Defoliation??

[Dannyy]

Hi all! my purple lemonade auto is at 17 days old, she looks healthy and had been growing really well. I’m wanting to do some LST but wanted to know if I could remove a few of the fan leafs getting in the way (see pictures) some people say it’s fine to defoliate a auto and some say it’s a no go? And advice?

Cheers
D

 

[Trichome farmer]

Hi all! my purple lemonade auto is at 17 days old, she looks healthy and had been growing really well. I’m wanting to do some LST but wanted to know if I could remove a few of the fan leafs getting in the way (see pictures) some people say it’s fine to defoliate a auto and some say it’s a no go? And advice?

Cheers
D

personally at this stage id just do some leaf tucking its taking a nice shape

 

[Dannyy]

Hi TF! yeah I believe she’s getting on quite well, I’m pretty new to growing and want to get things right! I think I’ll just tuck them for mow as you suggested! Also she’s getting pistils quite young as well, is this the norm?

Thanks

 

[Death The Cultivator]

I would do your LST or super cropping. The leaves are going to reorient themselves to find light.

Maybe defoliation is something you have to do in the future if you don't have enough air circulation or som

 

[Trichome farmer]

Hi TF! yeah I believe she’s getting on quite well, I’m pretty new to growing and want to get things right! I think I’ll just tuck them for mow as you suggested! Also she’s getting pistils quite young as well, is this the norm?

Thanks

yeah totally normal

 

[JSH1973]

Defoliation isn't a no go for autos, if it was then all my plants should have died a horrible death already
Just do the LST you want and gently move/tuck fan leaves that are in the way, maybe remove one or two if they are touching wet soil after the LST

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

To Defo or not to Defo? That is the question. Why is it that outdoors we don't even talk about this? It is because the sun has all the power to reach every leaf and every leaf is a little factory producing energy for the plant to grow. Perhaps we are asking the wrong question indoors then. Maybe we should be asking is my light strong enough? Does it have the correct spectrum? Do my walls reflect the light well enough. I think we should improve the indoor environment instead of chopping off the little factories that produce the energy needed to grow big beautiful flowers.

I used to do heavy defo but my yields and quality just did not live up to the advertised characteristics from the breeders. Then I took another look at what I was doing and why. I did the research and built COB lighting and put Orca grow film on my walls. The COBs were full PAR spectrum and the Orca Grow film wastes no photons reflecting them all around until the plant gets to absorb as many as possible. I stopped defoliating to expose bud sites. The quality and yield of my crops soared. I knew I was on the right path. Last year I grew a Lil'MOBstar that had near top cola quality buds on the bottom of the plant. They were far from wispy. This year I bought some of the best grow lights on the market. I overpowered the space by 20% and run the lights at about 60% of maximum for a very efficient PAR/watts output. Again my quality and yields have improved. I only defoliate for air flow now. Air flow is even more critical now because my buds are so big and dense. unfortunately I got some bud rot in two of my latest plants as I learn I need even more airflow than in the past. I will add another fan from the other end of the space.

So should you defoliate IMPO not to expose bud sites. Don't waste those little factories except to keep the plant healthy later and only if air flow becomes a problem.