Trimming to produce a single cola

[hossua34]

Hey all. Since I'm still relatively new to this, I was wondering what the most effective (and safe) method would be to trim a plant so that it produces mainly one large, central cola. I ask because, hypothetically, I would be growing with floro tubes mounted vertically, to maximize the space I have.

Tried the whole search-engine bit, but couldn't find a straight answer. thanks

 

[Damagoman]

You messin' with the Dots?

Teasin' ya' ... you just don't trim dude ..

It'll do it that way ...
less you want it to expend the energy needed to repair the nodes you'll have to Nip clean to the stalk.

Just let her go Buba

 

[RangerDanger]

After 3 weeks of 12/12, cut off all side branches at the main stalk with a clean razor blade.
Leave the leaves that are attached to the main stalk.
There are strains that lend themselves better to this method. In fact, there are some strains that have almost no side branching at all.
I grew one strain (don't ask me what it was; I get clones from a variety of sources, but it was a pure Indica) that finished before anything else. It was short--about 3.5' tall when everything else finished at 6'--7', and it had a few small branches that grew upwards right along the meristem. It grew 1 large bud--about 2' long that weighed about 4 or 5 oz., with a few smaller buds on the meristem closer to the ground.

 

[Stix]

Skywalker will grow like that as long as you don't top the plant. They have very few branches if any at all.

 

[DankCloset]

do not ever cut the plant while its in flowering. that is a big nono, sorry ranger, but cuting that plant while its in flower will more than likely kill it or the yield will not even be worth it. specially after 3 weeks. what i do is while in veg i'll cut the branch's or i'll flower from 2 weeks old.

 

[Damagoman]

Started a test on one yesterday Dank, time will tell.

Have 2 that are about 5-6 weeks or better into flower.
Since there are 2 and the heats are ready hampering my yeilds, want da' hell, figured I'd play with it.
Cut all the branches right up to the base of the cola.... looks ugly

 

[hossua34]

Ok... so... yeah.

My question now is, if you don't wait til flowering to cut, how will you know which branches are useless and which will have productive bud sites on them?

 

[RangerDanger]

All branches will have buds. The lower branches are what people remove because they usually grow smaller, less potent buds, due to light blockage.

I remove branches at week 3 of flowering do the plant doesn't grow branches to replace them. That's also why I use a razor blade and cut them off at the mreistem--to prevent new replacement branches.
Never had a plant die from that yet, and comparing it to untrimmed plants from the same donor under indentical conditions (sometimes side-by-side), the yield is the same, just mostly concentrated in 1 HUGE cola (and the ranger is partial to BIG BUDS).

 

[Lilstinky420]

What if one or two lowest branches are doin crappy compared to the others and some spots on the branch dont even have white hairs, would it be wise to chop it?

 

[NoDirtWeed4Me]

I do. Alot of times I'll chop off those smaller branches for clones.

 

[Lilstinky420]

Its at 4 and half weeks, will it stunt bud production?