Pruning and lolli-popping question

Funny, I was going you ask the same question. I just did My first harvest, and I got so much popcorn bud from the lower branches. I would prefer not to try and manicure them again. At what node do I stop cutting? I veg until about 20” tall...indoor hydro. I was also wondering if lollipopping really helps with top Cola size increase?

I don't see anything wrong with lower buds, I usually trim fan leaves but anything buddish that you don't want to trim goes into the butter/extract bag for later

Originally Posted by supchaka

I don't see anything wrong with lower buds, I usually trim fan leaves but anything buddish that you don't want to trim goes into the butter/extract bag for later

I guess My question is this...if i lollipop, won't the plant then focus Its energy on the upper buds thus increasing the size of the Colas and the usual medium sized buds?

the only way to know is to do a side by side in your room with your grow and your strain

also, it's standard practice to take the bottom third of a plant when lollipopping
promotes air flow, reducing stress from heat build up and deterring pestsa nd mildews as well

i don't lollipop

Originally Posted by shagalicious

the only way to know is to do a side by side in your room with your grow and your strain

also, it's standard practice to take the bottom third of a plant when lollipopping
promotes air flow, reducing stress from heat build up and deterring pestsa nd mildews as well

i don't lollipop

So you know the benefits of lollipopping, you say its standard practice then you say you don't do it. I'm confused, maybe I need to take a rip then re read it.

from his post (shag) I got that hes saying its standard practice if you grow like that but he himself doesnt!!!!


I am also wondering on how much to take off and what about the fans? I should be able to do a side by side here soon as long as no more surprises come up!

Do it up untill week 3ish. Take as much of the little stuff as possible.

While flower cells do have chloroplast(giving them their green color) they do not generally produce the majority of the sugar they need to survive, which is why they are referred to as a "sink" organ. Your major sources of energy are the fan leaves. Buds would not be effected by their distance from the light, one reason to prune a bud would be to increase the amount of carbs going to the other buds. This technique is used in commercial agriculture to produce larger fruits, but it doesnt increase the "net" weight the plant can produce, just the size of the fruits. When lolli-popping, I wouldn't prune the fan leaves, just the leaves under them that are getting very little red light. Lollipopping is done to increase the airflow through the plants, reducing humidity near the soil/medium and increasing transpiration, thus increasing the amount of water/nutes the roots intake.