Pruning in flower

[Jimmy Verde]

Whatsup guys any y'all continue to prune through flower or stop after third week ? Got alot of extra folliage on my plants in 150 gal pots I'd like to prune but afraid to herm em.

 

[Flowki]

Whatsup guys any y'all continue to prune through flower or stop after third week ? Got alot of extra folliage on my plants in 150 gal pots I'd like to prune but afraid to herm em.

Some people cut all the top buds off and then let the lower buds mature for 2 weeks or so, never seen anybody report about a herm from that. However, the people who do that are more often than not very experienced growers so you can assume most other stresses are to a minimum. It may also be so late in the cycle that the plant has made it's choice to flower, come what may.

Regardless of the above, there may be more chance of turning a plant herm during the process of setting flowers or packing on the weight. From the plants perspective it has to choose what it will do for the next month or two and it can only really make that decision from current environment. If you heavily prune on week 5 that will surely alert the plant or put it into the threshold of ''fuck flowers initiate survival mode''. If you already have some minor or moderate ongoing stresses to begin with, and there are many to consider, this may keep the plants ''fuck flowers'' mode switched on.

You got to remember the plant has no idea of your intentions. All it can go off is ''I don't get watered enough, it's boiling hot and 40% of my leaves have just been eaten''.

I'm in a similar situation atm, messed with vpd and ended up with a jungle. To me the choice is go with it (added more airflow at-least) and try to cut out any rot as or if I see it. Yes some yield may be lost but hopefully just some. If I were to remove the leaves it might result in a hermy, nobody likes seeded bud. It isn't an ideal choice, but grower mistakes were made and it has to be accepted as that.

Also I may add, if you do remove leaves don't touch the healthy upper fan leaves going into developed top buds. Damage of the leaf stem inside the bud seems to be a gold mine for botrytis.