PRUNING- What and more importantly WHEN??

[wizardof0z]

hi all,

ive been having lots of trouble growing healthy veg plants that look full and bushy. i use certain pruning techniques such as topping, lolipoping, supercropping but

sometimes i wonder if im doing all these techniques at the wrong time. ill first explain what i normally do, and hopefully can get some feeback from you veterans on when you usually use such techniques.

First i normally veg my girls for anywhere between 4-6 weeks. sometimes 8.
after taking clones...i usually dont do much until i see about 7-8 nodes and that is when i apply the first pruning technique and top the girls.
the next time i prune is a week before shes ready to go into flower and i go pretty aggressive and use the kyle kushman technique where i "lolipop" or schwaz leaving only the top 3 nodes of each main branch.
on day 21 i defoliate and lolipop any more larf. and supercrop if needed to keep a even canopy.

is this too much, what are your opinions on pruning techniques but more so WHEN to prune.

thanks

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

Pics.

 

[Southside112]

Never take off healthy leaves for no good reason. They help gather light and top growth can use mobile nutrients from the lowers as needed. As for topping, FIM, etc I think those techniques are overrated as well. I only veg for 4-5 weeks and don't top anymore and get multiple tops.

 

[wizardof0z]

i get nice buds...but usually not much yield. wondering if im taking too much off or stressing the girls too much. but i hate larf.

 

[wizardof0z]

lately ive been going even more aggressive than the 2nd pic. i would only leave top 3 nodes.
BUT these days if were to keep the plant like the 2nd picture, i would supercrop all the top shoots

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

i get nice buds...but usually not much yield. wondering if im taking too much off or stressing the girls too much. but i hate larf.

You seem to have quite a bit of internodal gap. What type of light are you running? That'd be my first guess.

 

[wizardof0z]

600w mh

ive always had problems with too much spacing...you think not enough lighting, or too far away?

i usually have the girls under t8s after rooted clones. but when is it fine to transfer them under the MH

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

Never take off healthy leaves for no good reason. They help gather light and top growth can use mobile nutrients from the lowers as needed. As for topping, FIM, etc I think those techniques are overrated as well. I only veg for 4-5 weeks and don't top anymore and get multiple tops.
View attachment 4800694

The techniques you listed are definitely not overrated but you can grow some fantastic plants with LST.

 

[wizardof0z]

The techniques you listed are definitely not overrated but you can grow some fantastic plants with LST.

are there guidelines for timeline when you would recommend to top, lolipop, ect?

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

i get nice buds...but usually not much yield. wondering if im taking too much off or stressing the girls too much. but i hate larf.

You could get bushier plants with LST early in the plants growth. I start mine very early.

 

[Southside112]

The techniques you listed are definitely not overrated but you can grow some fantastic plants with LST.

Overrated. They just slow things down.
As for extreme defoliation I honestly think it's just an optical illusion. Buds are going to look a lot bigger with no leaves around them. Why would a plant make so many leaves for no reason?
But, to each their own.

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

Overrated. They just slow things down.
As for extreme defoliation I honestly think it's just an optical illusion. Buds are going to look a lot bigger with no leaves around them. Why would a plant make so many leaves for no reason?
But, to each their own.

Lol. This too much defoliation for one plant?

 

[Southside112]

Lol. This too much defoliation for one plant?
View attachment 4800737

Yes. Lol.

 

[TreyTrey]

So no LST?

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

Yes. Lol.

Yeah it looks awful.

 

[Southside112]

Yeah it looks awful.
View attachment 4800740

Not going to argue with you. You noobs know it all. Op asked a question I answered. Not based on what I've read here but from actually completing countless grows.

 

[budman111]

IME I need to prune around week 2 flower for airflow purposes with no negative effects at all

 

[Southside112]

IME I need to prune around week 2 flower for airflow purposes with no negative effects at all

Exactly you prune for a reason. More airflow. Makes sense. To remove almost all leaves for no reason is stupid.