Defoliation?

[daoboxer]

Hiya.
After having a discussion with edgey and alwaystoned 1 about this topic, I thought I'd throw it out to the U.K. masses.
Do you defoliate? Why/not?
I know there is a wide variation in opinion on this subject, but I really don't want this to turn into a shitstorm.

Personally, I only take leaves off if I can't find another alternative. I'll try to find somewhere to tuck them into the screen. But if they're covering a bud, I'll have 'em off.
My thoughts are that if you're growing bigger bushes, more defoliation may be required, to allow more light penetration to the lower parts of gert donkey-dicks, or to lower budsites. What does everyone else think?
Peace.

 

[Scrogerman]

Pruning has its place for sure, but total defol has yet to be a proven tecnique to me, knowing what leaves functions are & plant growth, etc, total leaf removal seems a bit of a 'Stupid' concept to me.

G'Luck man!

 

[mtbazz]

Dont take fan leaves off, they supply food for the plant and that is where photosynthesis takes place...tuck maybe, but thats it.

Now, removing everything except fan leaves for 6-8 inches from the base of the stem is another story.

 

[VerdantGreen]

a certain amount of leaf removal is necessary with a dense canopy, but i prefer to tuck the leaves and remove as few as possible. so another vote for 'no unless absolutely necessary'

VG

 

[CB99]

try an experiment for yourself.

Find a nice single stem plant from seed, but try to find one which is 100% symmetrical.

Once you have found a nice symmetrical plant then remove all the fan leafs entirely from one side of the main stem, remove even new fan leafs which are trying to grow from the top of the plant,,Now pay close attention to the nodes, notice the main stem at the top of the plant will start to zigzag, the top of the main stem will no longer grow vertical.

I have done this experiment. The experiment showed that the nodes attached to the fan leaves which are removed suffer allot and do not grow as well as the apposing "intact" side, but after the plant has re-structured and created new fan leafs from the offending node thats when normal growth rates resume, its seems to me that the restructuring of the plant is what directly increases returns and increases quality, but the same results can be achieved from a seeofgreen technique.

Removing fan leafs is an indirect reason for increasing returns or quality, structure is the direct reason

to improve structure without causing a full restructure, i use a technique i call "the haircut". My technique is based on the idea that any leaf can function appropriately even if its cut in half. My haircut tech is similar to how growers trim the leafs down on cuttings to promote roots,

The haircut tech allows allot of light to penetrate a canopy without causing a plant to fully restructure, once you give a haircut to a big dopey leaf it stands to attention like its just become athletic

Try it.

good day

 

[Marathanman]

When growing scrog style I remove evertyhing below the canopy not sure if that counts.

 

[Scrogerman]

I use blade removal Vs total leaf removal myself(+tucking)! dont see many trying that, instead to serve a similar purpose. talk about stressing a plant, i dont or ever will get that one!

 

[Big Eggy]

The only advice I can give is dont type this in to google image search.

Oh wait i ment "Defloration"

 

[daoboxer]

Why not...? You can't stand seeing florists poised for the kill, croppers at the ready?

 

[Jaymer]

The thing I don't like about defoliating is the veg boost afterwards, I pull some fan leaves if I don't think they are critical or needed/ unless your growing a year old monster, tried a haircut pluck thing and wanted the buds to swell and take over but instead it stalled things and the plants did the opposite and vegetated more like CB99 noted. 4 now I'm trying a few fan leafs and clip the small leaves when needed, they attract bugs and spores.