Time to start defoliating ADVICE PLEASE.....

[whitlow]

So this is my 3rd grow and I've pick off leaves and some lower bud sites. But I know I can get better buds if I get rid of a lot .... But what and how much?
Thanks
Both Autoflower
Fastbuds Strawberry Banana
Atlas Seed Grease Gun
Day33

 

[leaff]

im on my 3rd ish grow too but id leave them. or just take off everthing in the shadow

 

[BII]

Regarding "I can get better buds if I get rid of a lot;" is that established fact or the consensus view? I suspect the majority of growers are rather conservative in terms of what they remove, and presume that is the best option . Even if it's established fact, I'd still leave "removing a lot" of leaves to genuinely experienced growers, with various exemplary highly defoliated grows reported here on AFN.

Has even just removing bottom shaded leaves, much less more radical defoliation, actually been proven to result in 'better' quality (potency, yield, etc.), with cannabis and/or other plants?

 

[whitlow]

I've taken leaves from my other grows but ended up with a lot of small buds down low. I've been checking out taking everything from lower 1/3rd. But I've never done it. I just want to get the best results from my grow.

 

[JP1]

I start plucking with the bottom fans and then the fans that point towards the middle since the bottoms get no light and the ones in the middle cover the budsites. You've got some time to see what buds won't develop and pluck. Do it slowly, handful a day but your plants look healthy and will shake it right off

 

[CannabisMingus]

Regarding "I can get better buds if I get rid of a lot;" is that established fact or the consensus view? I suspect the majority of growers are rather conservative in terms of what they remove, and presume that is the best option .

FWIW I remove the minimum necessary to ensure adequate air flow. I don't even worry too much about light exposure to lower buds, given the foliar light penetration capabilities of the green wavelengths present in most full-spectrum LED fixtures today. I guess I am more aligned with @Mañ'O'Green 's approach than the conventional wisdom. Plants still need foliar surfaces to generate energy for bud and trich development. HTH, IMHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[CannabisMingus]

And also FWIW I don't see any need to defoliate those plants right now. IMHO, etc.

 

[BII]

I suggest definitely remove any leaves (and any new branching) from the very bottom few inches of the plant, for better air circulation. Other than that, I likely wouldn't defoliate other than dying or sickly leaves.

This may not be the place to pose the questions: Has defoliation actually been proven to improve quality or yield? And similarly, has providing more light to lower buds by defoliation been proven to have benefits? What defoliation do commercial legal grows do?

 

[420autoflower]

I suggest definitely remove any leaves (and any new branching) from the very bottom few inches of the plant, for better air circulation. Other than that, I likely wouldn't defoliate other than dying or sickly leaves.

This may not be the place to pose the questions: Has defoliation actually been proven to improve quality or yield? And similarly, has providing more light to lower buds by defoliation been proven to have benefits? What defoliation do commercial legal grows do?

When I’m growing dense crops I schwazz (leaf strip) my plants at least 3 times during flowering to make sure I have the airflow and light penetration I need to harden things up down below. And with all the extreme defoliation I’m able to consistently pull 2-3 pounds in a 2x4’ tent with practically no larf.
Here is a recent 3 plant grow in a 2x4’ tent that was over 2.5 pounds dry weight with absolutely zero larf. I’m positive that half of it would have been a bunch of unwanted fluff bud if it wasn’t for all the heavy pruning.

Sawneys White Gen 3 (autos)

Here is a side by side comparison that you might find interesting. The final outcome was the defoliated tent yielded close to 40% more than the naturally grown tent.

Nebula's Cannabis Defoliation Experiment - Side-by-side grow journal | Grow Weed Easy

...so it’s time for the second defoliation. Today is Defoliation day: Part 2 Natural tent Defoliated tent (before today’s 2nd defoliation) Here they are after the defoliation tent was plucked...

www.growweedeasy.com

 

[whitlow]

Nice I can only wish/dream about growing like this. Here is what was done to my plants last night. Let's see what happens.... It says 10-11 weeks I'm on day 34 just did my first top dressing for blooming Gaia Green nutes. My first 2 grows were Fox Farm and were twice as big as this paint. Top and side view pictures.