Question on pruning leading up to harvest outdoors

Every year, in the month(s) before harvest leaves yellow and fall off, a perfectly normal process. Most when all yellow will basically fall off if you touch them.

My questions is how necessary actual trimming off leaves is? Sure, doing it just before harvest makes trimming down the buds easier, but I'm talking before that. It does make sense that you don't want necrotic, rotting leaves hanging on the plant due to mold etc. But WHILE leaves are yellowing, wouldn't it make more sense to leave them on so the plant can suck all the nutrients it can from these leaves?

Leave the leaves on until they look like they want to leave. But it's a good idea to trim out the middle and bottoms to help with the air flow to minimize mold and bud rot

What I've been doing is not cutting off leaves, but when they get pretty yellow, I gently tug and if they are ready, they just fall off. I figure at that point there's nothing in the leaves for the plant to feed on. Being outdoors I've never worried about mass pruning, lollipopping or any of that. Middle of plants aren't really clogged up with growth so much that mold hasn't been an issue in the interior of the plant - only if the large buds get moist or budworms. I've never cut smaller, lower branches off for the most past, they seem to develop decent sized buds as well.

I let the leaves fall and pick them out of the pot or from in between branches.

Cpappa27 said:

I let the leaves fall and pick them out of the pot or from in between branches.

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Yup pretty much what I've always done. Guessing most folks that talk about pruning are indoor growers

obijohn said:

Yup pretty much what I've always done. Guessing most folks that talk about pruning are indoor growers

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Thats what I do indoors. Outdoors i just leave them on the ground. I dont defoliate or trim anything other than the undergrowth near the soil and maybe 6 or 8 inches up thats it.

obijohn said:

Yup pretty much what I've always done. Guessing most folks that talk about pruning are indoor growers

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I grow indoor and outdoor. I live in upstate ny, so our fall is cold and rainy. I defoliate starting mid August through mid September. I also start spraying alternating between milk and citric acid. I spray at night when the forecast for the next day is sunny, but stop spraying when night Temps dip below 55.

I know some people up by me set up huge commercial fans, but it never ends well for them

If the plant is budding. As soon as they start to yellow take them off or they will just fall off.Have to make a trip to mine just for that.Sucker leave 's off stem. A must outdoor's