Cannabis Growing Guide: Topping Vs. Fimming

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As a cannabis cultivator, you are always looking for ways to increase your yields and improve the quality of your plants. Fimming and topping are two popular cultivation methods that can help you achieve these goals. If done properly, they can potentiality guarantee high yields. So if you’re looking for the secret to getting a bumper crop, fimming and topping may be just what you need.

However, some growers favor fimming over the classic topping method. They claim that fimming is much more successful than topping. Even though there has been increased discussion about which method is better in recent years, it’s important to remember that both have their own advantages and disadvantages, like all other horticultural methods.

Growers must understand the differences, benefits, and drawbacks of both topping and fimming before deciding which one to use. Keep reading to learn more about each method and see if fimming is the right choice for you.

What exactly is fimming?

The term “fimming” refers to a marijuana cultivation technique that encourages increased lateral growth, bushy growth, and flowering of cannabis strains. It is the short form of the infamous term “F**&K I Missed”. A grower who accidentally missed some important steps when topping his plants coined the term. Interestingly, his mistakes paid off after discovering the technique that is today implemented by dozens of marijuana growers.

Fimming is quite similar to topping, as they both work by cutting plants to manipulate their yields. But the two methods differ in how they are executed. Topping involves eradicating new growths on plants by cutting between their nodes, while fimming consists of eliminating a part of the cannabis plant’s main stem. The idea behind this method is to promote the growth of multiple colas while making the plants bushier.

Topping is the better option for small-scale growers as it produces more colas without causing too much stress to the plants. On the other hand, vegetative control of plant shape is ideal for experienced weed growers with plenty of growing space at their disposal–it also makes for prettier plants.

What benefits does it have over topping?

Fimming is a gardening technique that is superior to topping because it promotes more colas, which makes it ideal for small-scale growers who want maximum yield from their strains. Fimming is also gentle on plants, unlike topping. Moreover, fimmed strains become bushy faster than topped ones. And when taking clones from mother plants, fimming once again outperforms its counterpart—resulting in more abundant clones and slower growth for the grower to choose from. Fimming cannabis plants is often confused with the super cropping method. Fimming is a fruitful technique that can be used on various marijuana strains, as opposed to topping which only works well on certain selected strains.

Fimming generally refers to halting growth at the plant’s apex, which exposes underlying areas of potential growth. Plant energy is redirected into these undeveloped regions, thereby jumpstarting the process and accelerating growth overall. With fimming, plants focus on growing multiple buds instead of continuing to grow the main stem. The lower growth nodes are converted to new colas when exposed to air and light.

Is fimming better than topping?

Although growers typically top, fimming, or use any other method of training cannabis plants, there are certain instances when fimming is more advantageous. For example, if you have limited space in your grow room, fimming may be right for you. Some Sativa strains can get quite tall and will compete with each other for light if they are too close together.

Fimming your plants will help prevent them from growing too tall and causing shading problems. When taller plants overlap shorter ones, it can limit the amount of light exposure these smaller plants get, especially if they’re in an area that doesn’t get much natural light to begin with.

Fimming provides a real solution to the lack of space many gardeners have. Fimming controls how a plant grows so that it expands sideways instead of continuing to grow taller. This means that once you fim your plants, you can then trim them back and get a full, even layer of foliage – like a blanket!

Fimming also eliminates excess leaves that reflect light back, preventing the plant from getting sufficient light. When there are more leaves to absorb light, it results in a higher yield of better quality plants.

Fimming also has the benefit of preventing your plants from fewer bud production. With more main buds, farmers are able to have a larger yield during harvest time. Since the buds produced aren’t as big, they don’t get diseased as easily either.

Many outdoor growers prefer to fim their plants because they are more susceptible to diseases than indoor plants.

What are the downsides?

While there are some downfalls to fimming, as with any weed cultivation method or horticultural practice, the pros often outweigh the cons. For example, while auto-flowering cannabis strains may be impacted negatively by fimming – such as through stress that could permanently damage some strains or stunt their growth – this method also has many positive outcomes.

Some growers may find extended periods in the vegetative phase unsatisfactory, as fimming can cause this. Additionally, once a plant has reached the bloom phase post-fimming, those with small grow spaces could have difficulty accommodating everything.

If you’re an avid cannabis grower, then you know how important it is to have an organized grow space. However, sometimes in order to achieve more buds, growers will utilize the fimming technique which can lead to heavy buds that may cause the plant to collapse under the weight. If your plants are strong enough though they should be able handle the extra weight without any issue.

While fimming may have some drawbacks, it is still an excellent way to increase your overall yield. Overall, the negatives are outweighed by the positives. With that being said, growers can also take measures to decrease any negative effects while still maintaining a high quality and quantity of weed.

 Guide on fimming your plants

Fimming involves growers removing the newest shoots of their plants, resulting in four buds instead of just one. The plants become lower and wider than if they had been topped, and their leaves are more exposed to light.

