Remove all fan leaves for a stealthy grow?

Superauto · May 26, 2018

Show anyone a cannabis plant and 9 out of 10 will know what plant it is by looking at the fan leaves.On the other hand, remove the fan leaves and leave only the sugar leaves left, how many can say it’s a cannabis plant?

So what I’m asking is if it’s possible to remove the fan leaves as soon as the plant start to bloom and still get a decent yield?

At least removing the fan leaves will make the outdoor grow more stealth.

TychoMonolyth · May 26, 2018

Superauto said:
Show anyone a cannabis plant and 9 out of 10 will know what plant it is by looking at the fan leaves.On the other hand, remove the fan leaves and leave only the sugar leaves left, how many can say it’s a cannabis plant?

So what I’m asking is if it’s possible to remove the fan leaves as soon as the plant start to bloom and still get a decent yield?

At least removing the fan leaves will make the outdoor grow more stealth.

Botrytis (gray mold) usually attacks wounded plants. So pruning is a no no if you're gorilla growing because mold spores are probably around. Many people do it though. It's terribly humid here at harvest time but I do it a week or two before I harvest to speed things up (ripening and harvesting) and deal with mold if I find it.

Superauto · May 26, 2018

Can’t I just use some clone gel or something like that to cover the cut/wound?

MJPassion · May 26, 2018

Does an off grid home have power when you remove the power sources?

I’m pretty sure you’ll seriously stunt the growth of any auto that is treated as you suggest.

troutman · May 26, 2018

Anyone who knows what cannabis looks like will still recognize the plant.

TychoMonolyth · May 26, 2018

True. I spotted a grow last year in the corner of my eye, thru the bush, as I was driving by. I kid you not, my first thought was "I didn't know Pineapples grew here." lol

Superauto · May 26, 2018

troutman said:
Anyone who knows what cannabis looks like will still recognize the plant.

Sure they do but I don't fear the growers or police here, you see I guerilla grow in remote places where police and pot heads don't usually go.
Who I fear is mostly berry pickers looking for cloudberries growing side by side with my weed.

Here up north cloudberries are so precious that I guess the berry pickers just walk straight by without notice any cannabis plants as long as they don't see any fan leaves.

Yes I understand the yield will go down without fanleaves, but with how much?

troutman · May 27, 2018

Try planting away from berry patches then. :tiphat:

bigtacofarmer · May 27, 2018

You seem to be assuming only non pothead berry pickers will be visiting.

Superauto · May 27, 2018

troutman said:
Try planting away from berry patches then.

Well, where I live the best places to grow is in this swampland where the berries grow, no trees creating shadow so at a clear day the sun will shine 15-16 hours, and water is unlimited

Superauto · May 27, 2018

bigtacofarmer said:
You seem to be assuming only non pothead berry pickers will be visiting.

Well I assume that the potheads just pick the flowers and keep quiet and not run to the local police or the newspaper with their findings :tiphat:

MJPassion · May 27, 2018

Superauto said:
Well I assume that the potheads just pick the flowers and keep quiet and not run to the local police or the newspaper with their findings

GAWD!!!
How many plants do you plan on putting out?
Don’t answer that unless you want to.

TychoMonolyth · May 27, 2018

Superauto said:
Well I assume that the potheads just pick the flowers and keep quiet and not run to the local police or the newspaper with their findings

Around here, they'll take all the colas in one night. Then they'll tell their friends who will take the popcorn the next night.

therevverend · May 27, 2018

As far north as your growing, and considering your handle, I wouldn't remove the fan leaves. Auto flowers and photoperiod sensitive plants have very little time to get big enough to finish. Without big leaves I doubt you'd harvest much at all. There's always exceptions to the rule but the autos I've seen needed every fan leaf they had.
I don't ever top or remove the main fan leaves from outdoor plants. It greatly slows the formation of the main branches and meristem. Most outdoor growers only have two months, June and July, for their plants to form large size and put on the bulk it needs to produce. Then it only has two months to put on the flowers.
For an Auto grower you're cutting that almost in half. Only June to gain bulk, then July and maybe half of August to develop flowers. Stunt that and you got nothin'.
As far as berry pickers they're trouble. The human kind and the bear kind. I'd prefer either tunneling deep into the middle of a patch where humans can't get to or find somewhere with enough devil's club, muck, and nettles to keep them out.

TychoMonolyth · May 27, 2018

Amen rev.

Superauto · May 28, 2018

MJPassion said:
GAWD!!!
How many plants do you plan on putting out?
Don’t answer that unless you want to.

I don't want to say any specific number but I have a handful patches with a handful plants each, so you can do the math

Superauto · May 28, 2018

therevverend said:
As far north as your growing, and considering your handle, I wouldn't remove the fan leaves. Auto flowers and photoperiod sensitive plants have very little time to get big enough to finish. Without big leaves I doubt you'd harvest much at all. There's always exceptions to the rule but the autos I've seen needed every fan leaf they had.
I don't ever top or remove the main fan leaves from outdoor plants. It greatly slows the formation of the main branches and meristem. Most outdoor growers only have two months, June and July, for their plants to form large size and put on the bulk it needs to produce. Then it only has two months to put on the flowers.
For an Auto grower you're cutting that almost in half. Only June to gain bulk, then July and maybe half of August to develop flowers. Stunt that and you got nothin'.
As far as berry pickers they're trouble. The human kind and the bear kind. I'd prefer either tunneling deep into the middle of a patch where humans can't get to or find somewhere with enough devil's club, muck, and nettles to keep them out.

Guess I can try with one plant in each patch and see if the yield will become significant lower

therevverend · May 28, 2018

Yes nothing wrong with experimenting. And there's always that special strain that thrives when you remove the fan leaves. I haven't seen many of them but I've seen a few. These usually tend towards the landrace or at least outdoor varieties.
They need to have their leaves removed because they get too damn bushy otherwise. So many shade leaves they block out all the light from the developing branches and colas. Had one last year, an heirloom Mendocino strain called Pot of Gold Hashplant. Hadn't grown before so I let it go. Developed much too much branching.

aridbud · May 28, 2018

Don't complain or blame breeder/genetics when your plants do not yield much (autos, esp).

stemznseedz · May 28, 2018

your best bet is to train the plant to grow along the ground. taking all the leaves off will be a daily activity as they will just keep regenerating as fast as you pluck them. I've never done it a whole grow just 2-3 specific times during a cycle so I can not guarantee you what will happen but I can tell you the plant will be spending considerable energy regenerating leaves instead of making bud.

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