excuse me... ill re write that for those who cant break it down since some one is a pea brain... nutrients are one part of energy to plants according to both science, myself, and you.... ok.. glad we have that straight... your quote:
"On a most basic and unscientific level, anyone who has completed a grow will remember seeing the nutrients stored in fan leaves get literally sucked back in to the plant to fuel flower production. "
see where im going with this? you specifically stated that the plant stores its nutrients in the leaves and also stated that science said so.. well myself and the first thing to show up on google from an actual scientific study and not a bunch of b.s. on forums proves that your statement is completely false.
so please, i am not trying to sound like a dick, this will be my last post in this thread on this matter, i will ask that you at least attempt a proper defoliation. there is a difference between these hack job idiots on these forums stripping off any leave larger than a half dollar, and the people that selectively pick off the leaves necessary to ensure other sections grow. yes, about 95% of the light shining on a leaf will pass through it to the lower sections, but people also fail to compensate for many other factors. the plants will tell you what they like, and i promise, selective trimming will be rewarded within 3 days. your ladies will open up like you have never before seen.
just worth mentioning again, yes plants have been developing and adapting to the earth as we know it for millions of years, but even nature has her downfalls. that is the point of the indoor environment we set up for these ladies. it is to best replicate the good things of mother nature (light breezes, the constant exchanges of air for CO2 replenishment in the atmosphere, most importantly -the SUN), but mother nature has her many downfalls that these ladies probably have survival instincts in their genetics ( hermying out in attempt to self pollinate and produce seed to carry on its genetic code). there is too much human beings dont know about what happened over those millions of years to just automatically say that the way things are growing right now is the best way possible... by mention of evolving of plants i am to assume that you like me do not believe in religion. if you believe we all evolved, then we arnt done, neither is the earth, the environment in which we live, and everything else on the planet.... so again... what is to say that the environment we live in now is the one best suited? they have only evolved to survive.