SCHWAZZING AUTOFLOWER

DISCLAIMER
I'm just getting a topic going and If you decide to try it and don't like the results then don't be blaming me lol

But ive done it & others have too and have liked the results
I see that a lot off people is interested in learning about the method of heavy Defoliation at certain points of a grow. (SCHWAZZING)
So I would like to get a thread going regarding this so people can see the benefits off it and how this method is used to increase yeild and to also help out in other factors too.

I copied and pasted the info below from the THREE A lIGHT Google post
to help people out​

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCHWAZZING
WHAT IS SCHWAZZING?
A Schwazze is essentially an extreme defoliation. Where 100% of the fan leaves are removed from the plant during specific times of the flowering cycle.

How can trimming and pruning a cannabis plant possibly increase its yield? It’s kind of Yin and Yang if you think about it. On one hand we take away, and on the other, we receive!

Our favorite comparison is working out at the gym. When you break down your muscles through constant repetition and heavier weight, your muscles grow stronger and larger. By removing fan leaves from the plant, we are creating more space for airflow, light penetration, and most importantly, we are refocusing the plant’s energy where it matters most: flower development.

WHY USE THE SCHWAZZING METHOD?
One word: Yield. We’ve found that we can dramatically increase our total yield with just 2 Schwazzes at key points in the flowering cycle. The industry standard yield without Schwazzing is around 1.5 to 2lbs per 1000 watt bulb. With Schwazzing, we’ve been able to consistently produce 3 pounds per light and are seeing results north of 4 pounds per light as we continue to optimize the process.

This leads to savings on all fronts, you can generate the same amount of cannabis from a smaller area, meaning you need less space to grow. Energy is saved as you’ll produce so much more per square foot.

If you’re looking for a corporate board room description: Schwazzing allows the plants’ resources to be more effectively allocated. Think of it this way, every single leaf and bud on the plant is pulling nutrients from the soil, using more water, and requiring more light. With a good Schwazze, you reallocate these resources to provide them where we want them most, in the buds.

WHY DOES SCHWAZZING WORK?
Schwazzing works for multiple reasons. The more you think about why this is helping, the more it makes sense. It seems counter-intuitive and destructive at first, but it’s a process that naturally trains the plant to produce more.

A Schwazze will provide the optimum light penetration through the canopy. This increases airflow and light to the lower nodes on the plant. You are essentially eliminating all shade spots. Allowing the energy to focus on the tips instead, where it needs to be focused for more flowering.

The increased airflow provides the plant with a much stronger O2 and CO2 exchange. Basically, it lets it breathe!

In addition, Schwazzing eliminates homes for pests and mildew that can ruin your plants.
IS SCHWAZZING THE SAME AS DEFOLIATION?
Although the idea is similar, defoliation is almost never taken to this extreme of a level. Defoliation is a process that has been used for centuries for many different plants and helps to achieve higher crop yields, it’s even used to produce cotton.
SCHWAZZING IN A HOME GROW SETUP
Schwazzing began in a home grow setup and can be used very effectively on a small scale. Schwazzing has also been scaled up to accommodate larger commercial grows as well.

The only tools you will need are a sharp pair of scissors and patience.
HOW DO YOU SCHWAZZE?
Before we go too deep here, let’s get a little disclaimer in. Schwazzing is a method that can either help you deliver your highest yield ever, or cause plant lock and hermaphroditic plants. Please proceed with caution!

You probably have the basic idea now, trim away the fan leaves. Be advised timing, approach, quantity, and nutrients all play a huge part in this equation. If these exercises aren’t executed properly you can ruin your crop.

You can use this method if you have a hydroponic setup.

If any one would like to add any pics or info to get this thread going then your more than welcome to.
 
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Part way through the article, the author says:
But guess what!
I can't show them my data either because this study has never been done!

Here's what I think I know because it "seems" plausible to me...

I stopped reading at that point. Defoliation is not a "myth", it is an untested hypothesis. The author appears to be saying that he can't prove it's not true, but since you/we can't prove that it is true, we should assume it's false. And then he goes on to share his opinions, which educated or not are no more valid than other growers actual experience.

