Pruning or defoliating autos?

Been discussed a million times im sure, but I can’t get a solid answer. Can autos be pruned or defoliated? My current autos are so short and busy I can barely water them and am worried about mold. I generally take a few leaves off per week and havnt seen any ill effects, but if I did a major defoliation would I stress them and disrupt their flower? They are around 30 days old, well into flower.

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I’m on my first grow I’m only like 20 days in with autos. I’ve been wondering same thing. Small and bushy I’m bottom feeding but have been chopping a few bigger fan leafs here and there to open up the light. Haven’t notice it minding it the under growth start going next day.

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Ya same here. I’ve just read alot about it causing them to hermie.

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Once I hit flower I figure I’m going leave it be or just do one of two to see how each one acts. I’ve only cut two fan leafs off one which where not happy looking from a over watering issue and not touching it other than that and have done a little more with the other. Even some LST on it and not so much on other. Before flower thou every snip causes those articles saying not to pop in my mind. So trail and error for now but maybe someone with a little more expierence on autos will chime in.

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Same here as far as trial and error. This is my first auto run. I’ve grown photos before, but they seem to be more forgiving to stress from what I read.

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I’ve done some pretty heavy LST on this one and it hasn’t minded. Just took a few fan leaves off today to let her breath a bit.

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For some more aggressive tactics, check out:

Smokn takes it to a new level. :+1:

Cheers
G

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After seeing that thread I’m pretty sure that’s the one I got the idea of how to tidy up and lst my autos

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I take a few leaves off my girl almost every day.

anything that is blocking light to a lower bud sight gets a short leash.

I think I’m on day 42 white widow auto.

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Autos are funny in they they have a limited amount of time to live, period. So if you get too aggressive with pruning, you can stunt them. That can lower yield.

Taking a few leaves a day shouldn’t cause any issues. I prefer to tuck leaves instead of removing them. I also use super cropping and LST.

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I wouldn’t mess with pruning or defoliation autos. They don’t tolerate stress well

Lst is about all you can get away with.

Still don’t get why people run autos. A cheap timer is like $10 and you can’t take clones so you have to keep buying seed.

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You can do to autos what you can do to a photo plant,don’t let
Anyone tell you different to just have to be a bit quicker to do it,

Autos are on a mission to grow this is one of the reasons you want to be taking clones at an early stage of the plants life,

Only thing I don’t like about them is you stress them they will throw seeds

My last 2 grows has been autos ,new grow I’ve started is autos as well

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I’ve heard this a couple of times now, but this has not been my experience with autos. Stressing them will reduce yield, but they shouldn’t hermie unless it is severe stress.

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I’ve had a few plants throw seeds for no reason,well I’m sure there was a reason but I couldn’t think of one, had a sour kush cream and gorilla glue all throw seeds, just like 3-4 seeds each but still it’s still seeds could be they were growers choice autos as well lol,I had a lot of trouble with their autos
Fucker just found a seed in my gorilla glue bud I just put in the grinder see what I mean

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I’m just doing autos because I figured it would be a quicker turn over, but less yield, which is fine for me. I enjoy trying growing different strains and thought I could get more grows a year with autos

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Autos are fun, they move fast and finish quick. And they’re great for guys like me growing in a tiny space but wanting multiple plants.

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Exactly, my tent is fairly small and I just look to grow enough for my wife and myself, but like growing different strains

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If you do it right you can start one, in 2 weeks start another etc… once you get your schedule figured out you can just have a rotating crop of different weed every couple weeks without worrying about light schedules

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I want to do that, I’ve been using my tent for drying, gotta get something else so I can keep the tent for growing

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In the same boat already looking at a bigger tent to keep the rotation going. Easier to look than buy thou so we’ll see when get to that.

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