topping vs fimming

Which of the two do u prefer and why? If u you do both on the same plant explain?:icon_smile:

FIM = chance for 4 tops... But will get at least 2

Top = 2 tops.


I'm a noob so I'm just passing on what I believe I've learned. I think FIMing causes less stress as well, but I'm not 100% sure of that. I practice both and learn along the way.

First published by Kyle Kushman in July 00 High times, the FIM Technique came from a grower in south carolina who discovered the topping method by accident. Without naming himself or herself the reader instead cryptically asked that the technique be called FIM. Now colloquially referred to as FIMMING, this ingenious way to get multiple tops from one plant has transformed indoor growing.

Traditional topping involves cutting the growing node off completely to induce the stalk to split in two. FIM growers trim the top 80% of the node, leaving about 20% intact . The node splits into many more tops, creating a bushier tree. Using the FIM technique just once can yield up to eight additional shoots.

What originally appeared to be a sloppy way of topping became instead, perfect for dramatically increasing harvest.

I prefer to FIM. It seems less stressful to the plant, you do not lose much growth, and you generally get 4 tops.

Yea I pretty much new the difference between the two was just askin more personally what growers prefer

Sounds about right thanks

Simply put, Fimming does give you more tops as compared to topping, BUT the plant takes longer to recover from a fimmin as opposed to a topping. So, it would depend on the amount of time you want to Veg, at least that is my experience.

I don't know about a grower from SC discovering this, we were fimmin' before it was called fimmin back in the early 90's. Same gig, did a bad topping and saw we got more tops from it, but it took longer.

NorCalHal said:

Simply put, Fimming does give you more tops as compared to topping, BUT the plant takes longer to recover from a fimmin as opposed to a topping. So, it would depend on the amount of time you want to Veg, at least that is my experience.

I don't know about a grower from SC discovering this, we were fimmin' before it was called fimmin back in the early 90's. Same gig, did a bad topping and saw we got more tops from it, but it took longer.

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LOL--I was doing LST way before it was called that. I had a greenhouse out back of my house in the early 80s. I tried to keep the cannabis surrounded by tomatoes to keep it hidden. But it kept poking up higher. I would just take the plants and bend them over and stake 'em down.

It has always seemed to me that fimming didn't take as long to recover as topping.....now I think I am going to have to do a side-by-side to see the difference.

The Hemp Goddess said:

LOL--I was doing LST way before it was called that. I had a greenhouse out back of my house in the early 80s. I tried to keep the cannabis surrounded by tomatoes to keep it hidden. But it kept poking up higher. I would just take the plants and bend them over and stake 'em down.

It has always seemed to me that fimming didn't take as long to recover as topping.....now I think I am going to have to do a side-by-side to see the difference.

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Yea that would be pretty cool to compare them

Cool THG!
I never really did side by side either, it just seemed the topped ones grew out of it faster.

I have three plants I Fimmed a month or so ago. one went 2 tops, another went on growing like nothing happened, and the final one bushed out like freak'n monster.
Still working on the technique. :icon_smile:
I don't always grow cannibus, but when I do, I prefer to FIM before Flower.

Props for this thread because I had never heard of FIMming (though I have probably done it accidentally) before I came to MP and was afraid to ask what on earth it meant. In fact, there is a whole lot of pot terminology of which I was unaware before seeing it here, e.g. "wax", "dabbing", "LST", "DWC", "BHO", et cetera ad infinitum.

I Never really liked the idea of topping, Taking away a bud site tho i done it before and yes you can get 2 to 6 tops from it most i got was 4...... I think topping is good for rooms with height restrictions and for people keeping plants at a certain height
Fimming is an art in itself, so don’t be too disappointed if your plant ends up with a mis-growing main bud; fimming a plant is not always a success). same goal tho achieving more top buds 4 - 5

Surprised nothing talked about super cropping which i think is by far the easiest way to fill out a plant faster recovering time tighter node structure bigger and more buds 20 -100 buds sites the first picture is from super cropping first 2 weeks into flower giving me three 8" buds from one shoot branch so instead of one bud that would of grown there i got 3 from cropping

I've used super cropping in veg to keep them short........ I think it helps stretch....... I'm running some fem genetics now........ would super cropping stress cause hermies in flower?

Grower13 said:

I've used super cropping in veg to keep them short........ I think it helps stretch....... I'm running some fem genetics now........ would super cropping stress cause hermies in flower?

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It's usually genetic (a predisposition to hermie) or it can be grower error as in light during the dark period or any unusual prolonged stress (stress hermie) and sometimes it's a little of both (picky plant that takes perfect conditions not to hermie). You really never know for sure. and while supercropping in other terms is called HST - high stress training couldnt give you a definite answer on that

DrFever said:

It's usually genetic (a predisposition to hermie) or it can be grower error as in light during the dark period or any unusual prolonged stress (stress hermie) and sometimes it's a little of both (picky plant that takes perfect conditions not to hermie). You really never know for sure. and while supercropping in other terms is called HST - high stress training couldnt give you a definite answer on that

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i wish someone would start a sticky or thread on all abbreviations and explanations for each. there are utubes for many or all of them and reference to a utube would be great also,(a pic. is worth a thousand words thing)..
these are probally the most common questions new growers have and many are afraid to ask. THANKS !! JMO

Newbietoo said:

i wish someone would start a sticky or thread on all abbreviations and explanations for each. there are utubes for many or all of them and reference to a utube would be great also,(a pic. is worth a thousand words thing)..
these are probally the most common questions new growers have and many are afraid to ask. THANKS !! JMO

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:holysheep: Wow, I wasn't aware that you could see into one of my heads. I have been thinking of starting a glossary for newbies of terms I hadn't encountered prior to seeing them here, ever since I asked what "wax" was.

addendum: http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64840

This is just a tip on the way I do my FIM technique. A lot of people mis the cut and have mixed results, I have mixed results as well but I average quite well with the FIM technique. I typically get 4-8 top colas from my FIMs. On the rare occasion I cut too much and end up just Topping it. I do my FIM with my fingernails so that I can feel the "bulb of growth" between my fingers, then I use my fingernails to pinch off about 1/2 to 2/3 of the "bulb" so that there is still a growth bulb there that will develop into continued growth(even if a few of the leaves appear deformed).

I have found that Topping works best on those plants grown from seed that haven't become differentiated yet as it causes the colas to twin, then if done again before sexual maturity is reached, you will get a quad main stem. That is good for a couple of options of grow methods like scrog. But once the plant has reached sexual maturity and has alternating leaf nodes, then the Topping method is of little use except when used to drastically shorten a plant that has grown too tall and needs to be cut back down. Once I am dealing with differentiated clones, I will only employ the FIM technique for making the plants more bushy.

I also like Supercropping but I use that only in flower when I have a few stems who want to break out from the pack and shoot for the lights. I will pinch and bend those so that they are layed down to be even with the rest of the bud stems that are coming up