Pruning Marijuana the Right Way

Pruning is the cutting off of plant parts to improve its overall condition. In usual gardening, pruning is a necessary precaution to keep the plants from growing too wide and big. But it would be different in the case of marijuana cultivation where you may want to let your plants grow wide and big. Your main goal in planting is to be able to harvest a good yield, but how can you have one if you cut some? You must understand that pruning in marijuana cultivation is different. Pruning your marijuana will help it grow bigger and healthier for a better quality harvest.

Pruning Marijuana – What does it mean?

Pruning is cutting some parts of the plant. It can be sometimes called grooming. Pruning marijuana means cutting the upper branches to give light and air to the lower branches or cutting off the dead and yellow leaves that are only harming the plant. Pruning helps your plant to focus on the essentials such as producing new healthy leaves and buds. The best part about pruning is that it paves the way for new buds and branches to sprout out of the plant. Thus, each day after pruning, new and healthy leaves will appear.    

However, pruning is not a necessity; rather, it is a choice that growers can make. Pruning marijuana takes practice and sufficient knowledge on what and how much to cut. It is also not advisable for beginners since mistakes might occur and will just damage the plant instead. It is even okay if you don’t prune the plant at all. Nothing will happen to it. Pruning is just a valuable technique when you want to harvest a yield abundant in TCH.

When is the best time to prune Marijuana?

It is also very important to know when to start pruning marijuana. The ideal time is when the plants are bushier and thicker. This usually happens two weeks after the growing phase of the plants. Sativa strains usually grow fast so they get bushier faster, while Indica strains are slower so you must wait for a week or two. It is very important to remember never to prune after the second week of the flowering stage. This is to stop stressing the plant and allow it to heal. So, make sure to follow a specific schedule.

Marijuana Pruning Guide

Aside from the dead leaves, it is also important to know which specific plant parts you can cut. Your goals are to provide airflow for the plant and let other areas or buds catch sufficient light. Thus, cutting the stems and branches on the lower part is a good start. This part receives inadequate light, so cut it off. You can also cut new shoots to let them grow new stalks.

You must first prepare your tools. Clippers and sharp scissors are the recommended tools to cut off the parts. Make sure they are sharp to have a clean cut. Clean cuts heal faster. You need to sanitize your tools to avoid infecting the plants. 

Next, take the biggest branches and remove them first. It may look like you are wasting a good deal of leaves, but this is for the well-being of your plant. The yield you will have is far greater than those you cut.

Then, check the middle of the plant. Branches in the middle also need to go. They are not as powerful as those on top, so it is better to get rid of them as well. Also, it is hard for the light to reach them so they won’t fully give you the best quality yield. 

Now, you can check the leaves and spot any rotting or yellowish ones. You can try topping. This kind of pruning is cutting off the central shoots at the top for them to develop extra shoots and twigs. Make sure to remove only the newest shoot in order to have minimal damages to the plant. Severe damages force the plant to use its energy for healing instead of growing.

Another technique is fimming wherein you cut off two-thirds of the newest shoot. This will cause a slight damage to the plant, but it will be easy to recover from. After three to four days, one shoot can grow into another three to four new shoots, thus producing more leaves. It may not grow as tall as you like, but the plant will get wider and bushier.

Remember not to prune the large big fan leaves for these are essential in producing sugar which is good for growing. 

Can you smoke the leaves pruned?

No, you can’t. These parts are not recommended for smoking because they lack THC content. They will not satisfy you with a stimulating high. So, you have no choice but to throw them away safely. Some still make cannabis edibles out of them, but then again, the THC content will not satisfy you. 

What Happens after Prune Marijuana?

After pruning efficiently, sprinkle your plants with water to subdue the volume of trauma experienced by them. Watering is best paired with nutrients and other organic solutions that are recommended for your plant. This will support your plant in getting back on its roots again.

Your plants may need days to recover from pruning and they need extra patience, care and attention. Water the plants and make sure they get enough light. After a week or two, your hard labor will be rewarded with fresh shoots and new leaves.

Conclusion

When you want a better control of your plant and you’re up for experiments, then pruning your marijuana might be worth the shot. It may seem overwhelming at first, with all the necessary things to remember, but you won’t learn until you try. You can start experimenting with just one plant, just to see how it can be done. Then you can compare the pruned one to the unpruned ones and see the significant differences.

Pruning marijuana will also give you the chance to get to know the plant better. It will help you in looking after the plant’s health by checking on molds and other issues that could affect the plant’s growth. Pruning marijuana is a technique a lot of growers claimed to be effective and worth it, so it deserves a try.

The goal is to have as much quality harvest as you can. And to have that, not only do you cater to the demands of the plants, but also go to the extent of helping it blossom. Pruning marijuana works well with experienced growers. But if you are an amateur who is up for any challenges, then you might want to study and learn more about it first.