PRUNING

Pruning marijuana plants can be beneficial for several reasons:

1. Boosts Plant Growth: Similar to trimming dead ends to encourage new hair growth, pruning marijuana plants promotes new growth¹.

2. Removes Damaged Growth and Promotes Better Airflow and Light Exposure: By removing dead foliage and excess fan leaves, the plant can focus its energy towards the critical parts, promoting healthier growth¹².

3. Boosts Yields: Pruning can increase yield and result in healthier, more dense buds by harvest time¹.

4. Increases Carbon Dioxide Intake and Reduces Infestation Risks: Improving airflow gives your plant more CO2 and prevents insects and pests from hiding among the foliage¹.

5. Makes the Most of Available Space: Pruning helps maximize the use of your space, allowing the plant to flourish without any obstacles, especially in cases where you have a small grow area¹.

6. It’s Free and Easy: Besides buying the cutting tool, pruning doesn’t cost anything. It only requires a bit of time and effort on your part¹.

Remember, pruning should be done carefully to avoid damaging the plant and to ensure the best results.

There are several common pruning techniques for marijuana plants:

1. Topping: This involves cutting off the top of the main stem to encourage the plant to grow more branches and become bushier¹².

2. F.I.M. (Fuck, I Missed, or Fimming): This technique is similar to topping but instead of completely removing the top growth, you only remove about 75% of it³.

3. Pinching Out: This is a method of removing the tips of the plant to encourage bushier growth³.

4. Supercropping: This involves bending and slightly damaging the branches to stimulate growth³.

5. Low-Stress Training (LST): This technique involves gently bending the branches and securing them in place to expose more of the plant to light².

6. Screen of Green (ScrOG): This method involves weaving the branches through a screen or net to create a flat canopy, maximizing light exposure².

Remember, pruning should be done carefully to avoid damaging the plant and to ensure the best results. It’s also important to use clean, sharp tools to make clean cuts and reduce the risk of disease⁴.

Yes, you can prune marijuana plants during the flowering stage, but it should be done with caution¹²³. Here are some key points to remember:

1. Light Pruning: When your plant starts budding, pruning is more a matter of maintenance than removal¹. On the lower part of the crop, cut off any damaged or dying branches and leaves¹. Keep lightly trimming your plant but only up to two weeks into flowering¹.

2. Avoid Late Pruning: Pruning cannabis after two weeks into flowering could result in adverse outcomes¹. Pruning more mature plants that are approaching the flowering stage is not recommended². At this later phase, heavy pruning can delay the onset of flowering, or prevent flowering altogether².

3. Benefits: Pruning during flowering can help improve air circulation and light penetration to the lower parts of the plant, which can improve bud development³. It can also help prevent mold and mildew by removing dead leaves and branches³.

Remember, excessive pruning can be detrimental to the health and development of the plant². It’s vital to always err on the side of caution when pruning cannabis plants²