Yes, the healthier the stalk the better, but anything over 10 inches and I start messing with her. Never had one problem. I actually have one in flower right now that is budding really well, and it has a hole in one of the main stalks. Right at the elbow where i cropped it. Didnt hurt a thing. I had some SD seeds in flower that were just stretching too much, so i cropped them like 10 days into flowering. Normally not recommended, but it worked for me. I think it actually accelerated the budding process also. Before i cropped them, the stalks were like hollow straws, now, solid as tree limb. Good luck and good growing