Hmmm I tend to disagree with you on a few point. Taking off lower branches that wont produce is a long time used gardening method for most plants. The suckers do take up energy that could be used towards top colas and or fruit depending on what you are growing.. take two tomato plants and leave the suckers on one and take off the other. Big difference.
Outside airflow is important if you live where I do. I didnt used to worry about it in the beginning but I used to get bud rot pretty bad. I now prune and open her up...and not a problem anymore.
As far as topping or fimming vs not doing it.... they start budding when the daylight decreases. Topping or not doesnt effect that at all. Now do I encourage people to get all of their pruning and topping done a few weeks before flowering begins? Yes... but only because the plant should have time to heal before it starts budding.
To each their own tho...
You can use my last post and the 2nd picture on it to highlight what you are talking about, I've got some lower branches on a plant that I've fim'd and one or two of the lower branches are huge.
Significantly larger than the fim'd top stems.
I plan on just harvesting half a plant at a time, we have really long summers where I'm at.
First out door season, third season all togeather. Lots of different methods to try out.
In my garden I have got two plants that I LST bending tech, one that I super cropped the main stem on one of my biggest healthiest plants of the early season.. she is gonna put out some big ol colas, most of the plants I try to prune for these reasons yield increase/health/watering/maintance/yield.. With that being said I've cut some of my plants and immediately regretted it after.
On the subject of yield, pruning and out door. I think there is a fine balance, even if intent is to harvest half a plant and a week or two later harvest the bottom half..
I'll say this I have large lower stems I wish I had cut waay earlier and feel now that I'm too invested in to cut now.
Pic is of super cropped plant, came close to losing her but she is turning out
Also just to clarify I agree with what Lake had to say on the subject.
so many ways to grow these beasts. so many different climates... im with you. top heavy, clean out bottom. whatever little buds get left behind, use those for bubble hash. i left a 2 lbs plant un trimmed last year and A) fucking bitch to harvest B) lower bud sites are air and unfinished C) longest plant to finish (maybe genetics) D) most rot E) caterpillar haven.. could go on.. as far as yield goes.... okok im going down the rabbit hole. most of this is personal preference. i couldn't imagine trying to maintain a 11 ft high plant like last year. cant maintain that shit properly and hunt for bad critters. short and FAT iz the wave.
