Indoor Iriee Vibez grows Blue Toof & DP Lemon Zkittle outdoors

[Iriee Vibez]

Day 34

Did some MAJOR defoliation today. I now swear by doing this after the first week of flower. I didn't do it last grow, and feel I left a couple ounces on the table. The Glueberries should have outyielded the Auto Night Queens, but the buds just didn't stack like they should have. I am convinced the reason was the lack of direct light. Nevet again. I will defoliate from now on. I have to remember that I am a bud farmer, not a leaf grower!

Plus this Mephisto strain is so small, which isn't something that I am used to from the Dutch Passion seeds I have been growing. I need to maximize the buddage on these!

 

[RivetGrrl]

Day 34

Did some MAJOR defoliation today. I now swear by doing this after the first week of flower. I didn't do it last grow, and feel I left a couple ounces on the table. The Glueberries should have outyielded the Auto Night Queens, but the buds just didn't stack like they should have. I am convinced the reason was the lack of direct light. Nevet again. I will defoliate from now on. I have to remember that I am a bud farmer, not a leaf grower!

Plus this Mephisto strain is so small, which isn't something that I am used to from the Dutch Passion seeds I have been growing. I need to maximize the buddage on these!

View attachment 1069091 View attachment 1069092 View attachment 1069093 View attachment 1069094 View attachment 1069095 View attachment 1069096 View attachment 1069097 View attachment 1069098 View attachment 1069099 View attachment 1069100 View attachment 1069101 View attachment 1069102

I just did what I think is a pretty decent defol on my Quick Kush, but nothing like this! I believe in defol, but I can't seem to get the guts to go to this level. I can't wait to see you results!

 

[Iriee Vibez]

I just did what I think is a pretty decent defol on my Quick Kush, but nothing like this! I believe in defol, but I can't seem to get the guts to go to this level. I can't wait to see you results!

Haha! I know its hard. I was like that the first time I did it, and it made me a believer after that. You will see... these girls will bounce back in just a couple days. Next week, all those small leaves will be huge and it will look like I never defoliated, but those buds will know.

 

[RivetGrrl]

Haha! I know its hard. I was like that the first time I did it, and it made me a believer after that. You will see... these girls will bounce back in just a couple days. Next week, all those small leaves will be huge and it will look like I never defoliated, but those buds will know.

I have seen this before, but so far mostly with photo strains. This is awesome, I will be watching for sure
They just look SO bare it scares me, I even have a couple branches I stripped down so the plants don't touch and I was anxious

My horticulture education tells me conflicting things; does the plant start putting priority into making new leaves and neglect buds? Or is it the other way, it "knows" it has to flower out so it puts extra emphasis on the flowers? Does this then make it ripen quicker or just give the big buds?

Then... Does it matter when? Defol early in flower does it trigger it to leaf out more, later in flower bud more?

My science self wants to know lol. Because I have seen others do this and it is usually positive, but I actually want to know the entire process the plant goes through and why. If the plant is getting stripped by insects etc. in nature, is this what it is doing?

I'm not necessarily grilling you for the answers, just thinking/typing out loud As always, I am always searching for knowledge.

 

[Iriee Vibez]

I also read a lot about defoliation methods and benefits before I committed, and this is what I believe.

Defoliation during veg just urges the plants to grow more leaves. Often times, you are fighting a losing battle and it will delay flowering. During flowering, however, the plant is already trying to put all its energy towards growing buds, but those big fans require a lot of nutrients and energy also, because they are trying to do their photosynthesis thing. Bless them. Even though, the plant really doesn't need it. In nature, plants grow extra leaves to protect from all sorts of things. In a cabinet, most aren't necessary.

You take them out of the mix and the plant is really concentrating on bud making. In addition, buds need direct light to be their best, which is why lowers get loose and larfy. When exposed to direct light during this phase, they are getting all they need to grow, become dense, and stack up.

People often don't realize that buds absorb and use light in very much the same way as fan leaves. So, I would rather trade in fans for buds if they do the same thing. I also believe that having the roots always in a nutrient rich reservoir makes stuff very accessible to the growing buds. They really don't need all those leaves as much as a plant in soil may to feed itself.

Well that's my story and I am sticking to it, until proven otherwise.

 

[RivetGrrl]

I also read a lot about defoliation methods and benefits before I committed, and this is what I believe.

Defoliation during veg just urges the plants to grow more leaves. Often times, you are fighting a losing battle and it will delay flowering. During flowering, however, the plant is already trying to put all its energy towards growing buds, but those big fans require a lot of nutrients and energy also, because they are trying to do their photosynthesis thing. Bless them. Even though, the plant really doesn't need it. In nature, plants grow extra leaves to protect from all sorts of things. In a cabinet, most aren't necessary.

You take them out of the mix and the plant is really concentrating on bud making. In addition, buds need direct light to be their best, which is why lowers get loose and larfy. When exposed to direct light during this phase, they are getting all they need to grow, become dense, and stack up.

People often don't realize that buds absorb and use light in very much the same way as fan leaves. So, I would rather trade in fans for buds if they do the same thing. I also believe that having the roots always in a nutrient rich reservoir makes stuff very accessible to the growing buds. They really don't need all those leaves as much as a plant in soil may to feed itself.

Well that's my story and I am sticking to it, until proven otherwise.

Thanks for your well thought out feedback I had thoughts along the same vein, and have read others explain it as similar too. It makes sense. Even though the lower buds won't be as big, I am finding that the LST and defol that I do to expose them to more light gives me nice, dense hard little nugs. I will still probably have to sneak up on a heavy defol but I'm getting there!

 

[RivetGrrl]

Oh to add, is there a time when you don't defol? Like certain weeks into flower, or close to the end of flower?

 

[Iriee Vibez]

Oh to add, is there a time when you don't defol? Like certain weeks into flower, or close to the end of flower?

This is the only major defol that I do on schedule, during or just after the first flowering week. From there it all depends on the plants reaction. I usually just strategically clip fans from here, but sometimes another major defoliation is necessary after week three. I won't do it after that point.

There are so many growing styles and techniques that work. That's what great about this hobby. We just find a combination that works for us as individual growers and try to improve on it. I am still in the improvement phase!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[FullAuto245]

This is the only major defol that I do on schedule, during or just after the first flowering week. From there it all depends on the plants reaction. I usually just strategically clip fans from here, but sometimes another major defoliation is necessary after week three. I won't do it after that point.

There are so many growing styles and techniques that work. That's what great about this hobby. We just find a combination that works for us as individual growers and try to improve on it. I am still in the improvement phase!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Is this after the stretch the defoliation?

 

[Iriee Vibez]

After the start of the stretch, but not after it is over. As you know, the stretch can last three or four weeks in some cases. I wait until the bud sites have begun to flower in earnest, because that is really why I am dong it. If I wait until after three weeks of flower to do it, then they missed out on a lot of direct light during the most critical bud growth phase. Maybe get as well not do it at that point.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro