# What Should I be Trimming?

**URL:** <https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123>\
**Category:** Flowering\
**Created:** [April 21, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123 "2020-04-21T19:35:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Crumb93](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Crumb93](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Crumb93)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123/1 "2020-04-21T19:35:04Z")

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I’m not a smart man, and I’m new to growing. My plants finally made it into flower. This my first grow and I have no idea what the hell I’m doing. I’m trying to trim the plants up to help with airflow and transpiration.

However, I’m kind of worried that I’m trimming the buds trying to grow lol. I’ve been trimming the lower leaves and branches, including the bud sites on those. I’ve been leaving the top of the plant, leaves, and bud sites up there alone. I’m just wondering if the lower bud sites typically grow up towards the top to form one big cola – or am I ok. I know some of you are probably shaking your heads right now but any input would be awesome! I’ve tried to watch videos of buds growing in flower but I still can’t wrap my head around where those buds come from on the plant.

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**Author:** ![Hellraiser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/hellraiser/32/294013_2.png) [@Hellraiser](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Hellraiser)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123/2 "2020-04-21T19:46:03Z")

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The lower buds don’t amount to much due to lack of light so might as well cut them off so they don’t siphon off energy that could be used to make the buds at the top bigger. I typically remove anything on the bottom third of the plant in veg and even more right before flowering.

These plants are just starting their 2nd week of flowering, see the bottom half is mostly cleaned up, makes for much easier trimming after harvest as well.

 ![IMG_0328](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/original/4X/6/2/8/62850319cb8546fe0e7adc1d5172cd2437a5efde.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Crumb93](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Crumb93](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Crumb93)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123/3 "2020-04-21T19:47:21Z")

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Cool thank you!

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**Author:** ![Myfriendis410](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/myfriendis410/32/556067_2.png) [@Myfriendis410](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Myfriendis410)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/what-should-i-be-trimming/43123/4 "2020-04-21T19:55:18Z")

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Just remember that the leaves are producing the sugars your plant needs to grow and flower. We see occasional growers who defoliate too aggressively and that will hurt your yields. Airflow and light are good reasons to thin and with really good lights you don’t need to support a full canopy anyway. I don’t do leaf removal until about week 2 or 3 in flower. Then once again just before harvest.