Pruning your cannabis plants may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple! By following these easy tips, you can ensure that your plants are healthy and produce maximum yield.
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Introduction
Pruning your cannabis plants correctly will result in increased yield come harvest time. And while it may seem like a daunting task, pruning is actually quite simple once you know what to do. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of pruning so that you can maximize your plants’ yield come harvest time.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when pruning your cannabis plants:
– The goal of pruning is to encourage new growth. This means that you’ll want to remove any leaves or branches that are blocking the sunlight from reaching the lower parts of the plant.
– Pruning also helps to increase air circulation around the plant, which is important for preventing mold and mildew growth.
– Be sure to sterilize your pruning tools before use, as this will help to prevent the spread of disease or pests.
With these tips in mind, let’s take a look at how to properly prune your cannabis plants.
The Basics of Pruning
Pruning your cannabis plants may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple. Pruning is basically the process of removing unwanted or excess growth from your plants. By pruning your plants, you can encourage them to grow more vigorously and produce more buds.
What is Pruning?
Pruning is the horticultural practice of removing certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or leaves. Pruning is often done to maintain the health and shape of the plant, or to improve its growth or yield. For example, pruning can be used to:
– promote denser growth
– encourage more lateral (side-to-side) branching
– induce flowering or fruiting
– reduce wind damage
– control pests and diseases
When to Prune
Pruning your cannabis plants is a vitally important step in ensuring a bountiful harvest, but knowing when to prune can be tricky. The type of pruning you do will depend on the stage of growth your plant is in.
Early vegetative stage:
When your plants are young and still in the vegetative stage, you’ll want to do what’s called “topping.” Topping is when you cut off the main stem of the plant just above a pair of leaves. This will cause the plant to grow two new stems, which will in turn create a bushier plant with more leaves – perfect for maximizing photosynthesis and encouraging dense bud growth later on.
Middle of vegetative stage:
Once your plants have reached 6-8 inches tall and have begun to develop secondary stems, you can start “pinching” them. Pinching is similar to topping, but instead of cutting off the main stem, you’ll simply remove the tips of the secondary stems. This will also make your plant bushier and encourage more leaf growth.
Late vegetative stage / early flowering stage:
At this point, you’ll want to stop topping and pinching and let your plant grow unpruned until it enters the flowering stage. Once it begins to flower, you can start “lollipopping.” Lollipopping is when you remove all the lower leaves and branches that are not receiving direct light. This allows the plant to put all its energy into growing bigger buds on the upper branches.
Flowering stage:
As your plant continues to flower, you can do some light pruning to remove any leaves that are turning yellow or brown – this will help increase airflow and prevent mold or mildew from forming on the buds. You should also be on the lookout for any branches that are not receiving direct light and trim them back accordingly – otherwise, they will just be taking up valuable energy from the rest of the plant
The Benefits of Pruning
Pruning your cannabis plants can seem like a daunting task, but it is actually quite simple and very beneficial for your plants. By removing dead or dying leaves, you allow the plant to put more energy into growing healthy new leaves and flowers. Pruning also encourages branching, which allows the plant to produce more flowers and increases air circulation, which helps prevent mold and mildew.
Done properly, pruning can increase yields by up to 20%, so it is definitely worth taking the time to learn how to do it properly. In this article, we will cover the basics of pruning, including when and how to prune your plants.
Pruning is most effective when done during the vegetative stage, as this is when the plant is putting the most energy into growth. However, you can still prune during the flowering stage if necessary. Just be sure to leave at least 2 weeks before harvest so that the plant has time to recover.
To begin, you will need a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears. It is also helpful to have a magnifying glass on hand so that you can better see what you are doing. Start by inspecting your plant carefully, looking for any dead or dying leaves. These should be removed first. Once all of the dead leaves have been removed, you can start trimming away any leaves that are touching the ground or that are crowded together. Be sure not to remove more than 30% of the plant’s leaves at one time, as this can shock the system and slow down growth.
After you have finished pruning, it is important to give your plants a good watering so that they can recover from the stress of being trimmed. You should also add some extra nitrogen to your fertilizer mix during this time to help boost growth.
The Different Types of Prunes
The three main types of prunes are heading, thinning, and shearing. Topping, or heading, is the most common type of prune. It is used to control the height of the plant and encourage bushier growth. Thinning prunes are used to remove overcrowded or weak branches to allow the remaining branches to grow stronger. Shearing prunes are used to shape the plant and remove any unwanted growth.
Topping
One of the most popular ways to increase your cannabis plant’s yield is through topping. Topping involves cutting off the main stem of the plant just below a set of leaves. This prompts the plant to grow two new stems from the side shoots that remain. When done correctly, topping can double the number of buds your plant produces.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when topping your cannabis plants:
-Topping works best on young plants that have not yet flowered.
