Pruning: The Different Methodologies

How can you improve the yields of your marijuana plant? Prune your plant strategically; the key to bigger and healthier buds. Though essentially, pruning means cutting off parts of your plant, but it is not all this simple. You have to chop of your plant in a certain way to enjoy the benefits of pruning. And if you deviate from what is recommended, you may end up damaging your plant.

Simple Pruning

As already mentioned, the most basic way to prune is to chop off some parts of your plant in certain specified ways. For instance, if the bottom leaves have turned yellow, you can prune them. You plant can use resources consumed by those dry leaves elsewhere.

Topping

If you chop off the uppermost part of the main stem of your marijuana plant, it is referred to as topping.  The benefit of doing this is that your plants can then develop several more branches from that same place. Growth is then bushier, and more sunlight is taken in by the plant.  The plant also absorbs more nutrients, all of which lead to quicker growth and more buds.

As a rule of the thumb, you should top your marijuana pant after 4 to 5 set of leaves have emerged. You can also top multiple times, but make sure you give the plant enough recovery time.

Fimming

If you cut off the latest shoot which your marijuana plant has developed, it is called fimming. The output is that now your plant will grow four primary buds, and not the standard one. Your plant will also become wider than a normal plant, which again means that it can take in more light.

Please bear in mind that if you cut off the newest stem more than necessary, your plant will only grow two buds. We suggest that you should only cut off the stem to around two-thirds of its original length. For some marijuana plants that have a slow recovery process, fimming is not recommended.

Super Cropping

Super cropping is a pruning method in which you bend the interior of your marijuana shoot. Generally, it is the middle stem that is super cropped, but the same technique can be applied to branches as well. The advantage is that the health of your plant improves, because nutrients are transported more efficiently.

LST

LST is an abbreviation for Low Stress Training. In this method, you tie your plants in a specific manner. Your marijuana plant then assumes that it does not have a middle stem, and becomes denser in some other parts.

Lollipopping

If you remove base growth of your marijuana plant, the process is called lollipopping. The base of your plant is shaded, and not very useful, so cutting it off is a good idea. It allows the plants to use resources more optimally, and also improves air circulation.

So try out some and all of the above pruning methods, and watch as your marijuana plant grows healthier and faster.