Should I Prune the Popcorn Buds?

I'm trying to make sure I understand this advice correctly: I was told that once my plant is flowering, I should cut the smaller light deprived branches off right at the main stem - regardless of whether they are producing small buds already. The grower who recommended this claimed that the loss of the small bud was insignificant compared to the gains up top.

Would any of you agree with that? Are the popcorn buds smokable if I prune them at this early juncture?

Depends on what your using for light? I would grow them out when harvest comes take the Ripe bud to puff,,and keep the lower branches under the light longer and ripen some more for Hash.

1000w MH up top and some 23w 2700k cfls on the sides with a 65w 2700k cfl in the corner. I can post a picture of the plant pretty soon. The ones in question are kind of below the canopy (this plant was fim'd) so even with the side lighting they aren't getting a lot of direct light. I'm trying to keep that side light focused on the big buds up top.

1000w is a lot of light. it pinatrates the canopy pretty deeply. why would u need cfls?

i wouldnt. i would harvest the ripe buds and leave the others to ripen as well. IF u have more than one plant leave one the same and cut the other then u could tell us.

rsharp said:

1000w is a lot of light. it pinatrates the canopy pretty deeply. why would u need cfls?

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The CFLs are mostly to get some 2700k spectrum in there because I'm using MH for my entire grow. These guys are in the shadows of the plant, but I suppose the relative brightness in that shadow isn't nearly as dark as the shadow cast in a room with a typical bulb. The other thing is, these things are in a mylar tent, so a lot of those shadows might disappear when I zip it back up.

rsharp said:

i wouldnt. i would harvest the ripe buds and leave the others to ripen as well. IF u have more than one plant leave one the same and cut the other then u could tell us.

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Unfortunately only one of this strain, so I can't experiment. Might try that next time though to get a verdict! Gotta say, personally... I can't see doing it unless there is some major return to the top buds. It just feels wrong. Don't want to hurt my baby.

I'm tending to think that I'll let em live.

Trimming the bottom popcorn nugs is a good idea. Try to trim them before even flowering though, just have all that cleared on even in Veg. It will help with air movement within the plant but also allow all energy to be devoted to the top main colas.

I use a 1000W HPS and I SOG almost exclusively.. I prefer that energy heading north.. jmo