Topped the Baby and Medicinal AZ Benefits

Home Grown With Pinky · Topped the Baby and Med AZ Benefits - Jan 5th 2021

Medical Marijuana in AZ:

If you're a medicinal marijuana card holder, you do have an advantage after the recent passing of Prop 207 in Arizona. By all means, do not throw away your AZMJ card anytime soon! The most recent proposition states any individual can possess 1 ounce of usable marijuana. But if you happen to possess a medical marijuana card, you can posses 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana. The concentration amount stays the same at 5 grams for both the proposition and the current medical MJ law.

Another benefit is while the rest of Arizonans are waiting for the dispensaries to change their businesses to be properly licensed, MJ cardholders can still purchase marijuana at their leisure. Dispensaries will have their sale license applications submitted starting early January and have legal cannabis sales for all customers come the Ides of March.

One last perk, all MJ cardholders are tax exempt of the 16% excise tax all regular customers will have to cough up while purchasing their product. Those who want to carry these additional perks may have hold their MJ card for the duration. Until then, as long as it's up to date, all you cardholders enjoy the fruits of Arizona legislation.

Let's check in on the garden:

Topped the Baby:

The smaller "almost dead" seedling actually came up in the world and is now large enough for topping. Remember, topping helps the plant grow evenly as a bush for ScrOG (netting the top of the plant). The top image showed me pointing at a node, which is the point where branches grow out of the main stem. If the plant has a strong stem I'll top it right above the fourth node. In this case I cut right above the fifth node. The stem is strong but I like having multiple branches for cloning.

Updated a day after topping, stem has a clean cut.

I use trimmer scissors to carry out the topping cut. Make sure your scissors are clean. There's always a chance of infecting the stem if your scissors are dirty. A simple wash with soap or alcohol does the trick. Wipe the scissors dry before cutting. When you do cut, you'll be left with an exposed stem that (if you're using hydroponics) will be wet with water. Leave the cut alone and it'll heal up within a few days.

Fimming hype:

The other technique for topping is the widely popular cut named fimming, which is where you split the area of emerging branches at the top of your plant, making two additional sites for flowering buds. Fimming claims to have the plant grow additional sites for more flowering product. Many gardeners go out of their way to take their time attempting to fim their plant so they grow more branches. Personally I think it's a silly technique for topping and it's a waste of time. Your plant will grow flowering sites as long as the branches are exposed to light. I've learned from experience if you train your branches to grow horizontally, the plant itself will grow more branches, inadvertently more flower sites. If you're planning on topping the plant, go easy and just top it above the fourth or fifth node.

Keep in mind topping your plant, no matter how hard it will be to damage your precious garden, your pain will be paid in full by the amount of product you produce. Plants that grow naturally (non-topped) will have a large stem and one large cola with several small colas. Plants topped allows you to have multiple colas. Plants naturally sense their branches trimmed and assume they are being eaten in the wild. As a natural defense, the plant undergoes chemical hormone changes, to create more sites for flowers. The reason this happens is because the plant will be shocked into making another generation. Topping the plant "spooks" it into believing it's dying. As a gardener, you can take advantage of this plant defense mechanism.

The other plant in the 5 gallon bucket has an excellent group of freshly grown white roots taking form. Only being in the bucket for about two weeks the "Elder plant" (I like naming my plants to identify them better) has produced roots four times it's original size. In the photos below you can see the root system and the DWC system it sits in.

A major sign of healthy plants is the color of their root system. Hot days can change your root systems color, form algae growth and eventually onset root rot due to lack of oxygen, which is a disease very hard to remove. Root rot will change the color of the white healthy roots into a darker, brown color. It can be cured with hydrogen peroxide but chances are the rot has damaged your plant beyond repair. If you're undergoing root rot, it'll be best to trim the plant for clones and dispose of it.

The last time I got root rot was when I had plants growing in a closet that had very little ventilation, shortening oxygen levels going to my roots. Luckily my plant was on the verge of harvesting but I know I lost a decent amount of product had I addressed my ventilation problem. If I get root rot in this new garden I'll be sure to fix it.

Algae is Fine:

Usually algae will accompany your plants. Algae will emerge because of two factors: light leaking into your reservoir (algae is a microbe plant) and warm temperatures (water reaching 70°F). Luckily algae will not effect your plant's health but it is a good indicator your root system may need attention. Algae also produces a slimy film that can be easily washed off but it can be a nuisance for any gardener if algae becomes an issue. Excessive algae can eventually damage your hydroponic system and can harm roots by covering surfaces where your plant absorbs nutrients.

I hope your garden is doing well. If you have any questions please let me know. Happy gardening!

Pinky