Proper Trimming of plant

So, I have read up on a lot. I have also seen about 3 methods first hand (not on the internet, but several friends grow and have showed me their technique. Diverging opinions is the best way to learn imo.)

The three main ways I have actually witnessed, and as they were explained to me by growers I know, which may vary from what you know, so mislabeling is more than possible, the point is more the technique than the technicalities. I am not trying to argue here, just want some opinions and expressing what I have known in my short time growing. I am doing this as much for myself as anyone else to hash this out and determine MY ideal trimming method. Each grower shares clones with the others, so all the crops are more or less from the same stock, and although the quality of the bud each produces varies little, the amount is the focus here.

Grower 1 lollipoped but also trimmed every fan leaf off after 4 weeks. His reasoning is that the fan leaves are unnecessarily eating energy and the leaves that grow from the buds are enough, and all this extra energy goes right to the buds. It left a rather bud heavy looking plant but seemed to preform the least over all. He had the least product to show for it, although good, it was in most cases about half as much as the others.

Grower 2 lollipoped and trimmed only the fan leaves protruding from the main stem and the bottom, but left every fan leaf attached to a bud site.

Grower 3 only removes yellowed or dying leaves. He does not lollipop.

Grower 2 and 3 seem to have comparable yield, with grower 3 generally producing slightly more per plant.

What I think I want to do is a light lollipoping, removing the bottom few branches, as well as the offshoots from the bottom of the lower branches I keep. I will be removing damaged/yellowing/dead leaves, as well as the very large fan leaves, and slightly more towards the center to allow for more light. The basic idea is a 40% removal of leaves from the bottom and mid height sides, and a 60% removal of leaves from the very top and center of the plant.

What do you guys think? Also, I would prefer we keep this to first hand experience only. Feel free to link well done youtube tutorials.

is this indoor

Yes indoor, and I'd like to add

JoshTheMadTitan said:

What I think I want to do is a light lollipoping, removing the bottom few branches, as well as the offshoots from the bottom of the lower branches I keep. I will be removing damaged/yellowing/dead leaves, as well as the very large fan leaves, and slightly more towards the center to allow for more light. The basic idea is a 40% removal of leaves from the bottom and mid height sides, and a 60% removal of leaves from the very top and center of the plant.

Click to expand...

I trim twice, 3-4 into bud, and 3-4 weeks into veg. I have a two month veg, only because the stat law is 24 plants, 12 in each stage, so it always works out that way best. 2 months for each stage.

Really thought I would get more input on this.

I trim assertively. Not aggressively. But definitely assertively.

I trim all lower leaves and clean up everything in the lower areas around week 3 of flowering. Also, start to do minor trimming at that point. To maximize light exposure to as many areas of the plant as possible.

But you do have to be careful not too overdo it. Or you can stunt your plant.

That being said I have ASSERTIVELY trimmed my plants and gotten monsters all the time so I'd say it takes a little practice.

Regarding anything dying it's probably good to clip it off. It'll probably die anyway and the plant will waste energy trying to repair that area. Also, dying leaves breed bugs which is never a good thing.

JoshTheMadTitan regarding Grower 1 clipping every fan leaf that's just crazy. fan leaves are needed to absorb the light for the plant. They're like big sponges. So you need a good mix of these for each plant. However, they do suck up energy. I clip these due to that and due to the fact that they usually block a shitload of good bud sites that are just waiting for some direct light exposure.

But you can't cut ALL your fan leaves. That's just crazy talk. Leave the lowest fan leaves. The ones that don't block anything else and can catch all the light that goes between the other leaves.

Thank you, that is a good way to put it, Assertive. I just finished my 3 week flowering cut. I removed about 50% of the fan leaves, as well as maybe 1 or 2 shoots from each plant that looks like they wouldn't be making it to the top, or made it, but where several feet long and very flimsy. Rep for the great explanation rewarded Dante.

I don't trim at all. Well I remove seriously dead leaves but other than that nothing. .nother nature knows what's up

If you remove most of the fan leaves the rest of the plant will turn white, like an albino. I had to throw out 4 Armageddon clones years ago
because I had the same stupid thought. Fan leaves have stoma on the back that absorb light and turn it into energy the plant needs to metabolize
(grow). My Arm. plants were unsmokable after I hacked the fans off.

BigSteve.

I tend to trim 2 weeks before flower
2 weeks after ive flipped then
1 or 2 weeks before chop the most of it comes off 2 weeks before chop as they are all just suckin energy from a plant regardless of wot others think ive done so with great success off clones from the same mother same nutes same inviroment same the whole way through and ive tried to figure why it happens but the only thing is the leaves suckin energy away while tryin to survive and stay the biggest till the very end cannabis is a dominante plant that like to tower iver others hence big bold or skinny and tall plant structure take that away from them and you ll reep your rewards neva try and strio a plant in 1 go you ll end up with a plant that is shocked to fuck and will neva put out wit it would of done if it was neva hit so hard !!
2 weeks before flower take the inner most of leaves ie from the centre of the plant to let light penatrate deeper through the canopy. and most of the leave hangin from the bottom which i call shade leaves they are a pointless tool to those that dont do vert growin!!

2weeks after flower trim more leaves from all the plant but also lollipop the bottom third as this will direct the energy to the top 2/3rds of the plant inthe end the light should be able to easily penatrate foilage !!
In my last 1 or 2 weeks ive been known to leave only the sugar leaves and strip the whole lot so as the plant only has the bud to concentrate on my theory is that it does nt really matter this late on to have them there or not if your a lazy fucker like me its not gonna hurt if you do or you dont but trimming in my veiw is a natural thing to do to maximise yeilds and is a very trusted tool i use in my garden on all grows !!

So, if you trim at 2 weeks left, the theory is it won't matter if you cut off all the fan leaves at that point because they aren't doing much. What is to say in the same time the plant doesn't just stop growing and never has a chance to give it that last push because you cut a week off of it by cutting off the remainder of the fan leaves?

I just pull of popcorn budsites as they appear during the first 3 weeks of 12/12. Leave every leaf on the plant and if a leaf dies remove it. So I keep all the leaves but I remove all but the top most productive budsites.

Leaves also store nutrients for the plant. As the bottom leaves die they send all their food into the rest of the plant.

In my oppinion when a leaf stops producing more energy than it is using the plant discards of it... so shaded leaves will not drain more energy than they produce, because if that happends the plant will drop those leaves.

The more leaves you have the more water the plant will consume... but growing indoors with plants that have good root systems that shouldn't be a problem