Marijuana plants need a lot of attention and careful harvesting; wear gloves and choose carefully when to prune. By removing the apical part you allow the leaves to absorb more light; detach the dead, yellowed ones and the smaller buds that grow in the lower part. Don't overdo the pruning, otherwise you reduce the growth potential of the plant.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Put on your gloves
The resin of the plant is very stubborn and resists washing; using disposable rubber gloves protect the skin from sticky buds.
Step 2. Use the right tools
Marijuana plants are fragile and sensitive to harsh treatment; you have to carefully prune them using sharp sewing scissors or a very sharp kitchen knife.
- Fiskars pruning shears are a great option.
- Generally, garden shears are also used.
- Large, fan-like leaves can be peeled off with your fingers or cut off with scissors or shears.
Step 3. Set up a system to separate the cut parts
You shouldn't just throw away the material you pruned, because you can use it in the kitchen or to make hashish. Consequently, before proceeding, prepare three laccarde or other similar containers near the plants; in the first place the pods not cut, in the second those just cut and in the third the leaves and the rest of the plant material.
Step 4. Collect the buds at the right time
The apical part of the plants should have clusters of white hair protruding from it; they are the pistils, that is, the reproductive organs. As the plant matures, the pistils change color and turn brown; when about 70% of this hair has darkened to a reddish brown, the plant is ready for harvest.
Step 5. Choose between a "wet" or "dry" pruning
Most growers prefer to cut off the buds before drying them; this technique is also called "wet" pruning and simplifies the process of separating the leaves from the buds, improving the appearance of the latter. Otherwise, other people wait for the buds to dry on the plant and then perform a "dry" pruning; this method is preferred in dry climates because the leaves naturally slow down drying, an important detail for the harvest.
Part 2 of 3: Collect the Blossoms
Step 1. Cut the leaves into a fan
They are large and have the characteristic five-pointed shape (one large in the center and two smaller on each side); you can peel them off with your fingers or cut them off with scissors or shears.
Some people decide to remove them later, once the plant has matured; in this way, the drying process is slower and the buds are more aromatic
Step 2. Eliminate the leaves growing on the inflorescences
Some US sources call them "sugar leaves"; they are short, their stem is not visible and you can only identify the tips. Use scissors to peel them off.
Step 3. Leave the buds on the plants
It is usually recommended to leave the inflorescences that you want to dry slowly (those of the apical portion) on the plant; if you live in a very humid environment, it is best to prune them to speed up the process.
Step 4. Hang the branches to season
When the stems supporting the inflorescences have been removed and divided individually, you need to dry them. Hang them with string or wire ties to the clothesline so that they are completely exposed to the air; store them in a room where the temperature is between 21 and 29 ° C.
- At first, turn on a fan or make sure there are plenty of drafts to encourage drying.
- As the plants dry out, gradually reduce the airflow to increase the humidity in the room, but make sure it never exceeds 50%.
- Do not expose the branches to direct sunlight, heat or humidity; the latter is particularly harmful, since it favors the development of mold which in turn ruins the crop.
- The goal is slow and natural drying, so that the inflorescences taste good when you smoke them; the process also takes more than a week.
Step 5. Throw away what is left of the plants
After removing the buds, cut off the rest of the leaves from the branches; there is no correct way to do this: some people pull them off firmly by hand, others use shears instead. Once the plant has been completely pruned, you should throw the wood material in the compost or trash.
Part 3 of 3: Perform Regular Maintenance
Step 1. Remove dead leaves
As harvest time approaches, you need to inspect the branches of the plant and remove any dead or dying fan leaves (you can recognize them by their yellowish color). In this way, the plant can direct the greatest amount of energy into developing healthy leaves, instead of wasting them to keep alive those that are inevitably about to die; a gentle but firm tug is enough to detach most of the leaves.
It is normal for some of these to die
Step 2. Cut all branches and buds that are not directly connected to the main stem
As the branches develop from the central trunk, they become covered with buds which branch in turn. These secondary propagations compete with the central and apical ones for sap and sunlight, so you need to eliminate them.
Step 3. Remove the leaves on the top of the plant
If some leaves are growing directly from the central trunk, cut them off; in this way, you not only allow the branches to receive more sunlight, but also stimulate the formation of new ones.
If you have limited space, pruning the apical area is essential to limit vertical growth
Step 4. Prune or cut the top of the plant
You can decide to cut a part of a newly sprouted shoot to stimulate the plant to double the number of inflorescences it produces; alternatively, you can completely detach the sprout from the base. The first technique also induces a development of the plant horizontally, rather than vertically.
- The two techniques lead to slightly different results; do some research to find out which is the best solution for your specific case.
- To remove only part of the shoot, find a new one and remove 2/3 of the length with a pair of sharp shears.
- Know that this procedure is not without risk; every time you cut a sprout you increase the chances of the plant getting sick.
- After cutting, the plant grows more slowly; it's a normal reaction.
Step 5. Stimulate the growth of the plant
You have to squeeze a branch firmly until the tissues are partially crushed; in this way, the plant rebuilds the branches becoming stronger and favoring a more efficient distribution of water and nutrients.
- Choose an old but still flexible branch; it must still be green and not brown or woody.
- Pinch it in the middle using your thumb and index finger; do the same with the other hand, squeezing the branch just above the point you crushed earlier.
- Gently bend it back and forth in an arching motion and gradually increase the angle of the arch, until you hear a snap; you should see the white spot on the area you are working on.
- Place the folded branch on top of the adjacent branch to support its weight.
Step 6. Detach the buds at the bottom
If you notice small inflorescences that arise in the lower portion of the plant, cut them off or tear them because they only consume energy and nutrients, which are instead precious for the larger and more important ones that develop on the top.
Step 7. Don't prune the plant too often
After being cut, it needs time to recover; proceed only once every 3-4 days; in many cases a "trim" twice a month is sufficient. Increase the frequency during the early vegetative phase (when the plant produces leaves early) and towards the end of flowering.
