Apical pruning: step-by-step

Apical pruning is an ancient method widely used both indoors and outdoors, which involves cutting off the top part of the plant. This way we can stop the plant’s growth, forcing it to produce more branches. With each cut we make, 2 branches will grow in a Y-shape, both recognized as central tops of the plant. Besides, even though we reject the central top, we don’t lose any weight since smaller buds will grow, but in much larger quantities.

How to perform apical pruning on marijuana

If we want to do apical pruning, we should wait at least until it develops 3 nodes; from that moment, it will withstand all the prunings we want or can do. Also, we should cut flush just above the 3rd node, leaving 3 pairs of branches. Right above the last 2 branches, 2 more will grow, giving the plant a Y-shape.

Further, when we cut the top, it can go through a stress process, so we have to do it very carefully, avoiding damaging the plant. Then, we should make the cut as clean as possible, to avoid causing stress. If the plant becomes stressed, it would significantly affect production, so we need to do it with utmost care. Moreover, if an excessively large hole is left indoors, we will need to cover it with a sealing and healing paste for plants.

Some strains do not react well to apical pruning, either because of their structure or the shape of their buds. Two branches develop from the cut top, but they grow horizontally, so we reject a good central top in exchange for 2 small buds. Examples of these strains are Chronic or Jacky White.

Pruning sealer for cuttings

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Apical pruning in indoor cultivation

Indoors, apical pruning allows you to make the most of the space by placing fewer plants. However, this requires a longer growth period, starting from the germination of marijuana seeds. The number of prunings depends on the plants per square meter (m2). The more plants, the fewer prunings we can do.

Some people love to prune and place fewer specimens, with some even putting just one plant per m2 and performing up to 10 prunings before flowering. With 5 plants per m2, we can perform a maximum of 3 prunings. With 9 plants, we will perform only 1 pruning if desired. This way, we achieve maximum production with the least number of plants, completely filling the space.

This makes many want to maximize production even more with the Scrog net, where we are interested in our plant giving us a significant number of branches. Thanks to apical pruning, the net gets much fuller, which ensures that each branch faces the light. This way, good buds form at the tip of each branch, maximizing the harvests significantly.

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Apical

Pruning in outdoor cultivation

Outdoors, it’s an option to consider if we don’t want our plantation to draw attention since it will prevent our plants from becoming too large. By performing pruning, it will start to give long branches, resulting in short plants with a large number of branches. If we perform pruning, we will completely stop the plant’s growth. We must do as many prunings as we can to get a larger number of branches. Each time we cut a top, new branches will sprout. We should keep cutting until the plant starts its flowering stage. The plant will become small and round, but very wide and branched. This will give us a harvest equal to or greater than a 3-meter tree.

Whenever we perform apical pruning outdoors, we must use a sealing and healing paste. Air, bugs, or humidity could cause mold, which could rot our plant.

Generally, those who try apical pruning tend to repeat it. We can shape our plant the way we want, making it much more manageable. This applies after the germination of feminized seeds or autoflowering seeds.

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Erik Collado Vidal

Con más de 10 años de experiencia en la industria del cannabis, sus experiencias y aprendizaje son la base del éxito de GB The Green Brand.

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