Bigger top colas

[Paht_Hed]

I was curious if trimming all the undergrowth on each branch before putting a plant into flower would cause bigger top buds. Kinda like a scrog without the wire. I suspect that maybe trimming 1/4 of the plant each day for 4 days would reduce the stress. Any thoughts?

Paht_Hed Reviewed by Paht_Hed on 02-09-2008. Bigger top colas I was curious if trimming all the undergrowth on each branch before putting a plant into flower would cause bigger top buds. Kinda like a scrog without the wire. I suspect that maybe trimming 1/4 of the plant each day for 4 days would reduce the stress. Any thoughts? Rating: 5

[Jerry Garcia 2007]

What I do is minor triming at start of flower then wait 4 weeks till buds really get going. Then trim all fan leaves except for the top 3 nodes and remove all the under growth from the bottom 4'' to 6''. This lets the light get to the buds forming in the lower portions of the plant and you have enough leaves formed on the buds to keep photosynthasis going.

[hybridlove420]

this is a bit of a hot issue.

FAN LEAVES:

POSITIVE many growers remove about 1/2-2/3 of them in the idea that more light will reach the bottom branches, causeing bigger buds

NEGATIVE fan leaves are the plants largest surface area for collecting light, and you deprive them of that ability by removing them


LOWER BRANCHES

POSITIVE removing the bottom branches will focus all growth into the fewer, but now larger, top colas

NEGATIVE the plant is being shocked, and its recovery efforts may use up that acclaimed extra energy

[socialistpete]

This is an issue I've always had a hard time decideing wether to do it or not. I'd love to here what others have done and effects with photos if anyone has them.:thumbsup:

[dejayou30]

Keep the fan leaves! My reasoning is if you cut the fan leaves to let the lower buds get more light, you're depriving the buds that utilize the leaves the chance to get really big. Bigger = better! The little buds are most likely going to be little no matter what, but the branches with the fans are looking to get huge. Let them! :jointsmile:

[stinkyattic]

Keep the fan leaves.
Prune the plant into a SINGLE cola before putting it in flower and remove any low branches ENTIRELY. Stake the plant. This is how commercial growers run popsicle plants in SOG to maximize the weight of prime top colas and shorten trimming time.
You may not need to prune at all if you simply allow the plant's apical dominance to continue, meaning NO pinching- you WANT the plant's natural hormones to do this job for you.

[Jerry Garcia 2007]

Now I am confused!

It seems to go both ways, I was not intending to give bad advise. What I expained in my previous post is what was recomended in the FAQ section under pruning and works great for me. I never got any stunting of growth and still got a great yeild out of my grow and I am currently doing it to my present grow.

I guess I am going to have to do one of each on 2 of the same cloans and check the differance at my next flowering.

[hybridlove420]

Keep the fan leaves.
Prune the plant into a SINGLE cola before putting it in flower and remove any low branches ENTIRELY. Stake the plant. This is how commercial growers run popsicle plants in SOG to maximize the weight of prime top colas and shorten trimming time.
You may not need to prune at all if you simply allow the plant's apical dominance to continue, meaning NO pinching- you WANT the plant's natural hormones to do this job for you.

i see your idea, but by having a singular cola the radius of the plant is decresed, meaning that it will recieve less light and create less bud?

of course, its great for fitting 10 plants into a 4 foot area, but not if its a small 1-5 plant garden

[Rusty Trichome]

Stinky is great, and I'd follow her advice.
-but-
I usually keep the bottom branches. And I do have a good reason to do so. When I want or need seeds, I only pollinate the lower branches of the best looking ladies. (I use a red twist-tie to mark pollinated branches) This allows me to harvest the seedless buds when they're ready, and if need be, I can keep the lower branches growing until the seeds are mature. Works great.

[stinkyattic]

Yeah, in a small grow you generally aren't going to be replicating the style of a larger scale cashcropper who typically has multiple points of light anyway so there is in fact some side lighting on the popsicle.
In a small grow with few plants and only one light, you will want to follow the methods that give a larger surface area exposed to light- top the plant young and train her to spread out fairly flat. You can still remove spindly, small, weak branches that get no light and have such low concentrations of hormones that the plant will hardly notice them gone.