Defoliation criteria - 200 mmol/m2/s

Just listened to a Growcast episode from 7/18.

The guest mentioned that there is a study showing that an effective criteria for determining whether to defoliate a particular leaf is 200mmol/m2/s. This is because below this level it takes more energy to maintain that leaf than the leaf provides back to the plant.

Just wondering if anyone has seen this study and where I could score a read - sounds like a very interesting idea. Thanks in advance.

 

[420autoflower]

I grow extremely dense canopies using the SOG method and defoliating is a must. Can’t consistently yield 2.5-3 grams per watt of dense colas without plucking leaves lol.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

I grow extremely dense canopies using the SOG method and defoliating is a must. Can’t consistently yield 2.5-3 grams per watt of dense colas without plucking leaves lol.

I disagree, I know it is possible to yield that and more. I know several cultivators who grow 3-5 plants per square foot with minimal contact throughout the whole grow and only defoliate at the end(3 days before) before harvest in commercial settings.

Maybe in your situation it's necessary but there's no reason to usually remove leaves unless there are variables beyond your control like pest/humidity/air circulation. Great canopy management and smart pruning make much more of difference than specifically defoliating on it's own.

 

[CannabisMingus]

I know several cultivators who grow 3-5 plants per square foot with minimal contact throughout the whole grow

e.g @Mañ'O'Green

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I disagree, I know it is possible to yield that and more. I know several cultivators who grow 3-5 plants per square foot with minimal contact throughout the whole grow and only defoliate at the end(3 days before) before harvest in commercial settings.

Maybe in your situation it's necessary but there's no reason to usually remove leaves unless there are variables beyond your control like pest/humidity/air circulation. Great canopy management and smart pruning make much more of difference than specifically defoliating on it's own.

e.g @Mañ'O'Green

This is true. I remove very few leaves during a grow. I may harvest some leaves to make salve, especially if it is a high CBD strain. Other than that I only trim down low late in the grow for better air flow underneath.

 

[420autoflower]

I disagree, I know it is possible to yield that and more. I know several cultivators who grow 3-5 plants per square foot with minimal contact throughout the whole grow and only defoliate at the end(3 days before) before harvest in commercial settings.

Maybe in your situation it's necessary but there's no reason to usually remove leaves unless there are variables beyond your control like pest/humidity/air circulation. Great canopy management and smart pruning make much more of difference than specifically defoliating on it's own.

I’ve tried many times without the defoliation and always end up with half of it being larf.
I can consistently pull 2 pounds of primo bud out of a 4x2” tent using only 300 watts and 4-6 pounds out of a 5x5” tent running only 600 watts.
It’s a

Here are a few tents I just harvested a couple weeks ago

2x2” tent

2x4” tent

5x5” tent

Here are 2 current grows

Autoseeds.com testers

Black Strap

 

[Corum59]

This is true. I remove very few leaves during a grow. I may harvest some leaves to make salve, especially if it is a high CBD strain. Other than that I only trim down low late in the grow for better air flow underneath.

If I might jump in and direct you over to Nebula haze's rather good comparison grow of side by side defol/none defol Nebula's Cannabis Defoliation Experiment - Side-by-side grow journal | Grow Weed Easy
I rather thought the results were definitive and are well worth a look, I think it settles any misconceptions as far as defoliation/Schwazzing goes.

Oops, I really should stop being so lazy and adding links to relevant information, but the TOS is the TOS I guess.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

I’ve tried many times without the defoliation and always end up with half of it being larf.
I can consistently pull 2 pounds of primo bud out of a 4x2” tent using only 300 watts and 4-6 pounds out of a 5x5” tent running only 600 watts.
It’s a

Here are a few tents I just harvested a couple weeks ago

2x2” tent
View attachment 1511791

2x4” tent
View attachment 1511793

5x5” tent
View attachment 1511792

Here are 2 current grows

Autoseeds.com testers
View attachment 1511794

Black Strap
View attachment 1511796

It's definitely going to depend on your specific methods, genetics and environment but either way your maximizing your foot print and doing amazing.

 

[2budz]

idk how anyone could even argue with @420autoflower about defoliating at this point. His grows speak for themselves. I was already stripping my plants in flower when we started communicating here and watching what he does only supported what I had thought when I started. I do the same with my pepper plants. They produce more when they’re pruned and leaf stripped multiple times through the season.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Did I ever explain how lazy I am. I may be loosing a little yield It is not enough to change my ways I am getting >500g/m² or 1.5g+/watt. The quality is primo.

 

[2budz]

Did I ever explain how lazy I am. I may be loosing a little yield It is not enough to change my ways I am getting >500g/m² or 1.5g+/watt. The quality is primo.

I defoliate because I’m a lazy grower lol. I don’t have to do any training when I open the plants up. I also grow in soil so I’m not growing plants as large as you do. I have to do everything I can to get every bud to be jar worthy.