To defoliate or not to defoliate? That is the question.

Neubieauto

Neubieauto

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
See the reflection of the light from the floor?
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Yeah. I was more thinking just the back 2 plants. Sorry I should have been more specific.There are 2 plants in the back and 2 plants much smaller in the front so there is a space between if that makes sense. And i was thinking just the leaves that are covering up lower budsites. But i want her to soak up all the light she can as well. Do you defoliate at all?
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Neubieauto said:
Yeah. I was more thinking just the back 2 plants. Sorry I should have been more specific.There are 2 plants in the back and 2 plants much smaller in the front so there is a space between if that makes sense. And i was thinking just the leaves that are covering up lower budsites. But i want her to soak up all the light she can as well. Do you defoliate at all?
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I don’t defoliate. The fan leaves are the engines driving your plants. I get rid of the lower branches first. To heck with the popcorn down low.
 
SMT69

SMT69

Well-Known Member
I've done both

Defoliating , and i mean heavy, has given better yeilds for me growing indoors in a tent.


nuthin but bud @ 7 weeks



 
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Neubieauto

Neubieauto

Well-Known Member
I have been thinking of taking some lower branches as well. At what point in the plants life do you do this? And thank you very much. A little bit of experience helps alot lol. As well as lurking all the threads around here. Also while I have your ear here. The plant in the top left is starting to get dark shiny leaves which I'm seeing and am pretty sure that's a sign of a n-def. I do organic dry amends to soil. I reuse a mix of ffof and mg organics and a bunch of perlite that I've been using for months. I pre-charge the soil with ffof happy frog jumpstart 444 and then just add in some straight bone meal to the mix for the flowering stage about 4 to 5 weeks in. And that gives me good timing to run out of nutes before harvest at 10 weeks or so usually. Well these plants seem to have alot of time left. I'm at week 8 now and these girls got fed my bloom mix at week 4. Should I topdress at half strength or full strength because I'm thinking they will need more but dont know how strong to go.
 
SMT69

SMT69

Well-Known Member
I defol at start of week 2 after germ, constantly trimming until flip at 12/12 then I don't touch them. I defol constantly until i flip to 12/12. Don't defol anything after the 2nd or 3rd week of 12/12

I've experimented differently, but thishas worked excellent for me.

That run was in coco, those are 1 gal pots btw, and had a bit of build up in the medium with some lockout issues but the bud was incredibly potent and smelled wonderful. My growing has gotten better since, and I'm constantly improving on plants nutrition and learning to read the plants better now. Aside from over feeding that run, it turned out spectacular. I'm not one to give advice on feeding yet but i do recommend defol, that's only my opinion
 
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Jimdamick

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
I get rid of the lower branches first.
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I don't even cut those.
With certain strains the lower branches are excellent producers, growing up almost to the top of the plant.
If you want a pretty plant, go ahead, snip away if it makes you feel better, but your damaging the plant.
I don't trim shit, I gave that waste of time up years ago. :)
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Neubieauto said:
I have been thinking of taking some lower branches as well. At what point in the plants life do you do this? And thank you very much. A little bit of experience helps alot lol. As well as lurking all the threads around here. Also while I have your ear here. The plant in the top left is starting to get dark shiny leaves which I'm seeing and am pretty sure that's a sign of a n-def. I do organic dry amends to soil. I reuse a mix of ffof and mg organics and a bunch of perlite that I've been using for months. I pre-charge the soil with ffof happy frog jumpstart 444 and then just add in some straight bone meal to the mix for the flowering stage about 4 to 5 weeks in. And that gives me good timing to run out of nutes before harvest at 10 weeks or so usually. Well these plants seem to have alot of time left. I'm at week 8 now and these girls got fed my bloom mix at week 4. Should I topdress at half strength or full strength because I'm thinking they will need more but dont know how strong to go.
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Dark shiny green means nitrogen EXCESS.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Jimdamick said:
I don't even cut those.
With certain strains the lower branches are excellent producers, growing up almost to the top of the plant.
If you want a pretty plant, go ahead, snip away if it makes you feel better, but your damaging the plant.
I don't trim shit, I gave that waste of time up years ago. :)
Click to expand...
I trim away the lowest in flower only to aid in air circulation. Otherwise I just let them run. I keep trying to think of another crop that gets pruned while actively growing and bearing fruit.
 
SMT69

SMT69

Well-Known Member
you have both options now brother, its up to you how you'd like to the finished product to turn out.

They will grow fine either way...these guys are hinting that the defol'd plants bud won't turn out good? Lol, I've witnessed first hand the exact opposite.

They actually focus their energy on making bud not leaves, Lol.
(For example, looking at your picture all i see is leaves and little buds, and pretty soon it will be solid packed in leaves with no air flow)

Like I said, I've done it both ways, defol absolutely no doubt for me, I'll never go back to fully leafed plants in a tent again. Now outdoor growing I won't defol much.

Another thread about it - https://www.rollitup.org/t/defoliation.967009/

Try both if you're curious/unconvinced
 
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SMT69

SMT69

Well-Known Member
this guy had nothing but bare sticks at flip, only cola leaves were left as they grew






 
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