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It’s time to start pruning your cannabis plants! Learn how to prune for maximum yield with these helpful tips.
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Trimming
Topping and LST’ing (Low-Stress Training) are the two main methods used to control the shape of a cannabis plant. Once the desired shape has been achieved, the next step is to “set it and forget it” by removing all the large fan leaves. This allows the plant to focus its energy on developing dense, resinous buds rather than maintaining a large leaf surface area.
When to trim
You will know when your plant is ready to be trimmed when about 50-75% of the white pistils have turned brown or red. The more brown/red the pistils are, the more mature the plant is, and thus, the more THC it has produced. If you wait too long to trim, you risk your buds becoming less potent as THC breaks down into CBN.
How to trim
To ensure your cannabis plants produce the biggest, healthiest flowers (buds), you’ll need to trim away any small leaves and stems that grow below the flowering nodes. Although it sounds like a labor-intensive process, a little bit of preventative pruning can save you a lot of time and effort down the road.
Here are some tips on how to trim your cannabis plants for maximum yield:
1. Start by removing any large, fan leaves that are shading the buds. These leaves are not necessary for photosynthesis and can actually rob the buds of precious energy and nutrients.
2. Once the large leaves have been removed, gently trim away any small leaves or stems that are growing below the flowering nodes. Be careful not to damage the delicate buds.
3. If you notice any dead or dying leaves, remove them as well. Dead leaves can harbor diseases and pests, which can spread to the rest of the plant.
4. Once you’ve finished trimming, give your plants a good watering. This will help them recover from the stress of pruning and promote new growth.
Pruning
Pruning your cannabis plants is a vital step in ensuring a successful harvest. By removing dead or dying leaves, you allow the plant to direct its energy towards healthier growth. Pruning also encourages the development of strong branch structures, which can support heavier buds come harvest time. In this article, we’ll show you how to properly prune your cannabis plants for maximum yield.
When to prune
To ensure your plants are healthy and producing the most buds possible, you’ll need to prune them regularly. When you prune your plants will depend on the growing method you’re using. For example, if you’re using the SCROG method, you’ll want to prune your plants more often than if you were using the SOG method.
Generally speaking, you should prune your plants every 2-3 weeks during the vegetative stage and every 3-4 weeks during the flowering stage. If you notice that your plants are starting to slow down in growth or produce fewer buds, it’s a good idea to give them a light pruning. This will encourage them to put more energy into producing buds instead of leaves.
How to prune
Pruning is an essential gardening technique, regardless of what you are growing. When it comes to cannabis, pruning can increase yields, improve air circulation, and allow more light to reach the lower parts of the plant.
To prune your cannabis plants, start by removing any dead or dying leaves. Next, cut back any branches that are crossing over other branches or touching the ground. Finally, trim back any branches that are longer than the rest of the plant.
It is important to prune your plants regularly throughout the growing season. For most cannabis strains, this means pruning once every 2-4 weeks. However, some strains may need to be pruned more or less often depending on their growth patterns.
If you are new to cannabis cultivation, it is best to start with a small amount of plants and gradually increase your grow space as you gain experience. This will allow you to experiment with different pruning techniques and find what works best for you and your plants.
LST’ing
Topping, or “LST’ing,” is a cannabis cultivation technique that can be used to increase yield. LST’ing stands for “low-stress training” and is a method of manipulating the plant to grow horizontally instead of vertically. This can be done by bending the stems or by tying them down.
When to LST
The “when” of LST’ing is pretty easy to figure out. Basically, you want to start LST’ing when your plants have reached their desired height and have begun to put out lateral (side) branches. For most strains, this occurs around the 4-6 week mark of the vegetative stage. However, there are some Sativa dominant strains that may not begin lateral branching until 8 weeks or more into their vegetative stage. If you’re not sure when your plants will begin lateral branching, just wait until you see the first few side branches and then begin your LST regime.
How to LST
LST’ing, or low stress training, is a gardening technique that cannabis growers use to train their plants for maximum yield. By bending and tieing down the main stem of the plant, you can encourage the growth of lateral branches which will produce more flowers (or “buds”). LST’ing is a great way to get the most out of your grow space, and it’s relatively easy to do.
Here are some general tips for LST’ing your cannabis plants:
-Start when plants are young. The younger the plant, the easier it will be to bend the main stem.
-Bend the main stem slowly and carefully. Avoid breaking or snapping the stem, as this can damage the plant.
-Use soft ties or strips of fabric to secure the branches in place. Be sure not to tie them too tightly, as this can also damage the plant.
-LST’ing can be done throughout the entire grow cycle, but it’s best to start early on for maximum results.
By following these tips, you can maximize your yield and produce bigger, healthier buds come harvest time!
Fimming
Fimming is a cannabis pruning technique that can be used to encourage your plant to grow more branches and produce more buds. To fim, you will need to remove the new growth tips from the main stem of your plant. By doing this, you will force your plant to grow more laterally which will result in more bud sites.
When to fim
In cannabis culture, “fimming” refers to a type of pruning that creates more lateral branches on a plant. Lateral branches are the shorter branches that grow out from the main stems of a plant, and they typically have more bud sites than the taller, central stems. Fimming encourages your plant to grow laterally, which can lead to a higher yield come harvest time.
There is no definitive answer for when the best time to fim your cannabis plants is. However, most growers agree that fimming during the vegetative stage (when your plants are growing and not flowering) produces the best results. A good rule of thumb is to wait until your plants have at least 6-8 nodes (sets of leaves) before you start fimming them. This will give them time to develop a strong root system and allow you to get a better sense of their natural growth pattern.
When you do decide to fim your plants, cut off approximately one-third of each main stem. This may seem like a lot, but it’s important not to go too crazy with the pruning shears. You can always take off more later if needed, but it’s much harder to undo damage once it’s done. Once you’ve cut off the main stems, take a close look at the lateral branches. Choose 4-6 of the healthiest looking ones and trim those back by about one-third as well.
After you’ve trimmed back the main stems and lateral branches, it’s important to give your plants some time to recover before starting the flowering stage. This recovery period gives them time to put all their energy into healing their wounds and growing new leaves. As a general rule of thumb, you should wait at least 2 weeks before switching your plants over to 12/12 (12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness). This will give them plenty of time to recover and produce healthier, more resinous buds come harvest time.
How to fim
Fimming, or “topping” cannabis, is a high-stress training (HST) method that involves topping (or pinching) the main stem of a cannabis plant in order to encourage it to grow lateral branches. The word “fim” is actually an acronym that stands for “Fuck I Missed” – as in, you fimmed too low and missed the main stem.
Despite its name, fimming is a precision technique that when done correctly can result in dramatic increases in yield. Fimming also has the added benefit of encouraging plants to grow shorter and bushier, which can be desirable in certain cultivation scenarios (e.g., when growing under artificial lights).
Generally speaking, you will want to wait until your plant has 4-5 nodes (sets of leaves) before fimming. To fim, simply use your fingers or a sharp pair of scissors to pinch off the very tip of the main stem. New growth will quickly emerge from the removed area and your plant will begin to branch out.
It is important to note that fimming is a high-stress training technique and as such should be used sparingly. Fimming too often or too aggressively can shock plants and hinder their growth. When in doubt, it is always best to err on the side of caution and only fim when absolutely necessary.
