Cutting Fan Leaves? A Mythbuster style experiment...

You need clones to be doing this. If one side of the plant is stressed the whole plant is stressed. Plus its not just weight that they say is gained also potency... sure maybe the other half might be a little bigger but as long as its ALL ONE PLANT it wont be a myth bust or a side won..

I would wonder how potency is affected too, I'll sub up and check in. Smoke report would be cool as well.

Pullin' weeds said:

The Myth:
Trimming Fan leaves produces better yields.

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How about

The Myth: Trimming fan leafs will kill your yield.

Before you start off on this experiment did you read the guides out there that people already put up on it?

nice experiment i'll be watching. im doing a scrog and was told to trim the hell out of the girls, which i did and intend to keep on doing. makes more sense to me that the bud sites have priority over fan leaves and in this artificial world something has to give and it isnt the bud sites. i also agree you need 2 clones not just 1 plant.

Japanfreak said:

How about

The Myth: Trimming fan leafs will kill your yield.

Before you start off on this experiment did you read the guides out there that people already put up on it?

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Yes, I've read plenty. Seen little if any ACTUAL testing or results - mostly alot of people arguing.
I've been growing 6 years in a perpetual grow - somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 harvests under my belt. I've trimmed and not trimmed and I am unconvinced either way. I have not "killed my yield".
If you think it's a waste of time, that's fine. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

No I don't think it's a waste of time at all, just wondering if you've read the guides out there I've seen. Just hoping that somebody making a thread to kill what they suggest is a myth bothered reading the guides that seem to have lots of pictures and details that they claim is missing from the debate.

Sorry if I took offense. As i said, I have done lots of reading and mostly found page after page of arguing rather than any real results - "I heard this, someone said that, comparing plants to humans, etc... If you have any links to specific results you can share, I'd be happy to look at them. I'm sure the data is out there - just can't fight through the flames to find it...
Calling it a "myth" is simply following the premis of the TV show. I'm not trying to kill anything. Like I said, I've grown plenty both ways but without anything measurable. I just want an answer I can be comfortable with. For me that means DIY.

Here is a link that has info from a bunch of places, a lot is repeated , most of the threads fall apart into fights but the process is usually explained well in the first few posts.
http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=HbI&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&&sa=X&ei=UI0iTbuDC4XCcffnmOAK&ved=0CBMQvwUoAQ&q=defoliation+marijuana&spell=1

Thanks.
Are / were you in Japan, or just freaky about some aspect? I lived about an hour NE of Kyoto (lake Biwa) back in the late 90's...

Purplekrunchie said:

I would wonder how potency is affected too, I'll sub up and check in. Smoke report would be cool as well.

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I'm interested in that as well. I'll be sure to report. I've got some friends I can do some blind testing with...

greenesthaze said:

You need clones to be doing this. If one side of the plant is stressed the whole plant is stressed. Plus its not just weight that they say is gained also potency... sure maybe the other half might be a little bigger but as long as its ALL ONE PLANT it wont be a myth bust or a side won..

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Again - all things this experiment is trying to test. I don't necessarily buy all the arguments "they say".
I've worked in research - this would be an early phase one trial. Lets wait and look at the results before we decide on a phase 3...
If you want multiple clones, please be my guest. I'll be happy to read your results.

dirk d said:

nice experiment i'll be watching. im doing a scrog and was told to trim the hell out of the girls, which i did and intend to keep on doing. makes more sense to me that the bud sites have priority over fan leaves and in this artificial world something has to give and it isnt the bud sites. i also agree you need 2 clones not just 1 plant.

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Thanks! I did SCROG for quite a while but got it got too much as I increased my plant count. I do lots of LST, which is basically the same thing - It's all training into lots of colas

If I did 2 clones I'm sure I would have people complain that there are too many variables, too small a sample. I'd really need a large sample on both sides. Sorry, not prepared to do that.

Enjoy your experiment. This will be interesting. I like your approach.

Viagro said:

Enjoy your experiment. This will be interesting. I like your approach.

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Thanks - I hope we learn something!

Micromaster said:

when you go outside and only have your arms exposed do only your arms get vitamin D or does your whole body? Your whole body get vitamin D even though only your arms/hands were exposed.

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This would probably be true with a fungus but terrible comparison with a plant. You sound desperate to defend your view.

Good thread, subbd

yeah, i hate how everyone wants to bash someones experiment, after the OP stated numerous times they understand this may do diddly, or it may refine growing as we know it.

riddleme did a comparison at the end of his balls to the walls grow on defoliation. said the plants didnt yield worth a shit. he used 4 clones, all differently grown. if anyone is interested in looking at it.

i follow a couple others who love defoliation, i think there plants look a little ugly, no disrespect to your grows if your reading this. they look like there is a problem. i like the lush, full & bushy look, but only on my plants

i will follow to see how it goes. i am sure MJ will surprise somehow

i do agree that very moderate pruning done correctly can increase your yield. but this is different for everyone and every strain.

Pullin' weeds said:

Thanks.
Are / were you in Japan, or just freaky about some aspect? I lived about an hour NE of Kyoto (lake Biwa) back in the late 90's...

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Yeah in Japan. Wow you lived in a nice place. This past spring we went to Kyoto and just walked the city with brownies totally tripping. Just told the navi where we wanted to go and did what it said.

im not bashing or wasnt trying to i am subed and watching but i just dont see it. Will keep negitivity to a min. Good luck

Thanks for the words Gumball.
Yeah it's interesting seeing all the posts telling me what I should or should do on this experiment because that's what "they say" or "I heard", or "in theory"... Do they not realize an experiment is designed to test those exact statements?

Pullin' weeds said:

Thanks for the words Gumball.
Yeah it's interesting seeing all the posts telling me what I should or should do on this experiment because that's what "they say" or "I heard", or "in theory"... Do they not realize an experiment is designed to test those exact statements?

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yep, and you may find it works great for you. someone must of proved something about it, or there would be zero people doing it.