Auto Defoliation Myth Test

[WildBill]

As soon as a seed sprouts, I chop the top off that fucker. Never had any issues with yields. My last auto yielded 17 lbs with this technique.
largebuds.jpg

 

[billymac]

17 lbs. from one plant - how big was that fucker!!!

 

[Death The Cultivator]

A point for others that may read this thread.
Good air circulation insures even CO2 distribution to all parts of the plant. It ensures maximum utilization of the available gas. Something not commonly mentioned, but is very important.

Optimal air speed in a hydroponic crop – Science in Hydroponics

scienceinhydroponics.com

 

[Little Brother]

Also wanted to suggest that idea that defoliation increases yield might originate with optical trick. Less surrounding plant matter makes the buds look bigger. Like when you shave your pubes and look in the mirror

 

[Joshua]

Alot of good points and information to be considered here, ill offer my anecdotal evidence on the subject and a different thought. I don't remember the source but somewhere out there I have read that leaves recieving low light levels under 200ppfd can become energy sinks actually dragging on the plants performance. Not sure if this is true and I don't have any papers on this but would like to hear what you guys think about it.

Last when I had 2 plants of the same age and strain i did my regular thing of medium to heavier defoliation and the other with a minimal amount of defoliation . At the end there was want we would call no statistical difference. I think it was less than 10 grams.
In this grow I also was experimenting with side lighting and that could have influenced my totally non scientific experiment. Lol

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Alot of good points and information to be considered here, ill offer my anecdotal evidence on the subject and a different thought. I don't remember the source but somewhere out there I have read that leaves recieving low light levels under 200ppfd can become energy sinks actually dragging on the plants performance. Not sure if this is true and I don't have any papers on this but would like to hear what you guys think about it.

Last when I had 2 plants of the same age and strain i did my regular thing of medium to heavier defoliation and the other with a minimal amount of defoliation . At the end there was want we would call no statistical difference. I think it was less than 10 grams.
In this grow I also was experimenting with side lighting and that could have influenced my totally non scientific experiment. LolView attachment 1291416View attachment 1291421

I think it's simple. Small plants need less light than large plants and larger plants need even more light. So imo, a grower keeps defoliating continually and training stimulates vegetative growth. Then they need enough light to satisfy all that growth.

Not every light is created equal, efficacy, diode quality/count/layout, far or close proximity matter. Without a PAR meter a grower doesn't know if they are getting 400+ppfd 24" below their canopy even IF the manufacturer shows it in their testing. Every grow room is unique and discrepancies happen, a light may not perform to factory specs and a Lux meter can't tell you that accurately without an SPD conversion unique that light.

It's like buying a house, even if you have it built brand new, you should still get an inspection. PAR meters are expensive but they take the guess work out of adjusting lights.

 

[Couch_Lock]

Some strains like defoliation more then others I've found out. I've defo'd 3 times within the first 30 days.

3 of my 4 plants loved it. One auto is pissed AF.

I've ran fem photos 3-4 yrs nonstop....this is my first auto grow.

Bottom leaves, bud site blocking leaves and inner growth has got to go, imo. A waste of the plants energy.

 

[jay-toker]

I always defoliate big fan leaves in the beginning to let the lower branches catch up to the main cola. Although, I haven't done much defoliating later in flower but will try on my current auto grow.

 

[CDN88]

My last auto yielded 17 lbs with this technique.

C'mon. 17 lbs from an auto flower. Hmmmmm, I might be fairly new to growing myself but I know many who are much better than be at this and I've never heard of an auto being able to make 17 lbs. MAYBE a photo period grown outside. A buddy had a plant growing in his garden all summer, it was about 8 feet tall in the fall and covered with bud. He didn't get 17lbs out of that. I don't know dude, pretty hard claim to believe.

 

[JSH1973]

C'mon. 17 lbs from an auto flower. Hmmmmm, I might be fairly new to growing myself but I know many who are much better than be at this and I've never heard of an auto being able to make 17 lbs. MAYBE a photo period grown outside. A buddy had a plant growing in his garden all summer, it was about 8 feet tall in the fall and covered with bud. He didn't get 17lbs out of that. I don't know dude, pretty hard claim to believe.

1.7 more likely :smoking: