Removing fan leaves during flowering

Growan

Growan

Well-Known Member
I understand now. It's; like picking scabs...

I decided I owe it to science to try it. I picked an average sized bud, admittedly one at The edge of the screen, and by god I defoliated the bitch. It felt good. So I did the same goddamned thing to a branch from the neighbouring plant. So now I'm a serial defoliator. I'm not going to wade in and do a whole plant, I ain't that convinced of the technique, but if these 2 branches show signs of increased production, well. I'll make sure I let you all know about it. Pictures are of subject #1, a 3 week flowering Chronic Lights before and after, with the removed leaves laid bare for your perusal. Subjuct #2 is unwilling to have her images published. Read that as 'I already put the camera away before I defiled, errr, defoliated her.
 

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BenFranklin

BenFranklin

Well-Known Member
@colnuggs I believe If those were BIG GIANT FAT WIDE indica leaves, we would be looking at FAR different plant characteristics.

By the way, I've always insisted that leaf plucking is varietal specific. With hybrid indica/sativas with prolific branching and those big fat wide leaves, being the best candidates... IMO of course.
 
Growan

Growan

Well-Known Member
Coolnuggs, obviously not detrimental to they grow overall, but what do you attribute the leaf rolling too? Just drying out towards the end or something else?
 
neo12345

neo12345

Well-Known Member
Growan said:
This setup is Scrogging 6 plants, 2 strains under a 1x1m screen in a 1.2x1.2m tent. 600w hps running at 660w now on maxibtight digi ballast. Vegged with 400w bulb, started dimmed to 250w then crept up till I was giving them full blast switching to 600w bulb about 2 weeks before flowering.
Cheap garden center compost, no additives, miracle grow multi purpose feed for veg, now phostrogen supplimented with a little sulphate of potash for flower.
I ain't the ideal candidate! I tell you what though. I got some sort of canopy in that tent! I'd spare a branch or 2 to compare to the others, but I'm not gonna defoliate a whole plant this time round. maybe next time, nut I'm still gonna be a noob grower for some time yet...
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It's best to practice this technique in veg, because if you get it wrong the worst you can do is pull too many leaves off. Next time you veg just try it on one plant, or clone/grow another plant just to practice on while the others veg. Until you get comfortable with the technique and results.

I'll be the first to admit that doing this for the first time seems unnatural and weird, but it was like that the first time I topped a plant. I thought wtf have I done, I've just cut off the perfectly healthy growing tops!!!

You probably won't notice any effect with cutting off a few leaves but it's a start, it will show that your plants won't drop down dead from you doing it anyway.

Great looking screen by the way!
 
Growan

Growan

Well-Known Member
I'm not afraid of killing them given the [percentage I've removed. I'll be looking to see whether the plant treats the specific sites I've tampered with differently to the others. The test is skewed, of course, because I just did a mini trim fpr the sake of trying something.
I think the screen's ok for a first attempt, makes me want to start a new one already!
 
Growan

Growan

Well-Known Member
Update, the removal of fan leaves or 'defoliation' of 2 of the tops in my scrog has not killed any of the 6 plants. Even the ones I removed leaves from. Thank god, I was wasted last night and just went in there and cut off like, 10 or leaves!
On a serious note, if the particular heads show any relative slow down or bulking, I'll be sure to mention it.
 
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