I grow my plants, trees, and other plant material based on its natural state, what it’s indigenous to. Having said that most cannabis (excluding equatorial) matures during much less intense light due to the sun being lower on the horizon and MUCH shorter days.
Fruit does not need light to ripen. Leaves provide the carbos, the nutrients which are then transferred via the phloem.
Those who pound the defoliation butchering drill seem to not understand that it’s leaves that produce flower/fruit. If I was a betting man I’d say they have also never grown fruit trees or had a vineyard over a period of time. Fruit ripens deep inside of trees whether it be tropical like avocados or mangos or pome like apples or peaches.
This is all about science, and as my good friend says KEEP THE LEAVES ON!
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On occasions I’ve mentally tried to work out how it’s prepared for the buds all to arrive at the same size/height, i know i could’ve Google it but I kinda of enjoyed not knowing and trying to work it out
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That’s not the way it works.
I’ve done a double harvest on almost all my cannabis gardens, exception being outdoors. I will pick a point from top down where the buds are ready, they’re big and fat and there’s little to no more fresh pistils pushing. They mature first in most cases. Then I’ll stick the plant back under the light to bulk up and mature the lowest most buds. Now…if you done lost all your leaves because of operator error, it aint gonna happen. The plant needs those leaves.
“Operator error” is defined as applying a bloom food low in N early on during 12/12, defoliating or did the ol “flushing” drill with pure water.
High P foods induce stretching, albeit a natural thing for all but pure indicas which is what I’m growing now. High P foods also induce micros deficiencies, mainly Zn and Fe.
I kind of take what George Van Patten says with a grain of salt.I’ve grown them with leaves on I’ve grown them trimmed up.What I noticed was the more leaf I left on twords the bottom tended to grow more larfy popcorn buds on the bottoms that tended to have these damp pockets in them that liked to try and get PM.I started to defoliate and the popcorn buds grew out to actual Nuggets that were pretty good looking.These are what my bottom buds look like now over the popcorn stuff.Personal preference I guess no real wrong way I like to see plants untouched too but to claim that defoliating is that detrimental I have to agree to agree to disagree on.I don’t do full tear downs either I do a gradual removal as the buds develop over time and tend to leave the biggest ones on as long as I can I’ve also seen the plant concentrate more on the bigger buds with less leaf to keep up with.I don’t see it as a nutrient deficiency when I buffer the nutes in the soil .Plants have been healthy and thriving and with less leaf in my tent I helped my humidity tremendously and I got it to as perfect a dial in as I did in my untrimmed run I did.My side by side of the 2 runs the Defoliating worked out a little better.I got bigger buds and less trim time the other run only made me more Larf.I tend to go for quality over quantity these days.
The trick is to not murder the plant and make it look like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.The ladies love a good hairdo just need a trim and a perm every now and then
For a nice change I’m in a win win situation, defoliating
lowering the humidity is a result, if I get bigger/denser buds that would be fantastic.
I’m happy to trade weight for humidity, humidity is a constant concern at the back of my mind, i used to just bite the bullet and keep the heater and/or dehumidifier running constantly but electricity has went up 100% this year.
I need to lower the humidity by defoliating or lower the plant count for the area?
It’s different strokes for different folks like I said I don’t believe in my heart that there is any necessary wrong way to do it as long as what your doing works for you and you get results in the step forward not back.We can’t have the environment change to fit our needs we have to adapt to adjust to it just the way it goes.If I could let them go full bore I would I believe that leaves are a solar panel to feed those limbs I really do it’s just that in my situation I had to tweak it to my advantage.Mine being humidity control was a sacrifice I had to make and the Buds spoke for themselves being superior to the larfy stuff.But that was for me what worked for me might now work for others gotta experiment that’s half the fun
I will talk like Captain Obvious but … it depend on the plants, not me.
From the seedling state, I never defoliate my Jack Herer or it lower in general by a ~quarter the yield. It’s a pressurized IBL, a bit less vigorous and a bit more nutes-bitchy each generation. There is a lot of exotic things i can’t no longer do with her.
And if i don’t defoliate my Sensi Star the whole vegetative stage, i’m doomed to make mostly hash with the harvest.
I personnally think that the more you’re trapping yourself in a blind automated method, the more you’re dependant on the luck.
I have no idea but maybe it’s better to trim to make your buds appear bigger. I’m trying the no defoliation this time around Christmas tree style. I’ve had good luck stripping them but they seem to put more leaves in the buds when you do.
Instead of removing lower leafs remove very very start of the lower bud sites instead
Yes either lower plant count if staying that size or smaller plants if staying that plant count ie flip sooner ( save on electric also ) to lower humidity from less plant mass in room
: )
This is not about theories and feel good drills because “I saw someone did it and it worked for them”.
It’s science. Remove the very unit that produces the flowers in the first place and your yields will suffer.
Ya’ll do what you want. I’ve seen this argument for over 20 years and it always starts up again with a new crop of newbies. Heck, if defoliating your fave results in “mo and better buds”, take ALL the leaves off.
Not so much against belief with Mr Van Patton.Go look into the real reason why he changed his name twice and what he did to all his employees at his stores when the feds busted them.I don’t think I would trust someone like that.If you have to up and leave and return because of statute of limitations and change your name not once but twice you might just be a grifter.All just to sell grow books of things he parroted of other people’s work and grow store Supplies.He’s all for profit he could give a shit less.He’s Like Mr Kushman that bred that fine strawberry cough oh yeah he’s saying someone gave it to him now he’s been called out and forgets what he says on podcasts.Go check out The videos with him and Derrick on Gangia connsueir courses he changed his tone completely
I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to consider the strains used as a main factor of this subject; i’m finding it irrational. Oh wait, i know : catalogs.
Not defoliated
Defoliated strategically for a catalog, and no one on earth want to smoke that considering the level of nutes used.
I’m trying the no defoliation this time around Christmas tree style. I’ve had good luck stripping them but they seem to put more leaves in the buds when you do.
