What Is Your "Pruning" Philosophy?

[NACnCO]

At what stage of growth do you start to pick off the large water leaves? Do you go through and pick the leaves off in one fell swoop or do you take the leaves off in stages? Do the leaves have to meet a particular size or development requirement to be picked off? How clean do you pick the leaves off? As many leaves as possible or do you leave some percentage of leaves on the plant and why?

What about the smaller branches at the bottom of the plant? Do you leave all the branches or trim off the smaller branches like suckers on a corn stalk? If you do trim these branches then how do you determine which branches should be kept and which branches should be sacrificed? And at what stage of growth do you start this branch trimming?

Is there anything else I should take into consideration?

I really appreciate the advice I've been given on these "Philosophy" threads. Thank you for helping me figure this all out.

 

[Bill C]

I try to prune as little as possible, but I think a lot of it depends on the strain that is being grown. A short, bushy Indica will probably need to have some leaves trimmed to allow light to penetrate to the lower bud sites. Whereas a tall Sativa, with fewer, skinnier leaves and more internodal spacing lets more light through naturally.

As far as those "sucker" branches at the bottom, again I tend to leave them on. But, I'm a bit of a hash hound and throw all those airy buds in with the trim for processing into hash. If I was looking for the best nugs and wasn't going to bother with hash, then I would trim them off. I wouldn't trim too soon or too much. Like a haircut, more can always be taken off, but it can't be put back on.

Good luck!

 

[Hope4Growth]

I used to do the traditional staircase style trimming but more recently indoors no trimming at all unless they are dying off or have been nute burned to bad. Outdoors nothing comes off, there is no reason unless bug damaged or dead. Those bottom branches I have done both with them as well. I think its your preference, but indoors for me they usually come off once i cut for clones. Outdoors again, nothing really needs to go.