Totally normal at least in my experience. I shudder remembering all of the terrible mistakes I made early on and still sometimes make. It comes with experience and I’d recommend keeping things as simple as possible. Start with good genetics, PH your water, take it easy on nutes unless the plant is actually telling you it’s out of something, plenty of root space and airflow and you’re golden.
Send me a PM and I’ll get you out some super heady seeds that’ll make you forget the dispo (and your keys, your name, etc.)
Have you tried logging any grows here? Often times folks can help spot incoming pests, pH issues, or what have you. You definitely don’t have to do it totally alone. There are lots of really cool cats here. And maybe figure out what works in your spot before experimenting. It’s easy to want to do everything at once and not realize exactly what is causing whatever issue. For what it’s worth, I wasn’t really truly proud of anything I grew until roughly 3 years in. Obviously it doesn’t have to be that way, but if you’re 2 years in, maybe it’s a good thing.
Me and some partners tried a defoliation experiment back when California was just shifting to rec laws
We tried it outdoors in a living organic soil hoop house, we saw that results varied from strain to strain. Some strains yielded more, others got stressed out, and some defoliated had more color. The one strain I can remember which very obviously benefitted from defoliation was chocolate hashberry.
It was an extreme defoliation, we probably should have done that a bit lighter so take the results with a grain of salt but we left thinking that in general only a light defoliation when necessary would be beneficial
Side by side thermal image of defoliated and non defoliated plants, the increased temp is indicative of more light hitting the area. Also a pic of how the defoliation looked like:
Anyways it was pretty variable but thought I would share the results, that spot had really good sun exposure and large daily temperature swings so I’m sure other people’s results will vary based on a lot of other factors too
If you pop an autoevery two-three weeks, you have a time machine chain you can assess and address stuff as it comes up.
Double grape would be an ideal candidate, imho because they seem to be fairly uniform and hearty, even in the crosses. You accumulate experience this way one plant at a time overlapping.
Might not be the best way to learn how/why nature defoliates herself all the time, but it might help decide if you want to.
*and fill jars
Also, I know, autos lol, some will tell you it’s like comparing apples and barstools.
Friend @navy66, I have no idea what your thoughts are but it’s weed and it is called like that bwcause it grows every where, we as growers don’t feel that way.
It’s hard to grow and harder to grow well.
Grow well mean maximize.
In order to maximize, perfect conditions are a demand and most of us while starting expect bigger yelds or better quality but the truth is that the yelds advertised are grown by experts, pros with decades of experience.
And most of us create expectations hard to achive and harder while starting.
The best of this is that this become a hobbie, and while enjoying, you learn and learn more, you test test test but with smaller spaces tests have a high cost so steer to find your perfect formula and stick to it.
I’m just starting my 2nd year of growing and smoking, I’ve never had any dispensary flower because I have a deep inexplicable distrust of what those plants are given while growing. I did ask my nephew for a fair and honest comparison and he confirmed my homegrown was better in taste and potency. I had my first 2 grows tested for thc content for my own curiosity(all were around 21-22%) which in smoking is perfectly fine for me. I was very unhappy with my yields, 1/2 pound dried from my last grow of 6 plants but when I see people getting a 1/2 pound from each plant it makes me wonder wtf am I even doing. I think it’s a skill issue and I just haven’t hit my stride in my routine yet. On the thc testing, alot of people say it’s bullshit but as a newbie, I wanted to know. I get enough for my personal use and able to give a little away to family, which is a good enough runner up ribbon for me.
Defoliation topics are always one side of the fence or the other and the debates never seem to reach any kind of consensus on the subject.
Personally I feel that some cannabis genetics react positively to training, defoliation and other physical manipulations of the plant. I have seen pictures of some jungle tribe that smashes the plants to the ground before the onset of flowering and the plants have an extreme response to the technique. Branches develop root systems where thier smashed down stems touched the fertile ground and the plants grow into monstrosities of surprising size.
In my own garden I have also witnessed certain plants react very positively to training and defoliation. I would also claim 20 to 30% increase in dry, trimmed flower in those genetics that respond favorably.
One example is the BC Island Pink Kush. Thier was a guy on the forums a few years back that grew massive rooms with hundreds of plants and he was pulling epic weights , dry on the scale. His technique involved some surprisingly heavy defoliation where all but the top 3 nodes of each branch were removed going into flower. Not just the leaves, the nodes too.
The only time I have been able to get that clone to yield like his is when I have practiced his method of pruning and defoliating at the start, again at day 21 and again at day 35.
GG4 is another example of a plant that has a vigorous response to training and defoliation. Seen it too many times when looking at growers who defoliated hard and those who did not. The flower quality and yield is always better in the grows where GG4 is trained and defoliated a certain way.
So for me it just depends on the genetics and if they hold that vigorous response mechanism that triggers when defoliation and training are done correctly and at the right times in the life stage.
There have been some bad actors. Some that have been caught. Though, most of those labs do have to meet certain quality standards and certifications otherwise they’ll get their licenses revoked. It is easy to provide samples to a lab that will test high but may not be representative of the entire lot, as well. Test legitimacy has been argued for awhile.
I pay for testing as needed. And, also have done repeat testing to verify. Haven’t had anything come back that seemed out of whack. It’s a good data point to know.
If you are going to grow in dirt, use bigger pots for flower, and “cook” the soil for a couple weeks before using aka add any amendments, mix it all in a tub, water it, let it sit for a few weeks and then use that soil.i use 7 gal plastic pots for soil, and it’s fairly easy.
I’m sold. My lack of defol is usually just out of straight up laziness. And while 30% might be shooting for the stars… Landing on the moon is good too.
In a cramped indoor setting. Where the light source is coming from above and you need to get light down into the lowers. Less larffy lowers. Humidity control. Personally I’m not a weight guy. More bud is great but if I can’t controll my enviroment correctly with all that foliage and end up with sub par results due to excess humidity or no light getting through you canopy.
It’s a tool that can be use but is not an end all be all. I’m a 2x2 grower and for me a big plant in a 2x2 needs defoilation. But if you have wide open spaces I say let the plant be a plant.
Yeah definitely, transpiration is also directly related to leaf / canopy surface area, makes sense if you remove most of your stomata you’re gonna alter your water potential and have a harder time taking up water and nutrients.
Plant may even have to ditch some root mass ? I’m just scaremongering there haha but I’m not going to rule it out
: )
Like saying it’s ok cuz nature does it is funny , you ask any plant and they’ll tell you they were waaay happier befor the deer decided to munch half of it
