There are a lot of processes that cannabis plants require to grow healthy and produce high-yielding harvests. Some of these processes require math and knowledge of nutrient requirements, such as feeding the plants. However, some processes require patience, a gentle hand, and experience. Defoliating is a perfect example of such a process.
Depending on where you are, defoliating can go by several different names. Some call it Schwazzing, others may call it Day 21 (referring to the 21st day of the flowering cycle). But defoliating can be done at just about any part of the cannabis plants’ life cycle and should be done for both health and yield purposes.
Defoliating consists of strategically pulling fan leaves from the cannabis plant to regulate the canopy and humidity. While relatively easy to do, this process requires experience to avoid over-defoliating or harming the plants. For those new to defoliating, this article is an ideal place to start.
Defoliating has several purposes. It can be thought of as killing two birds with one stone. To start, defoliating can begin during the vegetative cycle. This is done to help maintain the canopy in order to keep the plants at a similar size, but also to prepare plants for flowering later on.
When in the flowering stage, defoliation continues to help maintain the canopy, but also serves several additional purposes. One purpose is to control the humidity of the flower room. The more dense the foliage is, the more humidity will remain trapped in the room. Too much humidity can create an ideal environment for pests, viruses, and even Botrytis.
Another purpose of defoliating flowers is to help boost yield. When there is too much foliage, it blocks the light from the lower branches. The buds forming there will become small and larfy, driving down the overall yield of the harvest. This means that the quality of the bud is not only damaged but also the potency of the buds on the lower branches.
Finally, defoliating heavy amounts of fan leaves during certain points in the flowering process can help boost THC levels. This is what many growers will call “Day 21”. By removing fan leaves, which simulate hail or a storm with heavy winds, the plant is forced to produce more THC, boosting the potency of the buds.
While defoliating properly comes with patience and practice, here are a few helpful tips to get started:
Start with the oldest fan leaves, these will often be the biggest fan leaves in the canopy. By removing these leaves first, it can help avoid stressing the plant too much. If too many leaves are pulled at one time, the plant can stress, driving its immune system down and potentially causing the plant to herm.
If light cannot touch the table beneath the canopy, then the lower branches are not getting enough light. This is a great visual guide for those new to defoliating. While it is important to not pull too many leaves, if too many leaves are left, the lower branches will not get enough light to fully develop healthy and dense buds. Doing so can help boost the overall yield of the harvest.
Finally, do not ignore signs of nutrient excesses, nutrient losses, pests, or viruses/viroids. While removing these leaves can help the plant focus on putting its energy into flower development, it is important to document what the leaves are showing and act accordingly.
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