To me the word "energy" is meaningless. When someone throws it around so loosely like they do in cannabis forums, I'll ask them if it's cosmic.
Hormonal processes is what drives all living things.
""...When the plant is left to grow as it chooses, it usually has more branches than it has the energy to support. This means that a lot of energy is wasted on smaller branches, especially the lower ones. The energy need is spread out over so much growth, that in extreme cases flowering takes a very long time as the plant tries to supply energy evenly to every location."
I don't think he gets it, understands botany. Call it the lollipop syndrome.
I mean, where does he think this energy comes from if not "the branches"? Reminds me of the old timers parroting the paradigm that tomato plants need to be suckered. Fine, go head and remove that very unit that produces yo maters.....and your roots, etc.
Yes, that branch sitting 6' feet on the other side of your apple tree does effect, provides "energy" lol for those apples. For some odd reason, pure ignorance of course, most cannabis growers think it's leaves adjacent to bud sites that provide the "energy" for that bud. By the same token, they think buds need direct light to develop properly. Lot's of stuff at play here like apical dominance, translocation of proteins, hormones, carbos, etc.
BTW, where did you get that quote from?