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Defoliation questions

C

Chunky Sloth

New member
I'm kind of a tweak about stressing my plants. I am that dude making his friend shine a spotlight all around his tent to check for light leaks. Anyways, I always defoliate about 50% of the fan leaves before flower. Atleast all of the ones with purple stems. Some of you on here go crazy, and have amazing results. Also, I've just switched to LEDs and feel like less leaves will help light pen alot. So in short, what's people's opinions on defoliation techniques (frequency, amount removed each defoliation, etc).

Thanks,
Sloth
 
J

Junk

Member
It's a balance of losing a prime solar panel, or getting light to lower bud spots. From my limited experimentation, it seems to take away from the main colas, but it puts that into the lower or side buds. I've tried not doing it at all, or doing some as needed during flower and I find the latter to be better.

It doesn't make sense to remove a solar panel on the plant. But we are growing the plant for a very specific purpose, and some defoliation seems to help with that.

But what do I know.
 
Nico Farmer

Nico Farmer

Authentic Strains Farm
Hi,
I never defoliate my plants.
Sometimes, I cut 1 big leaf who stop light and makes shadow on buds, but leaves are like solar captors and allow photosynthesis, sugar and glucose production.
Less leaves, less production.
Bless
 
jedi5891

jedi5891

Active member
If you have an understanding to how a leaf works and its role for the plant, yes the solar panels, then you'd hesitate in hacking half its energy source off. I agree some plants will not mind it so much and other plants will, but if you pull a shade leaf off from where there are budding sites, then your reducing the energy these sites get. You can train a plant to have a more open structure using string, ties and LST and also better than hacking off the energy converters, instead bend them down under branches allowing light to penetrate further.
My go to grow master is Jorge Cervantes and he is the first to say this is not a good idea. Each to their own though, this is my opinion on the subject.
Peace
Namaste
 
S

St. Phatty

Active member
Sometimes when growing indoors, I would tuck & occasionally tie leaves 'out of the way'.

The leaf (if it's getting light) is not just an energy source. It's also a food source (stored energy).

I also used to trim the occasional fan leaf if it outright blocked an internode (growing tip) that I found interesting.

Now I realize, an alternative, especially indoors, is LED spot lighting on the growing tips that get masked by the fan leaves we are talking about removing.
 
Paddi

Paddi

GanjaGrower
Veteran
Do what makes you feel good.


In the end, the result will not vary very much.


P :smoke:
 
I

igrowone

Well-known member
Veteran
i was a defoliating sceptic, didn't like the idea
however, doing micro grows and it did seem that the big fans weren't optimum for small spaces
and was amazed just how good defoliating can work
you pay a price with a slowed down plant, but 2 weeks later?
you really are filled in completely, except it's a tighter plant, and much better in a micro grow
my 2 coins
 
C

Chunky Sloth

New member
Thanks for all the input. Seems like kind of a toss up. I have some girls in veg and may do a side by side to see what works better for my set up.
 
W

w3rds

Member
Correct me if I am wrong on this, but while all the leaves work to absorb light and help convert sugars for its food supply, not every leaf goes to the total growth of the plant. If you cut a leaf on a left branch, it wont affect the growths on the other branch. Similarly, if you cut a fan leaf thats attached to the main stalk, you are slowing the bud branch's growth, but not the buds growth since the buds growth is affected by light to its sugar leaf. So, you are able to remove all of your stalk fan leaves once your plant switches its focus to bud development over vegetative growth.

I also find it funny that a lot of defoliation's detractors are people who dont even top their plant. Obviously you dont need to remove leaves when you grow a single branch...
 
gorilla ganja

gorilla ganja

Well-known member
I find removing leaves on a constant regular basis is best. A leaf or two everyday in veg is better than a mass defoliation at a predetermined time. Way less stress on the plant.
Everyone is right in the fact that the leaves make sugars that feed the plant. They are then transported to the plant via the leaf stem. I therefore like to leave 1/2 to 3/4 of the leaf stem. The plant will continue to draw out energy and nutrients from the leaf stem for a few days until it drys up and then should be removed if it does not fall off. Remove the leaves only when a new shoot is growing and new leafs are forming.
Some strains will respond better than others.If done right the plants will hardly show any adverse effects and new leafs are being formed almost as fast as you take off the others.

Peace GG
 
M

mushroombrew

Active member
Veteran
jedi5891 said:
If you have an understanding to how a leaf works and its role for the plant, yes the solar panels, then you'd hesitate in hacking half its energy source off. I agree some plants will not mind it so much and other plants will, but if you pull a shade leaf off from where there are budding sites, then your reducing the energy these sites get. You can train a plant to have a more open structure using string, ties and LST and also better than hacking off the energy converters, instead bend them down under branches allowing light to penetrate further.
My go to grow master is Jorge Cervantes and he is the first to say this is not a good idea. Each to their own though, this is my opinion on the subject.
Peace
Namaste
Click to expand...

That's funny when ever I mention the non defloiation team I always
Mention Jorge.

Jorge is an outdoor grower. Defoliating trees is dumb. Hence his opinion.

I find most people against usually haven't tried it.

I have found out otherwise. Better quality bud and yield. If you do it right.
Pics below

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=343303&page=7
 
Loc Dog

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
I just found out why my top leaves were turning yellow. Fusarium wilt.
 
Mikell

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Well that took a hard left turn.

People who don't defoliate indoors have hilarious trim:flower ratios.
 
M

mushroombrew

Active member
Veteran
You sure .Just dealt with that when my rez temps got high. AC went down and it was over 100F outside yikes!

Use Pro Tekt is slows is down a lot.

If it is fusarium the very bottom of the stem where it meets the soil will usually swell and my burst/crack.

Get your temps down and use silicon.
 
Mikell

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Yes it is nice when all they need is a few canes.

Rather than a pre-flip, week 3 and week 5 motherfucker.


People can talk solar panels and stress all they want. You know what is stressful to a plant? Not producing seeds.
 
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