Topping and defoiliation

CanadianJim

Well-Known Member
Being outdoors this late in the season I wouldn't mess with it personally. It's got to be about to start flowering.
Second that, I also don't really get outdoor defoliation. I guess if she's really bushy it could improve airflow, but the penetration power of the sun means that even a lot of the internal leaves on my plants have stayed green for the whole grow. When I was indoors it made sense.
 

cornnugget

Member
As a new grower, everyone I talk to gives me "tips", and everyone says they trim back THE MAJORITY of their fan leaves during veg.

This seems ludicrous to me, but I don't know if there's something to it.

Exposing light to buds is fine... I get that. And you don't want it too bushy because of rot, but... Still, it seems illogical.
 
Being outdoors this late in the season I wouldn't mess with it personally. It's got to be about to start flowering.
Yeah I know it's late in the season I didnt really realize it when I did it last week but it seems to be doing okay its topped and defoiliated, so it's not going to grow any taller besides the stretch but from week 1-3 in flower the plant still produces branches and leads so I should be okay, it's a little experiment I'd try I have the same strain right beside it just as back up all a learning experience :)
 
As a new grower, everyone I talk to gives me "tips", and everyone says they trim back THE MAJORITY of their fan leaves during veg.

This seems ludicrous to me, but I don't know if there's something to it.

Exposing light to buds is fine... I get that. And you don't want it too bushy because of rot, but... Still, it seems illogical.
That's why I'm trying it, I wont know unless I try I wont know until 3 week of flowering if it was worth it or not but I will definitely post pictures weekly
 

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
I might have to lst soon but I'm limited to space i have 4 plants in a 4x4 box but it has like 40gal of soil :)
I feel you. Just strategically pull em away from each other if you have room outside the box to do so. I would start the lst like yesterday to max out potential
 
Second that, I also don't really get outdoor defoliation. I guess if she's really bushy it could improve airflow, but the penetration power of the sun means that even a lot of the internal leaves on my plants have stayed green for the whole grow. When I was indoors it made sense.
Yeah i heard it could help with airflow I hope the thing that saves me is that from now until a few weeks into flower it will Bush out like crazy and I should be okay
 

Backyard dirt

Well-Known Member
My plant is bushier than yours is so today I went through and removed some of the down low buds just emerging from the stems. I know they won't amount to anything. I tried to leave all leaves.
 
My plant is bushier than yours is so today I went through and removed some of the down low buds just emerging from the stems. I know they won't amount to anything. I tried to leave all leaves.
This little plant had a rough go for a while it's over 4 months old it was rootbound in a small pot for a pretty long time it took sometime to recover but within a month it completely turned around so I have faith that I might be able to get something out of it
 
Yeah, it should veg until August 10 or so.
I think so too I know it's around the second week of August or so, so I should be alright and get some more bud sites only branches can grow now since I took off all the fan leafs but there is noticeable growth from a week of topping and defoiliation, I'll post more pics soon but I have the same strain plant and it was a mutated triloid which is cool and I topped it but didn't remove any fan leafs and it didnt even skip a beat and has vigorous growth, I'll post a pic of it too
 

BrewersToker

Well-Known Member
I am all for topping outdoors to maximize harvest, but trimming fan leaves outdoor during veg phase...not me!!

Too much energy to be lost when fan leaves are removed during veg. I want my plant to be as vibrant and complete as possible through stretch. I only start trimming fan leaves deep into flower, closer to harvest. And that's only lower portions to get lower bud sites additional sunlight as the sun starts to tilt off center more in the fall.

To each their own, but from a pure plant biology perspective, leave all fan leaves until flower would always be my advice.
 

Bstndutchy

Well-Known Member
I like to top them fim my outdoor plants I like getting a lot of colas and not so much popcorn bud so I also remove a lot of the lower branches but I do it early in the season. I wouldn’t remove fan leaves unless they are covering a main bud site and even then I just try to move them out the way if I can. Last week or two I help remove the leaves that are dead and falling off. Sometimes you have to do differently if mold is a problem in your area it’s better to remove some leaves than to get pm or rot
 
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