There are many different techniques used by experienced cannabis growers to control the growth of their plants. Understanding the effects of each technique can help you to optimise your indoor and outdoor growing cycles.
One of the most common pruning techniques is topping or fimming. This method encourages plants to develop a bushy, laterally spreading form instead of a tall, stringy specimen.
Topping
Topping is a technique that’s used by many indoor cannabis growers to increase yields. It can be done once or twice in a growing cycle. The goal is to encourage lateral growth, which can help reduce the height of your plant and produce a larger harvest.
Topping your plants can be a great way to increase yields, but it should be done carefully. It’s important to sanitize your pruning shears before cutting and to wait a few weeks after a topping session to allow the plant to recover.
In most cases, topping results in two new main colas on your marijuana plant, which will increase the number of buds and improve the yield. Depending on your preferences, you may decide to continue topping your cannabis plant as it matures.
Fimming is another HST technique that’s similar to topping but not quite as extreme. It’s done by only removing the top half of a main stem’s new growth. It can also promote the growth of multiple new main colas, which is ideal for micro-growers with a few plants.
However, both techniques can cause your cannabis to become stressed out and deter from bud production. It’s best to use these techniques in tandem with other training methods, such as trellising and lighting, to maximize yields.
Topping and fimming are both high stress training (HST) techniques that should be performed only on healthy, fully-grown cannabis plants. Using these techniques too early or when your plant is showing signs of damage could have severe consequences.
Fimming
When growing cannabis, there are a few different pruning techniques that growers can use to control the growth of their plants, improve yields and ensure an even crop when they grow multiple strains in one area. However, the choice of which technique is right for your plant depends on your personal preferences and the results you are looking to achieve.
Among the most common methods used by indoor and outdoor growers is apical pruning, which is also known as topping or pinching out. This technique is used to control the height of cannabis plants by removing the topmost growing tip.
It is a popular pruning method that has several benefits, including encouraging the development of more main buds and lowers the risk of diseases such as bud rot. It is also a great way to control the height of plants, which can be an important consideration for outdoor growers.
Another benefit of fimming is that it can help optimize the shape of a plant for light absorption, which can result in better quality buds. The procedure also promotes lateral growth, which helps the plant to expand its canopy and increase light penetration.
The downside of fimming is that it can be very stressful on a plant. This can cause the plant to take longer to recover from the procedure than other techniques, so it is best to apply this technique during the 18/6 vegetative growth stage.
Some super-croppers combine topping and fimming to promote lateral growth, while others just use the two techniques separately. Both methods are effective in boosting cannabis yields, but it is essential to choose the right training method on a case-by-case basis.
Lollipopping
Lollipopping is a thinning technique that allows growers to centralise the growth of cannabis plants by removing branches and leaves towards the bottom. This gives the plant a more symmetrical, top-heavy structure, which can help improve airflow and optimise energy use.
When used as part of an overall pruning strategy, this method can have a dramatic effect on the size and quality of cannabis yields. It can also be used to promote lusher canopies, which can increase bud production and sturdiness.
Often paired with topping and main-lining, lollipopping can be applied to both indoor and outdoor cannabis plants. This technique focuses on removing a plant’s lower colas to maximise the amount of light that reaches those areas, thereby promoting stronger bud development and increased yields.
The technique can be applied at any stage of a cannabis plant’s vegetative cycle, although it’s best done in weeks 3 and 4. This is because this period is a safe window for thinning plants without stressing them too much.
A more experienced grower will be able to tell when a cannabis plant needs to be lollipopped and how much to remove. Generally speaking, removing everything below the fourth bud site on each branch is a good rule of thumb.
However, it’s important to note that removing too much plant matter during the veg stage can lead to hermies and other stress-related issues, so do not overdo it!
The apical dominance of cannabis plants means that the uppermost buds are the ones that receive most of the sun’s rays. This means that when growing outdoors, it’s not as important to lollipop the lower colas because they are shaded from the sun.
Crushing
The cannabis plant is a complicated organism, with many processes at work. It responds to different factors to influence growth, production, and cannabinoid concentration. These include soil fertility and mineral nutrition. In addition, genetics are a major factor, but they are not the only one.
In some instances, pruning is necessary to make the most of your growing space and improve yields. It can be applied to both indoor and outdoor ganja trees.
When pruning, it is important to understand the effects of different techniques. There are many ways to prune a cannabis plant, but understanding the different techniques and the effects they have on the plant is crucial for success.
Topping:
Topping is a common technique in commercial cannabis cultivation. The process involves clipping off the very top shoot from a plant branch(es). This can be done multiple times through the vegetative growth phase. This technique will produce a nice bushy structure, providing a higher yield potential per plant.
This is a popular crop-maximising technique that allows growers to use their space more efficiently by reducing the height of the canopy, while also increasing the number of bud sites. It is particularly effective on Sativa andSativa/Indica hybrids, which are naturally prone to vigorous vegetative growth and will respond positively to topping.
Super cropping:
This is another growing technique that has recently become increasingly popular among cannabis growers. It consists of promoting horizontal growth, bending some branches to limit excessive vertical growth and strengthening them for better performance.
The effect of this technique is that the apical tip (the top part of the cannabis stem) will distribute its main growth hormones, or auxins, to other parts of the plant, slowing down vertical growth and encouraging strong growth in the lower branches. This is often referred to as a Xmas tree style arrangement and can be very effective on many plants.
Knotting
Pruning is a common technique used in cannabis cultivation, allowing growers to control and direct the growth of their plants. Proper pruning encourages healthy plant growth by eliminating damaged, atrophied, or non-productive branches and leaves.
It also creates space for light to reach more areas of the plant. Having more light in the lower sections of the plant allows for better flowering and increased yields.
A great way to do this is by removing small limbs or branches from the lower parts of the plant. These limbs are atrophied and often lack strength, preventing them from forming buds that can provide ample nutrition to the plant.
Another benefit of removing atrophied and unproductive limbs is that it creates more room for air to circulate in the lower reaches of the plant, which can prevent mold formation in indoor grows. Moreover, it allows nutrients to be channeled to the upper stems and leaves of the plant.
Many growers like to apply this method on their marijuana plants during the vegetative phase or at the beginning of the flowering stage, allowing them to develop a more dense blanket of buds that are more productive and larger in size. This technique is particularly effective on Sativas and hybrids that have vigorous, branchy growth, which will quickly recover after being topped or tied down.
Topping is one of the most popular and well-known pruning techniques. It involves clipping the central stalk, which is followed by axial branches that spread out from below. It can be done at the same time as apical pruning, but it is more useful if performed during the vegetative stage.
