Plant pruning questions

I am wondering if there is a suggested amount you should trim

- the branches up the main stalk from the growth media line?

and

- from the main stalk out along the side branches?

This last harvest I had quite a few very airy buds and I was told that if you trimmed these two areas that the plant would divert the energy from these growths to the bigger buds further up the plant and out the branches. I was told that this would in turn make the remaining buds denser.

Is there a specific week of flowering I should do this?

I was thinking about going 6" up from the growth media line and 4-6" from the main stalk out along the branches. I thought around the end of the forth week of flowering.

See this thread from simpsonsampson420:

the idea of pruning, without making it to difficult to understand, is to make growth hormones move to specific areas of the plant based on the pruning technique to increase growth on that part of the plant... most pruning techniques stand to force the lower branches to grow out and upwards to give a more "bonsai" appearance than the typical xmas tree style... this helps limit smaller buds on the lower branches by forcing the branches up towards the light...

Full article is here

I was reading and heavy pruning should be done a month out of Flowering. On my next flowering cycle is I will cut any branch that does not have a top that has not made it around the widest part of the plant (where the top gets direct light from above) and clone them as they are a waste of time and do not get enough light down there. I think it allows her more energy to the flowers that are primo instead of taking lanky stuff and making it mediocre. Trim the stuff and clone it and get another 15 quality tops and a few clones again off that one or two lanky branches at the bottom of the plant.

Yes, i could add more light and will probably have 2 harvests so the smaller stuff can get bigger (thanks to me being in charge of day length and climate).

Definitely pinch the tops as she goes up ward to get her to multiple branch or Bud stations as some call them. But anything below the curve is cloned. SEE PICS

what I would like to know is what is the purpose of Trimming just the tips of the fan leaves? anyone..

bigDAWG said:

what I would like to know is what is the purpose of Trimming just the tips of the fan leaves? anyone..

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I read that for cloning when you trim the tip of the fan leaves it triggers the clone to start throwing roots...

jake43 said:

I read that for cloning when you trim the tip of the fan leaves it triggers the clone to start throwing roots...

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Hmm, yeah I see it on a lot of clones, I just cant find a good solid article on why/how to. I BELIEVE it makes the plant grow another shoot at the beggining of the node from the fan leaf you trimmed the tips of. I think thats what it does but Im not to sure on exactly how/where/angle etc.. and how often. therefore not doing it till I get a good answer. I tend to avoid trimming anyways

jake43 said:

I am wondering if there is a suggested amount you should trim

Click to expand...

For maximum energy diversion, prune off everything but the top 2 leaves.

Thanks to EVERYONE for replying!

Uncle Ben said:

For maximum energy diversion, prune off everything but the top 2 leaves.

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ah yes, the old 5 gallon bucket clone. next thread would read, whats wrong with my plant?

I wouldn't go nuts pruning fan leaves cuz I think they are the main energy source for the plants. I was told to pull off and suckers at the bottom...any branches that are thin and look like they wont be able to get enough light and they will just produce popcorn buds. I saved a few so I could seed just the small nugs and hopefully get a few seeds...but other than for that I was told it is best to cut em so the power is concentrated on the main cola and other bigger buds...but I am fairly new to all this so idk specifics...