Lollipopping?

HeatMiser

HeatMiser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVdzqBAVfJk
 
Has anybody done this? The video states that when growing indoors, you should trim off the leaves that are not getting light in order to create a more efficient canopy that absorbs as much light as possible, resulting in better yields. This seems logical, but I'm wondering a) if it works and (assuming it does) b) if it's a day-and-night difference or just a slight improvement.
 
Thanks! 
 
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Tip to Lollipopping Cannabis for the Higher Yields
I have had the best results lollipopping cannabis right before the switch to the flowering stage. Growers often don't need to lollipop in the vegetative stage unless you haven't trained your plant and it's gotten very tall or out of control.

Growers call the technique "lollipopping" because you're making the bottom bare like a lollipop stick But keep in mind that removing too many bud sites can definitely hurt your yields!
 
 
before-switch-to-flowering-stage-remove-everything-in-darkness-sm.jpg

 
 
 
_Oh, we're not talking about lollipops?>   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN_RQFqaGHI
 
Lol, yes, I know this is used in growing pot.
 
However, they are using peppers in the video, hence the question if anybody has used this technique in their indoor pepper grows, and if so, what their experience has been. 
 
Jeez, I though I'd left my YouTube playback speed on 2x  :)  Someone needs to take away his Mountain Dew.
 
I'm dubious.  He makes a lot of statements as fact that I'm not sure I buy into.  I tend to prune for the "little trees" look when I'm concerned about air circulation and potential fungal/bacterial issues and such; I've never really considered it from a production perspective.  What I do agree with 100% is concentrating the foliage vertically because many types of light loose intensity very quickly at increasing distance from the bulb.  That's one thing I like about my LED - that it provides superior light penetration into taller plants with greater node spacing that don't do as well under the T5HO's.  With the T5's, I tend to keep them them pretty low and most plants do a pretty good job on their own of forming a flat dense canopy that maximizes their utilization of the light.  Plus peppers don't only fruit at the ends of the growth tips.  Removal of branches could reduce fruiting points. IDK, I'm just really skeptical.
 
And heck HM, I've seen that pepperoncini you have. You sure you could handle better yields!?
 
I've done it indoors and out and noticed lower yields usually. CaneDog brings up a good point about the removal of branches reducing fruiting points, as that's where I always see the difference; This year in particular, though that was outside, but in a horrible spot between a house and trees with light only being able to get the plants from the top, like they were in a box. Some cayenne, habanero, jalapeno, bell, and something else I forgot the name of. Half were trimmed like this, half were left alone. The trimmed ones looked cooler and were easier to harvest, but there was always just a handful of peppers less going into the bag. I'm going to do it to a few plants indoors this year but that's just because I want to eventually achieve the look of a mini evil fruit bearing tree. Just side light the shaded areas. I just usually hang some C9 Christmas lights up around, even the flashy blinky color kind. Warmth and light, what pepper plant wouldn't produce more peppers being treated as a Christmas bush? lol
 
HeatMiser said:
Lol, yes, I know this is used in growing pot.
 
However, they are using peppers in the video, hence the question if anybody has used this technique in their indoor pepper grows, and if so, what their experience has been. 
Click to expand...
 
 
Yea, I looked up lollipop and saw all the pot articles so I initially passed on the video. After watching it I certainly agree with CD:
 
CaneDog said:
Jeez, I though I'd left my YouTube playback speed on 2x  :)  Someone needs to take away his Mountain Dew.
 
I'm dubious.  He makes a lot of statements as fact that I'm not sure I buy into. ds!?
Click to expand...
 
Hey CD---- He makes a BIG deal about plant resources being directed and we've all read this....... So how much stock should we put in this? I know that's a tough question to answer/define how much but can we assume "trimming" will help fruiting/ripening?
 
we've called it topping and stripping on this board.
there was a great post by Spicy Chicken on his growlog. but all his images are dead now RIP
 
OOH INTERNET ARCHIVE SAVES THE DAY (takes a while to load)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170715170631/http://thehotpepper.com/topic/37439-spicy-chickonas-mmxiii-grow-log/page-4
 
page 4 shows the before pic, page 5 has after pic. you can see forced new branching.
 
the techniques of Lollipoping / topping / fiming / LST / scrog / etc are applicable for peppers
you will see some pushback from traditional / organic growers / keep it simple growers.
 
juanitos said:
we've called it topping and stripping on this board.
there was a great post by Spicy Chicken on his growlog. but all his images are dead now RIP
 
OOH INTERNET ARCHIVE SAVES THE DAY (takes a while to load)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170715170631/http://thehotpepper.com/topic/37439-spicy-chickonas-mmxiii-grow-log/page-4
 
page 4 shows the before pic, page 5 has after pic. you can see forced new branching.
 
the techniques of Lollipoping / topping / fiming / LST / scrog / etc are applicable for peppers
you will see some pushback from traditional / organic growers / keep it simple growers.
Click to expand...
 
 
Hey Jon, searched "wayback" and found this: Let's go back in time in honor of 5 years of THP    :cheers: 

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Decreasing the tissue that can harvest photons cannot increase the amount of photons harvested.

