trimming lower branches/nodes to promote bigger/faster cola growth?

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freshheads20

Active Member
a friend of mine that grows ak-47/48 with amazing results suggested that i trim the lower branches of my plants so it wouldn't have to work as hard on them and cola growth.

does anyone have any input?

good or bad advice?
 
monkz

monkz

Well-Known Member
i hate when no1 replies... look into topping bro infact look up this thread Uncle Ben's Topping Technique to get 2 or 4 MAIN colas
 
GreenphoeniX

GreenphoeniX

Well-Known Member
I say good advice. I do it. Specially with big bushy plants ... I hate dealing with that little popcorn bud shit ... Just don't prune the lower branches after you're 2 weeks or more into flowering.

Check out the link in my sig. Those plants have their lower branches pruned off. No point having nutrient draining branches in complete shade where they're guna turn out crap anyway lol
 
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freshheads20

Active Member
GreenphoeniX said:
I say good advice. I do it. Specially with big bushy plants ... I hate dealing with that little popcorn bud shit ... Just don't prune the lower branches after you're 2 weeks or more into flowering.

Check out the link in my sig. Those plants have their lower branches pruned off. No point having nutrient draining branches in complete shade where they're guna turn out crap anyway lol
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thanks man.
very helpful.

thats exactly what i was thinking i just needed a little reassurance.
 
GreenphoeniX

GreenphoeniX

Well-Known Member
thanks man.
very helpful.

thats exactly what i was thinking i just needed a little reassurance.
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I'm sure it won't take too long for people to come in and say that trimming lower growth is wrong. But if your mate does it with good results, and I certainly get good results, I don't see what the problem is haha - Mind you, one of the major reasons I do it is because that lower growth always comes out as pathetic little popcorn nuggets at harvest time, and I hate dealing with that stuff, I like to have big, easy to manicure buds lol ... Any popcorn bud gets turned into compost for the vege garden if it comes into contact with me :D
 
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freshheads20

Active Member
single cola plants for now.

but i also have some power skunk in veg and i was also wondering about lollipoppin as well.

i need to hear some pros and cons.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
monkz said:
srry heres the link https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html
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Topping and trimming are a vast ocean apart.

Topping is to get two or four stems that will of course get you two or four colas.

Trimming is used for other purposes/growing techniques like lollipopping where you remove the bottom portion of each plant off after 2 weeks of flower/12/12 and just grow the main cola as big as possible. It is for growing large colas only and not bushes or trees with numerous branches that also grow buds. If that is not what you are doing then do not remove the lower leaves or branches.

A plant's leaves are like solar collectors, they absorb the light rays and transform it into energy and if you reduce that capability you reduce the plants capability to grow as much as it otherwise would as fast as it otherwise would.

If lower leaves are dying due to lack of light or later in flower when they die naturally there is no reason to leave them on the plant but if you are growing bushes or trees you want to keep as many leaves as you can for as long as you can.

There is a misperception among many that the leaves take energy and food form the buds and they shade the buds so they will not grow as large but those are fallacies.

A plants buds cannot and will not grow as large as they otherwise would if a certain balance point is broken, where there is a reduction of leaf numbers disproportionate to the rest of the plant.

Lollipopping works because not only have the lower leaves been removed but also the lower branches and what remains is adequate to easily support the cola but in other cases removing leaves will be far more of a hindrance than a benefit.
 
bts420

bts420

Well-Known Member
I really think it depends on how long you want to veg. and how many plants you want to grow. I always like to trim the lower branches right before flowering and even up to 3 weeks into flowering. Instead of topping your plant I recommend low stress training around a pot or bucket with holes using string.(wont stunt growth as much Imo) When the side branches grow up tie them across so you'll have the entire rim tied with branches. Then I like to trim the bottoms of all branches right before flowering and about a week into flowering. I like to leave around 4-6 nodes on each branch and only 2-3 on the smaller branches. Makes for some nice nugs. For flowering earlier, say around 3-4 weeks old, you can go for single cola style on each plant by trimming up the same way. I like to leave around 4-6 nodes from the top. Hope this helps a little. The FAQ has some good info.
:weed:
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
GreenphoeniX said:
No point having nutrient draining branches in complete shade where they're guna turn out crap anyway lol
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If someone has adequate lighting they will not end up with popcorn. They may not have massive buds but they will not end up with popcorn on the lower portion of their plants. Popcorn is the result of a poor setup and nothing more.

