Like any plant pruning is essential to encourage its growth. This process must be carried out precisely to ensure growth, you should always take care not to remove leaves that are not withered or damaged and do it at the right time. Let's see these aspects to more details.
When prune marijuana plants?
Pruning must be done following different factors, all or most should be present when you are going to pruning. A marijuana plant is pruned when:
- The plant is in the process of growth
- Must measure at least 30cm high
- Sets of leaves or branches in the plant must be visible
- A marijuana plant can never be pruned when it has mature leaves or branches that are close to flowering or in the stage
- Pruning to eliminate damaged or that has been attacked by pests can be done in any cycle
If you look at these details you can determine better when it is the ideal time to perform the pruning of your marijuana plant. But what is considered the growth stage? Taking into account that it is preferable to prune.
When is the growth stage of a marijuana plant? How can I determine it?
If botany is not yours and you are starting in this cultivating marijuana, then you must know exactly when the growth stage begins. The first thing is to know what is the type of seed you used whether it is a flourishing or feminized and also where you do the crop if inside or outside. Both elements play in the growth stage.
To help you understand when this stage we will generally talk to you about a Cannabisculture. The growth stage happens just after the seedling, that is from approximately 3 week 15.
This point is where the vegetative growth is greater, the roots, branches and leaves grow accelerated and is where as a grower you must take care of pruning, to guide the plant towards adequate growth and that in the end ends up generating flowering.
During these weeks from 3 to 15 you can do pruning, because it is the best time. Now, you know exactly when, how can you do pruning? There are several types. Let's see 5 of them.
How could marijuana prune? 5 different techniques
There are many types of pruning marijuana, each one is done according to the benefits we require for our plant. Let's look at 4 types of pruning and how you can do them for yourself to your plants.
Apical pruning (Topping)
It is the most common method of pruning of any plant, and in marijuana the most used always offering benefits to its growers. The first thing is to make a cut in the upper part, it serves to keep the plant in a stable measure.
Normally this pruning is used when the plant has a 3 or 4 floor of branches. The cut must be clean and as close to the main stem where the group of leaves is generated. When you prune exactly, you will see how that cut branch will now generate new outbreaks on the site and you will get more buds in flowering.
Pruning of low branches (pruning lollipop)
The low branches are found in the lower part of the plant. This pruning consists of eliminating these branches and making the plant increase in size and quantity of leaves at the top.
This type of pruning has given good results in flowering, because normally the lower part of the plant does not receive the same amount of sun as the upper part. That is why many buds of the lower part never end up blooming or do not even occur.
When a pruning of branches is made to the marijuana plant, she uses the entire sun that she receives at the top and ends up generating better and more buds.
Pruning LST (Low Stress Training)
The LST pruning also known in Spanish as low stress growth, can be considered pruning without cutting something from the plant. And what is used with this method are anchors that are placed in certain areas of the plant to regulate its growth and size.
This pruning is widely used when the plant is wanted to take a crawl or that it is always on the ground, without giving high branches. Many use this pruning when they are interior crops centers and need to optimize space in the trays.
Crooping pruning
Folding the branch until it crosses is the process of crooping pruning, you should never make Rama break. You just have to bend it and when caught release, this makes the branch be fold and begins to grow horizontally.
Many interior crops use this technique because it helps them to encourage plants the size they need and a lateral and not so high growth. This type of pruning should only start in the central stem and when we see that it has been extended, continue doing it with the rest of the branches.
There are many other types of pruning that can be useful when you want to do it in a marijuana plant. Remember that pruning is fundamental, but you should always have your clear goals, because you are doing the pruning of the marijuana plant, do you know why it is necessary?
FIM
The FIM technique (from the English "Fuck, I Mised") is a variant of traditional apical pruning (Topping), but instead of completely cutting the main outbreak, a partial cut is made .
Only 80% of the new outbreak of the central apex is cut , leaving a small portion of the fabric. This stimulates the plant to produce 3 to 4 new growth tips instead of only 2 , as with the toping.
Apply it during the vegetative phase, when the plant has at least 4 to 6 knots. Never during flowering
Why should I prune a marijuana plant?
The marijuana plant needs to be pruned to encourage growth, pruning as a process always seeks to eliminate damaged parts, leaves that no longer serve the plant giving way to new leaves and growth.
In many cases when pruning leaves or parts of the same plant are eliminated that prevent the entry of sun into it and makes growth limited. It is never good to prune too much, but it is not beneficial not to prune the plants. You should just know when to do it and how to do it, and in this article we have explained everything you need to know about the subject.
