Pruning

BobNarley · 05-31-2008, 10:13 AM

Pruning
There are probably more theories about pruning and its effect
on crop yield as there are cultivators. Pruning theories are com-
plicated by the many varieties of marijuana, which have different
branching patterns and growing habits.
Indicas tend to grow naturally with little branching. Most of
their energy is used for the central main bud which may develop to a
diameter of 3 to 4 inches. Branches are short and compact.
Mexicans, Colombians, and Africans usually grow in a conical
pattern often likened to a Christmas tree. They develop a large cen-
tral bud. The peripheral buds and branches can also grow quite
large.
Plants regulate their growth patterns using auxins, which are
hormones. One auxin is produced by the tallest growing tip of the
plant. This inhibits other branches from growing as fast. If the top
bud is removed, the two branches below grow larger, in effect
becoming the main stem. They produce the growth-inhibiting aux-
in; however, they have less of an inhibitory effect on the lower
branches.
Growers are often obsessed with the yield per plant. This
outlook developed because of the surreptitious nature of marijuana
cultivation. Farmers and gardeners can grow only a few plants so
they want to get the best possible yield from them. Traditional
farmers are more concerned with the yield per unit of space. Since
indoor gardeners have a limited space, total yield of high quality
marijuana should be of more concern than the yield per plant.
Growers have done experiments showing that some pruning
techniques effectively increase the yield of some plants. However,
the pruned plants usually occupy more space than plants which are
left unpruned, so that there may be no increase in yield per unit of
space.
To make a plant bushy it is pinched (the growing shoot is
removed) at the second or third set of leaves and again at the sixth,
seventh or eighth internode. Sometimes the plants are pinched once
or twice more. This encourages the plants to spread out rather than
to grow vertically.
Plant branching can be controlled by bending instead of cut-
ting. If the top branch is bent so that it is lower than the side bran-
ches, the side shoots will start to grow as if the top branch was cut
because the branch highest from the ground produces the growth
auxin. If the top branch is released so that it can grow upward again
it starts to dominate again, but the side branches still have more
growth than they ordinarily would have had. Top branches can also
be "trained" to grow horizontally so that the primary bud is expos-
ed to more light. The bud will grow larger than normal. Bamboo
stakes, twist-ties and wire can be used for training.
One grower trained his plants using a technique ordinarily used
by grape growers. He built a frame made of a single vertical 2 x 3

and nailed 4 foot long 2 x l's every 9 inches along its length so that
the horizontal boards stretched 2 feet in either direction. Then he
trained the branches to the frame. Each branch was stretched
horizontally and the plant had virtually no depth. This increased
the number of plants he could grow since each plant took less space.
On the next crop he used the same system with most of his
plants but set up a chickenwire fence on a frame about 6 inches
from one wall. As the plants grew he trained them to the fence.
A grower in Mendocino pinches the plants at the fourth node
and then allows only four branches to develop. She removes all side
shoots. Each plant grows four giant buds and takes relatively little
space.
Plants which are only a foot or two tall when they were put in-
to the flowering cycle may not have developed extensive branching.
They may grow into plants with only one bud; the main stem
becomes swollen with flowers but there is little branching. These
plants require only about a square foot of floor space. Although
their individual yields are low, the plants have a good yield-per-
space unit. A gardener with larger plants modified this technique by
trimming off all side shoots and spacing the one-buds close together
to maximize yield.
A greenhouse grower grew plants to about three feet and then
clipped the tops. Each plant developed four top stems in a couple of
weeks. Then he turned the light cycle down to induce flowering.
A garden in the midwest featured plants which were trained to
5 foot tomato trellises (the metal cones). The grower trained the
branches around the cone and tied them to the support using twist-
ties.
Plants which are several feet tall can also be turned on their
sides as was discussed in the chapter on Novel Gardens. The plant
immediately switches its growth pattern so that the stems grow ver-
tically, against the gravity and towards the light.
Most growers agree that plants should not be clipped once they
are in a pre-flowering stage. By experience they know that this may
seriously decrease yield.
Plants may grow at an uneven pace in the garden. There are
several reasons for this. The plants may differ genetically and be in-
clined to grow at different rates, or there may be an uneven
distribution of light in the garden so that some plants receive more
energy to fuel their growth. Plants in single containers can be mov-
ed around the garden to even out the amount of light they get and
to deal with the problem of height. When the taller plants are plac-
ed at the periphery of the garden, light is not blocked from the
shorter ones. Taller plants need not be clipped. Instead, their tops
can be bent and snapped so that the stem is horizontal near the top.
This technique is used as far as 2 feet below the top of the stem. The
bent tops usually need to be supported. It is not hard to tie one end
of a bamboo stake to the main stem and the other end to the top, so
that a triangle is formed.
Contrary to myth, sun leaves should not be removed from the
plant except late in life when they often yellow. These leaves are lit-

tle sugar factories which turn the light energy into chemical energy
which is stored and used later. When the leaf is removed, the plant
loses a source of energy and its rate of growth slows. If you don't
believe this, try an experiment. Find any type of plant which has
two sun leaves opposite each other with a small branch growing
from either side. Remove one of the leaves and see which side
branch develops faster.

babyboy1050 · 07-13-2008, 04:50 AM

awesome advice !!!