Although Cannabis oriented the information contained in numerous videos by Apogee Instruments addresses this quite well including in terms of spectra as that green light photons penetrating canopies are huge drivers of photosynthesis.

https://m.youtube.com/c/Apogeeinstrumentsincorporated/videos?

The video about Cannabis lighting myths is a good place to start.

I suggest this one as well:
 
Although I know that with many plants this type of pruning decreases overall yield the quality of the yield generally increases.

Many growers of many plants use this method. Roses, grapes, berries, Cannabis etc. By thinning the growth, removing the weakest and lowest growth while leaving the strongest growth; things like fruit size and flower mass individually increase and the fruits tend to be richer in flavor. There is an advantage in this because such fruit can command a higher price.

Unlike Cannabis with Capsicum one does not need to reduce the amount of material that can harvest photons and thus provide growth energy. Removing flowers or fruit only instead of leaves has the same effect of increasing the quality of individual Capsicum fruits without reducing the overall amount of light energy that the plant can harvest.
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
Yea, I looked up lollipop and saw all the pot articles so I initially passed on the video. After watching it I certainly agree with CD:
 
Hey CD---- He makes a BIG deal about plant resources being directed and we've all read this....... So how much stock should we put in this? I know that's a tough question to answer/define how much but can we assume "trimming" will help fruiting/ripening?
Click to expand...
 
That is a tough one and I don't really have an answer.  I'm mostly just speculating from general reading and general experience - plus probably the informercial feel to the video figures in too :)
 
Some of the things I've considered are potentially fewer production points if you're pruning branches, but perhaps the perhaps the plant could respond to the loss by producing more up higher on the plant.  I also notice that plants will often cannibalize those lower leaves for nutrients before dropping them, so maybe pulling them off before this can happen on it own (when those lower leaves become blocked enough by the canopy) could actually prevent the plant from redirecting resources.  Plus what Max says - how do you know when the leaves are know longer giving more than they take?  Then again, there's often good stores of energy in the roots, and pruning often seems to trigger plants to pour that energy into accelerated growth.  Like I said, just ideas.  It's hard to consider all the variable and which will outweigh the others.
 
I will say that the guy in the video gives me the impression of someone who's just hyping and repeating something he heard elsewhere - which seems way to common online - though I can't know that's true and even if he were, it wouldn't necessarily mean what he's hyping is wrong.
 
Thanks for the responses guys, this is the kind of discussion I was expecting. Even when there's no concrete answer.
 
The reason I asked is because this is the only guy I've seen online do this, and it hasn't been mentioned by any of the other growers I follow (Peter Stanley, Khang Starr, ChilliChump).
 
Overall, my observations/experience matches what has been discussed here:
  • Plants tend to get rid of leaves by themselves - usually closer to the bottom of the plant.
  • They tend to grow evenly into the light, forming sort of an even canopy. 
Additionally, what Max mentioned - removing fruit or flowers can increase the quality of fruit that is left on the plant was discussed by Khang Starr in one of his videos, which resulted in bigger pods in that one instance. 
 
Anyway, the mixed results mentioned by Demented and Juanitos makes me think this isn't necessarily deterministic.... so it might not even be worth the effort.
 
Haha CD - for every plant like the pepperoncini, there's another one like the TS I grew earlier this year - 4ft tall and 4ft wide, and yet it only produced 1 pod :). I just want to make the most out of the little space I have to grow - Bigger yields are a good problem to have!  :dance:
 
HeatMiser said:
Anyway, the mixed results mentioned by Demented and Juanitos makes me think this isn't necessarily deterministic.... so it might not even be worth the effort.
 
Click to expand...
Well unless I'm mistaken, lollipipping and topping/stripping are way different. Topping/stripping is always insanely more productive for me.
 
Demented said:
Well unless I'm mistaken, lollipipping and topping/stripping are way different. Topping/stripping is always insanely more productive for me.
Click to expand...
Topping and super-cropping can increase yields with Cannabis.

But often the yield per area goes up as the yield per area per a given unit of time goes down. Many Cannabis indoor growing practises involve longer growing times to increase yields. The math can show some diminishing returns...

Strains vary and some don't yield well until they are topped or super-cropped.

Certainly the diversity in Capsicum will also lend itself to similar results and some plants will respond more favourably than others to such practices.
 
Demented said:
Well I don't grow pot, but it does increase yields, at least for me, with peppers.
Click to expand...
I grew Cannabis in years past but not since 2013.

Do you have any photos of two plants of the same type side by side with one topped and one not for comparison?

How much did yields increase above normal?
 
Max Nihil said:
I grew Cannabis in years past but not since 2013.

Do you have any photos of two plants of the same type side by side with one topped and one not for comparison?

How much did yields increase above normal?
Click to expand...
 
Well Max, a few years ago a topping project was proposed,,The Great "Evidence for Topping (or not)" Thread ..A lot of interest but not much dedication. I happen to stumble across a few matching plants, see pic below, and threw my hat in the ring...... NECM 2018 Topped & Not Topped Glog
 
Cli8LHu.jpg
 
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