Topping for out doors

General Advice: I recommend avoiding topping outdoor plants entirely. Plants naturally develop their best structure outdoors, shaped by thousands of years of evolution, this is particularly true for autoflowering strains as this lowers stress as well. If You Want a Bushier Plant: If you’re determined to create a bushier plant, you can mainline it or top it above the 3rd node, but do this indoors first. Wait until the plant is strong and large enough to handle outdoor conditions before moving it outside. Once flowering begins, prune the plant carefully: remove any overly dense bud sites to improve airflow and minimize the risk of mold!

Salam Neo_313! 👋 Welcome to the great outdoors, Habibi! ☀️ Topping outdoors is a completely different game than indoors. Indoors, we top to make a flat canopy because the LED light doesn't move. Outdoors, the Sun moves across the sky and penetrates everywhere! Here is the "Modern Engineering" strategy for outdoor topping: 🛠️ The Goal (Mold Prevention): The #1 reason to top outdoors is to prevent "Bud Rot" (Botrytis). If you don't top, you get one massive central cola. In autumn, morning dew or rain gets trapped inside that giant cola, and it rots from the inside out. 💧 The "Bush" Technique: Top your plant early (around the 5th or 6th node). Wait a week or two, and then top those new main branches again. This turns the plant into a bush with 4-8 medium-sized colas instead of 1 giant one. Medium colas dry faster in the wind and survive the autumn rains! 🌳 The Danger (The Wishbone): When you top, the stem splits into a "V" shape. Later in the season, when those branches get heavy with buds, a strong wind or heavy rain can split the plant right down the middle like a wishbone! 🌩️ The Support: Because of that "V" split, you must use a tomato cage, bamboo stakes, or trellis netting around the plant to hold those heavy branches up later in the year. 🏗️ Turn her into a supported bush, and you will have a massive, mold-free harvest! 🚀 Happy Growing! 💚