hey Buddy 👍 first you have very nice Plants 😍👍.
Pruning cannabis is a hot topic in the growing community. One side believes that targeted, controlled pruning can increase yields by a substantial margin, while others are certain that cannabis plants will be more productive if they are allowed to keep all of their sun-kissed greens. This guide will explain different pruning methods as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this advanced technique. Cannabis has grown excellently in the wild for millennia, without human interference. However, most if not all of today's cannabis growers prune their plants. This ranges from minimal pruning to keep the cannabis garden tidy to advanced pruning techniques for higher yields. For now, we should try to guide you through the basics of cannabis pruning. Of course, we will also go into more advanced methods. Extensive texts on all further developed pruning and training techniques can be found in our cultivation guide.
With the exception of snipping off the first pair of cotyledons sometime between weeks 1 to 3, it is advisable to wait until cannabis plants are at least 30cm tall before properly pruning. Some sativa strains can quickly reach this size in 20 days, whereas some violent indica varieties can take 40 days. However, LST (Low Stress Training) can be applied early because it means bending rather than removing branches. Basic pruning to get decent cannabis plants requires a minimalist approach. Leaves are organic solar panels and branches are the limbs of the plant. Removing too many of them will stress the cannabis plant and could lead to complications later.
In order to make the cannabis plant bushy (regardless of the variety), some growers pinch off the main shoot with their fingers. This is coarse but effective capping and can be used on young plants with just the first pair of real cannabis leaves. This is usually followed by a 4-way LST and / or ScrOG for maximum yields. Allowing the plants to develop a little before separating parts gives the grower an idea of the natural structure of the cannabis strain. The internode spacing and the branching can be assessed and then cut by the grower as necessary. If you are growing a variety for the first time, this procedure is recommended. Generally, it is enough to prune the first 2 to 3 pairs of the lower branches and fan blades to allow good airflow. The more branches you remove, the more vertical growth is stimulated. Cannabis plants with more than 50% of the leaves removed will have problems. Photosynthesis will slow down and excessive cropping will shock them.
The best tool for pruning cannabis plants is a reasonable trim pruner, which you can get in most grow shops and even garden centers. Get scissors that are thin, sharp and comfortable to hold. The branches and leaves of cannabis plants do not require high-performance scissors or surgical tools. All the grower needs to do is take some care when cutting leaves or twigs from a cannabis plant. Make sure the cuts are clean and only the intended shoot is removed. Make the cut at a 45 ° angle and get as close as possible to the main stem to keep everything neat.
Pinching a cannabis plant tip between your fingertips is effective and most growers like doing lollipopping this way. Squeezing an inflorescence or the tip of a main shoot is one thing, but tearing off leaves or thicker branches with bare hands is a risky undertaking. Supercropping is tough on plants, but when it works, it works fantastically well. Of course, we have a detailed growing guide dedicated to super cropping.
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