Help Please "Defoliation" advice requested...

It took me years to recognize the application of Defoliation? But due to a combination of a ridiculously crowded and a potentially bushy strain (Golosa by Delicious Seeds) and... unfortunately Powdery Mildew, in my Environment, I now realize the importance of certain degrees of Defoliation on certain strains.

Purple Punch my current favorite strain to grow (characteristics) seems to be way on the side of not needing much defol but certainly needs a lot of LST! and although some people seem to not like stretch, I think stretch makes things a lot easier to manage and creates better air flow, even if it reduces yield somewhat. Here is my Tropicana Cherry, it was an ideal wide growing (lateral) and not too tall Veg plant for my LST single plant grow style. However now after two weeks or so in flower it is not stretching enough and I have had to defoliate a bit more than I would like.

Can I keep going without losing too much yield. I am not sure if the flowering nodes on this strain are putting out enough leaf mass to make up for the defoliation? But even if I were to break even and neither lose or gain that would still be Good for me, as like I mentioned, I need to keep good air flow and avoid crowded to manage PM in my area! Thank you for looking... And of course trimming now is less work later.

One thing I do not completely understand is how much the Plant can transfer light energy to where it is needed; for example if a bud cluster is shaded, can it get its photons light energy etc. from somewhere else on the plant within reason?

Start by cleaning up what’s on the inside. Everything on the branch that’s close to the main stalk (not getting any light) Those areas will develop a lot slower due to location, and the energy can be better used elsewhere (your colas)

Edit: Things to remove include leaves & dwarf branches.

for example if a bud cluster is shaded, can it get its photons light energy etc. from somewhere else on the plant within reason?

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In my opinion, and this is going to be in the minority especially on this forum, I view defoliation as something that is only done out of pure necessity, and only for botrytis and/or PM. Have you tried potassium bicarbonate for the PM?

I look at each plant as an individual organism, and the big fan leaves catch massive amounts of energy and convert that energy into sugars that the _entire_ plant uses, including small buds that receive almost no photons/light energy. Those buds that receive almost no photons still receive the sugars produced by photosynthesis. And guess what those light-deprived buds still produce? THC and all those other lovely compounds that makes this plant so magnificently special. Here's a shot of the underside of a bud I just picked to illustrate my point. The only light this bud has ever received has been indirect / reflected:



This equation works for the entire plant, not just those buds that receive direct, intense light:

6CO2 + 12H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O

Charles U Farley said:

In my opinion, and this is going to be in the minority especially on this forum, I view defoliation as something that is only done out of pure necessity, and only for botrytis and/or PM. Have you tried potassium bicarbonate for the PM?

I look at each plant as an individual organism, and the big fan leaves catch massive amounts of energy and convert that energy into sugars that the _entire_ plant uses, including small buds that receive almost no photons/light energy. Those buds that receive almost no photons still receive the sugars produced by photosynthesis. And guess what those light-deprived buds still produce? THC and all those other lovely compounds that makes this plant so magnificently special. Here's a shot of the underside of a bud I just picked to illustrate my point. The only light this bud has ever received has been indirect / reflected:

View attachment 5176175

This equation works for the entire plant, not just those buds that receive direct, intense light:

6CO2 + 12H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O

Click to expand...

You and I are in the minority too
I guess

You and I are in the minority too

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As I used to tell my Reagan supporting father-in-law, "Of course I'm in the minority, superior intelligence is rare."

Charles U Farley said:

As I used to tell my Reagan supporting father-in-law, "Of course I'm in the minority, superior intelligence is rare."

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Are you saying the crazed jelly bean guy with Alzheimers & who consulted his astrologist before making any decisions was not smart? How dare you sir!

Seems for the most part some people actually increase yields and if done properly at least break even but rarely lose yield unless they strip the whole plant...