Strip or no?
- Thread starter Jonp1689
- Start date
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
I probably would have done it just a little earlier but go for it. Do a little, it’ll help airflow but don’t strip it bare. Don’t forget plants use their leaves to power it.
If you remove leaves, you will reduce growth and yield. Generally speaking, rather than removing leaves, which is the only way that plants can make food, I would put fans under the canopy to ensure that you have good air flow.
I use Govee RH and temp sensors under the canopy so I can monitor RH.
The only time I remove leaves is to ensure air flow, to remove heavily senesced leaves, or to remove leaves that are damaged. As leaves get old and lose their photosynthetic efficiency, plants relocate the nutrients to the top of the plant and allow the spent leaves to die off ("senescence"). At that point, I'll snip them off.
My preference is to remove branches from the undercarriage that are smaller than a lead pencil. I got that tip from a grow on another site and the rationale is that any buds that in that area of the plant will not grow enough to be very large. I adopted that practice and I think it's the right idea because, as you can see, a well fed cannabis plant will yield so much flower that the small amount that grows in the lower part of the plant simply isn't worth dealing with.
I've attached some pictures of my Spring 2022 grow. There were two plants in the tent but one grew significantly larger than the other and I had to run a little Viper XS-1500 to light up the "front row". In the bottom picture, you can see that I've removed some of the branches and there's at least one fan visible. I use a combination of USB power fans as well as the 6" AC powered fans.
Between those, things turn out pretty well but I will admit I lost one plant to bud rot. That was painful but completely my fault — until that grow I'd grown only autos and, with a 20/4 light cycle, bud rot was something I just didn't think about very much. My photo plant had a couple of fans underneath it but between my lack of experience and a very wet Spring weather, I lost a beautiful plant (bottom photos).
I use Govee RH and temp sensors under the canopy so I can monitor RH.
The only time I remove leaves is to ensure air flow, to remove heavily senesced leaves, or to remove leaves that are damaged. As leaves get old and lose their photosynthetic efficiency, plants relocate the nutrients to the top of the plant and allow the spent leaves to die off ("senescence"). At that point, I'll snip them off.
My preference is to remove branches from the undercarriage that are smaller than a lead pencil. I got that tip from a grow on another site and the rationale is that any buds that in that area of the plant will not grow enough to be very large. I adopted that practice and I think it's the right idea because, as you can see, a well fed cannabis plant will yield so much flower that the small amount that grows in the lower part of the plant simply isn't worth dealing with.
I've attached some pictures of my Spring 2022 grow. There were two plants in the tent but one grew significantly larger than the other and I had to run a little Viper XS-1500 to light up the "front row". In the bottom picture, you can see that I've removed some of the branches and there's at least one fan visible. I use a combination of USB power fans as well as the 6" AC powered fans.
Between those, things turn out pretty well but I will admit I lost one plant to bud rot. That was painful but completely my fault — until that grow I'd grown only autos and, with a 20/4 light cycle, bud rot was something I just didn't think about very much. My photo plant had a couple of fans underneath it but between my lack of experience and a very wet Spring weather, I lost a beautiful plant (bottom photos).
DOCTORDOOB
Well-Known Member
I think you can if you want. I don't think thinning them out now would do much damage. I know everyone else says do it on certain times or certain days, but I never set a schedule to plucking off leafs to get better light to the bud sites and also better air flow. The guys above gave good advice as well but it's all up to you. It's obviously going to stunt it but it's a strong plant, it will bounce back within a day or two.
I always try to do like the guy above said, try to clean up or get rid of all the wispy lower branches that won't amount to anything in the end, and just strip the fan leafs when you feel you need too. In nature leafs blow off all the time and they grow back...
I also knew another grower that would need better air flow for their monster sized plants and they would pay me to come by when I had spare time and just sit in there and strip em down. I would always think "I hope they don't get mad I stripped so many off..." And then they would call me like a week later "Hey dude, you did a good job last week, it's just these babies won't quit growing! Do you think you could swing by when you get a chance and strip a few more?..." LOL
That grower ALWAYS had fire, and pounds of it... Stripping leafs never hurt, it more so helped as long as you don't go overboard and Charlie Brown Christmas tree them puppies
I always try to do like the guy above said, try to clean up or get rid of all the wispy lower branches that won't amount to anything in the end, and just strip the fan leafs when you feel you need too. In nature leafs blow off all the time and they grow back...
I also knew another grower that would need better air flow for their monster sized plants and they would pay me to come by when I had spare time and just sit in there and strip em down. I would always think "I hope they don't get mad I stripped so many off..." And then they would call me like a week later "Hey dude, you did a good job last week, it's just these babies won't quit growing! Do you think you could swing by when you get a chance and strip a few more?..." LOL
That grower ALWAYS had fire, and pounds of it... Stripping leafs never hurt, it more so helped as long as you don't go overboard and Charlie Brown Christmas tree them puppies