Depending on your willingness to try new techniques along with a little ingenuity, there’s a number of ways that you can vastly improve the yield of a plant. There are many methods to maximize the amount of light that your plant receives as well as pruning techniques. Here’s a few of my favorites
Super Cropping
This high stress training method should be done within one to two weeks before flowering. Basically your goal is to break up the tissues inside the stem while being gentle enough to not damage the outer skin.
First pinch the stem gently while slightly rolling it back and forth between your fingers. Gradually increase the pressure enough to feel the inner tissue break up. Now use your other hand to gently pull the stem in the direction you want to bend it, creating a 90 degree angle.
Your first few attempts might be rough but don’t let it be discouraging. Just take your time and don’t be afraid to break a stem or two while perfecting this method.
Low Stress Training
LST is accomplished by gently bending the stems away from the middle of the plant, creating a wide and flat shape. LST is also a great way to control the height of your plant, if you happen to have low ceilings.
While your plant is in veg, gently pull a stem away from the center of the plant and tie it down. Now pull a different stem in the opposite direction and tie it down. Repeat this process throughout your veg, creating a wide and flat plant. This allows for your plant to get much more light coverage which promotes more colas. Avoid this method in the later stages to prevent breaking the woodier stems.
Topping
This method involves removing the newest node on the main stem. Doing this causes the plant to split into two main stems while simultaneously encouraging it to grow more wide and bushy.
Simply pinch the top node of the main stem with your thumb and index nails, removing the node while leaving the attached leaf intact. Perfecting this throughout your veg will greatly impact your overall yield while allowing you to control the overall height of your garden.
Lollipopping
This pruning method not only improves the size and density of your colas, it also saves you the headache of attempting to harvest a ton of tiny, airy buds. By simply removing the lower and smaller branches, the average size and density of your colas should drastically improve.
While still in veg, start cleaning up the bottoms of your plant. Removing any stems that seem small or incapable of receiving light. I recommend doing this over a number of days to prevent over stressing the plant. When done incorrectly, the plant will be focused on healing instead of growing. So make sure to do your pruning with care and patience, until you feel confident. Allow at least a week before flowering, to ensure the plant has bounced back with new growth.
Now that you have a few new tools in your arsenal, play around and do some tests of your own. Don’t be afraid to use more than one of these methods at a time while you figure out what works best for your garden. Just remember to listen to your plants. They’ll always let you know if they’re happy or not.
Have a question or just feel like aggravating the Angry Grower? Ask your question in the comments below and see if he bites!
