Is it OK to defoliate 18 days into flowering?

[MrPNW]

1st grow and the only defoliating I’ve done at all was to remove huge leaves covering anything up high to this point a little at a time or removing dying leaves. I’ve not defoliating up the middle, down low or done any LST. Is it too late at 18 days into flowering to defoliate to this degree?

https://www.growweedeasy.com/nebulas-flowering-stage-defoliation-tutorial

pictures from yesterday.
https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/growing-community/475782-ready-to-flip

 

[dphipps1020]

No, it's not too late. I defoliate all throughout flower, whenever I feel like. By the end of flower, the only big fan leaves left are usually just the 2-4 at the very top to help absorb light and promote growth to the buds instead of lower fan leaves. Hope that makes sense, I'm pretty stoned already 😂

 

[YYCannabis]

I agree with dphipps1020 about anytime defoliating during flower. I do the same, and even do some that makes old time growers cringe. Since you are still early into flower, be sure to let some leaves remain throughout the deep and lower sections of the plant. These become your “canary in a coal mine” leaves in case she begins to have nute/health issues. Also...never take away the top set of fan leaves from a branch tip kola....these are critical to keeping good nutrient flow throughout the entire length of each branch.

Some strains will get really really upset at you for defoliating too much at once during flower...so be warned that they may get droopy for a day...but they almost always bounce back after that. If you are unsure how strong the plant will recover from a large defoliation, you can always pluck leaves on a daily basis (small areas of the plant at a time) to help reduce the stress.

 

[MrPNW]

Oh great I’ve read this after defoliating and just got in. I did read on the GWE to leave some fan leaves on top of the top branches and did but I cut most fan leaves down below off.

 

[MrPNW]

My wife had a nice lazy Susan made of wood with ball bearings man did that help. I took off all the 5 finger leaves accept the top couple an each large branch. I took off the largest of the 3 finger leaves. I filled a plastic grocery sack full of them! I couldn’t believe how many there were. I have some before and after videos of each plant spinning on the lazy Susan but haven’t figured out how to upload them yet.

Here they are.

 

[MrPNW]

The plant in the back RIGHT of this photo has so MANY bud places. I just took clones from my mother of the same strain but don’t really know if she produces buds like this one. The mother was the best looking and proportioned when I removed her. How good of a chance will clones do if taken from the flowering plant at this stage?

 

[MrPNW]