Is the extra yield really just sugar leaf volume and weight ?
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In my experience, mostly defoliating but not removing all the lower bud sites, the defoliation makes the bottoms get nice and frosty, but they don’t necessarily thicken up unless you do a staggered harvest of tops and bottoms. This time around I’m going to be more aggressive about removing bud sites, but the fan leaf removal in the first few weeks definitely helps colas develop farther down than I think they would without.
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I think you hit the nail on the head @Dirt_Wizard, doing the defoliation without reducing bud sites will result in lots of popcorn. If you wanted to get really serious trimming every branch to three nodes would ensure bigger buds. I will do three nodes on side branches but the more central ones I will leave up to six nodes.
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When I use it I wouldn’t say it improves yields, but it showcases the buds. When grown to maturity this way, it makes for a great display plant.
The best way to improve yields is to top at 4 nodes for eight branches, then top each of the 8 branches at 2 nodes or four branches for a total of 32 individual tops… This is also the fastest way to finish plants. After toping for all 32 tops, veg to taste and flower 
.
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I top, scrog, HST and schwazzing on every grow. I just keep piling on the techniques lol.
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Try the defoliation day one and 21 of flower, you haven’t done this technique unless you follow that timeline.
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Thanks for that!!
Makes perfect sense, now that I’ve seen a Season of Schwazze (and the bucket of popcorn 
)
Sugar breath at day 43 of flower.
Pushing buds out everywhere she can.
Did a bit of leaf trimming to allow air movement between the buds and let more light in.
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i recall doing this and have some pics of a grow 20 years ago but it was not called schwazzing from what i can recall. i’d remember that. wondering if i may have learned it from you back in the day on here. i’ll see if i can find the pics, but it definitely works.
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I by no means have originated the technique and I’ve only been on OG about a year and a half. The technique was in the “3 a light” book from a few years back but I doubt that was the first use of it.
Only $300 for the book :S
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damn, well thanx anyway. i think i may need that book. speaking of yield per light, what is the norm for harvest on these new led lights? i was getting almost a gram per watt with hps/mh, but have yet to hear anyone refer to the yield on these new lights. i’d rather not pay that much just to find that out.
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This method does work (Tree of Life) or (Growdairies - have examples of)
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Always enjoyed this video … 
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You’ve got to love trimming and have A LOT of time on your hands for this. Terps fuck me up when I’m trimming to the point I get a head cold because my big sensitive nose can’t deal with the pungent odours. I’ve even tried wearing those second world war/MIG fighter pilot face masks which are just damned uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure that plants kick up more stink if they’re under attack from certain pests like sciarid fly larvae. I’ve got a bro science theory that the plants will up their terps to fend them off in a similar way that other herbs that are left to struggle produce more medicinal oils like mint or lavender. At least it has seemed that way from my experience. I could just be a big fat pussy on the trim front. I do like my bud to be bud not bud with a load of leaf round it like some lazy bastard friends of mine who convince themselves they get more smoke if they leave leaves on… so dumb. I’d like to have friend who I could give clones to in case I lose mine but they’re sooo fucking lazy, it beggars belief. Soz. a bit off topic.
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Funny you say that @Mestizo : )
When I look at swazzing pics up close all I see is leafs pretending to look like colas lol that’s dumb haha
Then the next set of pics you usually see are all the extra leafs trimed tight to hide them and make them look like part of the buds ( illusion to the untrained eye )
: )
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Be cool if the folks who think this is a good thing would post some good pics and say how long you been growing.
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Haha just cuz youve worked on cars for 10 years , dosnt make you a good mechanic : )
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Ok lets see some quality pics please.