Defoliation vs No(little) defoliation

Advanced Techniques
#246

I have discussed the merits of alfalfa meal and triacontanol for years. Mentioned it in my recent grow thread as “slop” to wet down my bulk custom mix. Post #1 Doing the root pruning thing again, this time with MicroKote - #79 by OldUncleBen

They were upcanned to MicroKote treated pots Xmas day in my custom Soil – sand, vermiculite, BM7 soil less potting soil, 1 cu. ft. Landscaper’s Pride pine bark mulch/fines, blood meal, bone meal, alfalfa nuggets, gypsum. The slop is not a rebound from eating too much spicy Mexican food, it’s a slop made from soaking a qt. of small horse nuggets aka alfalfa, in a bucket of water and using it as a soil moisturizer/nutrition. Alfalfa contains triacontanol, a growth hormone.

And for the record, I buy horse nuggets in the 20# bags from a ranch feed store. They are cheap.

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#247

I referred to that link. Thanks though.

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#248

This was just a 7 day difference. I wish I would have taken another pic another 7 days later when we harvested them. They were bent over way more than this.

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#249

Nice job!

Enjoy

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#250

Are you tossing those horse apples on the bottom of your Plants holes and pots holes ?Been meaning to try that for my outdoor this year.Some good aged stuff to let the roots get long and dangle to

#251

Horse apples aka horse manure is great stuff, IF, it’s composted and is not collected from a horse farm that sprays their fields with broad leaf herbicides like dicamba, which most do. Ask the vendor or rancher, your source, where and how the horse manures come from and what their culture is.

Horse nugget is compressed alfalfa meal. It’s an easy treat for horses whether fed in your hand or dumped in a trough in bulk.

It’s all about the roots,
Uncle Ben

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#252

These ones were lightly defoliated kind of i still had a wheel barrel of leaves it was a bushy monster with 12 inch fan leaves that blocked out sun where I was I have wierd shade in the one spot anyway I ended up pulling here and there most of it ended up growing back twords the end but they all got so heavy they fell over like yours did that first one is just one plant it got so big it parted itself.

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#253

What’s your take on the half life of all the meds those ranchers dump into some of those horses in that horse shit?

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#254

I’m a science guy to a fault. The thing about science is that we are always discovering new information. Our data is always changing because we continue to progress as a society, both technologically and empirically. I, like many people here, have been growing for a very long time and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that my data can change from pheno to pheno and variety to variety.

I remember when we were told to hang our plants upside down because the THC will flow to the buds. I also remember being told to boil my root ball for maximum potency. Everyone’s experience is going to be different from others because our environments are so drastically different from each other. Just look at the different soil recipes. There are too many variables to say “My way is the best way.”

In the end, I grow the way that works for me because it works for me. I try to help give advice when new growers ask questions, but I’m careful to include that “Your mileage may vary.” I also ask questions because there are decent people who like to share information without drama or arrogance.

Weed will only ever be so potent. There is no holy grail. There are many varieties that tick a lot of boxes and many that don’t. If you find the one that ticks all of them for you, then mission accomplished. I’m more addicted to the hunt. I’ve had success with defoliation with some strains and some strains, not so much. You do you, Boo Boo :wink:

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#255

I do defoliate and love long legged girls! No useless leaves below the canopy to feed, no bud sites below the canopy to produce fluffy larfy flowers. Just 1 foot of prime, very lightly thinned canopy to pump 100% of the plants energy into feeding what will become glorious colas that are dense, hard, and fragrant.

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#256

I’m looking forward to running your gear @LoveDaAutos :slight_smile:

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#257

And I’m very much looking forward to seeing you running my beans. They are enroute as of this afternoon. Feel welcome to drop some photos in my journal / thread.

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#258

Thanks for the opportunity and for the donation to the site. I’m bumping some of Ace’s gear to run yours :slight_smile:

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#259

I have to give credit where credit is due, those Golden Tiger seeds are an Ace Seeds cultivar and a very powerful one. The Cap Junky rates a 9.7 on my scale and one everybody should grow at least once.

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#260

Get some dirt wet cause those beans should be there by Wednesday

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#261

You are most welcome! Glad you liked it! :v:

#262

@Foreigner Gald to see an “old Fart” - now I don’t feel so bad and used-up !!!

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#263

All being said defoliation is needed in cultivation - not so much with out door cultivation and as you mentioned it can be “strain dependent” considering that Sativa Dominate plants don’t need much defoliation because of leaf structure- like the old saying: more light = more buds is true as loog as one dosen’t over do light intensity

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#264

I defoliate every tree I pass by on the street and they seem to enjoy it.

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#265

Don’t know as “the meds” have never been mentioned, suggesting, they’re not going to spend money on a med they don’t need, just like with us humans. I have literally hauled 100’s of cubic yards of horse manure from a horse farm that was stockpiled there. Easiest way for me was to rent a 4.5 cu. yd. dump trailer pulled behind my pickup.

Gorgeous plants BTW! Good on ya!

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