Defoliation: Hi-Yield Technique?

Edit:10/10/2010

I've been asked to link this PDF for those just starting this thread. It is an edit of the most key posts fr those wishing to cut through to the gist of this technique. It was compiled by Tuhder. Thanks friend.

Here is his post:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=3885667&postcount=1381

and his attachment.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=79683&d=1285379097

Now if you still want to read the entire thread, here it is....


This subject is bound to raise a lot of disagreement. Please relate experience and photos.

Lets start by defining "defoliation" in the context of this technique. The term has negative connotations as Cannabis has been the target of defoliation by the Feds using Paraquat chemical defoliants. This is not what this is about.

This technique is about leaf removal by hand. It is employed to relieve shading in crowded conditions. It is a substitute to the popular technique of removing lower branches.

Defoliation encourages branching in vegging plants in the same way as nipping the leader. The benefit of this technique is that the leader is retained to continue to create branches. It also shortens nodal length creating a more compact specimen.

This is how the following plants are capable of yielding as much as 12 oz. in an allotted space measuring 32" cubed.

Leaves are removed starting in veg stage when they are about 6" tall with a couple of sets of fans. Leaves are removed again every 2-3 weeks or whenever things get a little shady.

3 decades of experience with this technique reveal that bud growth benefits more from light exposure than whether the corresponding fan leaf is present.

The idea with this method is to not remove any bud sites like in the aforementioned technique of lower branch removal. Bud sites produce bud. Do not remove. This method allows light to penetrate to all bud sites, not just the top buds.

This technique should not be done on plants that have not been prepared by defoliation from the beginning.


Observers will be shocked at the nakedness of a fully plucked skeleton of a barely flowering shrub. They will be even more shocked at the results after a few weeks. These results will debunk any insistence that big shading leaves are necessary for good bud production. Besides are we producing buds or leaf.

12 oz Diesel

12 oz Diesel

This specimen was thoroughly plucked continuously through it's 11 week cycle as well as during veg. No shortage of branches or buds, all of them chunky and exposed.



Clearly there are still plenty of leaves on the plant. It is impossible to remove the close leaf once things get clustered and sticky. Still as much leaf as possible is removed relieve any shading.

wow looks great, I've been experimenting lately with this in my tightly packed scrog and I'm noticing no ill effects.

Just 32" tall

Just 32" tall

32"x32"x32" is all the space allowed. Before and after putting scythe to trunk. Intensive defoliation is the rule.

Wait are you saying even during veg pluck almost all leafs except a few fan leaves leaving the plant naked? Not bagging on you I am just curious as to how this method works. More pictures of the whole process would greatly be appreciated. Many of us our visual learners

Look closely at the stem structures and you can see the kinks where they have been repeatedly bent to better fill the given space evenly. The idea is to create a more horizontal spread as the light is delivered and spread evenly in a horizontal field. This structure is matching that giving light to all sites.

statusquo said:

Wait are you saying even during veg pluck almost all leafs except a few fan leaves leaving the plant naked? Not bagging on you I am just curious as to how this method works. More pictures of the whole process would greatly be appreciated. Many of us our visual learners

Click to expand...

Exactly, I'll get some veg shots for you later.

I leave NO fans, even in veg. Fans are the culprits. Yes, you will have a scrawny looking skeleton...for a few days. You must be patient. This is about creating a more productive structure. Try a couple of clones side by side. The one left alone will get a lot taller faster and have wonderful looking leaves, if it was only leaves we were after...I have tossed dumpsters full. The plucked one will branch and produce more sites.

I want compact individuals with as many sites as possible.

Too Leafy

Too Leafy

The plant on the right is too leafy. It's ready for a good pluck

grow1620 said:

wow looks great, I've been experimenting lately with this in my tightly packed scrog and I'm noticing no ill effects.

Click to expand...

Keep up the experimentation. You'll see what I mean. If you have some sites that are pale and shaded out, they will toughen and darken when they get to see the light.

very interesting guys, I like what Im reading. might have to give this a try. thanks.

tag! This is going to get interesting. but Im all ears. There is a OG FAQ about this too. Glad to see you working in some controversial shit Homie +k

you got it k3. aggressive triming works. most are talked out of it. leaves seem to promote only more leaves . thats all clean bud you have. you can prove this over and over and still have growers insisting on the opposite. this is a method that was used by many in the early days and still by us over 50. i smoke bud not leave ,why grow it? get ready to read a million post telling us were wrong. experience kicks ass over science.

experience is science.

subscribed

I have been doing this for the past month and a half. I had a crop (baseline) 2 months ago, and am about to harvest another. I can let you know my results as well.

I came to that conclusion after i saw so much immature bud at the bottom of the plants and started to give it a go... I wondered what % I was reducing the growth rate by taking away its ability to do photosynthisys, but the lower 'popcorn' turned dark green like the tops and began to swell. I'm guessing in my case as much as 20%-30% gains by employing this method.

My only concern is with dense buds... sometimes you try to get the leaf out and the stem is left behind and I think that is conducive to budrot.

I just started doing this religiously with my last harvest. I concur that harvest weight does indeed increase, and by quite a bit.

No more air buds either.

Has anyone ever started it on a plant just started into its 12/12 cycle? I know hempy is a fan plucker and he has some gorgeous plants

I am very interested in this. Rock on!! (or shall I say grow on!!)

this technique works!

the majority haters of defoliation style techniques are usually more educated than experienced... in my experience anyways.

keep deleafing!!!!!

I don't go quite that extreme but everything I've done seems to show removing leaf to allow light to bud sites is the way to go.