Modified on: 21/09/2022
Discover this hemp pruning technique and its advantages
Among the various pruning techniques used by hemp growers around the world, there is one very particular one that, despite its rather curious origins, turns out to be one of the most profitable in terms of productivity. Would you like to know how the technique called ‘FIM’ came about, how and when it is put into practice and what advantages it offers?
In the next few lines, you will find out everything you need to know about this pruning.
What is fimming and how it is done
Pruning is a very important operation for various types of plants, including cannabis. By lightening the stem, the growth of new branches makes the shrub thicker and more productive. When we talk about pruning in relation to plants born from the germination of marijuana seeds, we can refer to several techniques, one of which came about somewhat by accident but has proven to be excellent for a variety of reasons.
This is FIM, an acronym for the phrase ‘F**k, I Missed’. Legend has it that the grower who accidentally made this cut gave it this name because he intended to perform a pruning but instead of cutting off the entire apical top, he left a section. That’s right: fimming arises from an awkwardly executed topping.
But how is pruning done using the FIM technique? Simple: you locate the apical tip of the cannabis plant and remove 75% of it using your fingers, scissors or a knife. The aesthetic result is not the most pleasing to the eye but, as we shall see in a moment, has important advantages in terms of yield. Now, however, let’s see when is the ideal time to subject a cannabis plant to this pruning.
Read also: Cannabis for personal use: is it an offence to possess and grow it?
When to start fiming
Pruning a cannabis plant is one of those actions that stimulate stem growth and positively affect yield. However, if performed at the wrong time, it can slow down the development of new buds and ramifications. The stress that the plant undergoes as a result of pruning causes growth to stop for a certain period. Here, this period is prolonged more than it should be if the apical top is cut off earlier than the ideal time.
When does this time come, then? In principle, it coincides with the plant reaching 3-4 weeks of life. Following the germination of cannabis seeds, the plants take about this length of time to reach 30 cm in height, which is the minimum size for them to have sufficient strength to recover from the trauma of pruning. During the vegetative growth phase (i.e. before the cannabis produces inflorescences) it is possible to fimbriate at any time, but never before the plants complete their first phase of development.
Now, however, let’s clarify why the FIM technique is espoused by so many cannabis growers.
The advantages of fiming over topping
At the beginning of this article, we pointed out that FIM came about quite accidentally as a result of a mistake during a topping. Well, nowadays many growers adopt fimming exclusively or alternate it with topping. Are you wondering why? Well, the FIM technique is more effective and has mainly two advantages.
The first is that it is very likely that 4 tops will be born from the apical tip cut with this technique and not just 2 as is the case with topping. This means that the plant becomes thicker at the top when it starts to develop in height again. The second advantage is that by severing the apical top 75% and not the whole plant, the auxins (the hormones responsible for growth) are distributed more evenly throughout the plant. The natural consequence of this effect is that more lateral branching and, consequently, more inflorescences are obtained.
In essence, therefore, fimming increases the overall productivity of cannabis. Not bad for a technique that, unlike topping, also requires less precision when cutting the buds.
Read also: What is the best potting soil for growing cannabis?
In conclusion
Now that you know what the fimming technique consists of and what its advantages are, it is worth reminding you that it is forbidden to grow weed in Italy, except for those who have a regular authorisation to grow medical cannabis and legal hemp. Nevertheless, if you are passionate about this plant, you can collect the best auto-flowering seeds, feminized seeds and fast flowering seeds for sale at SensorySeeds.
Weed seeds contain no THC; therefore, their sale and possession are completely legal.
