Nervous about trimming!!!

[LuckyAcres]

I can prune just about any plant of any size for aesthetics or health but don't know much about pruning for yield. So far I did some lst, pinching, bending and squeezing. Minor defoliation to remove decaying leaves or overcrowded crown or expandable lower growth.
i know some of you have different ideas about what to remove and when so hit me with all you got please I'm here to learn and I can't stop!!!
i flipped my 6 grape ape yesterday. Along with their nutes I gave them some bud blood yesterday in case it matters. Leds and fluos.

[insomniaczzz]

That is one beautiful SCROG you have going there. It does look like there are bud sites being overshadowed by fan leaves. But WOW really, really nice setup.

[LuckyAcres]

Thank you! So should I focus for now on keeping those bud sites uncovered? How about the bud sites in the shadows? Part of me wants to leave them until the stretch is done and see what I'm left with then trim the stuff in the shade. The other part wants to wait until they show up then remove everything not attached to a bud.

[gbauto]

I think that as the transition to flower proceeds and buds starts growing out of the nodes, you will get a better idea on defoliation. It seems that I get better cluster formation vs individual puffs when there is good light penetration. This is true both indoor and outside so I attempt to remove all of the smaller 'sucker' branches that form and force the plant to concentrate all of its growth in the cola's I want it to produce. You have enough plants in your grow that you could experiment different techniques on several plants and see what happens. If you don't like the results-grow more.....

[LuckyAcres]

Thanks gbauto! Much appreciated, does seem a little early to trim. 8 weeks is too long!

[insomniaczzz]

The only problem I see with waiting too long to thin out those fan leaves is that the buds will develop at different rates. If you are looking to do a complete harvest, you want to try to keep all buds at maximum exposure to light. You also have the option of harvesting the biggest, ripest colas first and allowing the others to continue to grow and fill out.

[Jbiggs]

If this is your first run on these ladies you should try and do a half half test.or 2 plants with 3 diff types of defoliation. Pluck/ defoliate at start of wk4. Maybe 2 plants defoliate all leaves except the sugar leaves. Another 2 just the fan leaves and any ones blocking the light. And other 2 you just let it grow without no defoliation. Basically do at start of wk4 and start of wk7. See results for each. Careful with first one, plants react differently so they may either like it and there won't be a problem or you may stress it out and worry about the effects. See results.

[Jacuna94]

I can't be of any help I apologize but I just wanted to say what a beautiful garden you have! I'm jealous!

[Weed Pharma]

Regardless of when you start/stop defoliation- you can take the middle ground on this and only remove 1 leaf from each node/bud site- playing it safe and letting the plant recover. Since the plant no longer produces leaves after the 3-4 week of flower it's only necessary to remove leaves blocking/shadowing the lights at that point.

Generally defoliation is started very early in the veg stage- and the plant adjusts well to it. Only defoliate a healthy/growing plant!

It's best to be conservative at this stage, but I'm sure Green75 will chime in having much more experience defoliating than myself.

[Green75]

That's the thing about scrog....you are limited now as to what you can do....take every big fan leaf you can lean in and cut off....you will never get to them all now but I believe it will help dramatically....let the light in

[Green75]

At least give them one good stripping...make them work a little...you ain't runin no flop house over there

[LuckyAcres]

Damn right this is no flop house! Green you know where I'm going with this thing. And no leaning needed just as long that is as I can fit within the 1' I left between wall and scrog!! Thanks to y'all for weighing in, much much appreciated! Not as nervous anymore. Alright, so I'll go after those fan leaves blocking the light for now. Another question. Because of the scrog I'm getting all these younger branches growing straight up, should I bend them under the scrog or just let them be and grow upright? Really don't know what to expect with this stretch business...

[Green75]

The best way I have found to use a net is to first start out with major lst...keeping them low...install net at the height you want your plants to get no taller...then supercrop everything to stay under net...works well...

Just my $.02

[Tika]

Wow indeed an increasingly beautiful set up! Fan leaves coveringbuds=no light to buds=needy buds. Let the light in as Green75 says and pinch a few each day as Royal had said. You will ultimately build your own intuition about the process.
beautiful Work!

[LuckyAcres]

Thanks tika! Wait?! pinch ? Who what where? Gonna hire me couple of helpers to keep track of everything green royal you and king might say or even think...

[Royal Nugs]

Well said Tika. Learning from experience is a lost art anymore. It's so convenient to have instructions in front of you. Understanding why the instructions are designed the way they are is critical for understanding the process itself. This leads to out of the box thinking which leads to a unique skill set.

Love the setup Lucky!

[Royal Nugs]

It was a general observation, not directed at you. Sorry for making it seem that way. I'm getting very outspoken about grasping concepts instead of putting part a into part b.

You, sir, are obviously on the right track. While we may have suggested some things, this grow is 99% you. Be proud!

