Merlin34
Well-Known Member
In the commercial grow I work for we remove pretty much every small bud from about 18 inches down 2 weeks into flower. Those bud are a net negative for the plant. We grow a SoG but with huge plants with all of the tops at about the same height. The lower stuff gets no light. All that energy is them concentrated on the larger more light exposed bud sites. And yes we have run side by side trials. Bud weight is about the same. The difference being the quality of bud. The ones that were cleaned out have no popcorn in the weight and all nice bud. Where as the ones who were not cleaned out had same weight but some of that weight was in immature crap popcorn. Quality counts. Plus lower bud/ straggly branches are havens for bugs and disease.