This classic is meant for people who are just beginning, and those that are a little bit experienced. The Sinsemilla Technique, Kayo 1992 source: Prune cuts are made using clippers at a 45-degree angle to the shoot being cut.There are a lot of books available that deal with growing cannabis, some for experienced growers and some for those who are just beginning. All strains are different in this respect. We may be able to prune some of the lateral branches but again if the plant has reached it threshold it will not produce more new branches. We may try to prune each of these four stems to try and create eight stems, but this depends on the strain and its branching limit which is genetically based. We can prune both these two new stems and end up with four stems. If we prune the stem, it will split into two. There is also a limit to how much we can prune. If we prune our plant we can make it more like the tree that we see in the garden. Some lateral branches may develop new shoots but these are somewhat small and thin and do not support much bud growth. Any filling out usually occurs when new leaves and branches develop at the nodes. Well some marijuana plant only grow a main branch out from the stem and this may stay that way throughout its entire grow. See how the stem divides into branches which sub-divide into more branches which divide into new shoots and leaves. Without pruning the Sativa plant it will probably stretch to five feet and more.įor every stem or branch you prune, the cut area will develop two more branches. Well if you learn to prune your plant right you can generate small bushy Sativa plants that grow in tiny spaces. Remember how we spoke about Indica plants being small and Sativa plants being tall. The results will be a slower rate of Bud growth. Pruning during flowering will cause problems with bud production because the plant will divert its energy from bud production into branch and leaf production. Plants are generally pruned 3 – 4 weeks into their vegetative cycle but can be pruned sooner or later or more than once. You will find in time that during this vegetative prune you will be able to shape your plant. Do this with 2 out of 10 females with every grow you do. It is advised that you experiment with this pruning method. You need to find a strain that responds well to topping.
So pruning for production is strain related and grow related.
The two top colas will simply be sharing the same volume of bud that a single cola would have produced on the same strain. Other strains are not so flexible and by topping you will not increase bud production. If you grow blueberry without topping you will not achieve maximum bud production from that plant, but if you do top the blueberry you will. The strain Blueberry is a good example of this. Some plants when grown fully without pruning do not reach their threshold. Each strain will have a threshold for bud production, which can not be improved on. Many a grower have managed to bring a plant into growing more than six top colas by this method. This really depends on the strain and the environment. Sometimes the plant will produce two small top colas instead of two big ones. Two top colas instead of one does sound appealing but alas it must be said that this TOPPING method of pruning does not always work out the way you think it will. Now, many a cannabis grower will tell you that this is a great thing to do and sometimes it is. The end results after flowering are two or more top colas instead of one. This creates a V shape at the top of your plant. What happens next is that the main stem may split off in two or more directions. This can also be done during the thinning stages.
The top is removed by shearing it away at the stem. Many a marijuana cultivator have taken a pair of clippers to the top of their plant just above the last branch formation during the 3rd or 4th week of vegetative growth.