okay... what about training and topping (auxin manipulation)?
If i keep pinching the top every time it heals, won't that cause "the rest of the plant" to receive more "energy?" Whereas, if we're growing an apically dominant strain, and just leave it to do its thing, it will naturally focus "more" of its growth "energy" (hormones, nutrients, water, etc.) toward the main top? It would seem as though a reason for this behavior, is that the plant wants to get closer to the light... (cannabis is "sun adapted" rather than "shade adapted") because the more light it can get, the better it can develop. If it can't reach enough light, it will stretch like crazy and develop weak fruit. Why would the lower shaded branches NOT be subject to such results, when the rest of the plant is? Those unlighted lower branches (which cannot "grow toward light" if there's not enough room) will either stretch and find light (and subsequently fully develop), or do nothing (because not enough light) and not develop robustly. From what i see in my own plants, the stuff that touches light develops relatively quickly, while the stuff "stuck" under the canopy seems to stall. It doesn't cease growth completely (because it's still "sucking" resources), it just doesn't keep up with the stuff in direct light. It's slower and smaller, and i expect it will never "catch up," unless i manipulate the canopy to allow more direct light to reach those shaded lower parts. How is that not about light? All parts which receive "as much light as the rest of the plant," seem to grow "as much as the rest of the plant." Those too far below canopy, which do not see as much light, do not grow as well as the rest of the plant. More light = more grow. Less light = less grow. Anyone getting "popcorn" on their direct light tops, but "colas" on their shaded bottoms? I doubt it. I've never seen a bottom-heavy plant that wasn't bottom-lit. In fact, i can't recall EVER seeing a bottom-heavy plant (or anyone "bottom lighting" for that matter). Most people's lights are above their plants, and their plants are best developed where they touch the most light. In my case, the leaves which get the most light (the ones on the plant directly in the center) are Twice as big as everything else up top (and wide and thick and dark, nearly opaque; they block quite a bit of light), and everything "below" is comparatively small; probably half as big as the stuff on the edges, which still isn't as big as my hand. I don't understand how this is even a debate. Even as a "noob," i can see what's happening. The stuff touching the light grows the best, and whatever isn't getting enough light, falls further and further behind as time progresses. If you KNOW that a branch will not be able to reach light and fully develop... why not remove it? Why not nip it before the plant ever spends the energy to grow that branch or leaf? Why not distribute those resources stored in those "storage bank leaves," to the leaves in the light, which will be kept for the duration? Why do we need to grow leaves just so the plant can waste energy trying to produce inferior fruit, and then cannibalize itself? Maybe if we just build our soil correctly, we can skip the whole "storing resources to be cannibalized" part, thus saving energy, and being more efficient?
Cannabis is "sun adapted." It grows toward light, asymmetrically if needed, and the parts which touch light, develop the best. It's possible for the lowest branch to assume apical dominance, if it's the part of the plant receiving the best light.
Either way... "don't over-prune" is probably great advice... but insisting that "lollipopping is bad," is probably not. Lollipopping Too Much, is bad... you probably don't need to hack off the bottom two thirds of your plant... but not everyone has an 8x8 room to dedicate to one plant, and lamps that penetrate 2 ft of soil from 10 ft away. Prune what won't produce; strategically position the rest. Unless of course that's just too much hassle, in which case you should probably cut off anything that isn't worth Your time, and not worry about whether people on forums get upset about your pruning techniques.
Local executive chef wants it next year.
lake tahoe california
