I choose to top, it happens about the same time, 3 good nodes, but I take just the tiniest tip, when there is just enough stem to nip the tip cleanly, and given the fact I just jumped into the proverbial deep end, I consider removing the first set of branches, as I usually end up with plenty to work with off the remaining four.
A plant grown au naturale is visually more appealing, but so is a flat stack of tops lol
You can see who has been beheaded and who hasnt, they all behave a little different, but…it’s still weed lol
Now that I think about it, the best smoke has always come from the plants that were bangers right out the gates, the topped ones.
makes sense.
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I only used alacrity one time and it burned the tips of my plants. 
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I don’t wait for the fifth node and top to the third or anything like that. I usually top as soon as the two branches show up under the main cola - at between two and three weeks, I guess. The plant loses almost no vegetation, but gains an extra cola. If I want more colas I’ll bend it, but with autos in smaller pots topping once is usually sufficient.
What I don’t do often with autos is defoliation or lollipopping. They need every single leaf they have.
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Topping once carries no risk. The trick is to do it without losing much vegetation - don’t treat her like a photo in that regard.
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I understand. Also thanks for the insight, that would make sense in regard of the whole topic. The big argument is that it doesn’t have the time to regrow large amounts of veg… but if it’s done sooner in the time frame it can still utilize that time to grow from topping. The plants I have going now are a bit to far for that, prime 3rd node right now
Hmm… all in all I think I’m gonna just do a top auto grow like some of these guys are doing and run everyone’s topping suggestions. Lemme get seeds going for this
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Exactly what he says, wise words.
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I wish had the space to do that, because it’s a great idea. 
I’d be really interested to see how all of the ideas work out.
I did quite a bit of HST on some Double Grape I was doing a repro on, and my plants got big and healthy. Of course at that time I was running a 1000W HPS paired with some LED lights and everything grew like crazy.
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Wish I would have heard that a few weeks ago. The autos going now fit the above criteria I believe. Lol
They got topped 4th node I think, then kicked out of their tent and up in a hot loft with one little fan over a small humidifier. Then stretch came and figured what the heck so snapped all the main runners over.
One bucket of feed I went real light. Can’t remember why. Lol. Two froberries up front let me know real quick.
The back left (3 bears)maybe was gonna be a runt maybe not, but it chilled out right after topping, was real finicky on water. Finally she is looking alright considering. Especially after I snapped her mains over (last pic)
Maxibloom feed in a Pete/bark/perlite mix.
Thought it was pretty fitting for the conversation. My takeaway so far is they are taking some crap like champs!
I did start defoliating and think the lanky froberry up front is starting to look like I may have done some harm.
The other froberry rear right was so heavy in foliage I feared pm was coming. It came on later but it’s got nice early buds all over.
The other is a CBD 20:1, sturdy plant I grow for CBD oil and smoke.
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I think they look pretty good. That’s a lot of colas!
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If you put in a little effort you should be able to top most auto flower plants. From sprout through week 3 keep the humidity around 60-65% and the temperature around 75 degrees and your autos will be very happy.
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