[LuckyAcres]

No worries royal , didn't mean to come out as strong either, I'm sure it might get tiring babysitting us newbies all the time! The communication format isn't the most reliable anyways. I'm betting a lot on this and gave myself 2 years to succeed. So I'm still on track and while the marriage isn't threatened (yet!) i need good results. My hopeful plan is to be on bi weekly or weekly harvest schedule eventually. Next big step will be adding a second shed, crossing my fingers for breaking ground this summer. So what about this pinching business tika mentioned? Is it for the buds?

[bobsakamoto]

i SO agree with what Royal said. one of the major stumbling blocks i experienced with other sources in my research is that they would give me a TON of very detailed information about some specific thing, say, LST, or topping, or whatever, but wouldn't say too much or even nothing about the why, or the principles, of any of what they were saying. for a new person just learning, it's hard to take that wealth of information and apply it to what our own setups are or might be without, to quote Royal, "Understanding why the instructions are designed the way they are." SO SO true.

[Green75]

Use scissors...

[LuckyAcres]

I went back to an old thread and found some info there. Green I hope it's ok but I'm gonna quote you cuz I think that's all the info I'll need.

Okay..I'm going to have to form my thoughts as I go here....just so I could answer half ass intelligently I did a quick read to help gather my thoughts and good words to use....to be fair...chicken boning should be started at an early age....a couple at first...just to let the plant feel it...if you will...then again next day or two....cutting fan leaves acts as a stimulant to throw more nodes/branches/budsites so early the better so you get all those mature sites.no different than topping the plant itself.... when you top a plant top it stimulates the entire plant to grow more branches when you cut a fan leaf which is the first thing that grows before your nodes start to come out stimulates more tighter spacing and Bud sites on that Branch more branches will grow off of that branch.....self preservation...again no different than topping the plant....(((to get off topic real quick.....I also believe that's why female plants hermie due to unusual stress late in flowing....self preservation...they think they might die so they throw seeds to try and keep the family name going if you will....yes..I have defoliated late in the game without any prior defoliation on many plants and never had them Hermie due to that so that answers that question that just popped up in all of your heads))).

I stole this next part.....it will help me explain....( theorize)


A plant's organ system works with the roots anchoring the plant and absorbing water and nutrients, while the shoots transfer the nutrients to the leaves, which transfer light into energy via photosynthesis. A plant’s roots, leaves and stems, the three basic plant organs, work together to allow the plant to function. The plant’s shoot system, which includes the leaves, stems, and flowers, is divided into two sections: the non-reproductive portion and the reproductive portion. The reproductive portion includes the flowers and fruit. The non-reproductive portion includes the leaves and stems
A plant’s roots are not only used for water and nutrient absorption but also for food storage. The root’s xylem cells help transfer water and nutrients to the shoot system. The shoot system then transports the water and nutrients to the remainder of the plant, including the leaves and flowers. With nutrients and water, the chloroplasts of the leaves are well hydrated and ready for photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, the plant converts light energy into chemical energy to make sugar for the plant. This process occurs in the chloroplasts of the leaves. Later, any remaining sugar that is not used is transferred back down the shoot system to the roots of the plant. Usually, the bigger the plant, the stronger its root system with roots stemming deep into the ground......



Okay.....so that tells me three things that have been brought up lately....
1...24 hrs light...bigger stronger plant has a better root system...that can't be argued!!
2...cutting fan leaves let's the plant use more of its nutrients to help repair itself and grow more leaves tighter branches closer nodes more Bud sites all of the above...resulting in less nutrient build therefore allowing more nutrients to be absorbed into its system ....resulting in rarely having nute burn issues due to unused nutrients/sugar......like I said before on here...the plant superfeeds itself to fix any issues.
3....cutting fan leaves off and letting the light in is what triggers all this goodness....


Look at baby tika ....
look at karlees baby....she cut two off and that section blew up...


Ps....someone should save this answer so it can be used again......


the proof is in the pudding my friend, and my pudding cup is full.....

[Green75]

all good .....that's why I took the time to write it.....lol..took awhile with my illiterate ass

[dontknownuttin]

How much we owe ya Green?

[LuckyAcres]

You really had to ask him?!?!? I'll pass on my tab to you dontknownuttin!!!

[LuckyAcres]

I think consiliere should be green status name. Capice!?!?

[Green75]

your undying devotion and 10% of your yield.......haha

not a damn thing man....this place has become my zen provider...I thoroughly enjoy having an outlet for all my thoughts concerning the marijuana weed....they truly have consumed me my whole life....I don't always have a suggestion on every thread on here but I have read every single post on every single topic and thread on here...its a never ending novel for me to read ...I truly want/ believe I belong in a legit grow warehouse....that would be total life goal achievement for me!!!

[LuckyAcres]

Ready for defoliation!