Pruning/trimming lower growing tips but NOT the fan leaves.

I've read all the arguing back and forth about defoliation/lolipopping, etc.. but i've never seen anyone talk about just pruning the growing tips at each node from the lower areas of the plant and leaving the fan leaves intact until they die on their own.

After doing a lot of reading on this, i've been letting my plants veg for about 4-6 weeks depending on strain. I top as needed to keep a perfect canopy, then between the last two weeks of veg and the first 2-3 weeks of flowering, I trim off all scrawny branches and growing tips from the lower areas of the plant that aren't getting much light, and leave the fan leaves. It seems to me this has been the perfect alternative and middle ground for the whole defoliation argument, and my plants always look amazing, and my yields are great, with absolutely no popcorn to speak of. What do you guys think?

It would seem to me from what I learned in biology in college that trimming them earlier would be more efficient. The plant's vascular system runs through every part of the plant, so if they are there, they're taking up nutrients and resources other parts (mainly the stem and main chutes) that could be taking those resources to get stronger before flowering. I say trim em earlier if they aren't going to be worthwhile during flower.

ASFx said:

After doing a lot of reading on this, i've been letting my plants veg for about 4-6 weeks depending on strain. I top as needed to keep a perfect canopy, then between the last two weeks of veg and the first 2-3 weeks of flowering, I trim off all scrawny branches and growing tips from the lower areas of the plant that aren't getting much light, and leave the fan leaves. It seems to me this has been the perfect alternative and middle ground for the whole defoliation argument, and my plants always look amazing, and my yields are great, with absolutely no popcorn to speak of. What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

basically what I do ..

happy growin

36OhBuds said:

It would seem to me from what I learned in biology in college that trimming them earlier would be more efficient. The plant's vascular system runs through every part of the plant, so if they are there, they're taking up nutrients and resources other parts (mainly the stem and main chutes) that could be taking those resources to get stronger before flowering. I say trim em earlier if they aren't going to be worthwhile during flower.

Click to expand...

Good to know. I try to trim as early as I can, but sometimes i'll see a branch toward the outer edge of the canopy, and i'm not sure if it'll stretch enough to keep up with the rest, so i'll let it go for a bit longer. If it starts to fall behind the rest of the canopy, that's when I cut it off.

Yeah I pick off the lowers. As soon as I can get a grip on it I pull it.

It's kinda bonsai-style, by pruning and/or lollipoping you get to dictate where the plant puts its energy. By removing the popcorn buds, you do just that. What you're doing is good and pretty standard. I feel that most folks trim by looks and not timeframe but that doesn't matter

Man, you guys just can't leave the plant alone always needing to fuck with it..... making things as confusing and complicated as you can.

UB

Just finished reading another pruning/defoliating/leave it alone test... And guess what... Same results I see every time I read one. The one not f'ed with produces the largest top colas and overall bud... The pruned and defoliating ones only look larger because it's an optical allusion

Pretty much what i learned over last harvest was, lollipoping makes since BUT its a waste of growth. No need to grow tall plants when those lower nodes you take off so no popcorn will produce same amount as top nodes. So why spend 8 weeks veg to get 12 nodes to cut 7 off when you get same yield by veg for 4-5 weeks and grow those first 5-6 nodes out and cut nothing off... uses all growth and has same result but your plant is shorter.

I swear by a scrog setup but if you can do that that lst. Anything you can for all inner nodes to be even level.