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.
