Real Science vs Bro Science: Ohhh some of you are NOT going to like this!

[pop22]

Amen! I'm just glad he didn't just pass me a joint...........

LMMFAO! No one needs friends like that!!!!!

 

[WildBill]

Amen! I'm just glad he didn't just pass me a joint...........

I visualize a scene from "Up In Smoke"!
Pop is driving!

 

[NoFrillsNoBills]

One time, a friend says to me: " I got some really stinky weed want to try some?" he handed me the bag and ( Thank god I didn't stick my nose right down in it... ) it stunk all right! Like COW SHIT! I said you dumbass don't you know that smell?? probably got sprayed with liquified manure!

But weed is supposed to be stinky! That's probably one of the funniest stories I've ever heard.

 

[pop22]

It's sad, but true lol!

But weed is supposed to be stinky! That's probably one of the funniest stories I've ever heard.

 

[Autofire]

Howdy fellow Auto lovers. This is my first day here and first post. So I thought I would kick it off by giving the pot a real good stir.

Could defoliation be bro science and actually giving you smaller harvests?

The only advantage I see defoliation having is that your whole plant will be ready to harvest on the same day. But apart from that if you pull leaves off a plant you reduce the total amount of photosynthesis the plant can accomplish which would reduce your rate of growth and flower weight production.

It makes sense if you just want to grow a few big colas and you want to pull the whole plant on the same day.

I also understand that defoliation reduces the risk of mould because you increase air flow but this can also be overcome by adding extra fans and running a fast finishing pheno

I know that pretty much everybody is doing it but everytime I've seen a side by side defol vs non defol the non defol yields heavier. And it from a logical point of view it makes sense because pulling off leaves makes it a smaller plant overall which in theory would mean smaller yield right?

 

[GrowingHigher]

Its also kind of a click bait title. "Cardboard is bad"... but when you listen it is only bad in the sense that it limits air exchange compared to blocky mulch. In some circumstances depending on your goal, that could be a benefit; such as for moisture retention, especially in mushroom beds that tolerate/benefit from limited air exchange and high CO2 concentrations.

 

[GrowingHigher]

Howdy fellow Auto lovers. This is my first day here and first post. So I thought I would kick it off by giving the pot a real good stir.

Could defoliation be bro science and actually giving you smaller harvests?

The only advantage I see defoliation having is that your whole plant will be ready to harvest on the same day. But apart from that if you pull leaves off a plant you reduce the total amount of photosynthesis the plant can accomplish which would reduce your rate of growth and flower weight production.

It makes sense if you just want to grow a few big colas and you want to pull the whole plant on the same day.

I also understand that defoliation reduces the risk of mould because you increase air flow but this can also be overcome by adding extra fans and running a fast finishing pheno

I know that pretty much everybody is doing it but everytime I've seen a side by side defol vs non defol the non defol yields heavier. And it from a logical point of view it makes sense because pulling off leaves makes it a smaller plant overall which in theory would mean smaller yield right?

I am playing devils advocate in a defoliation discussion at cocoforcannabis. I used to argue against it, theoretically. But now I am trying to explain why some people are able to.have such success with it.

 

[WildBill]

Howdy fellow Auto lovers. This is my first day here and first post. So I thought I would kick it off by giving the pot a real good stir.

Could defoliation be bro science and actually giving you smaller harvests?

The only advantage I see defoliation having is that your whole plant will be ready to harvest on the same day. But apart from that if you pull leaves off a plant you reduce the total amount of photosynthesis the plant can accomplish which would reduce your rate of growth and flower weight production.

It makes sense if you just want to grow a few big colas and you want to pull the whole plant on the same day.

I also understand that defoliation reduces the risk of mould because you increase air flow but this can also be overcome by adding extra fans and running a fast finishing pheno

I know that pretty much everybody is doing it but everytime I've seen a side by side defol vs non defol the non defol yields heavier. And it from a logical point of view it makes sense because pulling off leaves makes it a smaller plant overall which in theory would mean smaller yield right?

Well, there defoliation to uncover sites and all the way to lollipoping........with everything in between,
Selective defoliation can reveal future bud sites can lead more production.
Selective defoliation for proper air flow, in case of a plant that has really tight node spacing, can help to prevent mold. Which is production VS no to little production due to mold.
Just two examples where the blanket statement of defoliation leads to smaller production is false.

Welcome to the site and Happy Growing! An insane amount of info here!

 

[Autofire]

I've been going with leaf tucking to expose the bud and it's been working pretty well so far. And I scrog them wide and low.

I'll run a non defol style grow diary on here and you guys can check out my techniques and see what you think.

Thanks for the welcome. I am an big Auto fan, so far I've run Fast Buds and Bomb Seeds genetics and both were very impressive.

The grow battles look awesome too. I'll throw my hat in the ring for sure when the next one starts.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Howdy fellow Auto lovers. This is my first day here and first post. So I thought I would kick it off by giving the pot a real good stir.

Could defoliation be bro science and actually giving you smaller harvests?

The only advantage I see defoliation having is that your whole plant will be ready to harvest on the same day. But apart from that if you pull leaves off a plant you reduce the total amount of photosynthesis the plant can accomplish which would reduce your rate of growth and flower weight production.

It makes sense if you just want to grow a few big colas and you want to pull the whole plant on the same day.

I also understand that defoliation reduces the risk of mould because you increase air flow but this can also be overcome by adding extra fans and running a fast finishing pheno

I know that pretty much everybody is doing it but everytime I've seen a side by side defol vs non defol the non defol yields heavier. And it from a logical point of view it makes sense because pulling off leaves makes it a smaller plant overall which in theory would mean smaller yield right?

@Autofire Welcome to AFNI have tried many techniques of growing. I am lazy. I have a bad back. I have evolved my growing style with these limiting factors. I do not defoliate much now. Just enough on the lower 30% of the plant to promote good air flow. The biggest yielding grow was with Photoperiod plants that I ran a true SCROG on. It was about 10% more than my current style yields but it took 45 days longer than my average auto grow. In reality I lost yield due to time. What I do believe I get from leaving most of the plant intact is a better quality. I do not do combustion and make most of my buds into rosin and then chocolate meds or dabs. Once the plant is concentrated into rosin it gets harder to pick out the nuances of the different strains. My friends and relatives that do smoke my bud tell me consistantly that my quality is top shelf and better than anything they can get at the dispensary.

So I guess I am mostly in the don't defoliate camp.