Pruning Cannabis for Healthier, High Yield Plants
Pruning and trimming go hand in hand when we’re talking about marijuana, because a good pruning will produce plenty to trim. Some methods of pruning include Apical, Lollypop, Fimming, and LST. When pruning, higher yield and potency are the rewards for correctly pruning your plants. Pruning can be a tricky task so until you know what you're doing, don’t do it, in fact, there are some experienced growers, even, that prefer to leave it to mother nature.
So how would you define pruning? A good comparison would be removing dead skin from our bodies, being healthy, strong and with no dead weight. The same thing goes with the plant, resulting in a stronger, healthier plant. Read below, pick one of the styles mentioned and try it yourself.
Where to cut when pruning cannabis
The removal of dead leaves on the plant is a normal occurrence. You will need to remove them, allowing the plant's energy to concentrate on the living, not the dead. Remember to use sharp scissors or a knife when pruning. Do it swiftly, but gently to help the plant not go into a state of shock.
Perhaps I should stress how important it is that your equipment is top-notch. Don’t be using blunt scissors or whatever you are using to cut the plant. The retail market is bountiful if you want to purchase electric shears or handheld scissors. It really is what you feel comfortable with. Just remember to keep them sharp.
Instructions
Now we have our bud, we need to clip it using one of two methods, wet or dry. The difference between the two is that one is clipped fresh, and the other is dried first, so it’s your choice. Sharp scissors or electric trimmers are necessary, and bear in mind it’s a fragile plant. Whatever is trimmed from the bud should be preserve, which can be used for delicious goodies later, as the sugar leaves are in the bud. However, they are so short the stems are not visible. It’s that simple, now have fun and enjoy when the time comes to reap the benefits of your work.
When to you start pruning cannabis
Let's talk about the best time to start pruning. Whenever you notice a bush shape appearing, you are free to go ahead and prune. There should be no pruning during flowering as this can influence your final yield along with the plant being fooled to go back to its vegetative state, which is not what we want.
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Let's go ahead and get rid of the dying leaves.
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We will also remove the low-down branches that are unproductive.
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Now remove the big branches and not to worry as it won't hurt your yield. Removal of the ones growing in the middle of the plant is the ones you want to get rid of.
Now work on areas that don’t get the sun, mostly on the bottom of the plant.
Your plant will need rest so give it a break, a couple of days in between pruning should work. Whenever you notice new leaves sprouting from your plant, it’s time to remove the shade leaves.
Removing the meristem early on will produce a bigger yield by doubling the growing shoots, and it's very important to always top during the growing phase and stop the latest, at the start of the flowering phase.
How long in between to wait when pruning cannabis plants
You should always wait a minimum of 2 weeks between pruning, but the ideal amount of time is 30 days, especially in cases where extreme amounts of plant materials have been trimmed away. This helps to give the plant enough time to fully recover from the last experience before enduring another long process of healing.
When to stop pruning cannabis plants
It is important to recognize that the period in which it is safe to continue pruning your cannabis plant is short, and it ends around 4 weeks into the flowering stage. After that point, it is detrimental to do so, and continuing will risk killing the plant before it is ready to harvest. At this phase, the plant will no longer hold the energy necessary to heal and regenerate actively, so whatever you cut off will be gone for good, and it won’t grow back no matter what you do.
How much pruning can be done to cannabis flower?
The answer to this question is debatable and truly depends on the type of weed in question, as some strains can handle heavier levels of pruning, while others might die in the process. That is why it is always recommended to start small and slowly work your way up to avoid unnecessary risk to your plant. Most of your pruning should be focused on the larger fan leaves and scraggly lower branches which are a drain on the plant. Cutting the buds themselves doesn’t have much effect, other than killing a good portion of your crop, so never remove any more than a small tip of any cola on a cannabis plant.
