When is it too late to top your plant? The cannabis edition

Topping your cannabis at the wrong time can cost you yield, structure, and plant health. 

Mistimed topping can stunt your grow, reduce the number of bud sites, and throw your whole canopy off. 

But don’t worry. Here, you’ll learn exactly when it’s too late to top your plant, how to time your training for success, and what happens if you get it wrong. 

We’ll cover timing, structure, recovery, and how to spot the right moment with proven techniques and solid knowledge from pro-cannabis growers.

Disclaimer: Any information given on this site is for educational purposes only. Please ensure if you’re growing cannabis, you’re doing so by the law and subject to appropriate permissions and licenses of the applicable country.

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What is topping cannabis?

Topping cannabis is a plant training technique that involves cutting off the top of the plant to encourage bushier growth. 

Rather than letting your untopped plant grow tall and spindly with one dominant cola, topping reveals hidden growth tips lower down and redistributes energy to encourage the formation of multiple colas. 

This results in a more manageable structure and can significantly increase yields.

This is especially true in indoor grows because a lot of light is wasted when cannabis plants grow untrained under indoor lighting.

In short, topping involves high-stress training cannabis for better structure. 

You’re deliberately stressing your cannabis plant to direct how it grows. That’s why timing is everything.

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When should I top my cannabis plant?

The best time to top a cannabis plant is during the vegetative stage. 

More specifically, you want to wait until it has at least 4–6 nodes (sets of leaves) and is growing vigorously. 

At this point, your plant is strong enough to recover from the shock and will reward you with a denser canopy.

Topping the plant too early — especially during the seedling phase — is risky. 

A young seedling can slow down significantly or even stunt if it’s not robust enough.  

You’ll get the best results when you wait until the plant is healthy, has a strong main stem, and is showing consistent upward growth tips and signals that it’s thriving.

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What happens when you top the plant?

Topping interferes with auxin flow — the hormone responsible for apical dominance. 

Cutting the top of the plant shifts hormonal priority to lateral sites, encouraging lower branches to grow upward and become dominant. 

This expands the canopy and improves the light profile under indoor grow lights, reducing shade on potential bud sites.

By disrupting apical control, you're also improving photosynthetic efficiency. 

Broader leaf distribution means better exposure and airflow and more stable temperatures, humidities, and VPD - all essential for healthy development. 

Topping is one of the few training techniques that boost productivity by controlling plant hormones directly and visually, and this transformation is dramatic.

The plant’s energy is used more evenly, so no single cola monopolises resources. 

This strategic redistribution helps achieve bigger yields by maximising the number of productive flowering sites instead of focusing on just one. 

You’re not just altering shape — you’re enhancing internal processes to push the plant to its peak.

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When is it too late to top cannabis plants?

So, let’s answer the big question: when is it too late to top cannabis plants?

It’s too late once the flowering stage has begun. 

If you see pistils emerging, it’s time to back off. 

During the flowering stage, your cannabis plant enters full reproductive mode. 

Hormones like auxins and cytokinins shift to support floral growth, not recovery. 

When you top the plant at this stage, it diverts energy from flower formation to heal, reducing potential bud mass.

You might also notice your plant stretching. This is one of the tips and signals plants give to show the transition. 

Topping cannabis now causes stress when the plant needs stability. 

While training techniques like topping work well in the vegetative stage, they don’t belong in flower. 

Instead, use light defoliation or low-stress training to open up the canopy. 

Let your plant focus on bud development, not recovery. That’s how you achieve bigger yields.

Late topping can also damage remaining growth tips, disrupt hormonal balance, and even cause hermaphroditism in sensitive strains.  

Knowing the signals plants to start flowering — like pistil formation or stretching — helps prevent topping too late and ensures potent, resinous buds. 

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Late vegetative stage: is there a grey zone?

Yes — but only a narrow one. 

If you’re still technically in veg, but your cannabis plant is very tall or showing early pre-flower signs, you might be pushing it.

Some cannabis plants tend to stretch early, especially sativa plants, which means you’ve got to be strategic. 

If you top too late in veg, the plant may not have time to recover before the flowering stage when the widespread bud sites begin forming. 

Recovery diverts energy away from bud development, which is precisely what we don’t want.

Use your judgement here — only top if your plant is still putting out vigorous vertical growth and hasn’t committed to flowering.

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Topping changes your plant’s structure

When cannabis plants are allowed to grow naturally, they often take on a classic Christmas tree shape — tall, narrow, and dominated by one cola. 

This is especially true outdoors or with limited training. Topping completely transforms this. 