When you expose your plants to more light, the leaves absorb it better. Fimming your plants is a bit damaging, but not as much damage as topping does. Plants can recover from trimming much faster than if they were topped. Use this guide for fimming your plants safely and effectively.

• Look for the tallest growth on each plant in your garden space or yard. You’ll be able to see it at the end of the stems or branches.
• Use either the snipping or pinching method to remove the top growth of your plants. Snipping uses scissors, razor blades, or shears while pinching off entails using only your fingers. Fimming is known to be an effective yet low-risk way of managing plant growth, so you can use either method with confidence.
• You should remove at least 75 percent of the growth. To do so, you can either make a clean cut to create a clear bowl-shaped cut or gently bend the tip of each plant between your fingers to form a curved shape.

When should I try fimming on my plants?

Fimming, a method to encourage higher yields, must be used in specific intervals and not constantly like other techniques; fimming is most effective during vegetative growth.

If you remove parts of the plant when fimming, your plants will need time to recover before they are affected. This is why growers should consider fimming before the flowering season begins.

Fimming can still be implemented on infant plants or plants that are emerging from the seedling stage. It helps the plants to grow like bushes.

Nonetheless, fimming at this stage should be done with other techniques such as LST. It works only work for experienced growers. Their novice counterparts are discouraged not to try fimming alongside other techniques lest they ruin their plants altogether.

Depending on the region, fimming is the best and most effective when the plants are at least 30 cm tall. This height is mostly recommended among European growers. Overly, give your plants at least 3 to 4 weeks before fimming them.

At this stage, the plants will be stronger enough to withstand the changes done by fimming, and to recover faster. Don’t rush the process. Implement it anytime your plants enter the vegetative phase or after they have matured.

Can fimming be done in combination with other techniques?

Fimming can be combined with other techniques for maximum yields. Below are the techniques that growers can combine with fimming to boost their cannabis yields.

• Low-Stress Training (LST) – this technique entails boosting cannabis yields without subjecting them to stress how fimming or topping does. When combined with fimming, the technique can help increase the light exposed to your plants, helping them synthesis more nutrients faster.
• Lollipopping– the technique is one of the best to combine with fimming. While fimming focuses on reducing top growth on the cannabis plants, the technique entails trimming the plants’ bottom. The plants will consequently direct more energy to the upper branches. When combined, the two techniques will further enable the plants to direct energy to future flower sites.
• Super cropping- The method works well with fimming, especially when some plants need additional fimming. Instead of performing additional fimming, you can try super cropping. Here, you won’t do any trimming, meaning you won’t be risking stressing your plants. With this technique, you can easily increase the plants’ growth, strength, and yields.
• Monster cropping– the technique works wonders with fimming. It can double the buds produced by your plants upon fimming. Each plant will have multiple heads, translating to larger yields.

Are there some cannabis strains that work particularly good with fimming?

Fimming may not work well with all strains. Some strains, however, work great with fimming, and yet they do poorly with topping. The stains below are excellent candidates for fimming.

• Aurora Indica– This strain breaks, bends, flourishes, and recovers effortlessly, making it a worthy candidate for fimming. The technique is easy with this strain, for inexperienced growers can even perform it.
• PPP (Pure Power Plant) – being super resilient and highly potent, the plant has every attribute to make it a suitable candidate for fimming. Better still, it produces an amazing quality of potent buds.
• Wonder Woman– The strain boasts superb growth patterns. When fimming is done on the plant, growers can get high yields more than any cannabis cultivation technique. It recovers superfast, making the plant a perfect candidate for fimming.

Extra tips for cannabis growers

Fimming should be implemented in the right way to give growers their desired results. The tips below can help growers, particularly beginners, to perform fimming properly on their plants.

• Don’t perform fimming too early. It will make it difficult for your plants to recover.
• Use clean equipment while fimming to avoid infections on your plants.
• Don’t perform fimming during the flowering stage. The method only produces great results when conducted during the vegetative phase.
• Do fimming when your plants show signs of rapid growth, such as growing leaves faster than usual. Your plants will recover noticeably faster when they are experiencing rapid growth.

Most made mistakes

Fimming can go wrong when growers make these mistake_

• Fimming too early
• Combining fimming with the wrong technique
• Fimming the wrong strains that can’t make large buds
• Removing excess plant growth

Other methods to increase the yield of your cannabis plant

Now you know what fimming entails. Now, let’s delve into topping and see how the cannabis cultivation method works. Finally, you can judge whether which method is better.

What does topping entail?

It entails cutting the upper portion of the marijuana plant for purposes of stunting vertical growth. With this method, the objective is to initiate lateral growth towards the branches on the base of the marijuana plants. Topping is implemented to achieve healthy plants and produce quality yields. Upon topping, the plants’ growth hormones are distributed evenly towards the lower portion of the plants, enabling the smaller branches on the side of the plants to grow bigger, hence forming large buds.

