Defoliation

[Hacksalot]

Greetings all,
I'm looking for more information about the defoliation process, particularly in the vegetative state. I have read the tutorial shown here at GWE, very informative but I'm left with a few questions. Will removing the leaf at the base of a main branch slow or stop the growth of that branch? Can this procedure be used as a training method for controlling growth? Should the lower bud sites be removed in the vegetative stage?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Karlee]

Hi Hack

Pot wants to grow, in the veg state you want to train it and for your space decide what size you would like. In my set up with a tub I can only get my plant 16 inches or it will grow right into the light. And I've had a plant I was waiting for one to catch up I ended up putting them both in 12/12 together and my taking leaves off slowed it way down and I'm running cold also it slows things down.

This plant is 80 days old and if you notice I left a couple leaves that are the right size but all the fans are little now.

I only defoliate to get light to the buds and all bottom growth that will get light blocked is just sucking stuff away from the buds.

[alltatup]

Lovely work, Karlee!!!!!

[Karlee]

Thanks Dudette -

[gbauto]

I find that if I am using some type of manifolding technique then it helps to keep the structure. I try to top so that I'm running 4-8 stems per plant. I'm like Karlee, try to keep the height down during veg because you will get a bit of stretch during flower. That's the actual growth I try to concentrate on so light penetration is a goal. Keep the fan leaves but if they block to much light I take them off. I also force the main stems to grow into colas-that means removing the interior stems and just make the plant concentrate on bud growth.

[alltatup]

Hi, Hacksalot, I don't think defol. controls growth, and it's not a training technique: the strategy is to allow multiple colas for form and all grow at about the same rate. It's to let the light shine on all the colas you are cultivating with whatever LST technique you are using. I am using the "No Technique" LST and I've been defoliating whenever a fan leaf is laying on another one (don't want no mold!!!) or over a cola site. I also snipped and pinched off all the lower growth that I don't want competing with my main colas. I'm in week 7 of veg.

In the first pic below, I bent over the cola in the middle to show the training and defol.; the second pic is the plant with all her main colas.

[r3m1]

your right it would it just allows light to other parts of the plant. try monster cropping or LST. Monster cropping is easy and all that is needed to do is bend the branch above the node that is kinda level with rest of the plant but when you bend it either feel or hear the pop it makes then go back and forth then side to side and lay it under another branch leaves etc. this will cause the plant to stay even yet grow more colas for budding. i also use LST in early veg but by week 5-6 i remove the LST i did as it now has created the structure i want out of the plant. this way the plant can lift off the pot some in about a week in which i will only defoil that next week then following id monster crop the plant. letting a week go in between. i do defoil to 30-40% when i do it, so this does help with the stretching and also my temps never drop below 74 with lights off as this will help reduce inter-nodal stretching of the plant.

[DW2]

Welcome Hacksalot,
All that I can add is ..... ditto! defoliation can be useful to get better air circulation and light to the buds, but I prefer to 'tuck' and 'weave' the leaves that are blocking the buds and ONLY as a last resort, cut them away. The leaves are there for a reason! They convert light and carbon dioxide into food energy for the plant to use.
I use the LST method because it causes less stress to the plants and does not add a significant amount of time to the growth period (I only have 220 watts of CFL per planter right now so it's slow going to start with).
Good luck with your grow,

[alltatup]

Yes, I've been trying to tuck more, and have had some success with it. Can you post a pic, DW2?

[DW2]

alltatup here's some photos...

[alltatup]

I am praying to the trichome gods for ya!!!

[DW2]

Thank You! Every bit helps, and I need all of the help that I can get! lol

[alltatup]

We are all in this together!!!!!