Defoliation vs No(little) defoliation

The grape guys say leaves need to be above the berries not below. So cut all your top off mid-late flower!

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Has anyone HERE actually shown the result
Of deformation?
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Someone had to right?
I got a closet full of BBD fixing to get defoliated
Soon
Tokers world thread
I not give it 2 grams
I say defoliation, adds 20 percent
Just a guess
But…
I’m fixing to show it again for the 100th time.
I leave one with fans on so we can get an unscientific look at what results are.

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It’s not a question of do or don’t for me.it’s purely situational for me. Sometimes I have to and sometimes I don’t. If I have a crowded room I do, if I’ve got a couple plants with air flow I don’t. Lots of different scenarios for me and it’s all on a situational approach.

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I’ve never noticed bigger yields from defoliating, especially a 20 percent increase. I do it to keep humidity and air flow in check, nothing to do with getting more yield for me. It’s more of an IPM if needed.

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Are there any other plants in the world that Allegedly benefit from removing their leafs, or is weed unique in that sense?

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I defoliate tomato and squash but it’s for a faster ripening and to remove dead leaves that may be harbouring pests or pathogens.Def never noticed bigger yields by removing leaves on those but def get more late season red tomatoes as opposed to harvesting green ones. Squash I have no clue really lol, I just remove dead leaf matter from them.if they aren’t smothered under a bunch of leaves I think they ripen a little faster. So I guess in a sense my yeild is slightly bigger because I have more usable tomatoes. It’s essentially like taking the top of the cannabis plant and allowing the bottoms to ripen up so in one sense yiu are getting slightly larger yields but it’s also letting the plant grow longer and getting ripe. But as far as taking fan leaves off for no reason other then hope for bigger yields isn’t really how it works and those leaves are energy centres. I do take everything off about 1 week prior to harvest as that’s when PM usually starts to show if it’s around and it’s a double edge sword because I’m saving myself one step at harvest by removing all fan leaves a week early.

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Maybe this was mentioned earlier. I didnt read the whole thread. It is long. Do you guys remember a book titled “Three a light” ? It was based on heavy defoliation at specific times. I dont think it ever really took off. Seemed to be more of a means to sell his own line of nutrients.

My buddy grows tomatoes, he removes side shoots but not trusses?
(Jfc I’m not a gardener lol)
He said he’d read in his tomato book that the plant puts energy into growing side shoots instead of fruits?

I mentioned this on Riu but no one confirmed it so idk if that’s common practice with other tomato growers?

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Yes we call that “suckering” the plant. You are correct in that it results in more fruit. :grin:

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Thank you @Magu that’s why I don’t write the subject off, I don’t subscribe to it but I’m scared I’m missing something lol.

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you’re not missing anything and when i start researching this year, there will be at least one paper written on it with four strains i plan to run. i’ll post it here when it gets peer reviewed.

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Neither weed, a peach tree, a tomato, an oak tree… et al benefit from having healthy productive leaves removed. That is absurd, misguided “feelings” that has no basis in what makes a plant tick. Even more absurd is the paradigm that leaves need to be removed to allow light to reach lower bud sites. Tell that to an apple tree with fruits residing deep within the canopy…or my Cannacopia Lapis indica plants I recently grew. :slight_smile:

Nugget from the bottom of the plant.

For starts, manufactured food is not localized. The leaves at the top of the plant are producing carbos, food that will be translocated via the phloem from the top to very bottom.

2nd - it’s a PITA!

There are many myths in cannabis forums perpetuated on each new crop of newbies. Defoliation is just one of many.

Good luck,
Uncle Ben

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Has anyone noticed different shaped leafs top from bottom?


From the same plant.

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I have seen that in landrace himalayan mountain sativas.

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@Star_Dog not necessarily. Another grandpa myth. Every time you remove a green leafy “sucker” from a tomato plant you’re reducing food for tissue production whether that be for root, flower or fruit production. Been growing maters for 60 years. Mama didn’t raise no sucka. hould You Prune Suckers on Tomatoes?

Check out the mater deep in the canopy on the right.

I let my maters hang a good week AFTER they turn color to have the finest flavor.

Uncle Ben

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@Star_Dog great observation! So the differences in leaf phenotype are consistent with what you would expect from a sun vs shade grown leaf! The amount of light that penetrates the canopy is minimal so typically leaves are wider to help catch what leaks through. You can see this in trees, you get wider leaves as you get to more shaded parts

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@OldUncleBen
Those fruits look awesome! Bet they taste like more than just slimy water also!!

I would argue that depending on cultivation style, pruning and defoliating can have value, but I absolutely agree it doesn’t result in greater yield. What it does do is allow for more even cannabinoid production deeper into the plants structure because of more light penetration.

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I said at the time i thought green = energy, which i know to be science.
Jfc he doesn’t know about my hobby so it wasn’t discussed further.

@ThePotanist you jogged my memory lol
I watched a tv documentary, something about Tea?
Green tea the healthy drink is the same as regular tea I drink, the only difference is the green tea has a net pulled over it to shade it which encourages bigger darker leafs, this info was from the farmer.

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Here is an excerpt from a study in case people doubt…

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