Defoliation question

Daino

Well-Known Member
So I have switched over to 12/12 approximately 1 week ago can I do a major defoliation at this point of will I upset yield?? Just want to try open everything up to get more light penetration to all bud sites
 

Attachments

Daino

Well-Known Member
It has stretched a few inches so far nothing major just realised there's a lot of extra foliage that could be stripped back to allow more light
 

manfredo

Well-Known Member
Whether or not to defoliate is a BIG debate.

Those fan leaves are there for a reason though, and I leave them. Except for the lower stuff. It's good to get rid of the lower stuff that won't get enough light and will only produce larf, which is a PITA to trim and not much good. You will also increase air flow by removing lower leaves and branches. It's called loli-popping.

It always feels strange chopping half the plant away, but at harvest time I'm always glad i did....I just loli popped a tent full yesterday, that I flipped several days earlier and are starting to stretch. Now all the growth goes to the tops.

From this....
1688135510558.png
To this...

1688135540697.png

and then I make clones from the cuttings, for the next batch.
 

Dameon187

Well-Known Member
Whether or not to defoliate is a BIG debate.

Those fan leaves are there for a reason though, and I leave them. Except for the lower stuff. It's good to get rid of the lower stuff that won't get enough light and will only produce larf, which is a PITA to trim and not much good. You will also increase air flow by removing lower leaves and branches. It's called loli-popping.

It always feels strange chopping half the plant away, but at harvest time I'm always glad i did....I just loli popped a tent full yesterday, that I flipped several days earlier and are starting to stretch. Now all the growth goes to the tops.

From this....
View attachment 5303898
To this...

View attachment 5303899

and then I make clones from the cuttings, for the next batch.
I see your defoliation pictures, this is exact moment I'm probably at. I would give you pictures if I could, weather is not proper and I'm forcing the flower. I will attach a photo. If you could inform me of how much of the lower do I get rid of, I have tried this before and had great success. Honestly it's been a while and I'm hesitant to take too much off. Like you say you see great growth. And I'll actuality that could be even bigger buds up top. Those are two great example pictures would you have any more or any more detail explaining a third of the bottom part of the plant. That means everything, and it's not too late if I haven't seen pistols yet correct
 

Attachments

manfredo

Well-Known Member
It's looking good!!

If it's an outdoor plant you don't need to take any off the bottom, but it's still sometimes not a bad idea. It's definitely not too late.

I have a couple outdoors too and have not touched them yet, but I might trim mine up just a little for better airflow.
 

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
Just prune up the lower third or half of the plants, get rid of any little scragler branches and leaves, those aren't super tall yet so I doubt you will need to do any really heavy defoliation on the upper canopy. Defoliation is something I do but depending on strain, environment, technique and timing you can definitely cause the plants to yield less and extend their harvest window by a week or more.

Try it on a couple plants, totally strip all the big fan leaves off and see how they do. I bet it'll still go great, but you may notice the ones you didn't strip do better.
 
Top