Why should I consider topping my plants?

In addition to redistributing the growth hormones from the main cannabis plant stalk to the secondary stalks, topping can also enable you to better use your growing space. By decongesting your cannabis canopy, leveling it, and making it more organized, you will be able to get more out of your grow space overall.

The main reason for topping is to promote bulk yields, particularly when cannabis is being grown outdoors. It successfully boosts yields by helping the leaves and branches of the cultivated marijuana plants to access light.

When plants have an abundant light source, they synthesize nutrients much faster and effectively, providing them with steady source nutrients to assist them in producing large yields. Experienced and novice growers can perform topping.

Topping is particularly suitable for plants that are exposed to little light. More importantly, the method works well for those with large, growing spaces.

Which is the simplest way of topping my cannabis plants?

Topping is easy, just like fimming. To start the procedure, ensure your plants are strong enough. If there aren’t, topping will only stress them. To tell whether the plants can handle the changes occasioned by topping, examine the leaf nodes, and ensure they are about five leaf nodes.

If the plants are mature enough and ready for topping, cut the plants slightly below the leaf last leaf node. Since topping needs precise cutting, use sharp for cutting. The scissors must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized to kill any bacteria, germs, and other harmful microorganisms that could infect the plants.

Select suitable spots for cutting your plants, preferably on the newest growth on the main stems. Remove the growth from the plants. Two new branches will sprout from the spots you cut.

Continue checking the plants daily to monitor their recovery progress. For plants grown outdoors, a plant sealing paste should be used for sealing the spots where cuts were made. When cuts are made on outdoor plants and left unsealed, the plants could get an infection from the air’s bacteria and fungi.

 Can I use topping in combination with other marijuana growing techniques?

Topping is more efficient when used with some less-detrimental methods. While it can’t work with many methods, some super cropping methods work superbly great with it. These two methods can amazingly improve yields. LST can still be combined with topping and working great, although growers don’t have to top their plants to combine it with LST.

 What are the shortcoming of topping?

Of all the cannabis growing methods, the topping method is the cheapest one. Nonetheless, it increases the cost of caring for your plants. Plus, it is more stressful on the plant since it advocates for removing some parts of the stem. The risk of causing permanent damage to your plants is high when performing topping.

Notwithstanding these shortcomings, topping still guarantees growers huge yields when implemented properly. For experienced, large-scale growers, the procedure can dramatically boost their yield in the long-run.

Therefore, use this method only if you can implement it successfully; otherwise, your plants will suffer.

When is the perfect time for growers to utilize topping?

On average, the perfect time for growers to use this decades-old weed growing method is when the cannabis plants have the right number of nodes. Growers need to wait for their cannabis to have at least seven nodes before topping.

Plants recover much faster when they have more nodes. The more nodes a cannabis plant has, the larger its photosynthesis area.  As such, plants are better placed to generate more nutrients when they have several nodes.

For micro-growers or those growing plants on pots, a sure indication that their plants have matured and ready for toping are the roots. Once the roots have started appearing on the pot’s base, it signifies time is ripe for topping.

Early topping is discouraged, for it potentially kills the plants. Alternatively, it stunts their growth, eventually countering their growth progress. Nonetheless, a couple of strains can’t be affected by early topping. The deciding factor here is the type of strain you plan to top. Through research, find out whether your strain can withstand early topping.

So which is the best method between topping and fimming?

Several factors have to be considered by growers before deciding which among these methods is good. First, growers have to consider both their benefits and shortcomings. For instance, fimming can be better than topping if you are a small-scale or indoor grower. It allows you to maximize your plant yield in this case.

Topping can be better than fimming based on the growers using it. For instance, the method though stressing plants is a nice option for outdoor and large-scale growers. For these cannabis growers, topping produces large, busy plants that can be topped several times. In a nutshell, none of these two techniques is better than the other. It simply has to do with individual preferences, coupled with the grower’s needs.

Conclusion

The answer to whether fimming is better than topping may not be clear for some growers, as it is a heated debate among them. Some have their reservations with the cultivation technique due to choices, needs, and experience.

Fimming and Topping can help you get higher yields, but many factors play into the outcome. Make sure to use these methods correctly – missing a step can be detrimental to your plants’ growth. Use whichever method you think is best for your needs and capitalize on it for optimal results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is topping or fimming better?

When all other conditions are the same, fimming usually produces better results than topping does. Since a lot of a plant’s resources go into making leaves, getting rid of some of them through fimming allows the plant to redirect those resources into creating bigger buds, which leads to a higher overall yield.

Can you top and fim the same plant?

Topping and FIMing the same plant can produce more enhanced results; however, it’s easy to fail which would then stunt the growth of your cannabis plant. Not only that, but you probably won’t get any considerable yields. Each pruning method on its own already stresses out a cannabis plan, so combining both methods will just add to the current stress level.