-You can top your plants as often as you like, but be sure to allow enough time between toppings for the plant to recover.
-Topping stresses the plant, so be sure to give your plants plenty of TLC afterwards, including extra water and nutrients.
Fimming
Fimming, or “FIMing,” is a type of pruning that’s done to cannabis plants in the vegetative stage. It’s similar to topping, but instead of cutting the main stem all the way off, you only cut about 70-80% of the way through. This leaves a small portion of the main stem intact, which then grows out into multiple stems (or “fingers”).
Fimming encourages your cannabis plant to grow more evenly and can produce more buds than if you had just topped it. However, it does require morecare and attention than topping, since you have to be careful not to cut off too much of the main stem.
Here’s a quick overview of how to fim a cannabis plant:
1. Choose a branch that you want to fim. Ideally, this should be a branch that’s pointing upwards, since this will encourage more even growth.
2. Using sharp scissors or pruning shears, make a clean cut about 70-80% of the way through the branch. Try to cut as close to the main stem as possible without actually cutting it all the way through.
3. Once you’ve made your cut, remove any leaves or small branches that are below the cut. This will help redirect energy towards the remaining growing tips.
4. Wait for your plant to recover from the pruning before continuing to fim other branches. Your plant will need time to heal and regrow before it can handle any more stress.
LST’ing
LST, or low stress training, is a cannabis pruning method that involves gently bending and securing your plant’s branches to promote horizontal growth. This technique is especially useful for increasing yield in Indica-dominant strains, as their natural growth pattern is to grow taller with fewer branches.
To LST your plants, you will need to bend the main stem and the larger lateral branches. You can do this by hand or using Plant ties. Once you’ve bent the branches to the desired position, secure them in place using the ties. Be sure not to tie them too tight, as you don’t want to damage the plant.
One of the benefits of LSTing is that it forces the plant to grow horizontally, which allows for better light exposure and air circulation throughout the canopy. This results in bigger, healthier buds with less risk of mold or pests.
How to Prune Your Cannabis Plants
Pruning your cannabis plants may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple. By pruning your plants, you are essentially giving them a haircut. This will encourage new growth and help your plants stay healthy. Not to mention, it will also increase your yield come harvest time. So, if you’re looking to maximize your yield, read on to learn how to prune your cannabis plants.
Topping
Topping is a type of pruning that’s used to encourage your cannabis plants to grow wider, rather than taller. When you practice topping, you’re essentially cutting off the main stem of the plant just above a set of leaves. This causes the plant to grow two new stems from the leaf nodes below the cut.
Not only does this result in a wider plant, it also causes the plant to grow more vigorously and produce more buds. Topping is an easy way to increase your yield, and it’s also a good way to control the shape and size of your plants. If you want your plants to stay short and wide, topping is a good option.
Fimming
Fimming, or “FIMing,” is a cannabis pruning technique that involves pinching off the growing tip of a young cannabis plant. Fimming encourages the growth of lateral branches, which can increase the number of budding sites on a single plant.
To fim a cannabis plant, simply use your fingers to pinch off the very tip of the main stem. This will cause the plant to grow lateral branches in an effort to compensate for the removed growth tip. Once these lateral branches have developed enough, you can repeat the process on them to encourage even more branching.
Fimming is usually only done on young cannabis plants that are less than 8 weeks old. Older plants may not respond as well to this type of pruning and could be damaged by it.
LST’ing
Low-stress training (LST) is a horticultural technique involving the manipulation of the plant and branches to grow flat against a horizontal plane. LST can be performed on plants with flexible stems, such as cannabis. This training technique can be used to increase yields in cannabis cultivation by allowing more light to reach the lower branches and flowers. In addition, LST can be used to control the shape and size of plants, making them more manageable and increasing air circulation which helps to prevent mold and disease.
There are several ways to perform LST on cannabis plants, but the basic principle is always the same: bend the plant down and secure it in place so that it grows horizontally. The most common way to do this is by bending the stems with your hands and securing them with Plant Training Aids such as clips, nets, or even clothespins. Once the stems are secured, they will begin to grow horizontally along the plane you have created. As the plant grows, you will need to intermittently adjust the position of the ties to ensure that the plant remains flat against the plane.
LST is an easy way to increase yields in cannabis cultivation by allowing more light to reach the lower branches and flowers. In addition, LST can be used to control the shape and size of plants, making them more manageable and increasing air circulation which helps prevent mold and disease.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pruning your cannabis plants correctly can result in increased yield. When pruning, it is important to remember to remove only the leaves and branches that are necessary. Too much pruning can result in shock to the plant, which can decrease yield. If you are unsure about how to prune your plants, it is best to consult with a professional.