Should you cut off fan leaves during flower( a simple poll just yea or no please)

SmittyB..

Well-Known Member
After a few outdoor trim cycles, you'll be dying to lollipop/defoiliate the lower/interior leaves/bud sites. Better colas, less likely to mold/mildew, no larf, easy trim, better air flow, great light coverage.
My thoughts. If you don’t care to trim more buds don’t defoliate. If you want to only trim top cola nugs then defoliate basically that simple but I’d have to add bud that doesn’t receive the same light penetration due to blockage from higher fan leaves never compares to the color nor size as those tops in my grows. I grow for quality not quantity seeing that I don’t sell. It’s all about taste flavor and eye appeal for me. Reasons I defoliate.
 

Hobbes

Well-Known Member
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I schwaze on days 1 and 21 of flower. I've been doing this for 2 years and I find that my harvests are greater than non-schwaze.

I've read three hypothesis for this, I think one is false:

1. More airflow - If this were the case we'd all just have fans blowing air to the buds for larger harvests. False.
2. More direct light to the bud sites
3. Plant reaction to loosing so many leaves.

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Flowki

Well-Known Member
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I schwaze on days 1 and 21 of flower. I've been doing this for 2 years and I find that my harvests are greater than non-schwaze.

I've read three hypothesis for this, I think one is false:

1. More airflow - If this were the case we'd all just have fans blowing air to the buds for larger harvests. False.
2. More direct light to the bud sites
3. Plant reaction to loosing so many leaves.

View attachment 4960602

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It is more logical to remove lower fan leaves near the pot where they are most dense and closest to moisture. It isn't easy getting good airflow through that kind of lower vegetation. Low air-flow, lots of overlapping leaves.. defoliating at the bottom to mid range really makes sense. Nobody objects to it, maybe is the best way to put it.

Doing it at the top of the plant, as you have, I see no logic in that what so ever, and nobody has ever gave me a good reason yet. Lights have an intensity range, increasing the distance between leaves and light reduces that intensity, and that's what you've done, removed leaves in the best light, to give fading light to lower leaves. If you want your buds to get more light then you should be entirely focused on filling that scrog net, with a yield increase. All those buds just above the net would then be getting very similar light to all those bud sites at the top, as you could then lower the light, being the point of scrog. If the scrog net was filled properly you'd also have less worry of over lapping upper leaves, that removes the need to defoliate those leaves for airflow reasoning. That's good, why would you want to remove them at that point, when they are all surrounded by buds in a scrog, getting the same light range.

I guarantee you filling that net properly will increase your yield by a minimum of 10%, reliably and repeatable. What can you guarantee me with defoliation in that exact same condition, and I mean you personally, not something you read from some guy.
 
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lusidghost

Well-Known Member
It is more logical to remove lower fan leaves near the pot where they are most dense and closest to moisture. It isn't easy getting good airflow through that kind of lower vegetation. Low air-flow, lots of overlapping leaves.. defoliating at the bottom to mid range really makes sense. Nobody objects to it, maybe is the best way to put it.

Doing it at the top of the plant, as you have, I see no logic in that what so ever, and nobody has ever gave me a good reason yet. Lights have an intensity range, increasing the distance between leaves and light reduces that intensity, and that's what you've done, removed leaves in the best light, to give fading light to lower leaves. If you want your buds to get more light then you should be entirely focused on filling that scrog net, with a yield increase. All those buds just above the net would then be getting very similar light to all those bud sites at the top, as you could then lower the light, being the point of scrog. If the scrog net was filled properly you'd also have less worry of over lapping upper leaves, that removes the need to defoliate those leaves for airflow reasoning. That's good, why would you want to remove them at that point, when they are all surrounded by buds in a scrog, getting the same light range.

I guarantee you filling that net properly will increase your yield by a minimum of 10%, reliably and repeatable. What can you guarantee me with defoliation in that exact same condition, and I mean you personally, not something you read from some guy.
I filled mine in and guarantee that I’m going to defoliate it.
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Flowki

Well-Known Member
If you have to ask: NO.
If you know exactly what you're doing: YES.
How can you know what you are doing if you are not allowed to ask?, what you are saying is complete and utter fail logic. Growing with Co2 is far more complicated than defoliating... yet you can get step by step guides that make the yield gains of using Co2 repeatable to all who can follow the advice (far more complicated advice).

