Identifying When to Crop, Cutting, and Trimming
How to Identify When to Crop
Sometimes the plants can be ready to be cropped before the recommended amount of flowering time is up because of how well they grew during that phase. However, to be able to properly identify when it is time to crop you can either purchase a 30x magnifier to closely examine the buds or simply just look at them and make a judgment call. In order to make an appropriate judgment call, take a close look at the pistils that are on each bud. Closely examine them trying your best to calculate what percentage of them is amber in color. If 50 to 70 percent of the pistils seem to be amber in color than this is the recommended time to pull the plant for cropping.
Cutting down the Plant
Cutting down the plant can be done in one of two different ways. Many experienced growers will cut the plant down from the bottom and hang the entire thing upside down removing only one branch at a time for trimming. Other growers however will either cut one branch off at a time from the plant while it is still standing, or remove all the branches at once and line them up accordingly to trim one at a time. All of these methods are okay to follow but the process of cutting down the plant mostly depends on the grower.
Trimming the Bud
Remove a branch and hold it in your hand from the bottom. Using either sharp scissors are garden clippers, trim back the leaves that surround the bud making sure that you are not actually trimming the bud itself. The leaves are very easy to identify from the bud and if grown properly the leaves should appear spaced out away from the bud, making it much easier to trim. Cut as close as possible to the bud exposing it entirely than place it to the side so that the other branches can be trimmed as well.
What to do with the Trimmings
The trimmings from the leaves that are collected after the clipping process is over can also be used to make extra butter and oil after they have dried. This process does take awhile and is not mentioned in this book but the information can be found online and within other marijuana growing guide books. Using every aspect of the plant after it is finished growing is very rewarding and will help you financially when you do not have to buy medicinal butter and oil in the future.
Sometimes the plants can be ready to be cropped before the recommended amount of flowering time is up because of how well they grew during that phase. However, to be able to properly identify when it is time to crop you can either purchase a 30x magnifier to closely examine the buds or simply just look at them and make a judgment call. In order to make an appropriate judgment call, take a close look at the pistils that are on each bud. Closely examine them trying your best to calculate what percentage of them is amber in color. If 50 to 70 percent of the pistils seem to be amber in color than this is the recommended time to pull the plant for cropping.
Cutting down the Plant
Cutting down the plant can be done in one of two different ways. Many experienced growers will cut the plant down from the bottom and hang the entire thing upside down removing only one branch at a time for trimming. Other growers however will either cut one branch off at a time from the plant while it is still standing, or remove all the branches at once and line them up accordingly to trim one at a time. All of these methods are okay to follow but the process of cutting down the plant mostly depends on the grower.
Trimming the Bud
Remove a branch and hold it in your hand from the bottom. Using either sharp scissors are garden clippers, trim back the leaves that surround the bud making sure that you are not actually trimming the bud itself. The leaves are very easy to identify from the bud and if grown properly the leaves should appear spaced out away from the bud, making it much easier to trim. Cut as close as possible to the bud exposing it entirely than place it to the side so that the other branches can be trimmed as well.
What to do with the Trimmings
The trimmings from the leaves that are collected after the clipping process is over can also be used to make extra butter and oil after they have dried. This process does take awhile and is not mentioned in this book but the information can be found online and within other marijuana growing guide books. Using every aspect of the plant after it is finished growing is very rewarding and will help you financially when you do not have to buy medicinal butter and oil in the future.