I read online that removing the leaves from your plant during the flowering phase helps increase the amount of sunlight the buds absorb. It seems to me to be a crazy theory, since it should be that the leaves are how the plant absorbs light, but people online seem to swear by it. Is there any truth to these claims?
This content is completely fictitious and of no consequence. De-leafing is a really bad idea. I've performed a few experiments lately and found some interesting things. I think the concept of removing leaves mainly falls on the idea that removing the leaves from plants will make the plants concentrate more on producing flowers and so it won't have all of its foliage drawing energy away from growing flowers. I've found a few things by experiments. The ones that I removed all the leaves? Didn't produce squat. I had taken a few and pulled them over and tied them down, leaving all of its leaves on, and it went nuts. Flowers, big flowers grew. The ones I didnt do anything to didn't produce as many or big flowers. So now I pull the plant over, tying it down to its bucket, and leave all of its leaves on. The plant will overcompensate and grow several tops which would otherwise be side flowers. And I mean several big tops. I'm amazed at the difference. I suggest doing some experiments of your own. Try different things and take note of what works and what doesn't. Then when you think you feel good about a certain technique, repeat what worked and you will be rewarded. So leave the leaves on the plant and I mean leave them on the plant until the plant drops them itself. The leaves provide all of the sugars and starches needed for production and so photosynthesis can be achieved.
The first bolded part isn't accurate and frankly whatever you think you read you probably should re-read. You remove fan leaves so that the lower bud sites that weren't getting much light due to leaves shading them, making them grow faster and form bud, instead of tons of popcorn bud. The second bolded statement isn't really true either. Leaves are there for that and if there's no leaves that would obviously be very bad, but IMO there's nothing wrong with trimming some leaves that don't contribute anything, or get in the way. As far as when people remove the bottom growth of the plant that's called lollipopping. You removed all the leaves as well as lower buds that aren't tops. The theory is that instead of ending up with a bunch of popcorn bud at the bottom because it didn't get much light, they don't grow any of that and instead grow the top buds bigger because more energy gets put into those instead of growing a bunch of stuff that won't yield much like the popcorn bud does. I personally don't like to lollipop though. I like to make cannabutter with anything that won't smoke well, and all the trim. Fan leaves that don't do anything though? I chop those. Obviously the plant needs leaves, but once the plants are grown and healthy it will help yield. Especially when done in veg. BTW, what you describe by bending the plant over is a basic LST. Bend the plant and it makes all the side buds grow much faster. Why? Because they are getting more light. More light to the bud sites = more growth. Period. If you trim too much though you can stunt them, and I wouldn't go much past a couple weeks into flower. In veg though I trim away. I don't leave it naked in any way, but give it a good trim to promote new growth. My plants are on day 27 of flower right now. Trimmed all through veg and into flowering. They are as healthy and about as big as can be for inside plants. Feel free to check out the link to my journal in the sig. Trimming definitely has benefits though. To me, there's no point in growing a big giant leave on top of the plant that get in the way of where the bud grows. I'm growing bud, not leaves. Bud sites need light to grow. I leave every leaf I can and don't trim if it's not in the way, and don't make a branch bare, but it doesn't do any good to have a million giant leaves spread out shading all the bud sites. After a couple weeks into flower I wouldn't chop them though. Just fold them into the plant so everything gets enough light.
Good post dog, right on the money IMO. Anybody watch the walking dead? See that part where Herschel is telling Rick to pick the vine off the tomato plant because it's shaded and won't produce much fruit? (then he teaches Rick the art of cloning) LOL, I totally identified with that part.
