Cut unproductive branches?

AquafinaOrbit

AquafinaOrbit

Well-Known Member
Lollipopping is when you cut all the lower branches, only leaving a top section. Cutting a couple branches here and there is called trimming. To answer the question, its all a matter of opinion but personally I would cut them.
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
And I'll chime in and say I would not cut them. 1) leaves are the plant's energy source, 2) if the plant didn't want them there it wouldn't have grown them, 3) you can't say yet what value that branch might have, it could be a major budding location.
 
growerboy

growerboy

Active Member
Illegal Smile said:
1) leaves are the plant's energy source
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True! In fact I did not remove any of the fan leaves.

Illegal Smile said:
2) if the plant didn't want them there it wouldn't have grown them,
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Hm yes, but that plant was also growing tiny sprouts on the stem (along with branches), and this sprouts regularly born and died after a few weeks. Seemed totally pointless, so I removed these minuscle "grow points" (don't know the exact name) entirely.

Illegal Smile said:
3) you can't say yet what value that branch might have, it could be a major budding location.
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I think I have still 1 - 1 and half months left before harvest, and other branches are flowering/budding at another level of magnitude...

Indeed the point of my question is: if I cut a branch, the energy directed to it would be redistributed among the others?

darkdestruction420 said:
its called lolipopping. read about it a bit(pros and cons of it' ) and then decide if u wanna go that way or not.
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Interesting! Do you have any reads about pros and cons of lolipopping?
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
I believe if it were me my main concern would be to discover whatever the cause or causes were for having a plant or plants that lacked acceptable growth and were highly lacking in budsites so then in the future a similar experience could be avoided.
　
Lollipopping was mentioned but if your plant or plants are highly lacking in vigor or your setup is substandard just switching horses in midstream will not magically and mystically create out of thin air vigor that does not and never did exist.
　
In other words considering that it may be genetics or setup/conditions or care or some combination of any or all of those, and possibly one or more other things too, what you may now attempt to do in hopes of turning things around might be akin to attempting to make chicken salad out of chicken shit and you just cannot do that no matter how much mayonnaise you add.
　
Find the cause or causes and in the future avoid it or them like it or they were herpes.
 
growerboy

growerboy

Active Member
Brick Top,
your approach is truly enlightening! Thank you so much, really.

Indeed I have this plant right now; I will sure think about what caused low-vigor branches and try to avoid that in the next grow, but what I do now?
Do I leave them or do I cut 'em down? I guess you are for leaving 'em, right?.
One of them don't have a single trichome on it, while the other one have few. The rest of buds have plenty of trichs.

The two branches I'm considering for cutting are the last "pair" ones, up from there there are only "odd" branches.
 
Gardener 09

Gardener 09

Active Member
if i wer you i would not cut them but bend them twords the ground and tie them there to so that all the growth in that stem is not just thrown away but moved to a diff part of the plant first.
 
MrFishy

MrFishy

Well-Known Member
I was under the impression that many growers dump the bottom third of the vegetation just prior to going 12/12 in order to allow the remaining growth to accelerate and prosper.
I'd likely allow a few day recovery period after trimming and prior to inducing any photo-period.
 
wazupnick

wazupnick

Member
I try and do all my major trimming in the beginning of the 1st and 3rd week of flowering. By major trimming I mean I cut most of the lower 1/3 branches and leaves and then also cut off any damaged leaves or any stems that appear to have a purple appearance. I leave the top canopy pretty much alone. After week three I pretty much only do minor trimming when needed. Remember that any part of the plant not receiving good light is not going to grow and produce good buds and that takes energy away from better yielding areas. Hope that helps.
 
growerboy

growerboy

Active Member
Gardener 09 said:
if i wer you i would not cut them but bend them twords the ground and tie them there to so that all the growth in that stem is not just thrown away but moved to a diff part of the plant first.
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Never heard of this technique, interesting!
May you explain better how it is supposed to help?

wazupnick said:
Remember that any part of the plant not receiving good light is not going to grow and produce good buds and that takes energy away from better yielding areas. Hope that helps.
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Actually these two low-budding branches are receiving the less light (I try to illuminate better the main cola and the biggest buds). Another vote for cutting 'em down?
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
Brick Top said:
I believe if it were me my main concern would be to discover whatever the cause or causes were for having a plant or plants that lacked acceptable growth and were highly lacking in budsites so then in the future a similar experience could be avoided.
　
Lollipopping was mentioned but if your plant or plants are highly lacking in vigor or your setup is substandard just switching horses in midstream will not magically and mystically create out of thin air vigor that does not and never did exist.
　
In other words considering that it may be genetics or setup/conditions or care or some combination of any or all of those, and possibly one or more other things too, what you may now attempt to do in hopes of turning things around might be akin to attempting to make chicken salad out of chicken shit and you just cannot do that no matter how much mayonnaise you add.
　
Find the cause or causes and in the future avoid it or them like it or they were herpes.
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lol, good post, +rep
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
wazupnick said:
I try and do all my major trimming in the beginning of the 1st and 3rd week of flowering. By major trimming I mean I cut most of the lower 1/3 branches and leaves and then also cut off any damaged leaves or any stems that appear to have a purple appearance. I leave the top canopy pretty much alone. After week three I pretty much only do minor trimming when needed. Remember that any part of the plant not receiving good light is not going to grow and produce good buds and that takes energy away from better yielding areas. Hope that helps.
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I think, across RIU, you will find 80% or higher disagreement with your first post. Don't let that dissuade you though, all opinions are welcome!
 
canefan

canefan

Well-Known Member
Illegal Smile said:
I think, across RIU, you will find 80% or higher disagreement with your first post. Don't let that dissuade you though, all opinions are welcome!
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Brick Top is giving you the straight info and brutal truth about the plant. As for the people that trim and prune during flower, they all have their points. I personally do take a few clones now and then from the inner branches during flower that are not getting enough light. Remember everytime you stress the plant in flower and trimming, pruning, changing anything causes stress to the plant. What does stress have the possibility of doing in flowering..........PRODUCES HERMIES. Just weigh the advantages you think you can gain over what the result COULD be. Good Luck
 
growerboy

growerboy

Active Member
I've seen the first trichomes on these little-not-so-growing branches.

Before yesterday I had 0 trichomes on them... but once they're forming, now I am sure I will not cut the branch down (before its time, of course)!
 
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