So I watched a video on youtube and felt like a billy bad a$*! I said, yes, easy enough… I need to top my plant. I went downstairs with a smile, got into the closet, bent down… gently pushed the leaves aside and grabbed the top. When i pulled the top off one of the leaves came off too! Is my poor girl doomed!? I feel like I just killed her by topping her and removing a leave along with it. Now she has no head and only one arm… (one leave) poor girl…
WILL SHE SURVIVE!? GIVE ME HOPE BUT IF THERE IS NONE, BE BLUNT
When you top, try to leave a little bit of the stem sticking up past the node you topped at. It reduces the risk of the stalk splitting when the branches get heavy flowers on them.
Also, it looks like there’s a bit of an open wound at your topping site. If you can, dab a little honey right on that. It will help the plant stay health and not get any type of infection and could fight off any chance of the stem rotting.
Like Jake3 has pointed out that you may have topped a little to close to the node but they are very forgiving plants and you should do all right. happy growing
You’ll be fine, she won’t branch off like you think and will grow kinda funky for a bit but let it go. Both techniques work just fine and give similar results.
Doesn’t matter but if it was me I’d clip that leaf off the other side. Even her up a bit. That being said it will only help balance her a bit, nothing else and won’t make a difference in the long run.
The clipping you did will work as you intended it to. She will work more on sending energy on lower branches making them bigger and stronger. Then she’ll push vertical. When she does and comes up 3-4 more nodes do it again
