Thinning and Pruning

[BloomCS]

Thinning and Pruning are extremely important for all plants, so let's talk about these tasks and how to do them. Thinning is the process of clipping out the weakest seedling and leaving the strongest behind to grow strong and tall. It might seem counterintuitive to clip out all but one seedling, but trust us. This will allow your plant to receive the nutrients it needs and your plant will still take over the Bloom and eventually produce lots of fruit!

How to Thin your New Seedlings:
When your plant is about 1-2 inches tall, gently clip away the weaker seedlings from the bottom, and leave the strongest one to grow.

Pruning Young Plants:
When your flowering plants have about 3-5 nodes on the main stem, you'll want to "Top" the plant. Topping will control the size of the plant as well as create more main stems that eventually produce larger and higher quality fruit. This will encourage the plant to grow outwards vs. only up.

How To Top:
Trace the main stem up to the 4th, 5th, or 6th node (depends on plant, use your best judgement or reply with a photo if you need help). Clip the main stem slightly above the node.

This is how it would look after topping if done correctly:

Now your plant will grow two more branches instead of growing only upwards from the main stem. Every time you top, you're turning that one branch into two.

TIP: Be sure to do your last topping BEFORE the flower cycle begins. Make sure the branches are mature and well-established.

Pruning Mature Plants
You'll want to prune throughout the entire life of the plant. Don't be afraid to cut off leaves or weak branches as this will send the nutrients to the stronger parts of the plant and increase light penetration.

If you need help deciding when and how to top or prune, post detailed photos of your plants in the "Show Your Grow" category or "Questions and Answers", and we'll do our best to help!

Post your topping and pruning pictures below to help others out!

[Gr0w3r]

@shippie I think that is about right. Be sure to cut the main stem only. Those little leaves on each side of the main will turn into main branches (colas) of their own. And the purpose of topping is to create more colas, and let all the others catch up.

[shippie]

@BloomCS Okay so for my plant would this be the move? (topping)
I have not cut yet, waiting for confirmation.

[BloomCS]

@Taste_of_life Let us know if you have any further questions.