Lollipopping Cannabis

What is lollipopping?

Indoor cannabis growers use the high-yielding pruning method known as “lollipopping.” “Less is more” is the guiding principle of lollipopping plants. Increasing bud production with this strategy isn’t scientific, but it does the job. If you wish to get the most out of a cannabis plant, it is necessary to remove all of the lowest buds. Step-by-step instructions are in order. Unless you don’t have a pair of scissors on hand, no tools are necessary.

Lollipopping vs not – what are the benefits of lollipopping?

Light, water, and nutrients from the environment are all that cannabis plants need to produce energy. There is, however, a limit to how much of this energy may be used. In the world of cannabis cultivation, the lollipopping meaning describes the process of assisting your plants direct their energy toward producing buds in the proper spots. To put it another way, it focuses on the areas of the plant that get the most significant sun exposure.

Cannabis plants that have not been trained or pruned grow like Christmas trees. They will likely have a thick canopy that enables little light to get through when they are ready to blossom. As a result, the bud sites at the bottom won’t earn any light. If left untreated, lower nodes will yield “popcorn” buds, which are light and fluffy but devoid of aroma, or visual appeal. That’s why trimming cannabis is essential.

Lollipopping cannabis is a method of pruning your cannabis plant to focus all of your attention on the highest bud spots. Lollipopping autoflowers is a simple technique that may assist in focusing light at specific plant nodes and maximize the plants’ limited energy resources in the process. Big, thick buds with maximum power and aroma are produced as a consequence.

How to lollipop cannabis

Are you wondering how to lollipop cannabis? Well, you should still use care with your lollipop plants. When they are just about to blossom, that’s the ideal time to lollipop them. Ensure you understand when to lollipop, and once you do, follow the following procedure:

1. Pruning your lollipop cannabis should begin with a good pair of sharp scissors. Make precise cuts near the nodes of your hair with our curved trimming scissors, for instance. Purchase a set of shears for cutting larger, thicker branches. Remove the most conspicuous foliage first. The first few branches at the base of your plant will not be able to grow ultimately. These should be the first things you get rid of.
   
2. Afterward, consider following Kyle Kushman’s pruning recommendations and eliminating any branches that don’t break at least half of the plant’s height. These branches will never develop correctly when your plants grow throughout the early weeks of blooming as they won’t receive adequate light. Lollipopping doesn’t require the removal of whole branches, however, it’s common to prune and lollipop at the same time.
   
3. Starting from the center, begin eliminating the branches that are developing beneath the plant’s canopy. In addition to the fact that they may not receive enough light, this dense foliage also obscures several potential buds. Remove any withering or yellowing branches or leaves while you’re at it. Your lollipop cannabis plants should have the shape you pictured before getting started.
   
4. As a final step, you’ll want to lollipop each twig on your plants. According to some gardeners, no more than three nodes should be left on the tip of each branch. Pruning at the wrong moment might have disastrous results. Trimming below the top 4/5 nodes is a good idea if your plants are minor and you’re doing it late in the season. You should remove the highest nodes on each branch in any situation.

Lollipopping vs defoliation

Many gardeners mistake defoliation with lollipopping, but the two are different. Lollipopping outdoor plants concentrate on the underside of a plant, whereas leaf plucking is more general. It’s all about getting rid of growth that isn’t getting adequate exposure to light. So that they may better use the plentiful light at their canopy’s top for producing buds, plants use this technique. Lollipop cannabis plants resemble lollipop sticks, with their bare stems and lack of leaves at the bottom.

On the other hand, defoliation aims to increase the amount of light and air reaching all plant sections. Defoliation provides equal opportunity to all buds, rather than favoring just those at the very top. Those who wish to give it a go should consider reading more on the advantages and procedures of defoliation.

Techniques to use alongside lollipopping

Consider combining lollipopping with other training methods to get the best results. This include:

Lollipop and SCROG

ScrOG-style growers need to use lollipopping as a primary training strategy, regardless of the training method. SCROG is based on the notion of a flat canopy. All of the buds face the same direction toward the light source. However, if the canopy grows too thick, it will block off the light and need trimming.

Lollipopping and mainlining 

Plants’ inherent apical dominance may be tamed using mainlining cannabis. A symmetrical plant with a Y-shaped, manifold-like main stem is created using a mix of topping cannabis and LST. The more times you do this, the more colas your plant produces and the more evenly distributed energy throughout the lollipop. Sometimes high stress training can be necessary.

This, in particular, is an excellent approach for lollipops. Combining these two methods increases both the amount of light and the amount of energy your plants have to produce buds.

Start lollipopping now!

Before turning your lights, give the lollipopping method a go if you are getting close to blooming season. Keep in mind, however, that you should go cautiously at first. It is a good idea to experiment with various lollipops and trimming levels on multiple plants of the same strain before comparing your results at harvest time if you are new to this procedure.