What little energy the lower portion of a plant uses, even just to make popcorn, is more than made up for by the energy it absorbs through the large fan leaves that some decide to remove.

If the leaves are not dying due to a lack of light and they are green and healthy that is a clear sign that they are functional, that they are operational, that they are doing their job and as long as they are doing their job there is no true gain to be found by removing them. The lower leaves are the largest leaves on a plant and they are the largest and the main solar collectors on the plant.

Again as long as they are healthy they will absorb/produce far more energy than they use so removing them is not a net gain when it comes to energy and it will not result in better faster larger bud production.
 
GreenphoeniX

GreenphoeniX

Well-Known Member
If someone has adequate lighting they will not end up with popcorn. They may not have massive buds but they will not end up with popcorn on the lower portion of their plants. Popcorn is the result of a poor setup and nothing more.

What little energy the lower portion of a plant uses, even just to make popcorn, is more than made up for by the energy it absorbs through the large fan leaves that some decide to remove.

If the leaves are not dying due to a lack of light and they are green and healthy that is a clear sign that they are functional, that they are operational, that they are doing their job and as long as they are doing their job there is no true gain to be found by removing them. The lower leaves are the largest leaves on a plant and they are the largest and the main solar collectors on the plant.

Again as long as they are healthy they will absorb/produce far more energy than they use so removing them is not a net gain when it comes to energy and it will not result in better faster larger bud production.
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Feel free to checkout my setup; link in my signature. It's not that poor. Can't b bothered adding CFL's and shit for the undergrowth, not that important to me.

I'm sure if I grew Indica strains they wouldn't be popcorn, but seen as I only grow strains that are 70% or more Sativa these days, the naturally light and fluffy buds easily become popcorn buds in shade - However what you and I consider popcorn buds may differ quite significantly...

Told you it wouldn't be long before someone comes along disagreeing with lollipopping lol - Both sides of this argument have scientific merit, and have for the years that they've been going on! :) - It's more personal preference than any hugely significant difference in yield, but seen as I will require 40 clones per grow in future, this is a great way to get all those clones with out significantly altering the clone yielding plant!
 
F

freshheads20

Active Member
Brick Top said:
If someone has adequate lighting they will not end up with popcorn. They may not have massive buds but they will not end up with popcorn on the lower portion of their plants. Popcorn is the result of a poor setup and nothing more.

What little energy the lower portion of a plant uses, even just to make popcorn, is more than made up for by the energy it absorbs through the large fan leaves that some decide to remove.

If the leaves are not dying due to a lack of light and they are green and healthy that is a clear sign that they are functional, that they are operational, that they are doing their job and as long as they are doing their job there is no true gain to be found by removing them. The lower leaves are the largest leaves on a plant and they are the largest and the main solar collectors on the plant.

Again as long as they are healthy they will absorb/produce far more energy than they use so removing them is not a net gain when it comes to energy and it will not result in better faster larger bud production.
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THANK YOU again!

this information will really help me out with this grow.

i am new to RIU so im gonna get as much info as i can get.

bongsmilie
 
GreenphoeniX

GreenphoeniX

Well-Known Member
These plants are just over 5 weeks old (from clone)... that room is 1.2 metres wide and 2 metres tall, so they are quite large bushes, with many fan leaves that I wouldn't be afraid to remove...
 
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freshheads20

Active Member
GreenphoeniX said:
These plants are just over 5 weeks old (from clone)... that room is 1.2 metres wide and 2 metres tall, so they are quite large bushes, with many fan leaves that I wouldn't be afraid to remove...
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bongsmilie
very nice!
those are some thick stalks supporting those bushes man.

looking great though honestly.
thanks for the advice.
:joint:
 
GreenphoeniX

GreenphoeniX

Well-Known Member
Yea not bad for 5 weeks old lol ... That's the advantage of Aero/DWC ... But I'd recommend a few soil grows before you step into that realm if you're new to this!
 
F

freshheads20

Active Member
GreenphoeniX said:
Yea not bad for 5 weeks old lol ... That's the advantage of Aero/DWC ... But I'd recommend a few soil grows before you step into that realm if you're new to this!
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not bad at all for 5 weeks.

yeah, this is only my secong actual grow, so i dont have the expierence nor the space at the moment.

but thanks for sharing the info with me man.


been very helpful.bongsmilie
 
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