Wanted to try a few stains which are basically landrace or pure sativas. Problem is that I don’t have the headroom for a 8-10 foot mom. Is it honestly feasible to top a tall sativa in short headroom? Trying to use topping to bush the plant?
Some of the African sativas I’d like to try often show lllooonnnggg internode spacing, like 6-10 inches apart. The resulting mom would normally hit an easy 8-10 foot; and I would rather not side train the plant to grow horizontally. The goal would be to pull 2-4 nice cuttings off it for a breeding project, not necessarily to take the mom to full flower.
I would say most definitely feasible. I’d probably use a combo of topping as well as some LST to keep its height under control. And depending on how long the strain takes to flower and how much space you’re dealing with you might consider going straight into 12/12 from germination.
In an outdoor grow, you could grow them with a trellis or cage, and treat them like a vine.
You can tie them, fasten them with bonsai wire, zip tie them, or weave them through a cage or trellis just like you would with a vine. I used to do this all the time in my early grows to control the height of Colombian sativa skunk hybrids.
It just takes commitment to actually manhandle the plants and make them grow into a crazy shape. But it works well.
Have you considered LST-ing them to a horizontal plane?
This OG Kush has been trained nearly horizontal and the main-stalk has grown about 8" over the side;
Branches are trained out horizontally as well for maximum canopy exposure.
No topping, minimal pruning (only leaves shading growth sites) - she has about 23 branches / tops as of today.
(it’s too low to the soil, I can’t seem to stop doing that).
Problem there buddy is not only that I don’t want to get into horizontal training because it’s a PIA, what you are using there is am indica-based short node cultivar, you know? Very much different from an heirloom pure sativa strain which natively wants to grow 12-16 feet and can take 4-8 months to finish off.
Especially when the goal is only to get a few cuttings for breeding. Not trying to finish off the mom - just steal a few babies for pollen and/or STS treatment. I don’t intend to smoke them - I just want to fuck them (smile).
Agreed - and that particular plant is even denser than some of her sisters.
I’ve thought about trying a sativa - I think that method would convert vertical growth to horizontal; so my 4 x 8 x 6.5 will work.
It is a bit more work in veg, but once the stretch starts, I pull all restraints off and just let them do their thing.
EDIT - just spotted the 12 - 16’ part. Wouldn’t be able to do that until I finish converting the room; and then the plant will require supports for sure.
Yes it can be done. I’m doing it right now.
Filipino Kibungan Landrace Sativa from Benet. Philippines from Khalifa Genetics.
She’s in week 18 of flower. She’s been topped, lst’d, and scrogged multiple times lol.
She’s a monster. Using my homemade organic super soil in a 5 gal pot now using 3 different fish fertilizers to keep her going. She’s 62" tall with branches going outward from the center.