I understand the frustration with real science vs. bro science, but there is also a huge gray area where people are sharing their real experiences of what works for them. And for me, that has value.

It's also possible that there are too many variables to make a claim about defoliation that is definitive. For instance; it might work for people growing in coco in warmer environments @24/0 with a high DLI, but not work with people growing in soil at cooler ambient temps and only running their lights 18/6. So even a particular actually scientific set up would only prove definitively that it did or did not work under those specific conditions. And that doesn't even bring strains into the equation, or how the grower is feeding the plants, etc.

Real world; obviously defoliation/schwazzing is working for @420autoflower , but in my *first* attempt the results did not exceed my previous grow style. So does it work or does it not work? Maybe in some circumstances and maybe not in others. That's valid.
 
I didn't schwazz but I defoliated heavily all through the grow. Does seem to make the plant produce more sugar leaves.
Spreads the plant out when you keep center open. Worked for me, almost 6 ozs growing organic from this Samsquanch.

2QuD65y.jpg
 
@stressed Hard opinions can make you look bad no matter your experience.
Check out 420's grow. He knows what's up.
1.92lbs auto
hard opinion? it's just my opinion based on all the stupid shit i've heard, tried and read about growing cannabis. do you know why some people keep their plants in the dark for 24 plus hours just before harvesting? because somebody 30 years ago said he did it and it worked miracles. i laugh at those folks too. no facts, just stories about miracles made in the dark.

to me, saying not to strip your plants of all their leaves is common sense not an opinion. no science involved, none, nada. just guys who push nonsense that they may or may not believe. i don't tell crazy people they are right, i'm not about to say defoliating is anything but wishful thinking, hopes and dreams, fairy tales. i love the people who say that if you don't believe it, it's because you just don't know the troof! lol
 
I read the article.
Not sure a lack of scientific evidence in favour of an outcome can be taken as evidence against it. I'm also not sure where physics plays a part in all of this, surely we are dealing with biological processes rather than physics? And my understanding of biology and plant physiology is that abscission is the result of stress rather than the cause of it? All for science and statistics though. Plenty of good info around here :thumbsup:
like i said, the article said what i think pretty well. no facts, just people who get annoyed when you laugh at their beliefs. i haven't been on the boards for close to 10 years and i come back to people with no experience in growing defoliating crazy and people wanting to LST when the plant is 3 inches tall. it's hilarious.

people were tucking and cutting off fan leaves many years ago. most of them stopped doing it. it just didn't work or, let me be more forgiving, let's pretend it did work. the few extra grams they got were not worth the effort. if anybody thinks this defoliating thing is a new idea, nope, there are no new ideas. it's all been done before. and as i said earlier, if it worked EVERYbody would be doing it.

believe what you want, no hair off my ass. i'm just trying to tell new people that maybe they should learn to grow first and experiment with magic tricks and witchcraft after a few grows.

and in the famous words of ringo starr, peace and love, peace and love.
 
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Did you ever hear the one about trust me, not your lying eyes. Seems to be what you are telling me
i love that saying. i knew i'd have true believers come on like i'm just too old fashioned or stupid to get it. i stopped counting my grows at 80. 8 to 20 of the finest genetics available over the web every 3 to 4 months. i tried every goofy idea we came up with. i tucked, but never cut off the leaves. i know for a fact, that if you cut off all the bud sites, they'll grow back 5 times as large!! if you don't believe me, then you are arrogant and just don't know. :)

i know you can't squeeze butter out of rocks and i know that cutting off the leaves of a plant, expecially during flowering is stupid funny.
 
did you read the post that @420autoflower put up, or just continuing spouting. The results are clear and the results were lab tested...
The science is simple - the same as with many flowering and fruiting plants, it encourages the plants defensive mechanisms to go in to overdrive in turn producing more of what the pant needs to reproduce, and in the case of sensimilla it is increased trichomes which act as pollen catcher, and at the same time reduces the chance of the whole plant being eaten before reproduction.

Very simple science - but, no doubt with your encyclopedic knowledge of a plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years, you dont need to learn - horses for courses :pass:
 

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