DEFOLIATION . . . . a hands on approach!

I've never defoliated, just pruned lower smaller PC stuff. You pluck leaves not cut them off, correct? Any advice on the actual plucking? Suppose I'll try one or two leaves when lights come on later, just kind of apprehensive that I'll end up pulling "skin" off of the branch at base if leaf stem, or do they pop off fairly easily?

Defoliation isnt anything to new in cultivaton practices it didnt just arise out of thin air. There are many principles and scientific factors that show why it works and how it benefits bud development.

Simple answer is that unlike growing outdoors when cannabis is grown indoors you get more robust bushy plants with plentiful amounts of foliage because you are giving them optimum growing environment. Plants grown outdoors usually by mid flower have lost most of these fan leaves either from weather, insect attacks or animals. They are able to continue growing regardless of this leaf loss.

So when you grow these plants indoors the idea of removing these leaves to focus on bud development is no different. These large fan leaves pull nutrients and water away from bud sites and by removing them you are driving the energy and resources straight to the flowers themselves.

Outdoors these fan leave serve more purpose because they hold vast amounts of nutrients for the plant and feed it from within. Which is why you dont need them indoors as much as outdoors because you are constantly feeding the plants at the roots and providing them everything they need when you feed.

So dont worry about what people say regarding you pulling them off and killing your plants. These plants are resilient and yields can be greatly increased from proper defoliation. Most of the information on the internet comes from people who make claims and provide information they believe is right without ever doing the research for themselves and simply repeat things they hear and believe them to be true. Defoliation is one of those things.

Indicas respond the best, know your strains and be careful with sativas as some dont respond so well primarily because they dont have vast amounts of leaves to begin with. This is a simple thing no need to complicate it.

Cannabil said:

Defoliation isnt anything to new in cultivaton practices it didnt just arise out of thin air. There are many principles and scientific factors that show why it works and how it benefits bud development.

Simple answer is that unlike growing outdoors when cannabis is grown indoors you get more robust bushy plants with plentiful amounts of foliage because you are giving them optimum growing environment. Plants grown outdoors usually by mid flower have lost most of these fan leaves either from weather, insect attacks or animals. They are able to continue growing regardless of this leaf loss.

So when you grow these plants indoors the idea of removing these leaves to focus on bud development is no different. These large fan leaves pull nutrients and water away from bud sites and by removing them you are driving the energy and resources straight to the flowers themselves.

Outdoors these fan leave serve more purpose because they hold vast amounts of nutrients for the plant and feed it from within. Which is why you dont need them indoors as much as outdoors because you are constantly feeding the plants at the roots and providing them everything they need when you feed.

So dont worry about what people say regarding you pulling them off and killing your plants. These plants are resilient and yields can be greatly increased from proper defoliation. Most of the information on the internet comes from people who make claims and provide information they believe is right without ever doing the research for themselves and simply repeat things they hear and believe them to be true. Defoliation is one of those things.

Indicas respond the best, know your strains and be careful with sativas as some dont respond so well primarily because they dont have vast amounts of leaves to begin with. This is a simple thing no need to complicate it.

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Large fan leaves produce the energy the buds needs too grow. They do not pull energy away from the buds. Your logic is flawed and incorrect. Stoner logic at its best.

Alexander Supertramp said:

Large fan leaves produce the energy the buds needs too grow. They do not pull energy away from the buds. Your logic is flawed and incorrect. Stoner logic at its best.

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Thats ok if you think so. But there is plenty of information regarding this subject and very easy to access. Large fan leaves do initially provide resources for the plant, during veg phase and early bloom. During the bloom phase after initial flowering when the roots stop growing and the plants stop growing and stretching these big leaves are no longer needed the same way as they are during growth phase. The buds are formed and now they are going to bulken up and ripen. Removing these leaves will focus all the moisture, water and nutrients into swelling up the flowers and increasing bud development and size.

Thats the whole point of indoor growing systems such as hydroponics soilless constantly are being fed and thus you are feeding your roots and this is what gives your plant the nutrients and energy they need to grow and produce flowers. The first few weeks of bloom they do provide resources to grow and stretch and produce flowers same as the veg phase. Why do you think fan leaves fall and die off as harvest approaches? These leaves are no longer useful and they yellow and shrivel up fall off and die. If you simply remove these leaves after the 4-5 week or final 2 weeks of bloo, you will than understand how it works.

