Autoflowering Defoliation: Positive or Negative

[808_KindBudz]

Hey AF Fam, how is everybody this beautiful day?! Everyone's getting AMPED UP for the greatest holiday weekend?! So I'm new to the forum and growing Autoflower's all together and need some schooling on defoliating. I have experience with Photo's like I have previously stated and with my experience I have learned that for the most part defoliating at the proper time during flowering can be very beneficial for your overall outcome, allowing the budsites to absorb the majority of light and put on some heavy weight. This also varies from strain to strain, I realized strains with more of an Indica background responded very well to defoliation whereas with the more Sativa dominate strains I've defoliated I realized fewer strains appreciated the defoliation. Soooo, my question to you guy's is, will defoliating auto's slow their growth or will they respond well to this method? Or like my experience w photos is it more strain dependent? I am currently growing 3 Cherry Bomb Auto's, courtesy of the good people at Bomb Seed's, GOOD LOOKIN' OUT!! They are my very first growing experience with Auto's and I must say I am in LOVE with AF's! Two are in 3 gal DWC buckets using General Hydroponics nutrients and the other is in soil, w using LST technique. Wanting to do a comparison of the grow, wanting see how this strain takes to the 2 different mediums and finding out which medium is better for these ladies specifically. They are in their 5th week of growth and just booming, however I would normally be preparing to defoliate in the next week, like I have in the past (photoperiod strains). Before i started this task I was hoping to get some advice from my AF Fam, that being said, stop by and let your voice be heard, ANY and ALL help will be greatly appreciated. It's time for me to twist one up and burn it down in the sun, Aloha!

Oh yeah, I'll be upload pictures after my brother gets back from his mainland visit to see the family. I let him borrow the camer to get pics of everybody, should be within a weeks time. Have a beautiful day FAM!

 

[Epic Genetics]

negative with any plant , bud sites dont photosynthesise , leaves do

 

[epenguin]

I have experimented on my current grow with defoliation. So far I can see no difference between three Syrup AF's. One I stripped a fair bit and two I left as natural. Until I get a final weight I cannot say, but to my penguin eye, I see little diff' so far. I will let u know...... eP.

 

[808_KindBudz]

Thanks for dropping in and for the input, I appreciate it, I will definitely keep that advice in mind. I know the process of photosynthesis, it's just I've done one grow outdoors (photoperiod) and nature automatically did a defoliating process and noticed a significant difference in swelling. So after doing some reading and research I found that it can be beneficial, it just seems to be strain dependent. I was just curious what kind of effect this would have on Auto's bc of their predetermined life span being so short. As the buds are growing and filling out they are still spitting out fan leaves to continue photosynthesis, I was just curios if it was ok to remove a few to open up the canopy a little more.

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Right on, thanks for dropping in eP!! Keep me posted bc I'd hate to do anything to stunt these babies growth. Again, complete AF Noob so all the help and advice I can get is cherished! It's reassuring knowing someone is actually experimenting w defoliation rather than no experience and knocking it without having tried themselves.

Not saying anyone here is knocking it, but someone I know personally.

 

[Eyes on Fire]

if yer only talkin bout doing three or four sun leaves on an Auto that'd be alright.I do it all the time.just remember it'll slow it down a lil(sumtimes a lot) but the lifespan n health will be fine f all is right with them.instead of leaf tucking I do that to two to four of the sun leaves almost every grow and its fine.just ry tucking em first.

As far as photos ive done a LOT of that to be hoest.I trimmed ALL of the larger sun leaves andkept the smaller one at the sites and seemd to do well.looked funny as hell but worked fine cuz i use CFL's n T-5's.so i needed that easy penetration.wasnt a bg yeild but I got a few zips off it(photo).

Ive looked into Chemosynthesis as well and am planning on tinkering with that my next grow.maybe that'l give you some food for thought..?

 

[epenguin]

For info, this is the link that got me curious about defoliation. No mention of AF's though.....good luck, eP.

(Experienced Growers Only) Controversial Defoliation Increases Marijuana Yields | Grow Weed Easy
http://www.growweedeasy.com/marijuana-defoliation-tutorial

 

[Epic Genetics]

defoliating is a crock of dung

no one properly shows the entire process , not even the links you guys provided , it is impossible for us to know the whole truth behind those grows , are they being honest ? i doubt it , it is my belief they are lieing to themselves , they spend extra time and effort which without realising it has them improving other areas of the grow

i defoliated for 20 years , 20 years since then i prove EVERY crop that defoliating was/is a BIG mistake , swelling because of defoliating ? not freekin likely , the sun+leaves are needed to make that happen , not the opposite

how many of you would remove 2 of the spark plug wires off a muscle car and expect to do the 1/4 mile faster ?

i thought so

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[video=youtube;xYq7CuVpAeo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYq7CuVpAeo[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYq7CuVpAeo

 

[Grey Bear]

I am convinced major defoliation is pretty much like a guy shaving his pubs.
It doesn't change the size of his business, it just makes "the bud" appear a little larger, especially to the one that trimmed it.

 

[Epic Genetics]

I am convinced major defoliation is pretty much like a guy shaving his pubs.
It doesn't change the size of his business, it just makes "the bud" appear a little larger, especially to the one that trimmed it.

well said

peace

 

[Eyes on Fire]

I never claimed to et big buds.The physics speak for themselves.Photosythesis is what it is.A fact.yet for Max distance for less powered lights such as T-5's as well as CFL's I have hands down provided a little more flower power for photos.Auto Ive never removed more than 6-8 large sun leaves over the course of any AF grow.and it does improve em some.as far as T-5 n CFL grows go.Ive mostly documented that for my current AF grows if you read it.I say trimmed these two and will show ya pics if ya choose.But Im being as honest as honest is brother Bob.Ive doeit with slightly better results.only cuz I use lesser lights than many do.if I was running HID's or a good LED,I doubt Id do much(still some)of the sun leaf trimming.