Can I defoliate 4 -5 weeks into flowering

[Phillybonker]

I am doing a outdoor grow and I lollipoped the plants 3 weeks into flowering. I'm now wondering if I'm able to do a second defoliation 4 or 5 weeks into flowering. The second defoliation I wish to do is to the centre of the plant to get more air flow as well as decrease the build up of humidity in the middle of the plant. . Bud sites that don't get enough sunlight will also get removed and those will be in the centre of the plant.

So am I good to go with a second defoliation? (I'll be giving the plants 10 days to recover from the lollipoping.)

 

[CO Finest]

I have done that and never have had a problem if anything the plants made some more trichomes from thinking they were being attached which is a thing these plants also do when they feel they are being attached.

 

[Phillybonker]

I have done that and never have had a problem if anything the plants made some more trichomes from thinking they were being attached which is a thing these plants also do when they feel they are being attached.

I'll assume you mean "attacked". Thanks for your input.

 

[SmokingWings]

I'll assume you mean "attacked". Thanks for your input.

Gawd, I hope so. Saw the "attached" and had to stop and reread out loud and the only thing that made sense was 'attacked'.

I have been playing around with 'Lollipop' training and to me it is easier and less work than a 'SCRoG' or a 'Quad-line' or any of the others.

I'm now wondering if I'm able to do a second defoliation 4 or 5 weeks into flowering. The second defoliation I wish to do is to the centre of the plant to get more air flow as well as decrease the build up of humidity in the middle of the plant. . Bud sites that don't get enough sunlight will also get removed and those will be in the centre of the plant.

I do not know if we are supposed to do it at 3 weeks into flower and again at 4 or 5 weeks but I don't think we have much choice for the reasons you mentioned. The center does have to be trimmed and thinned out or the chances of mildew and mold go up quickly. Plus, thinning out the center area does give more light onto the bud sites on the stems/colas all around the edge.

 

[Phillybonker]

I have been playing around with 'Lollipop' training and to me it is easier and less work than a 'SCRoG' or a 'Quad-line' or any of the others.

I didn't lollipop last year and ended up with a lot of low quality popcorn buds which made manicuring a nightmare, that's one of the reasons I decided to go with lollipoping this year.

I do not know if we are supposed to do it at 3 weeks into flower and again at 4 or 5 weeks but I don't think we have much choice for the reasons you mentioned. The center does have to be trimmed and thinned out or the chances of mildew and mold go up quickly. Plus, thinning out the center area does give more light onto the bud sites on the stems/colas all around the edge.

I don't know if I was supposed to lollipop 3 weeks into flowering either but I might try to lollipop 2 weeks before flowering on my next grow and see if that does any better or not, as a side experiment.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

I've learned to not worry too much about when and what I want to defoliate or trim/cut off. Of course I don't do anything drastic in the last month or so of flower/bloom but prior to that I don't worry about it. If I want more airflow I trim it back, if I want it to stop growing so tall I trim it back no matter what stage of veg or bloom/flower (except the last month). I've even topped a few tops at a time before (this I haven't done during flower stage) and it doesn't seem to hurt the plant too much. Yes it may slow your plant down a little bit, a few day to maybe a week depending on how much you defoliate/trim, but if time isn't a concern why not? I grew up on an apple orchard and I know it's not the same thing as growing this great weed but some of the trimming we used to do to our apple trees was insane. Sometime the trees would go from looking like a bush to a stick man when we were finished with them. And guess what, they all survived and prospered! I was very careful and babied my first few green grows but since then I just chop whatever I want and basically do it whenever I want, to a certain degree. Be smart, be your own judge. Try it, start small and if a few days to a week later you see it's helping then giver', but if it didn't work out and you find it's stunting growth then obviously slack off the cutting. Defoliate away!! Good luck!!

 

[SmokingWings]

I don't know if I was supposed to lollipop 3 weeks into flowering either but I might try to lollipop 2 weeks before flowering on my next grow and see if that does any better or not, as a side experiment.

I figure that plants from seeds are easier to lollipop. Most of my plants are clones and the stem growth just seems different enough that it seems more difficult to get a decent shape. The nicely shaped 'lollipops' that I have seen in on-line photos and in some outdoor gardens were from seed.

The one that I have one going right now is a 'mother plant which was cloned last summer and has donated cuttings to the cause for months. Now I have enough clones going and one or two of them will become new 'mothers'. The current mother will be in the flowering tent by the end of this coming week if all goes well. Still not a nice round shape but close enough that it will be fun seeing how it finishes over the next 9 to 10 weeks.

 

[Phillybonker]

I figure that plants from seeds are easier to lollipop. Most of my plants are clones and the stem growth just seems different enough that it seems more difficult to get a decent shape. The nicely shaped 'lollipops' that I have seen in on-line photos and in some outdoor gardens were from seed.

The one that I have one going right now is a 'mother plant which was cloned last summer and has donated cuttings to the cause for months. Now I have enough clones going and one or two of them will become new 'mothers'. The current mother will be in the flowering tent by the end of this coming week if all goes well. Still not a nice round shape but close enough that it will be fun seeing how it finishes over the next 9 to 10 weeks.

I just lollipoped some clones last night given to me about 8 weeks ago, didn't pay much attention to the shape, I just trimmed off the bottom 1/3, or basically trimmed anything that wasn't going to get enough sunlight. I'm not keen on manicuring popcorn buds.