wem511 · 07-14-2008, 09:39 AM

good i've watched some on pruning but its bout my least known thing, tks

05-31-2008, 10:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
BobNarley My Mood: Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mojove Desert-Southern California Posts: 530 gRamz: 13,396 Danks: 26 Danked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Pruning Pruning There are probably more theories about pruning and its effect on crop yield as there are cultivators. Pruning theories are com- plicated by the many varieties of marijuana, which have different branching patterns and growing habits. Indicas tend to grow naturally with little branching. Most of their energy is used for the central main bud which may develop to a diameter of 3 to 4 inches. Branches are short and compact. Mexicans, Colombians, and Africans usually grow in a conical pattern often likened to a Christmas tree. They develop a large cen- tral bud. The peripheral buds and branches can also grow quite large. Plants regulate their growth patterns using auxins, which are hormones. One auxin is produced by the tallest growing tip of the plant. This inhibits other branches from growing as fast. If the top bud is removed, the two branches below grow larger, in effect becoming the main stem. They produce the growth-inhibiting aux- in; however, they have less of an inhibitory effect on the lower branches. Growers are often obsessed with the yield per plant. This outlook developed because of the surreptitious nature of marijuana cultivation. Farmers and gardeners can grow only a few plants so they want to get the best possible yield from them. Traditional farmers are more concerned with the yield per unit of space. Since indoor gardeners have a limited space, total yield of high quality marijuana should be of more concern than the yield per plant. Growers have done experiments showing that some pruning techniques effectively increase the yield of some plants. However, the pruned plants usually occupy more space than plants which are left unpruned, so that there may be no increase in yield per unit of space. To make a plant bushy it is pinched (the growing shoot is removed) at the second or third set of leaves and again at the sixth, seventh or eighth internode. Sometimes the plants are pinched once or twice more. This encourages the plants to spread out rather than to grow vertically. Plant branching can be controlled by bending instead of cut- ting. If the top branch is bent so that it is lower than the side bran- ches, the side shoots will start to grow as if the top branch was cut because the branch highest from the ground produces the growth auxin. If the top branch is released so that it can grow upward again it starts to dominate again, but the side branches still have more growth than they ordinarily would have had. Top branches can also be "trained" to grow horizontally so that the primary bud is expos- ed to more light. The bud will grow larger than normal. Bamboo stakes, twist-ties and wire can be used for training. One grower trained his plants using a technique ordinarily used by grape growers. He built a frame made of a single vertical 2 x 3 and nailed 4 foot long 2 x l's every 9 inches along its length so that the horizontal boards stretched 2 feet in either direction. Then he trained the branches to the frame. Each branch was stretched horizontally and the plant had virtually no depth. This increased the number of plants he could grow since each plant took less space. On the next crop he used the same system with most of his plants but set up a chickenwire fence on a frame about 6 inches from one wall. As the plants grew he trained them to the fence. A grower in Mendocino pinches the plants at the fourth node and then allows only four branches to develop. She removes all side shoots. Each plant grows four giant buds and takes relatively little space. Plants which are only a foot or two tall when they were put in- to the flowering cycle may not have developed extensive branching. They may grow into plants with only one bud; the main stem becomes swollen with flowers but there is little branching. These plants require only about a square foot of floor space. Although their individual yields are low, the plants have a good yield-per- space unit. A gardener with larger plants modified this technique by trimming off all side shoots and spacing the one-buds close together to maximize yield. A greenhouse grower grew plants to about three feet and then clipped the tops. Each plant developed four top stems in a couple of weeks. Then he turned the light cycle down to induce flowering. A garden in the midwest featured plants which were trained to 5 foot tomato trellises (the metal cones). The grower trained the branches around the cone and tied them to the support using twist- ties. Plants which are several feet tall can also be turned on their sides as was discussed in the chapter on Novel Gardens. The plant immediately switches its growth pattern so that the stems grow ver- tically, against the gravity and towards the light. Most growers agree that plants should not be clipped once they are in a pre-flowering stage. By experience they know that this may seriously decrease yield. Plants may grow at an uneven pace in the garden. There are several reasons for this. The plants may differ genetically and be in- clined to grow at different rates, or there may be an uneven distribution of light in the garden so that some plants receive more energy to fuel their growth. Plants in single containers can be mov- ed around the garden to even out the amount of light they get and to deal with the problem of height. When the taller plants are plac- ed at the periphery of the garden, light is not blocked from the shorter ones. Taller plants need not be clipped. Instead, their tops can be bent and snapped so that the stem is horizontal near the top. This technique is used as far as 2 feet below the top of the stem. The bent tops usually need to be supported. It is not hard to tie one end of a bamboo stake to the main stem and the other end to the top, so that a triangle is formed. Contrary to myth, sun leaves should not be removed from the plant except late in life when they often yellow. These leaves are lit- tle sugar factories which turn the light energy into chemical energy which is stored and used later. When the leaf is removed, the plant loses a source of energy and its rate of growth slows. If you don't believe this, try an experiment. Find any type of plant which has two sun leaves opposite each other with a small branch growing from either side. Remove one of the leaves and see which side branch develops faster.

07-13-2008, 04:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
babyboy1050 My Mood: Join Date: Jul 2008 Gender: Location: Illinois Posts: 58 gRamz: 1,397 Danks: 8 Danked 0 Times in 0 Posts Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Re: Pruning awesome advice !!!

07-14-2008, 09:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
wem511 My Mood: Join Date: May 2007 Gender: Location: North Carolina, usa Posts: 657 gRamz: 12,481 Danks: 11 Danked 7 Times in 6 Posts Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Re: Pruning good i've watched some on pruning but its bout my least known thing, tks
	vape all day long.

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