When the top of the plant is removed, energy is forced into lower branches and side shoots. Over time, this changes the shape into a flat, round canopy. 

Rather than one dominant bud, you get a broad spread of evenly spaced colas—perfect for indoor grow lights.

This is especially desirable for indoor growers, where height restrictions and airflow are essential. 

You’re training your cannabis plant for better structure, not just more buds.

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Best timing for maximum yield

So when is the best time to top a cannabis plant if you want the best results?

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Ideal node count and structure

Topping works best when your cannabis plant has between four and six healthy nodes. 

This provides enough foliage and branch development to support new growth tips that remain after topping. 

Without sufficient structure, the plant is diverting energy inefficiently, which can slow down growth rather than improve it.

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Mid-veg: The golden window

The vegetative stage is when your plant focuses solely on foliage and root mass — perfect conditions for recovery and redirection. 

Mid-veg offers a stable hormonal balance, which is ideal for topping. 

The plant is not yet committing resources to buds at this stage, so energy can be fully utilised for lateral development.

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Hormonal timing and recovery

During this window, levels of auxins and gibberellins are balanced enough to encourage strong recovery post-topping. 

The plant interprets the loss at the top of the plant as a cue to develop side shoots, opening the canopy and improving airflow. 

This also ensures that lower branches gain dominance, allowing you to arrange your multiple colas across a wider surface area for light exposure using a ScrOG net. 

Topping at the right time produces short, bushy plants that outperform the tall, lanky kind — especially under indoor grow lights.

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Final tips before you top your plants

1. Check plant health first

Before you top, your plant should be thriving. 

Look for lush green leaves, strong main stem development, and consistent upward growth. 

Topping benefits most plants, but not always. Avoid topping if you see drooping, yellowing, or pest issues. 

High-stress techniques like topping demand energy, and an unhealthy plant simply doesn’t have the reserves to recover properly.

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2. Timing and observation matter

Watch closely for the signals plants give before committing. 

Node spacing should be tight, with symmetrical branching patterns. 

If internodes are long and the plant is tall in the flowering stretch, it’s too late. 

Topping in this condition may waste energy and cause more harm than good.

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3. Pair with other training methods

Topping is most effective when part of a broader strategy. 

Use plant training techniques like LST or lollipopping to encourage light and air access throughout the plant. 

Strategic topping doesn’t have to be excessive — one or two cuts can reshape your canopy and trigger those growth tips to reach towards the light for better development.

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Takeaways

Topping is one of the most effective cannabis plant training techniques out there — but only when done at the right time. 

Once your cannabis plant enters the flowering stage, topping becomes a liability.

So, next time you’re debating whether to go in with the snips, remember this: If you’re not in veg, don’t do it. 

And if your plant’s already begun to bud, it’s too late to top the plant.

Time your training right, and you’ll set yourself up for success—a bushier plant, better airflow, and higher yields overall.

Now go top those plants like a pro — just not in flower!

Happy growing!

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FAQs

Can you top a plant at any time?

No, you can’t top a cannabis plant at any time. 

Avoid doing it in the flowering stage, as the plant is diverting energy into bud formation. 

Topping is best used during the vegetative stage while growth is strong. 

Done right, it helps shape a Christmas tree-shaped plant and boosts structure.

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How late can you top plants?

You can’t top the plant once the flowering stage begins. That’s the cutoff. 

Topping during flower can stall growth and reduce bud quality. 

Use training techniques like topping earlier in the vegetative stage to shape a plant and avoid stressing the plant immediately before bud formation.

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What happens if you top too late?

If you top a cannabis plant too late, especially during the flowering stage, it can slow down growth and reduce bud production. 

You risk fewer buds, uneven structure, and lost yield — outcomes no grower wants

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When should I start topping cannabis?

Start topping during the vegetative stage once your cannabis plant has at least four strong nodes and a sturdy main stem. At this point, it can handle the stress and respond well. 

Avoid topping young cannabis plants too early, as seedlings can struggle if they’re not established.

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How many nodes before topping cannabis?

Before you top the plant, wait until there are at least four to six healthy nodes. 

This ensures your cannabis plant has a strong main stem and can recover well. 

Topping too early can harm your plants, while proper timing helps create many bud-laden colas for better yield. 

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Where do you cut to top cannabis?

To top a cannabis plant, cut just above the newest node at the top of the plant, ideally above the fourth or fifth node. 

This method encourages multiple colas and reshapes the untopped Christmas tree shape into a flatter canopy. 

Don’t forget: timing and cleanliness are key to success.

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