When to defoliate?

[frankenstein2]

What's up fellow burner's!!!! Just refreshing my defoliation technique, cause as of lately I am back to tables and hoods. I usually wait until at least 28 days before I begin to take leaves off. However this round my table is jammin' along nicely. Today is day 21 for my girls and I would like to start defoliating. Prior to going in to flower I cleaned the bottoms of the plants, took off all the lower branches, and only left the tops. The plants loved it and have responded with outrageous growth. But now things are crowded, and I think if I started taking fans now, it would benefit them greatly. So I wanna hear when the earliest any of ya's start to defoiliate, and before some smartass post's " you should start in veg" I already do that!!

 

[vertigo0007]

What day is strain dependent for me, but i basically start as soon as stretch finishes.

 

[Jnugg]

I start after the initial stretch (about 2-3 weeks of 12/12),then leave be for two weeks and start again,then leave be another 2 weeks.

It's all strain/flowering time dependent IMO,but I always wait until the initial stretch is over,slooowly defoliating over time until chop.

 

[frankenstein2]

Thanks guys. Yeah I know that it is strain dependent. I've killed my fair share by raping them too hard too early. Some of my strains I don't like to do at all because they already have perfect structure just because of their genes.Sometimes though I do end up taking leaves off so other plants enjoy the benefits. Others I can just about take every leaf off and they love it. I know from experience that when I start taking them too early it fucks shit up. I cant remember what day number it was. I wanna know what day mark in general is the earliest people start. Then I will have some numbers to work with on my strains I know can handle it and even the ones that cant deal with too much of it I can put a day number on when to start defoliating. I planned on doing it like normal at between 3-4 weeks. But if I can start earlier and still have it benefit them I will.

 

[bobblehead]

I would suggest defoliating between weeks 9-12 of flower. I think its referred to as "harvesting".

 

[vertigo0007]

Uh oh! Bobble hates defo-ers! Hahaha.

 

[frankenstein2]

That's called clear cutting bobble!!!!! I love doing that

 

[St3ve]

I never stop... veg through harvest.

During stretch, I will pluck leaves from shoots that are getting too tall. This will slow their stretch a little while the others catch up. Helps keep a more even canopy. I've gotten so good at it now, in my grow, that I don't even use a screen anymore. Once the stretch has completed, I will take a few leaves here and there everytime I'm in the room. I will take any fans that are shading something.

 

[BldSwtTrs]

Have found the sweet spot to be at the beginning of week 5 til harvest.

Week 2-3 lolipop/take weak growth
Week 5-harvest take fans

If you arn't running a tight SOG then there isn't as much need to take fans. Take the big ones, but no need to take every single one.

 

[frankenstein2]

Have found the sweet spot to be at the beginning of week 5 til harvest.

Week 2-3 lolipop/take weak growth
Week 5-harvest take fans

If you arn't running a tight SOG then there isn't as much need to take fans. Take the big ones, but no need to take every single one.

Yeah I'm jamming' a tight sea of green. On Friday it's gonna get even tighter cause I'm gonna condense the plants to one half of the table and fill the other half to keep on track for my every two week perpetual harvest. It's gonna be so sweet.