The science behind defoliation?

[AutoflowerChief]

If I may provide some anecdotal evidence [100% pure bro science]... I tried that schwazzing thing on my plants, too. Don't have much comparison or anything, but yet one little experience now...

Due to catastrophic mismanagement and neglectence of keeping proper nutrient stocks, there were 4 days with pure tap water for my plants. Perhaps those trillions of fungus gnats also contribute... feels like my plants have developed an instant-lack-of-anything phenomenon.

One of them sacrificed almost any sugar leaf there was on the whole plant... and now I'm burdened with the tideous daily chore of plucking dead sugar leaves. (Don't fall of deliberately and I'm afraid of rot and such if I keep dead sugar leaves in the buds)

Long story short, I strongly believe: if I had left at least some fan leaves, (probably) the plant would have sacrificed those first, sparing those nice little sugar leaves

 

[420autoflower]

If I may provide some anecdotal evidence [100% pure bro science]... I tried that schwazzing thing on my plants, too. Don't have much comparison or anything, but yet one little experience now...

Due to catastrophic mismanagement and neglectence of keeping proper nutrient stocks, there were 4 days with pure tap water for my plants. Perhaps those trillions of fungus gnats also contribute... feels like my plants have developed an instant-lack-of-anything phenomenon.

One of them sacrificed almost any sugar leaf there was on the whole plant... and now I'm burdened with the tideous daily chore of plucking dead sugar leaves. (Don't fall of deliberately and I'm afraid of rot and such if I keep dead sugar leaves in the buds)

Long story short, I strongly believe: if I had left at least some fan leaves, (probably) the plant would have sacrificed those first, sparing those nice little sugar leaves

Do you have any before and after pics you can share?

 

[AutoflowerChief]

They hide in my grow journal

I picked a few for your request:

11-03 looking quiet fine, green and healthy in my opinion
(although, at closer look, I see already one leaf looking f...ed up, it's tip curling upwards)

11-06 still in the "okay" area... but symptoms slightly spreading out

skip one week 11-13: a symcacophony (great orchestra) of symptoms... anything you can think of spread everywhere across the plant....
put some pointers in the picture on spots with various symptoms

11-15 two more days and you don't have to look for symptoms, they are just everywhere and no place without....
BUUUUUT follow the pointers and you'll see: while self killing almost any leaf there is, she still produces new healthy looking grow literally everywhere and she continously expands, she's not stunted or something

closeup of extinction level event area:

what exactly was the reason? don't know...

But I'm sure with a little more reserves (meaning big fan leaves) at hand beforehand, she might have coped better with whatever...

PS: having to pluck on all those dying leaves everyday, 'cause they'd rather rot in place than to fall off deliberately.. is... well... a tiny little bit enervating ^^

Yet in terms of being enervating those immortal f.....gnats are wayyyyy worse. -.-

 

[BII]

One of them sacrificed almost any sugar leaf there was on the whole plant... and now I'm burdened with the tideous daily chore of plucking dead sugar leaves. (Don't fall of deliberately and I'm afraid of rot and such if I keep dead sugar leaves in the buds)

If the leaves are dried, brittle, etc. (or let them dry out) and your humidity is not too high, there should be no problem removing them later (or not; don't sugar leaves have trichomes/THC?), such as whenever you do trimming/cleaning after the buds are harvested.

 

[AutoflowerChief]

If the leaves are dried, brittle, etc. (or let them dry out) and your humidity is not too high, there should be no problem removing them later (or not; don't sugar leaves have trichomes/THC?), such as whenever you do trimming/cleaning after the buds are harvested.

Alrighty will stick to your advice, perhaps I am a little scaredy cat concerning but rod ^^

I have no problems concerning humidity, quite the opposite, keeping temp + vpd out of deadly thresholds is my challenge.

(lights are on for about an hour now, Temp will yet climb further)

 

[AutoflowerChief]

If the leaves are dried, brittle, etc. (or let them dry out) and your humidity is not too high, there should be no problem removing them later (or not; don't sugar leaves have trichomes/THC?), such as whenever you do trimming/cleaning after the buds are harvested.

Alrighty will stick to your advice, perhaps I am a little scaredy cat concerning but rod ^^

I have no problems concerning humidity, quite the opposite, keeping temp + vpd out of deadly thresholds is my challenge.

View attachment 1768037

(lights are on for about an hour now, Temp will yet climb further)