Autoflower defoliation?

My 60 Day Lemon Auto is in its 3rd week of flowering perhaps (no brown pistils yet, haven't kept track of time really) and just 43 cm tall (about 17 inches). It looks like a big ball of green, there's leaves and buds everywhere. I'd estimate this produces at least 80g of dry matter, based on the last few grows.

I've already removed 2 or three big fan leaves at the bottom that were already partly necrotic.

My question to y'all is: Can I please remove the other big bottom fan leaves, up to the 3rd nodes from the bottom? Will this stunt growth (which is not happening for weeks anymore anyway) or could this stunt bud growth? I mean, the lower 60% of the buds and leaves don't get light anyway because it's so dense. I would even remove all fan leaves...

In flower, I'd remove it if it's hiding buds. It's not about defol or not, but how much. Few here and there is fine.

The fan leafs will die from the bottom up, you're better off waiting for them to die on their own. I know a lot of people want to pull the leafs off, it really doesnt make sense to me, id like to see some data behind the pseudo science, not just that video of the guy telling you trichomes are there to protect the buds from uv rays, in my opinion, uv spectrum is used in photosynthesis making healthier plants. The healthier your plants are the better they will produce for you.

miggsta said:

My 60 Day Lemon Auto is in its 3rd week of flowering perhaps (no brown pistils yet, haven't kept track of time really) and just 43 cm tall (about 17 inches). It looks like a big ball of green, there's leaves and buds everywhere. I'd estimate this produces at least 80g of dry matter, based on the last few grows.

I've already removed 2 or three big fan leaves at the bottom that were already partly necrotic.

My question to y'all is: Can I please remove the other big bottom fan leaves, up to the 3rd nodes from the bottom? Will this stunt growth (which is not happening for weeks anymore anyway) or could this stunt bud growth? I mean, the lower 60% of the buds and leaves don't get light anyway because it's so dense. I would even remove all fan leaves...

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I do it with my autos. Auto Blueberry Domina

Topping can be fun but i like to see what they can do on their own accord.

Went to take a few pics and found this ittle bastard hiding. LMAO. Ya get rid of everything down low including bud sites. Let the plants put their energy into the buds getting light. No matter how much you want them to, the lower bud sites will never get bigger. Well there are ways, but for typical grows just get rid of them. It also provides better circulation of air which means less chances of bugs or mold.



All this red needs to go.



This is what I do.

MATTYMATT726 said:

In flower, I'd remove it if it's hiding buds. It's not about defol or not, but how much. Few here and there is fine.

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Strip that bitch!!!

Thanks for the ideas and pics guys! Ok I'll wait a bit more and perhaps take a few leaves off as they mature...

About the lower buds: Yes, they don't really get much much bigger, but at least I'd like them to get more brown/ready when I harvest them. So perhaps I'll cut the upper buds first, then wait for the lower ones to get more milky trichomes in case they don't sync with the upper ones... Did that in an earlier grow and I think it didn't hurt.

I keep what lowers i can, but loli pop when i feel it is apropriate. Ive gotten some nice lower nuggetry on a few occasions. I also dont mind having some buds to process. These close up shots dont do justice to the plants, they have around 10 and 5 days to finish.

Dendrophilly said:

I keep what lowers i can, but loli pop when i feel it is apropriate. Ive gotten some nice lower nuggetry on a few occasions. I also dont mind having some buds to process. These close up shots dont do justice to the plants, they have around 10 and 5 days to finish.
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Growing in protein powder containers. WTF. You know that’s not fair right? Lol

I’m in the belief that if you snip all that little stuff out in the beginning, you benefit up top at the end. Plus if you are harvesting more than 3-4 plants at a time it’s just a pain in the ass. But if you are growing just a couple plants and doing LST, hell ya keep it all.

If you are growing cannabis then this book is an invaluable resource. The part on photosynthesis is particularly enlightening. Bud sites don't photosynthesize, leaves do, so keep your fan leaves on for bigger better buds. You want the light hitting the fan leaves so that they can feed the bud sites. I definitely agree with cleaning out the peach fuzz and fluffy bud sites at the base of the plant, mainly for airflow.