You really want to start acting like defoliation is rocket science?, that only the select few master growers can achieve it's reward?. It's got egotistical bullshit written all over it. Have at it.

I filled mine in and guarantee that I’m going to defoliate it.
View attachment 4961126
You should always leave roughly a 3-6 inch space around walls, that allows moisture to circulate from lower to upper cannopy, provided you set your air circulation up correctly. Since you have not done that then sure, defoliate, just don't pretend it's a game changer, when in reality it is a band aid for error (I've done it myself for similar reasons, grower error).
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
How can you know what you are doing if you are not allowed to ask?, what you are saying is complete and utter fail logic. Growing with Co2 is far more complicated than defoliating... yet you can get step by step guides that make the yield gains of using Co2 repeatable to all who can follow the advice (far more complicated advice).

You really want to start acting like defoliation is rocket science?, that only the select few master growers can achieve it's reward?. It's got egotistical bullshit written all over it. Have at it.



You should always leave roughly a 3-6 inch space around walls, that allows moisture to circulate from lower to upper cannopy, provided you set your air circulation up correctly. Since you have not done that then sure, defoliate, just don't pretend it's a game changer, when in reality it is a band aid for error (I've done it myself for similar reasons, grower error).
There's no error. I do it to allow equal light to all of my bud sites. As I said, do what you want. I just get annoyed when people state that it's robbing end results.

You just suggested fill the net in, and now you're saying you leave a 1/2 foot gap around the perimeter.
 

JakeBakeADK

Well-Known Member
How can you know what you are doing if you are not allowed to ask?, what you are saying is complete and utter fail logic. Growing with Co2 is far more complicated than defoliating... yet you can get step by step guides that make the yield gains of using Co2 repeatable to all who can follow the advice (far more complicated advice).

You really want to start acting like defoliation is rocket science?, that only the select few master growers can achieve it's reward?. It's got egotistical bullshit written all over it. Have at it.



You should always leave roughly a 3-6 inch space around walls, that allows moisture to circulate from lower to upper cannopy, provided you set your air circulation up correctly. Since you have not done that then sure, defoliate, just don't pretend it's a game changer, when in reality it is a band aid for error (I've done it myself for similar reasons, grower error).
Seems like a very touchy subject for you? What do some get irritated with mere opinions? I defol and I know it works to achieve what I desire to achieve, large higher quality buds with zero larf. Seems odd to try to act like you are the better grower because you have a different growing style. I spend hours and hours a week stripping leaves and branches that I know aren’t going to get sufficient light and therefore a waste of my time and my plants energy. Grow as much scraggly larf as you want but don’t act like a little crybaby when somebody has a different method than you. Also since when is growing with gas complicated?? I call bullshit on you calling bullshit noob sorry
 

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
You should always leave roughly a 3-6 inch space around walls, that allows moisture to circulate from lower to upper cannopy, provided you set your air circulation up correctly. Since you have not done that then sure, defoliate, just don't pretend it's a game changer, when in reality it is a band aid for error (I've done it myself for similar reasons, grower error).
So for correct air circulation in my 4'x2' tent, I should only have a 1'x3' canopy? That seems grossly inefficient. I scrog from wall to wall, have ample fans above and below and haven't had any issues; and that's with a VPD of 1.0.

You don't need any gap at the edges of a scrog to ensure ample air circulation.
 

bk78

Well-Known Member
There's no error. I do it to allow equal light to all of my bud sites. As I said, do what you want. I just get annoyed when people state that it's robbing end results.

You just suggested fill the net in, and now you're saying you leave a 1/2 foot gap around the perimeter.
You just use a trellis anyways, not like you scrog them.
Please direct all questions and comments to our canopy management department ✌View attachment 4961546View attachment 4961548View attachment 4961549

My 4 year old could grow plants outside, don’t feel so special

Noob
 

JakeBakeADK

Well-Known Member
You just use a trellis anyways, not like you scrog them.



My 4 year old could grow plants outside, don’t feel so special

Noob
My 3 year old grows mine, you’ve always been a little to cunty for my taste. You run your mouth on every thread and think your grows are hot shit:) my indoor 5 years ago looks like yours does now but you don’t see me trying to act like some master grower like you do. Must be a fat old guy in sweatpants thing‍♂
 
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