If you want to get the most out of your marijuana plants, you need to learn how to prune them properly. Pruning helps to encourage new growth and can also improve the quality of your plants. Keep reading to learn how to prune your marijuana plants for maximum yield.
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Why Prune Marijuana Plants?
Pruning your marijuana plants may seem like a lot of work, but it is definitely worth it if you want to achieve maximum yield. Pruning allows the plant to focus its energy on producing buds, rather than leaves. It also helps to increase air circulation and sunlight exposure, which can improve the quality of the buds.
Increases air and light exposure
You want to expose as much of the plant to air and light as possible. By pruning away the inner leaves, you allow more light to reach the lower parts of the plant. This results in more even growth and increases yields.
Reduces the spread of diseases
Pruning your marijuana plants also helps to reduce the spread of diseases. If you have a plant that is already infected with a disease, pruning it will help to remove the infected parts of the plant and prevent the disease from spreading.
Allows for better nutrient absorption
Pruning your marijuana plants allows for better nutrient absorption. When you remove the lower leaves of the plant, it allows the upper leaves to receive more sunlight and air. This results in a healthier plant overall and can also increase your yield.
Pruning also encourages new growth, which can be especially beneficial if your plant is looking a little recent. By removing dying or damaged leaves, you’re allowing the plant to focus its energy on new growth. This can result in a bushier, fuller plant with more buds come harvest time.
When to Prune Marijuana Plants
Pruning your marijuana plants can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple. Pruning is an important step in the cultivation process because it helps your plants stay healthy and produces more buds. The best time to prune your plants is in the late vegetative stage or early flowering stage.
Before flowering
Pruning your cannabis plants before flowering will ensure that they grow thick and lush, with plenty of leaves to turn into buds come harvest time.
To start, you’ll want to remove any dead or dying leaves, as well as any that are significantly lower on the plant than the rest. Once you’ve done that, take a look at the main stems and branches of the plant. If any of them are weak or spindly, you can cut them away too.
Don’t go overboard with the pruning, though – you should only remove around 10-20% of the plant’s leaves. Removing too many could stress the plant out and reduce your yields come harvest time.
During flowering
During flowering, you’ll want to continue pruning away any growth that isn’t contributing to the main cola. You can also prune large leaves in half to increase air and light exposure to the buds. Be careful not to prune too much, as this can stress the plant and reduce yields.
After flowering
Pruning is a very important but often overlooked aspect of growing marijuana. When carried out properly, it can result in bigger, healthier plants with a greater yield. There are two main reasons for pruning marijuana plants – to remove unhealthy growth, and to encourage the plant to produce more flowers or buds.
Pruning should be carried out after the flowering period has begun. This is because cutting back the plant during flowering can reduce the yield. Wait until at least half of the plant’s flowers have matured before pruning.
When pruning, make sure to cut back any dead or diseased leaves and growth. These can act as a haven for pests and diseases, and can also spread these problems to other parts of the plant. It is also important to remove any growth that is crossing over or crowding other branches, as this can impair the plant’s ability to produce flowers or buds.
Finally, cut back any branches that are growing vertically rather than horizontally. Vertical branches are less likely to produce flowers or buds, so by removing them you will encourage the plant to direct its energy towards producing more of these key parts of the plant.
How to Prune Marijuana Plants
Pruning your marijuana plants can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually very easy to do and can really increase your yields. By pruning your plants, you are essentially increasing the amount of sunlight that the leaves can receive, which in turn leads to more photosynthesis and ultimately, more THC.
Remove dead leaves
Leaves that are senescing (dying) or already dead should be removed from the plant. These leaves are often yellow, brown, or red, and they can detract from the plant’s aesthetics. More importantly, senescing leaves can draw energy and resources away from the rest of the plant, reducing its overall health and vigor. Pruning these leaves off will allow the plant to funnel more of its energy into fruiting and flowering.
Cut away any diseased areas
Before you begin pruning your marijuana plants, it’s important to understand how and why to do it. Pruning helps to encourage growth and maximize yield by removing excess leaves and branches that would otherwise compete for the plant’s energy and resources.
Pruning also helps to improve air circulation, which is important for preventing mold and mildew from taking hold. diseased areas of the plant should be cut away to prevent the spread of disease.
Branches that are growing outward rather than upward should also be removed. severed branches can be used as clones or transplanted to other areas of the garden.
Topping, or cutting the main stem of the plant just below a node, is a common pruning technique that encourages the plant to grow wider rather than taller. This is especially helpful if you are growing in a confined space or trying to produce more buds.
Topping can be done once or twice during the vegetative stage, but if you top too often you risk weakening the plant. When pruning, always use sharp, clean shears or knives to avoid damaging the plant. Make sure to sterilize your tools before each use to prevent the spread of disease.
Trim away any excess growth
To ensure your plant is able to produce the maximum amount of buds, you will need to trim away any excess growth. This includes any leaves or branches that are growing too close to the main stem, as well as any leaves or branches that are growing out of the main canopy. When trimming away excess growth, be sure to cut at a 45-degree angle so that the cut surface will be able to heal quickly.
