Defoliation Trial - 4 Clones

[Samwell Seed Well]

Good stuff Hobbes, many fruiting/flowering plants benefit from various forms of pruning defoilation and other forms of stress to elicit a hormonal or systemic response by the plant... horticulture is fun

 

[Hobbes]

So, I'm nearing 8 weeks of flowering, and majority of my main fans are damaged from spraying and subsequently showering a couple days later to clean off the residue and dead bugs.

Unfortunately I used my bathroom shower and it was too much and damaged all of them. I've left them on as they appear to still be doing their job, but have trimmed anything that might give way to infection.

At any rate, I've beat the bugs, but I'm wondering what would happen if I removed them all at this point?

Anyone have experience doing this at 8 weeks into flower?

.

Looking at your pic the leaves seem pretty good, but if you want to get more light deeper into the plant you could prune the big fan leaves.

What strain is it and how many more weeks do you estimate until harvest?

.

 

[Severed Tongue]

.

Looking at your pic the leaves seem pretty good, but if you want to get more light deeper into the plant you could prune the big fan leaves.

What strain is it and how many more weeks do you estimate until harvest?

.

Thanks, not worried about light, was curious though on opinions if removing them would instigate new growth this late into it... I'm pretty sure it's a no, but never experienced so thought I would ask.

They are from an ACE feminized elite random 5 pack, so no idea what they actually are.

Looking like 2-3 more weeks at least.

 

[Hobbes]

.

The 4 clones after 2 toppings. I'm going to top twice more for 16 colas, as well as about 6 colas coming up the side branches.

I started adding nitrogen with their feed, about month ago, much more lush than my last batch from seed.



.

These 4 Serious Happiness plants are from seed, at 8 weeks. They're starting to swell up a bit, 2-3 more weeks.



.

This is the mother of the four clones, I picked her over the other three because her colas were more even.



.

 

[Hobbes]

if removing them would instigate new growth this late into it

No, no new growth. You are correct. At this point you're just getting more light down deep.

.

 

[cindysid]

Thanks, not worried about light, was curious though on opinions if removing them would instigate new growth this late into it... I'm pretty sure it's a no, but never experienced so thought I would ask.

They are from an ACE feminized elite random 5 pack, so no idea what they actually are.

Looking like 2-3 more weeks at least.

Hate to hear about the mites...the only thing worse I ever had was root nematodes when I was in Florida. Both are tough to eradicate in flower, (at least for me). Glad you beat them!

 

[Severed Tongue]

Hate to hear about the mites...the only thing worse I ever had was root nematodes when I was in Florida. Both are tough to eradicate in flower, (at least for me). Glad you beat them!

Thanks, it was aphids and whiteflies though not mites thankfully! My own fault for bringing in my pepper tree for the winter. Lesson learned, never again.

 

[Hobbes]

.

I topped all four clones for the 3rd time, giving 8 colas plus the side branches. I've got one more topping to do and then I'll let the 16 colas veg until about 10", probably get 2 or 4 inches of stretch.

A 12" cola will be long enough to give a good yield, but still be short enough so it won't bend under bud weight.



.

I've been supplementing with Nitrogen and I have to say that my plants have never been more lush.



.

 

[Hobbes]

.

Serious Happiness (the strain I'm growing for this test) has a serious berry-floral smell stronger than any strain I've grown, even Blue Dream and Blueberry.

I'm going to give the garden one more week of flower then harvest, then I'll have the big tent free for the defoliation test.

.

 

[calvin.m16]

Looks great I'm surprised you haven't been attacked by the anti-defoliators yet.

 

[Hobbes]

.

LOL!

The anti-defoliators are welcome two, need two sides to keep each other honest.

.

 

[Fiete]

I do defoliation all the time but not too much. I belive it's beneficial for more bud to leaf ratio what you think from your expirience? I try to pic the ones that blocking new growth ore Bud sited.

 

[Boatguy]

.

LOL!

The anti-defoliators are welcome two, need two sides to keep each other honest.

.

Thanks for your welcome.
I have scrogged, mainlined, topped, natural, but have never done a clone side by side. Havent seen one either.
Subbed, and good luck

 

[PJ Diaz]

The clone in the front right is clearly in a different stage of growth than the others, which has been obvious from post 1. Because of this, I don't see the potential results being in any way conclusive.

 

[HydroKid239]

.

I'm going to run 4 plants:

plant 1: as the control with no defoliation
plant 2: lollipoped only
plant 3: lollipoped and a defoliation on day 1 of flower
plant 4: lollipoped and 2 defoliations - day 1 of flower and day 21of flower

I defoliate twice and my sugar leaves take a beating through flower, I'm really interested in the results. I'll weigh the larf on the first plant up to the lollipop level on the other plants, see if the lollipop is worthwhile.

I'm going to be using 4 Serious Happiness clones from Serious Seeds - Serious Seeds will be offering a discount to readers of the thread, stay tuned.

View attachment 5060379

.

I cloned in a bubbler:

View attachment 5060380

.

Off of this mother plant:

View attachment 5060381

.

I grew for 20 years without ever even pruning a leaf, the great solar panels, leaf pumps, the more the better.

View attachment 5060382

.

Then I watched a series of videos by Black Dog LED where they stripped every fan leaf from the plant twice, and they got great results.

View attachment 5060383

.

So I gave it a try and got good results, maybe better than before.

View attachment 5060384

.

I've been curious which style grows more bud, if defoliation is just busy work, if there's something to getting more light to the lower bud sites or if there's some type of hormone released when the foliage is attacked heavily.

View attachment 5060386

.

This is an open thread: opinions, insight, constructive criticism are welcome.

.

I have stripped plants and got rid of all the huge fans in flower and had dense bud developement the whole way up the branches on lollipopped plants. I have left tons of lower branches on with no pruning... however on that particular run I was made to only chop what was above the net, and then I dropped my light down to finish the rest off. Everything on the bottom was shaded, and looked like week 5 flowers. The light hitting those bud sites is where it’s at from what I’ve grown. Some strains are said to throw a bit of a tantrum if stripped.

 

[Hobbes]

The clone in the front right is clearly in a different stage of growth than the others, which has been obvious from post 1. Because of this, I don't see the potential results being in any way conclusive.

.

For some reason that clone was slower starting than the others and started out smaller. I adapted by putting that plant directly under the light and the other 3 plants off to the side a bit as they circle the smaller plant.

The runt has caught up to and passed the other plants so I now have them in a circle in the tent again.

.

The plant in question is the bottom right.



.

You can see from the side view that it's now as tall as the other 3 clones. (bottom right)



.

 

[Hobbes]

I do defoliation all the time but not too much. I belive it's beneficial for more bud to leaf ratioView attachment 5080035 what you think from your expirience? I try to pic the ones that blocking new growth ore Bud sited.

.

Fiete how many nodes deep is your canopy?

Your plant looks good, I wouldn't prune any more.

.

 

[Fiete]

.

Fiete how many nodes deep is your canopy?

Your plant looks good, I wouldn't prune any more.

.

I check it later. Why?

 

[Hobbes]

.

If you're just growing 1 node deep, like a scrog, then you want to keep your leaves and bend them if they're blocking buds.

If you're 6 or 7 nodes deep then it'd be beneficial to remove the upper leaves.

.

 

[Fiete]

.

If you're just growing 1 node deep, like a scrog, then you want to keep your leaves and bend them if they're blocking buds.

If you're 6 or 7 nodes deep then it'd be beneficial to remove the upper leaves.

.