Defoliation during flowering for greater yields!

[Max Reefer]

Hey MR I am in the same position as you are. I am also a HUGE fan of aero and it was what I ran with when I use to grow a years back we are talking over 10 years ago. It was state of the art computer controlled and completely closed in environment with back up power and 200 plants Dutch Passion seed stock. Anyway I am designing to new grow since I live in the freedom state of beautiful COLORADO. I have neither the funds nor the space so I am designing my grow cabinet/closet. I'm doing SOG that's without debate. My question to you anyone else should I go aero or go with DWC? Max since you are a fan of aero how is DWC treating you? I leaning towards aero for it was I know and have had incredible success but I feel it is a bit ambitious for such a confined grow. I am being too stubborn?

I definitely had better results with aero than I am having with dwc. I am making all my dwc into top drip and am about to make a new aero cloner.

MR

 

[olsmiley]

Thanks for getting back. I was actually wondering as to why you didn't go aero this time around if you had such great success in the past.

 

[Max Reefer]

Thanks for getting back. I was actually wondering as to why you didn't go aero this time around if you had such great success in the past.

because I'm stupid mostly. in 20 years I have forgotten more than I know about the subject. it's all coming back slowly though.

MR

 

[lendee]

I'm so interested in your findings here I'm a new grower on my 5th grow and I've also defoliated on my last 2 grows my last grow netted 23 oz's off 4 plants and I know it"s from the defoliation.

 

[Max Reefer]

I am 2 weeks into flowering right now and I had to cut a bunch of leaves off because the plants were getting too thick with foliage.

I would guess that I cut off about 1/4 of the foliage. I think I could cut more, and probably will in a few days.

MR

 

[Max Reefer]

those look great! I just cut 25 clones off four plants last night. 3 of them are 20 days into flowering and one is 18 days in. hopefully they do better than my last round.

MR

just to update the progress here. some of these cuttings never reverted to veg and just grew one dense little bud. some of them branched out and are growing very well. like these three new York sour diesel's.

MR

 

[Rak21489]

I tried this after seeing your post, and my plant seemed to have loved t. At first she was in shock for a da or two but them after a good feeding she was back at it looking like a champ.

 

[Max Reefer]

it's only been 5 days and I am looking at having to spend several more hours thinning these girls out again. there getting huge!

MR

 

[DrRosko]

I have been trying defoliation for a month or so of flowering. It works. It always made sense to me but I was too apprehensive to try removing plant parts.

After I worked at a commercial nursurey growing everything from Catnip to Brugmansia I learned plants can take a beating and defoliation is where it's at!!!

 

[Max Reefer]

I have been trying defoliation for a month or so of flowering. It works. It always made sense to me but I was too apprehensive to try removing plant parts.

After I worked at a commercial nursurey growing everything from Catnip to Brugmansia I learned plants can take a beating and defoliation is where it's at!!!

speaking of beating on our plants for our own benefit. have you done any supercropping? one of the single best ways I know to increase yield.

MR

 

[brotherbuddz]

I have yet to try supercropping. I have done topping and fiming and LST. I think my next grow i will try super cropping. I'm going with two pineapple chunks and a bag seed.

 

[lendee]

Hi all: Relatively new to this stuff what is your definition of supercropping? I've heard it's taking a clone from the bloom cycle and reverting it back to vegetative state. I have also seen LST & fiming used together and called supercropping. Anyone know for sure? Great info on defoliation I've always done it and it's seemed to have worked well for me but I also have not done this long.

 

[Max Reefer]

Hi all: Relatively new to this stuff what is your definition of supercropping? I've heard it's taking a clone from the bloom cycle and reverting it back to vegetative state. I have also seen LST & fiming used together and called supercropping. Anyone know for sure? Great info on defoliation I've always done it and it's seemed to have worked well for me but I also have not done this long.

this guy has all the info you need.

Super Cropping, Topping, Fiming, Lolly Popping and Monster cropping. - YouTube

MR

 

[spreadseeds]

Hi, defoliation of a plant makes sense to me, and sense I must use stealth growing outside, lessens any attraction. I have been removing leaves on a regular basis to make my plants less noticeable, plus trimming them back, as a result the regrowth is a slight smaller. My questions are how much leaves to remove, where to remove them, and just now my females are starting to flower is it to late to defoliate?
I am very good with growing plants of any kind studied horticulture in collage, so technical terms are ok, I can figure it out.
I planted late May seedlings about 6 inches in height. I hope to get at least to into late September without frost, possibly mid October, but where I live it can happen towards late September.
I have one more questions should I continue to fertilize, soil drench my plants? I am using a "bloom booster" type, usually 1/2 strength.
Thanks for any advice. spreadseeds

 

[PeytonManning]

Hi all: Relatively new to this stuff what is your definition of supercropping? I've heard it's taking a clone from the bloom cycle and reverting it back to vegetative state.

That's monster-cropping. Supercropping is bending a branch 90 degrees and giving a little twist to it. Helps build a knuckle in the branch that becomes a super highway for nutrient delivery

 

[PeytonManning]

Hi, defoliation of a plant makes sense to me, and sense I must use stealth growing outside, lessens any attraction. I have been removing leaves on a regular basis to make my plants less noticeable, plus trimming them back, as a result the regrowth is a slight smaller. My questions are how much leaves to remove, where to remove them, and just now my females are starting to flower is it to late to defoliate?
I am very good with growing plants of any kind studied horticulture in collage, so technical terms are ok, I can figure it out.
I planted late May seedlings about 6 inches in height. I hope to get at least to into late September without frost, possibly mid October, but where I live it can happen towards late September.
I have one more questions should I continue to fertilize, soil drench my plants? I am using a "bloom booster" type, usually 1/2 strength.
Thanks for any advice. spreadseeds

They say the best time to defol in flower is day 21 and day 45. Have to be careful in flower cause it can directly affect yield

 

[DrRosko]

...My questions are how much leaves to remove, where to remove them, and just now my females are starting to flower is it to late to defoliate?
I am very good with growing plants of any kind studied horticulture in collage, so technical terms are ok, I can figure it out.
I planted late May seedlings about 6 inches in height...

Outdoors I wouldn't recommend it since I have no experience. I believe it isn't as neccessary because the sunlight moves and hits the plant from multiple angles.Feel free to try and get back to us.

I strip off every fan leaf after the main cola(s) reach small marble size. Even fan leaves on the bud sites that are extraneous. You just want to be left with the bud site which will grow out new leaves of its own when the fan leaves are gone, letting the light hit them.

Also, how was "collage"?

 

[PeytonManning]

Defol is considered pointless outdoors. Sun has amazing penetration and lumens and par. Plus like the Dr says, the sun moves and hits the plant everywhere

 

[DrRosko]

I did thin out an 8ft tall plant. Pinched all the growing shoots to make it less bushy and dense.
But it was a different method than the indoor defol technique.

 

[spreadseeds]

Hey Thanks!!! Makes sense. I did go out today and cleaned up the plants, when I pinched back my plants and through pruning they sorta branched out like you stated above, along with the other flowers near the m. I never kept my plants bushy. Since I removed about a third of the foliage off each plant I feel safe. That much direct sunlight all at once could damage the more tender growth in some cases.
Thanks so much I have a better understanding now and confirmed my hypothesis.... lol!