Research it and look it up.

Removing these leaves especially during final 2 weeks of bloom will not hurt your plants or fuck up your yield. It will increase your yield when done correctly. And also help them finish up and ripen for harvest including producing additional resins and trichomes.

Try it out and you will see. I promise this isnt something I am just making up. Theres alot alot alot of articles written about this, theres books written on it and many expert growers who all use these practices for their grows.

So I'm in the 2-3 week range after the flip, wait another 2-3 weeks to do some defoliation? Little by little I would assume, not a hundred leaves in one day. I'll do some more research but I'm down to try simple things like this to increase yield/ quality. Any other pointers. Thanks all.

Yes that is the "basic" principle of photosynthesis. Understanding the process of photosynthesis is that leaves use sunlight that convert it into carbohydrates and energy for the plants. Nutrients are stored in the leaves and as the nutrients diminish in your soil or medium the plant will use the stored nutrients from the leaves to feed growth (veg stage).

If you supply constant nutrients to the roots they dont need to continuously store these food sources and deplete the leaves which is why we constantly feed the roots. In the veg stage the leaves are more important for this reason because the are driving the plant to grow and continuously produce energy and carbs for growth.

The budding stage is for flowering your not trying to get new growth your just trying to ripen and fatten whats already being produced which is the flowers. The leaves arent as necessary which is why they fall off and die during bloom.

Thats why once mid bloom comes you can begin to remove the leaves to increase your yields. Your no longer focusing on foliage you are focusing on bud development. This is as basic a way as I can explain it.

Plants are autotrophic they can create their own food thru photosynthesis. But we feed them so you dont need to worry about them making this energy from leaves like they need to in nature.

Have you ever seen a tree in winter? No leaves it stores carbs and nutrients via roots and still comes back to grow when climate permits it and light changes as seasons progress. You can literally strip an entire plant down to 1 leaf set and it will continue to grow provided you are feeding it nutrient and giving it the right environment.

Its not a hard concept its just the misconception of not understanding why defoliation works. It works because you are no longer focusing on growth and keeping leaves green but rather focusing on developing buds. The plant continues to grow and ripen and finish even after you strip the leaves off thru defoliation.

Hope this helps. Like I said try it out and than get back to me. Im not gonna come here take time to tell you something that doesnt work if I did I lose all my credibility. Im not here to do that. Just to help and learn. Peace

For sure I'll keep ya posted. Thanks for the good info. One of my pretty ladies right here...

Top view I keep em chunked w tons of floeer sites and super bushy these have about 30 tops and are only 12" tall. Serious pruning. Super sour pheno



Heres some of my bitches thru the last veg run. In bloom now have take some new ones. These are Fruity Chronic Juice...
SAGE & Sour... Louis OG.. AND Ultra Sour

Just started blooming lil while ago only on day 11

Ill get some new pics up and show yah how much diff they look after my last huge defoliation I did few days ago. Big difference you can see right through to back walls and floor to tops of pots.

Ill put some final shots up when there done of the chunks and get the soda bottles out theres gonna be some donks up in this

This sours a finicky fckin bitch to grow I like how it grows overall but Im trashing it after this run. Too picky with nutrients. If you dont feed em every single time they lighten up and get deficienct after 1 wrong feeding super pain in the ass. Been hammering down nitrogen and calcium all run and they still want more.

Gonna keep the Fruity Chronic the Louis OG and I got some Milkshake cuts and some G13 Haze Strain im bringing back in.

Sorry milkshake is a g13 haze strain* that was typo

Very nice! definately a nicer set up than my ghetto rigged one. But whatever gets the job done right.

MoMoGrows said:

Very nice! definately a nicer set up than my ghetto rigged one. But whatever gets the job done right.

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I got a buddy with a 3 lighter in a huge walk in closet that is pretty "ghetto" but he gets great results. Dont matter what room looks like as long as your environment is right and your feeding correctly your good to go.

Doesnt need to be fancy at all. Thats the great thing about growing for yourself its a labor of love.

Im lucky to have 2 rooms I built in a basement dividing room up but its nothing crazy just keep it clean and organized and thats all you need man. Could always be better but you work with what you got

G13 Haze
Nice fat bushy squatters, best part is its a 50 day strain. 7 weeks and shes done!

A lot of leaf

Those look reallly good perfect color on em

Right on!
Been been tight on this grow staying on top of it properly.