How to lollipop cannabis plants, expert tips by AMS

Lollipopping weed is not a new thing. In fact, lollipopping is a general practice for those that have been in the marijuana-growing industry for a long time. Nonetheless, the question of how to lollipop marijuana keeps popping up every day. It appears something is tricky somewhere. Perhaps, some weed growers are yet to grasp the nitty-gritty of this delicate, subtle, yet fascinating weed-growing technique.

For instance, many may want to know, what lollipop marijuana is and when to lollipop marijuana is. Are there any other things you need to keep in mind when you are learning how to lollipop marijuana? These are pertinent issues worth your scrutiny.

Lollipopping is a practice. It is not a thing such as a sweet or chewing gum or a plant. When used in weed farming, lollipopping refers to the act when a cannabis grower removes the branches and leaves of a weed plant that do not access much light or light at all.

In most cases, the removed parts are those that are at the bottom of the weed plant. When the farmer removes the ‘unwanted’ parts, they leave the other parts that can access light at the top thus the aim for lollipop marijuana is to allow the upper parts of the marijuana plant to access light uninterrupted.

This weed lollipop tutorial will be of help if you want to increase your weed harvest no matter where you cultivate your marijuana whether outdoors, indoors, or even in a greenhouse. Besides, you will get to understand the best time to lollipop your cannabis plants, and the advantages, and the disadvantages of lollipopping your weed.

When to lollipop cannabis

“There is time and season for everything. A time to sow and a time to reap,” so says the old adage.

There is no right time for lollipopping. However, an experienced weed grower can, upon examining their marijuana decide to lollipop their weed. Some of the signs that your marijuana is ready for lollipopping include:

1. You notice the lower part of the plant is not growing compared to the upper part. It is natural that if the soil has enough nutrients, you will notice uniformity in growth. After all, you’d expect the lower branches and leaves to sprout and grow first and faster than others. However, in the event that the lower parts are not as healthy as the upper parts, it is a good sign that lollipopping should be done.

2. The parts at the bottom of the weed plant are showing a different shade of color. Generally, when weed is grown in fertile and conducive soil, the stem and the leaves have a deep green color. However, if you notice a change in the color between the lower and upper parts, it is reason enough to think of lollipopping.

3. Lastly, if you notice that the lower part of the plant is not getting sufficient light, it is a clear indication you need to lollipop your weed. In most cases, whether you monitor your plants during the day or during the night, you will be able to see if all the parts are getting the same intensity of light. If the upper leaves have grown bigger and healthy and are not creating room for the lower leaves to get the light, you can decide to remove the lower leaves.

How to lollipop your weed like a pro

Though simple, lollipopping needs special attention. If you lollipop your marijuana haphazardly, you will damage the living plant and the final yield will not be pleasing. As mentioned in the above section, for best lollipopping, you need to start doing the exercise immediately after your weed starts to produce flowers.

You should also consider it a good option to remove unyielding and unhealthy branches. However, you need to do the latter with a lot of caution, lest, you will damage your plants.

When you are ready to lollipop, ensure you have the right tools. Clean and sharp shears will be among the few tools you need to assemble. Curved-trimming scissors are also a good option when you want to achieve better results. However, if the plants are thick and strong, you may need to use shears especially if you are pruning branches at the bottom.

You should start with the trimming of weak branches that grow just below the topmost part of the weed plant. That way, you will see if there is still a need to continue removing the branches and the leaves at the bottom.

By starting with the branches and or leaves in the middle, you are trying to see if the created space will allow light to travel to the remaining parts. Besides, this foliage tends to cover many sites. 

In the end, you need to prune each branch if need be. Some experienced weed growers decide to remove everything on the plant except three nodes. However, the decision on how many nodes to remain on a plant depends on a number of things including the marijuana strain, the overall size of the plant, and the health status of each plant in the garden. Therefore, it should not surprise you when a weed grower decides to leave two nodes here, three there, and four over there.

Advantages of lollipopping weed

I am sure by now you have a clue about some of the benefits you’ll get by lollipopping your marijuana.

• The first advantage is you will improve the quality of your weed drastically.

• Secondly, you are likely to increase the branch and leave quantity. It may be seen that lollipopping removes certain parts from a weed plant but the truth is the remaining branches and leaves become healthy and grow big.

• Thirdly, lollipopping reduces the chances of microorganisms invading your crops.

• Fourthly, you will have a good harvest at the end of the season.

After reading through those four advantages of lollipoppig, I doubt if you still have any other concerns that I did not touch on. Nonetheless, it is important to note that not all marijuana strains are good for lollipopping. Autoflowering marijuana strains or any other strains such as ruderalis that take a short span to mature do not necessarily need lollipopping.

Final thoughts

Lollipopping is an important practice whether you are growing cannabis indoors, outdoors, or even in a greenhouse. If done correctly, you will limit the exposure of your crops to microorganisms, enhance the health status of the remaining parts and increase the yield in the end. It is not necessary to lollipop autoflowers and short-term strains.