To defoliate or to not defoliate

[NAKEDGARDENER]

This middle one is an adult with 7 fingers and very very short, hasn’t reached the scrog net completely but tops are now poking through it, I don’t think I want to even try scrog with this one. I am tempted to defoliate extremely and allow all light through to her bones, I don’t plan on flowering the other two for another 3 weeks, what do you guys think about extreme defoliation during this time of veg, some won't do it at all and only take off what is bad or old, some strip it right down to a skeleton, it seems to be a contentious issue among many growers.

[Chefbjy]

DrPhoton wrote a nice article about this. https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...t-to-defoliate

[NAKEDGARDENER]

Cool thanks, love his stuff on here.

[Chefbjy]

Np it's a controversial subject. Some people swear by it. But I believe pruning and maintaining structure are essential indoors.

[NAKEDGARDENER]

Ok I read it through and I am convinced now that massive defoliation is not necessary, rather I will focus on taking off stems that are well under the main canopy to allow the tops to grow more, and increase airflow, pruning only for training and shape and structure. Many many thanks for bringing Dans article to me.

[NAKEDGARDENER]

I am very interested on doing what he says though when spouting stuff that has no real evidence of it working and grow a control and a test subject and follow it through to end, that is disappointing when people drop off the earth after making a claim they can’t be bothered to show evidence of.

[IslandColas]

On my current grow I experimented with various degrees of defoliation at various stages in growth. Based on my evidence/experience and the article by DrPhoton I would have to admit the plant left untouched yeilded the most weight. From personal experience I will no longer defoliate and will be very very selective with my removal of any undergrowth...

[DrPhoton]

Good to hear your experience IslandColas, there have been a few that have also come to the same result. Most recent was Campesino where he came to the same conclusion.

[NAKEDGARDENER]

IslandColas yeh I just removed some of the smallest stems right at the bottom of the main stems, I like you now will be a lot more selective.

[PaganRich]

Hi guys, defoliating is something I believe in. Let me say though that it is not the be all and end all but just one tool amongst many however I defoliate, my yields are roughly consistent with seed grower estimates-not always as I have beaten and been under a few times as well-but on the whole within the rough area quoted as being able to be grown. I think it`s not for everyone or every situation however the horror stories don`t always add up. For instance, this girl was heavily defoliated-Pic 1 and then this is her 5 days later-Pic 2. You listen to people talking, this shouldn`t have happened. On top of this growth she`s been flipped and grown over 2 inches so caution is needed when reading stuff

[NAKEDGARDENER]

Cider equals hard cider here but I miss the real scrumpy stuff

[D.A.A.S.69]

PaganRich, a black rat, damn that sounds scary, mate, must be kin to some of the rats from back in the Irish potatoe famine.
Yeah, I can guarantee you that we would have been running mates, for sure. Especially if you like getting as close up to the bands playing music ,as you can. At the Warehouse in NewOrleans, we used to throw joints on stage at AllmanBros concerts, and they would smoke the sh-t out of them. Good old days Mate. How many times have you been to Glastonbury? To
see concerts ?
We still listening to alot of MoodyBlues, at my hose, Especially the Days of Future Past album, and the In Search Of The Lost Chord album, an On The Threshold Of A Dream, album. A really
talented band, in my opinion, one of the best.
PS- I forgot about the Cider, good buzz now, a few of the oldtimers still make a little cider, we get for the holidays, but most of the oldtimers make Mash, around here, and White Lightning. You gotta be careful with that stuff though,.

[Chefbjy]

I had some clones I tried this with. Didn't defoliate the mother plants but completely stripped my clones before flip like the plant in pic 1. I have pics in my bag seed grow link is above... I believe it starts on page 9 I'll post in a few.

But man those clones took off like a bat out of hell. I did alot of supercropping and they all got to be 4ft tall with 12-14 inch colas. My yield suffered due to a nanner problem but was close to the mother's yield. If I could have let them go another 2 weeks it would have exceeded that yield imo.

I've been using some lst suppercropping and just did a light "pruning" with my not auto gg#4s in my shop grow. I'm debating whether to try it again one of them and doing a small comparison. However the training was done differently, one topped and one isn't but they are roughly the same size. So it really isn't a controlled side by side. But I'll be doing one in the near future 😉. Cheers.

[NAKEDGARDENER]

PaganRich Hello friend t’over t’ pond. Thank you for your input as a defoliator, it’s, a fascinating subject to me and many more and it will continue to be so for many years to come. I think I have said before that I am just learning all the newest ideas for cultivation of cannabis, being an old git now I first began growing in the early 2000. Back then all I had was a retro fit m.h / hps light system, a closet a fan and crappy soil lol. Over time I learned enough to show me my own ignorance and foolishness that playing with this cultivation thingy was not only stupidly nieve but insulting to the plant and those that grow outta love.

The one thing that is considerably different today compared to then is not only the tech dev in grow op equip or techniques in growing or hacking a plants process but the internet itself allowing noobs such as myself to glean info almost instantly from anyone around the globe. That in itself for me is the largest tool in my new tool kit so again thank you to all the experienced growers and to all us self confessed noobs alike.

[PaganRich]

NAKEDGARDENER Yeah, know Glastonbury village well, mellow hippy place. I think you`re spot on about info sharing. It`s amazing and people are very nice here, I am lucky to have found this site I must admit

[NAKEDGARDENER]

I still have my Glastonbury 25th cannabis cook book lol from 1995.

[NAKEDGARDENER]

Only miss blighty for the festivals lol

[PaganRich]

Yeah, can appreciate that point of view

[Chefbjy]

Here's some pics of heavy defoliating and what happened in my experience. PaganRich Sorry pics are kind of out of order I selected a few and it randomly posted them in this order.

[PaganRich]

Well that was certainly impressive. Those girls are beautiful. Chefbjy that is a lovely set up you`ve got going there mate. Those girls look so...strong

[Chefbjy]

Thank you PaganRich. Yes they were so top heavy they were nearly unrooting themselves. Since there was no tap root they were tipping over and I had to add a lot of support lol.