Pruning... do you do it?

[smoknjoe]

Hey everyone,

My girls are 24 days into flowering. The buds on top are growing nice and big, but the ones on the bottom are still puny. Post a reply and tell me if you prefer to prune off the bottom crappy branches to focus energy on the good buds, or if you just let them all grow. I want to do whats best for the plants (but a little sample smoke would be nice too :D ).

Thanks for the input!
joe.

[Jory420]

either cut the bottom branches off next time b4 flower or cut the tops off and let the bottoms go for a bit longer letting them fill in more works good no need to waste unless you have to

[smoknjoe]

so, how bad of idea is it to prune them now that its into flowering?

[elcheapo]

Itâ??s probably not the best idea. I've grown with pruning and without. Like people say, â??the fan leaves act like solar panels for the buds, feeding them energy. Unless the bottom buds have significantly strong branching then they will never become very big. You'd be better off adding side lighting of some kind.
The next bit is unproven but I've noticed that if you prune leaves, the buds grow more little fan leaves to help perform photosynthesis. These little fan leaves aren't as resinous and take away growing energy from tight resin packed buds.
I believe you should keep your fan leaves as healthy as possible during the entire veg and flowering stages. Add side lighting and/or increase reflectivity, LST, top, scrog, sog your grows for increased yields.

[yz250]

do not over prun.You will giving your female mixed signals.She will grow pollen sacs and hermi your plant as one last fight for survival.It can help light get to the buds and make them bigger but WATCH out for those sacs.One will kill everthing and your room.

[orangeman]

You'd be better off adding side lighting of some kind.

Yeah I'd recommend getting 2 CFL 250w lights and add them on the side for the buds on the bottom.

[Jdog7000]

or keep your plants shorter so the light can penetrate down ther(1000 watt hps)

[Ziggy Stardust]

try bending next time that way you save the terminal bud yet develop leteral branches almost as nice as terminals. NEVER cut off any fan leaves