I've tried every which way and leaving fan leaves on, combined with a progressive harvest, gives the best results. I'm a novice grower and this has worked for me. Commercial growers are looking at a ton of factors that don't apply to someone growing two autoflowers in a grow tent.

McStrats said:

If you are growing cannabis then this book is an invaluable resource. The part on photosynthesis is particularly enlightening. Bud sites don't photosynthesize, leaves do, so keep your fan leaves on for bigger better buds. You want the light hitting the fan leaves so that they can feed the bud sites. I definitely agree with cleaning out the peach fuzz and fluffy bud sites at the base of the plant, mainly for airflow.

I've tried every which way and leaving fan leaves on, combined with a progressive harvest, gives the best results. I'm a novice grower and this has worked for me. Commercial growers are looking at a ton of factors that don't apply to someone growing two autoflowers in a grow tent.


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About cannabis - Take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Books are good as a base for sure.

I grow in a 6x6x6 room I built inside my 40’x60’ out building being fed with a big fat extension cord. My light is a 600hps on 24/7 I have one 12 volt fan. No other ventilation. Nutes are GH grow, micro, and bloom. Plants are in dirt in 2 gallon grow bags. 15 total plants in the room. That is it. At the end of the month I harvest 5 plants and turn around and start 5. My harvests are roughly a half a pound a month.

Now - if I compared what I am doing to a grow book, I would be failing, have bugs, mold, and hermies. The plants wouldn’t grow because I didn’t let them “sleep”, and I am watering them wrong. Or my ventilation is wrong.

Have never owned a grow book. If it wasn’t for my own trial and error, I would have never known that all the other bullshit additives the “BIBLES” tell you are a must are NOT a must.

If there is a fan leaf in the way, tuck it or chuck it. It really isn’t that critical. All this was in the way yesterday or useless bud sites.

Growing is therapeutic. Have fun with it.

Too many people giving bad advice on chat forums. Sometimes the best thing you can do to a plant is nothing at all. Just let it grow like it's been growing for millions of years before we came along.

McStrats said:

Too many people giving bad advice on chat forums. Sometimes the best thing you can do to a plant is nothing at all. Just let it grow like it's been growing for millions of years before we came along.

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Old Georgie Porgie is outdoors. Way different. Sorry I assume everyone is talking indoor and about autos. I agree 100% if outdoors. No reason to pull the fans unless they are dead. Indoors you don’t get the light penetration like you do outdoors from the sun. Indoors, if you want to increase the bud size, you need to move/remove/tuck the fan leaves if they are blocking the light, get the buds up to the light, and have a big light. Autos only live so long. You have to throw everything at em.

HLG - my 2 cents

McStrats said:

If you are growing cannabis then this book is an invaluable resource. The part on photosynthesis is particularly enlightening. Bud sites don't photosynthesize, leaves do, so keep your fan leaves on for bigger better buds. You want the light hitting the fan leaves so that they can feed the bud sites. I definitely agree with cleaning out the peach fuzz and fluffy bud sites at the base of the plant, mainly for airflow.

I've tried every which way and leaving fan leaves on, combined with a progressive harvest, gives the best results. I'm a novice grower and this has worked for me. Commercial growers are looking at a ton of factors that don't apply to someone growing two autoflowers in a grow tent.


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Well,well,well,look what the cat drug in!!

HighLowGrow said:

Old Georgie Porgie is outdoors. Way different.

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Really? so photosynthesis works differently indoors? please explain..

Frank Nitty said:

Well,well,well,look what the cat drug in!!

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Hey Frank!

Indoors different? .... yes .

Sun is able to “ move “ ( arc ) across canopy and plant as day moves on .... static lighting in an “ enclosed “ space needs us to help mimic the proper exposure ( since we are sending light directionally downward ) and plants are static within footprint.

McStrats said:

Really? so photosynthesis works differently indoors? please explain..

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No or course not. It’s exactly the same. BUDZ summed it up.

HighLowGrow said:

No or course not. It’s exactly the same. BUDZ summed it up.

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LOL..but you said yes and Budz said no.