# Topping

> Topping is cutting off a plant's main growing tip just above a node, so the two shoots below grow into two main colas instead of one.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/topping.html
- Also written: top, topped, topping a plant, pinching out
- Glossary category: Cultivation and training · Evidence: Grower practice
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Topping removes the [apical meristem](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/apical-meristem.md), the main growing tip, by cutting through the stem just above a node. This breaks [apical dominance](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/apical-dominance.md): the two side shoots at that node become [co-dominant](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/codominant.md) [tops](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/top-shelf.md). Repeating the cut on each new top doubles the count each time (2, 4, 8).

## In practice

Most growers top a [photoperiod plant](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/photoperiod.md) once it has 4-6 nodes, cutting above the 3rd to 5th node, and let it recover for about 5-7 days before the next cut. Topping lowers height, widens the plant and creates a flatter canopy, especially combined with [low-stress training](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/lst.md). Each cut costs a few days of veg.

## Myth check

House position for [autoflowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/autoflower.md): topping will never produce what proper LST or training does. An auto runs on a fixed countdown, so every recovery pause is lost time. If you top an auto at all, do it once, early and on a vigorous plant; LST is the better tool. See [topping](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/training/topping.md) and [LST](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/training/lst.md).

## Don't confuse with

- **FIM**: a partial pinch of the tip that can give three or four tops; less precise.
- **Top (slang)**: "top shelf", unrelated.

## Related terms

[FIM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/fim.md), [Apical dominance](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/apical-dominance.md), [Mainlining](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/mainlining.md), [LST](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/lst.md), [Node](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/node.md)

## Read more

- [Topping: cutting the main tip for more colas](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/training/topping.md)

## Sources

1. Danziger N, Bernstein N, 2021. Shape matters: plant architecture affects chemical uniformity in large-size medical cannabis plants. Plants 10(9):1834. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8468686/