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Defoliation Experiment on NYCD

sznake

jarhead
I think they are healthier if you look at the pistils --> thicker pistils = healthier. The defoliated ones have thinner pistils that are already turning brown..
 

speedyganga

New member
Hey, great comparison here hemp !

I have never taken off my leave but you make me interesting in the result ;)
I have though 2 questions:
If the plant non defiolated are next to the defiolated one is there a point to do this ? I mean the aim is to avoid the shadow on the plants defoliated but if the next plant cover it with large leaves there is absolutely no point...

I never practiced it but I saw a friend doing it for 2 last weeks of the flowering stages. I have to say that it is like they stress a lot and they grew a lot during this period (but they anyway grow a lot the last weeks...) But when he did it he took all the leaf off, I mean all the big one and the average ones. I see on your picture only the big one are missing. The middle one on the bud are still there. Is this called defoliating ?

Again I am no hater, I prefer non defialted plants (normal way I mean) but I just wanted to have further information.

see ya
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
The plants are equally spaced apart and there is no shadowing (the light came from multiple angle).

When I removed the leaves on day 21 I cut every leaf with petiole, trying to not hurt the young budsites. I was planing to strip them again on day 42 but I have realised this strain does not has any advantage from defoliation on my environment so why should I stress the plants if they do not show any sign of improvments ?

I really like this strain and I will grow it again in the near future and I k now how to prepare it for an optimal yield. I don't know if this strain is a slow grow , but when you have a very small space for growing you don' have time to veg a mom for 3-4 months and to make clones, veg them and flower for another 3 months.
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
I don't have to much time to spend in the flower room so I installed some passive automatic watering system ( Blumat like) on the NYCD clones, which means I can't remove the pots from their position as I used to do.

From now on pictures will show the plants under the LED pannel.

On the left hand there are 2 non-defoliated and 1 defoliated plant (on the middle row) and on the right hand there are 2 defoliated and 1 non-defoliated plant (on the middle row).

NYCD on Day 49 (entire garden)


Left side


Non-defoliated plant's top - the tallest and fattest plant


Right side


Defoliated plant's top - the shortest and thinner plant
 

cocogrower

Member
Great thread! can' barely wait to see how this ends!

A thought: even if you get a bit less from defoliated plants, you'd be able to pack more of them in the same area and up the gr/w..

I understood why you wanted to make the experiment this way, but leaving a few strategically chosen fan leaves on defoliation plants maybe could have been beneficial..

I really do love that you share your findings! Thanks!
 
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hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
NYCD on Day 62

I don't have time to take many pictures of the girls in experiment, but I hope I will in the nearest future.

Two non-defoliated and one defoliated plant (in the middle) :






Two defoliated and one non-defoliated plant (in the middle):






All togheter




The plant in the center is a BlueBerry clone, half female, half mutant (nor female or male).
 

cocogrower

Member
Been reading up a bit, and think this is something I'm gonna try out for my self! Think it can be extra beneficial in a crowded SOG, or on heavily topped/trained plant. Looks like your trimmed plants are catching up! If they turn out better in this very well lit conditions, it's all the proof I need that this can't be anything but beneficial!
 

Classic Seeds

Member
Veteran
hi hempfield your efforts are bearing results at least picture wise it would seem the defoliated ones are behind some in bud size but still they are as yet unweighted that's just a visual observation on my part I could be totally wrong .but I am happy to watch your grow and see the plants progress I have never used led's but it would seem they are working much better now days than a long time ago .thanks for your sharing it all with us aloha cls
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
I took some pictures last week at 69 days of flower, but I totally forgot to post them.

So here they are ! The plants are fattening up , but the non-defoliated are still ahead. On the last night check a few thrics appear to be amber, but the rest of them are clear. One or two more weeks to go and we are ready to harvest.

NYCD on day 69







 

Classic Seeds

Member
Veteran
hi hempfield thanks for your posting and updates even if you don't put the question to rest with people who think defoliating is the key to bigger harvests . your showing me it slows the harvest window and looks to limit bud size also what I learned for my self a long time ago .there are times when removal is good but while they are needing to gather energy to grow is not a good time .thanks again aloha cls
 

caligirl

New member
I think the best circumstance to defoliate is when the plants have bugs or mildew near flower. Instead of spraying, remove infected leaves to control problem.
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
Time is flying. The plants are now in the 78 day of flowering and they are getting fat each day. Since yesterday only reverse osmosis water for them until harvest, which will occur probably next weekend, at ~90 days of flowering.

Let the pictures speak for themselves :

NYCD on day 78









 

komboloi

Member
Nice, hempfield. Looks like it will be a nice harvest. I'm looking forward to the dry weight comparison between the defoliated and non-defoliated plants.

I had no idea NYCD was a 12-13 week flowering strain. Good things come to those who wait.
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
My LEDs lacks in IR and UV spectrum so a week or two past the breeder recommendation is always a must to get amber thrics ; beside that and I like them a little overripe and I don't look for aromas anymore (because I switched to electronic cigarette only as the favorite way of consuming cannabis).

After harvest I will dry the plants in the fridge for a week or two (until they are bone dry) and after that I will use them to make tincture (one moth in the freezer).
 

hempfield

Organic LED Grower
Veteran
We are getting closer to the harvest day. They just finished the 85th day of flowering and still no sign of amber thrics.

I think I will harvest them this weekend if I'll have some spare time.

NYCD - non-defoliated plants - day 85













 
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