2 weeks to harvest

You are going to get 2 different opinions.

I really want to be on the side of removing fan leaves. In my experience (limited) it should only be done on the healthiest of plants. If you've had issues with deficiencies then it will only exasperate the issues.

Your plants look healthy. If this is your first grow I wouldn't touch it. Use it as an example for what to expect when you leave it alone. Then have fun with your next plant and see if you get better or worse yields/results. Some strain are said to handle it better than others.


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Do you go around your house removing wall sockets to save on power bills?
Same type of thing. All the energy the plant worked so hard to store in the leaves
is wasted if you remove them.

Fan leaves are the plants solar panels as well as it's batteries. If you remove them
your plant will suffer and struggle for the rest of the grow.

 

You can also harvest in stages, cut all the nice tops when they are done and continue to flower the lower canopy


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Well technically if you remove all the sockets in your house your power consumption will go down cause you won’t be able to power any appliances, lol!

 

And if you remove the fan leaves from your plant, your yield will go down
because they won't be able to power your flowers.

 

I have yet to see any scientific proof that defoliation increases yields. Actually, a quick search on google scholar shows only decreased yields in tests done with defoliation.

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cs/abstracts/35/3/CS0350030846

Effects of Early Defoliation on Shoot Photosynthesis, Yield Components, and Grape Composition

Multiple Defoliation Effects on Herbage Yield, Vigor, and Total Nonstructural Carbohydrates of Five Range Species on JSTOR

Defoliation Effects on Yield and Bud and Tiller Numbers of Two Sandhills Grasses on JSTOR

I have no horse in this race and I’d be happy to be proven wrong, but so far I have seen no evidence that defoliation brings any benefit in regards to yields.

 

I wouldn't ever defoliate in the hope's of a better yield, i dont believe it helps with yield at all.. But sometimes I really need to when I scrog because of overlapping and humidity.. only minimal defoliation to open it up for air but that's it.

 

I dont even prune the undergrowth in scrog unless I need to, just let it fall naturally if the plant doesnt need them anymore

 

I am a fan of defoliation during flower, just not extreme defoliation as some practice. The main reason I like to defoliate bushy plants during flower is for improved air circulation which is vital once those sticky buds start pumping out. Defoliation is the easiest way to prevent powdery mildew & bud rot, along with managing RH levels, which can prove tricky for some at times. That being said, it is only common sense that defoliation will also improve light penetration, therefore improving bud growth/maturity in the lower to middle portions of the plant. Hope this helps.

-LB

 

If you want to bring non cannabis related studies to the debate google cotton defoliation.




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Until someone does a proper scientific study on cannabis plants any debate is purely anecdotal.