I typically lollipop and defoliate my girls during veg and the first two weeks of flower. It works great to allow more light through the canopy and doesn't harm the plants at all as long as you do it gradually. Once at the mid to later weeks of flowering I only pull leaves if they are dead or covering big bud sites. Check out my grow journal at: Http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/1187623-sensi-seeds-super-skunk-coco-grow.html?hl=sensi+seeds+super+skunk
I find that removing any part of the plant slows growth for a short period. I think of it this way..if the plant doesn't like to be cut, it's already too late if I've already done it. So I try not to with my small grows because I already am working with less light. I usually top my plants (if i do) and then cut lower new growth as I raise the light, as the plants get taller. Any new growth won't catch up but cutting it from the plant won't stress it out as much as cutting fan leaves and main branches. I've always wanted to try to lollipop my plants, looks fun. But I don't cuz essentially the plant will produce the same amount of buds regardless. I don't like large single buds on my plants because I've worked in big commercial grows where large buds have a potential of hiding mold right under the growers nose. If it doesn't produce mold, then it's all good and tasty but if it produces just a little mold..then the whole bud is wasted for consumption (less you swing that way) and all the effort put into that one lollipop plant is wasted. I just care that they are healthy and don't slow up on me. Smaller buds (not wispy) are tighter and breath better when fit tightly in a small space. That's my opinion on cutting parts of the plant. Never Grow It Alone!!
I do all my trimming a week before flower then just pull off dead ones..I dont think removing leaves helps because ive had bud hanging in the shadow and they still got big probably due to the rest of the plant having lots of fan leaves still
It's weird how a branch bud can grow big in the shadows in large grow rooms, but you can only get buds half the size under lower lighting even if the whole plant is inches away from the light. Just weird! Never Grow It Alone!!
I grow plants that produce close to a pound each, dry. I never achieved this when I removed fan leaves. By the end of my grows, ALL of my fanleaves are gone anways, since my plants use them for their sugar content. I never top them either. I LST. There is no shock or wait time with lsting, as there is with topping/cutting. I get nothing but compliments on my herb. It has improved the quality of the lives of friends and family. Even years old, people prefer it to the local fresh stuff. I believe I owe my success to letting the plant be tbh.
This seems like an accurate place to ask this, but my lower leaves are pretty much getting all used up and falling off. The plant is really healthy, so is this normal/ok?
I've just been gentlely rearranging and bending the fan leaves in to mold around the future bud sites. It's not pretty or anything but I feel my plants get a good amount of light penetration (in person I can see the light brightly against the top of my medium) and I'm not taking any potential resources away. I almost wish I had a slight stretching problems to open them up a little.
Should be normal. It's called necrosis. It's funny cuz I've talked to big commercial growers who've never even heard of the word! lol they thought I was making shit up but it's because they don't pay close attention to their crop and they didn't smoke weed. Sad. Never Grow It Alone!!
It depends on the stage of growth. If you're in flower then it would be normal for the plant to use up it's extra fan leaves. If you're in vegetative the reason the plant would be doing that is because it's not getting enough nutrients. To survive without food many plants sacrifice their lower leaves to create new top leaves. This is probably beneficial in nature to help a plant reach a height that would ensure pollen in the wind "impregnates" or pollinates the flowers. However in a controlled setting, it is typical of a plant that is hungry. This is not an issue typically when growing with vermicompost. Chemicals and improperly mixed organics can lead to nutrient lockout or deficiency.
follow my thread and we will see first hand in real time the difference it makes. http://forum.grasscity.com/hydroponic-growing/1234179-2nd-dwc-grow.html#entry18399270
if your plants didn't need leaves they wouldn't be there.. i'll pull a few if they're really blocking a budsite or if i'm scrogging.. but only a few if it's really a hindrance. but you don't wanna be messing around too much with getting rid of too many leaves.
[quote name="pokesmot247" post="19028299" timestamp="1385144224"]I grow plants that produce close to a pound each, dry.I never achieved this when I removed fan leaves. By the end of my grows, ALL of my fanleaves are gone anways, since my plants use them for their sugar content.I never top them either. I LST. There is no shock or wait time with lsting, as there is with topping/cutting.I get nothing but compliments on my herb. It has improved the quality of the lives of friends and family. Even years old, people prefer it to the local fresh stuff. I believe I owe my success to letting the plant be tbThis conversation is for novelty purposes.
I agree. Pop corn buds are just small buds. Wispy buds are like little green wigs on small stems. I'm not afraid of growing small or wispy. I'm very sure that big buds amongst lots of plants isn't something I want either cuz of the mold potential in bigger buds that hold and trap more water. Pop corn buds means I didn't have to spend more on power to produce something that is good enough for me regardless of its size! ....and yes..that's what she said!! lol Never Grow It Alone!!