Pruning Lower Branches?

Hi Everyone,

Afghan, 4 weeks in veg, 5 weeks old starting from seed, 400w MH, soil grow

My plants are 12 inches and bushy. When should I cut the lower branches off to promote airflow and to send the hormones to the top shoots? Also, do I remove the fan leaves on the lower stem as well? 2 to 4 inches off the lower part of the stem? The plants do not seem to have reach there sexual maturity, they do not have alternating nodes or preflowers yet.

Thanks Guys and Gals!

i'm doing this now as well. i think the trick is not cutting away too much foliage and sending the plant into shock. try to knock off the fan leaves that block the most lights. i keep my cutting to no more than 2 large leaves a day per plant.

but other than that, marijuana plant is pretty resilient so you should be okay giving it a trim.

This is my take on removing leaves...I NEVER remove a leaf unless I am pruning the lower branches to help air flow or leafs that are damaged in anyway. With that said, I NEVER remove leaves the first 3 or so weeks of veg. Those leaves are solar panels for your plant. When it is in it's "building phase" early in veg, let it do it's thang. There will be plenty of opportunity to remove leaves throughout the plants life. Some get broken off moving plants around...some become old and lose their value...some have nute issues.

When a plant is building that root structure, it needs all the photosyntheis it can get. My bottom line on leaf removal...During the first 3 weeks of veg, I stay the hell out of her way and let her do what she knows how...GROW. At that point is when you usually start your "training" anyway so shaping and removing any leaves with issues is OK. Lil by lil NOT hand fulls because they were blocking the light. Just my 2 cents.

As the "king of cannabis" says,cut the lowers 6inches,2nd week of flower to increase airflow,and growth to the top of the plant.I just did something like this to my NL clones.I cut 4 inches 1 week before flower,to increase the height,im trying to getum at 2ft,b4 i switch.Also, I read DNA seeds,says to cut off the fan leaves,and leaves from stems that are thick,in the 4week off flower.

Just to clarify things; "the king of cannabis" Arjan removes 15cm of the lower branches 2 to 3 weeks into veg, BEFORE he flowers. I just watch his white widow grow, that's what he says. So, going into 5 weeks I chopped the lower branches that were small and useless popcorn to be as well as the first and second set of fan leaves. I will let ya'll know how it turns out once they recover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Ma7yeZWbY