Cultivation Technique Topping

Topping is a pruning technique where growers remove the apical meristem (main growing tip) of a cannabis plant during vegetative growth. This practice redirects auxin hormones downward, encouraging lateral branch development and creating a bushier plant structure with multiple flowering sites. Topping typically occurs when plants develop 3-5 true leaf pairs and can be repeated multiple times depending on grow duration and desired final structure. The technique is commonly associated with increasing yield potential per plant in space-constrained environments, though it extends vegetative time. Growers use topping to shape plant architecture for specific canopy management strategies, SOG (sea of green), or SCROG (screen of green) systems.

Breeders evaluating cultivars for commercial cultivation often assess plant response to topping—including branching vigor, recovery time, and uniformity across phenotypes. Selecting for naturally bushier growth patterns or apical dominance characteristics can influence how breeding lines respond to this standard horticultural practice.