Finally, you'll want to get to actually lollipopping each individual branch on your plant. Some growers recommend leaving no more than three nodes from the tip of each branch.
By lollipopping, you not only help direct light to the right nodes, but optimise the limited energy stores of your plants. The end result is a heavier harvest of big, dense buds with maximum potency and flavour.
Pre Flowering Stage. Most Cannabis plants will become developmentally mature when they reach 14”-20” in height, or 8 to 10 nodes of growth.
It is recommended that you wait until your plants have at least four nodes before topping them, and most growers recommend topping the plant above the sixth node. Nodes are the part of a plant that connects new stem offshoots with older growth, which can form a branch, a leaf, or in the case of cannabis plants, a bud.
The best time to start your lollipopping is up for debate. For some growers, they prefer to begin the process once the plant has already started producing buds. Most recommend pruning somewhere between 14 to 21 days of flower.
Does lollipopping increase yield? Many growers have increased yields by lollipopping. We know enough about plant science to support the logic behind this type of pruning. What's even cooler is that you can combine lollipopping with topping or fimming.
Most growers will agree that week 3 of flowering is the right time to start lollipopping. After a couple of weeks in the bloom phase, most cannabis strains will begin to display multiple bud sites along shoots. Marijuana will stretch during this phase, some strains more than others.
How do topping and training benefit plants? Topping's main benefit is increased lateral growth that sets your plants up for higher yields. Fueled by redirected growth hormones, lateral branches rush to catch up with vertical growth. As side branches grow, branches that would have been shaded receive more light.
The node is where leaves, buds and shoots emerge from the stem. You should always cut just above a node, as this prevents 'die back' and therefore disease. Also, by cutting above a node you can manipulate new stems, leaves or flowers to form in a desired direction, as nodes form on different sides of a stem.
Make sure that the cutting has at least two nodes (the point where branches form from the stem) but some growers look for as many as six. The best stock for clones often is found in the lower branches of the mother plant.
Change Nutrients for Each Stage
The bigger the leaf area, the bigger your buds will be. Nitrogen is the nutrient needed most for this green growth. When plants reach their mature size and begin flowering, they need more phosphorus, the nutrient most essential for budding.
Nodes to help identify the plant's sex. Female cannabis plants have white pistils or tiny hairs on their nodes. In time, these nodes will develop into larger buds if cultivated properly. On the other hand, male plants produce larger, lumpy nodes. These are otherwise known as pollen sacs.
Because bud formation starts after 7 hours of dark period, it is also wise to always maintain a minimum day length of 17 to 18 hours during the vegetative period. A dark period of 12 hours is used as a standard in cannabis to ensure a smooth flowering process.
Therefore most weed cultivators, growing indoor and outdoor cannabis seeds insist that lollipopping weed plants should take place before the plant has completed its veg stage. There is a logic to this because lollipopping is a medium to high stress training technique which is going to have an impact on your plant.
Weeks 4-6: Buds Fatten Up
They'll still have all the white pistils sticking out, but you'll be able to see the buds getting bigger every day. At this point the “stretch” is about over and you can reduce the amount of training you're doing with your plants.
Plants grow buds at the base of each leaf, just above the point where the leaf connects to the stem. This is called a node. The stem between each pair of leaves on a plant is called the internode. To stimulate these buds to open and form new branches, remove the growth just above the leaves.
Cut at an angle of approximately 45°: the wound will be clean and smooth. If you cut the stem straight it flattens the stem too much and causes much more damage. Research has shown that when more than 50% of the stem is plugged up, it is detrimental to the flower's life.
On many species of plants, the new roots will form adventitiously from the node. This means that the roots will develop in an adventurous way, out from a node on the stem. Some plants are so good at producing roots, that new roots will also grow in the internode section of the stem, not at a node at all.
Fan leaves that are growing inward toward the plant should be removed. Bud sites that are lower down on the plant may be removed so that the plant can focus on the bud sites closer to the top. Dead or dying leaves should be pruned.
You can harvest your plant by either cutting the entire plant down at once, cutting the stems down one by one while keeping the buds attached to them, or by removing the individual buds from your plant.
Topping should be done when the plant is still in its vegetative stage and just starting to grow buds.
So there are three different times we recommend defoliating during Flower: Right before you switch to 12/12. Once between the beginning of Flower and the 3-week mark. 3 weeks after beginning flower is the last time you'll want to defoliate.
I have had the best results lollipopping cannabis right before the switch to the flowering stage. Growers don't typically need to lollipop in the vegetative stage, unless you haven't trained your plant and it's gotten very tall or out of control, leaving the leaves in total shadow.
Growers can switch to the flowering stage as soon as the clone has established a solid root system. In optimal conditions, plants should be kept in their vegetative stage for approximately 60 days. This time period should give the plant the opportunity to maximise yield and acclimatise to growing conditions.