Pruning Tips For Marijuana Plants

Each time a growing tip is clipped, the stem branches into two shoots, which begin to grow from the nearest leaf axils (the area where the leaf and stem join).

Pruning a growing marijuana plant is an easy way of controlling uneven growth without seriously harming the plant.

Don't prune the growing tip of a young seedling until after the first five-bladed leaves have formed, and the vegetative stage has begun.

Many growers prune the growing tips after four to five weeks growth to develop lower branches which will quickly fill all the horizontal space.

The marijuana with the greatest potency is found in the growing tips, and by three months, they should make a high quality smoke.

You can basically prune growing tips at any stage of the plant's development, but just don't overdo it. Severe pruning can harm the growth of the plant.

It is always better to plan a pruning strategy for your developing plants, rather than haphazardly clipping off growing tips on an irregular basis.

Each time a growing tip is removed, the plant takes a few days to recover before new growth resumes on that branch.

The amount of new growth formed with continued pruning is limited by the genetic structure of the seed, and the conditions of the environment.

It is better to prune your plants at an early stage of their development, than towards the end of the vegetative stage or during flowering.

It is not recommended that you prune every new node in a developing plant. Rather prune every second or third node to allow the plant time to recover.

Wait for the new node to start growing before clipping the young branch a few millimeters above the previous node's newly formed leaves.

It is always better to use a small scissors to prune your plants, than to simply pluck off the growing tips by hand.

Do not prune any growing tips if you notice that your plant's health is declining and it has started losing leaves. Although you should always smoke the pruned growing tips, plants should be pruned to develop their growth rather than for smoking purposes.

While it may be tempting to prune female buds during early flowering, your harvest will be severely reduced by doing so.

Cannabis indica is a genetically smaller and more bushy plant than Cannabis sativa and usually requires less pruning.

Never prune more than the single growing tip, or upper-most node, from any branch on the growing plant.

The upper-most growing tip of an unpruned marijuana plant will always be more potent that the top buds of a pruned plant grown in similar conditions.

Pruning the tallest branches ensures that the lower branches grow upwards, forming a larger surface area for the light to cover.

The clear fluid that often flows from the end of a newly pruned branch, contains substances which seal the wound and aid the healing process.

Although it is recommended that you remove all dying leaves from the plant, you should resist the temptation to prune too many healthy leaves.

To grow seedless marijuana, you should remove all the male plants as soon as they are discovered, by pruning the main stem right above the ground if grown in soil, or removing the plant from a hydroponic garden.

Although it may be better developed, a pruned marijuana plant does not always produce more buds than an unpruned plant.

Another good reason for pruning is to take cuttings from a strong growing, favorite plant for further hydroponic development.

Marijuana growers often prune their plants in an attempt to limit their height and prevent unwanted detection.

An alternative to pruning for developing growth, is to bend the tops of the branches over and tie the growing tips down with string or wire.

Remember that by pruning a growing tip, you are removing the most potent part of the plant, thereby spoiling it's chance of reaching full maturity.

By pruning all the buds at harvest time, rather than cutting the stem off above the ground, you could easily harvest your plant a second time.

By severely pruning your marijuana plants you are lowering their resistance to harmful natural enemies such as insects, fungus and temperature fluctuations.

Grow Great Marijuana:
An Uncomplicated Guide to
Growing the World's Finest Cannabis

If you find instructions and books about growing hydroponic marijuana overly technical and hard to follow, this book is a very good choice for simple and accurate instructions. It does not cover advanced techniques so if you already know how to grow, this book would be of little value. But if you are a first time grower with no experience, this is the first book to look at.

It will explain the steps involved from start to finish (with text and images). Includes information on where to grow, type of hydroponic system to use, selecting a seed strain, lighting, fans, nutrients, security, clones, vegetative growth, flowering, harvesting, stress, pests, and more. Recommended for beginners only, this will show you everything you need to raise a hydroponic marijuana crop.

Marijuana Horticulture:
The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

Over 500 pages with more than 1000 color images. If you were only going to get one book about growing, this book would be the best choice. Describes growing marijuana outdoors and indoors (with hydroponics or soil).

Also provides information that you can refer back to when things go wrong. A very comprehensive reference book for anyone interested in growing marijuana, either indoors or outdoors. Recommended for beginners and more advanced growers.

The Cannabis Grow Bible:
The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana
for Recreational and Medical Use

A very good source of information covering all aspects of growing, from seed selection to harvest, curing and more. Over 300 pages with almost 200 color and black-and-white photographs, charts, and tables. Recommended reference book for indoor and outdoor growers.

A great marijuana growing and breeding guide. Includes chapters on seeds, propagation and germination, growing indoors, growing outdoors, hydroponics, pre-flowering and flowering, predators, pests and plant fungi, breeding, and more.

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