Hi all!
Pretty new to growing. I have two plants. Outdoors and after reading some posts and looking at pics (thank you!) I think my plants are late veg/pre flower stage??? I’ve read lots about thinning leaves out but I’m a bit scared lol. I did ‘top’ the plants and think I ‘fimmed’ a couple of places too lol. Anyway they look healthy even though they split and I lost half of each in a hailstorm!! I would love it if someone with experience could offer guidance on if and how I should remove some foliage without losing out on yield. I’ve just fed them and now understand I will have to wait a week. Many thanks in advance!!
11 Likes
Welcome to the group. Nice bushes. I am a noob for outdoor grows…but have the same question so I will follow.
1 Like
Strip the lower 1/3 of the plant and remove interior fan leaves to promote air circulation it’s nerve racking the first time thinking you will harm the plant but they will be just fine not all fan leaves just the large ones and also focus the plants energy on your main bud production and not the small stuff that may not get much sun
4 Likes
Similar to this, these are mine and I keep a good space between canopy and soil to promote air circulation to reduce the chance of pests and mold
10 Likes
Would you still strip 1/3 if they were 12 feet tall? I know tall plants are not the best way to go, but I wanted to give growing tall plants a shot. If I did 1/3…they would be bare for 4 feet. Advice?
5 Likes
You would for sure see better flower production among the remaining flower sites, I would but all in all it’s personal preference.
6 Likes
Thanks ADK; I’ll look to give it a go but I have to admit to being nervous as heck lol. My big plant is 6ft tall and stripping 2 feet off sounds like a big deal. Having said all of that I welcome the advice and value your experience so I’ll wait a week (having just fed them) and take the plunge 
2 Likes
With a 12ft tall plant I would more than likely thin out a few ft on the bottom. Remember those leaves act like little solar panels. Soaking up the suns rays and turning it into energy at night.
The main reason for doing this outdoors is to allow for good airflow. This will help with mold prevention along with pest prevention also.
When growing indoors one of the main reasons for this is to help with light penetration. Indoors lights aren’t nearly as bright and powerful as the sun.
I’m all reality we want to grow huge sticky buds. This is another reason people trim off the lower ‘larf’ or ‘duff’ as some people call it. There’s no point in the plant sending energy to a bud site that will truly not produce much of anything.
Hope this helped alittle bit.
Happy farming…
5 Likes
That is what I am planning to do around August 1st. I have been thinning almost daily. The center is empty.
8 Likes
Very nice plant. I am doing an outdoor side project myself only because i had to kick one out of the indoor tent back in may. I am enjoying the different challenge. I would recommend doing your trimming soon as outdoor plants should be starting to flower in the next few weeks.
4 Likes
I agree with @Solidgold91 about thinning as soon as you can. In our area plants start the transition into flower about the second to third week of August. Due to this I like to have the majority of my thinning and skirting done by the end of July / first week of August. Maybe alittle big leafing during August. Just to open up those bud sites.
Less stress is best fellow farmer.
Happy growing.
4 Likes
Looking very lovely.
2 Likes
@HippieRunner1 where are you located? Im in north central MN. Our daylight just dropped below 15 hours and going quicker each day now.
I would strip from that lowest cross bar down and thin the rest with that lady!!
You can really see the growth difference as you look at the whole plant, from top to bottom thin-wide- thin, remove the lower section and boost the thinner area up top
4 Likes
Bulgaria, August here can be very hot. Just had a mini heatwave in July after hailstorms that ruined cars and house roofs. Both of my plants were split in half down the main stem and I’m lucky to have what I have so I’m super nervous ……. Actually I WAS nervous but after looking at your plants and others and reading the advice I’m definitely going to trim in the next few days; cheers for the support.
2 Likes
She a green monster , very nice
1 Like
What a beauty
1 Like
You guys a making me jealous , mine rarely get that bushy
2 Likes
Lots of practice !! Growing any kind of plant you learn how to better care for it and deal with the elements over time so this is just a culmination of that.
2 Likes
Building on the advice I’ve been offered; I will definitely be removing the lower stems from my plant and I will thin out some of the internal fan leaves.
Just two final questions before I take the plunge…. Am I in danger of cutting off future bud sites when thinning the leaves, and should I Top the plants one last time before they start to flower?
I’m off to read more threads as I guess there’ll be guidance elsewhere but I’ve really enjoyed and welcomed the tips here. Thanks again to all those that responded. Real sense of community here! 
1 Like