Nutrients and Defoliation

Just remember, every healthy green leaf you remove will reduce your plants capacity to produce energy. Less energy produced = less/slower/smaller growth. This is basic plant biology 101. Lollipopping may reduce the amount of small rubbishy buds, but can in no way increase yield or potency or bud density or bud size, these factors are determined by genetics and are fixed traits/morphology. With lollipoppinng, small inner branches are removed, resulting in fewer branches over all, so obviously yield potential is also lowered, but minimally. Potency and flower density are controlled by genetics and only genetics. There is no way possible that removal of plant material will alter chromosomal expression. Bud size, apart from genetic ability/expression, can only be "enhanced" by optimum growing conditions - that is, light quality, nutrient availability and general plant health. All lollipopping achieves is a reduced amount of small inner growths that will never achieve great size. Some people are of the theory that removing even the small inner growths will "mess" with the plants metabolism and this is certainly the case if lollipopping is done during flowering. It is best to have finished all lollipopping prior to flowering commencing and to undertake this activity as it presents during vegetative growth. However, identifying and removing the weak spindly growth (lollipopping) if done early in flowering is ok, if absolutely necessary, but if you are already in the 3rd-4th week of flowering, it is past the ideal time and probably best to leave the plant in peace to finish flowering without any metabolic shocks. So, in regard to defoliation, maximum leaves = maximum energy produced = maximum growth. Try to resist the temptation of removing any leaves unless they are yellow, for by the time they are yellow, they have served their purpose. The older leaves also serve as a deposit of vital growth elements your plant will need during flowering, things like carbs, amino acids, sugars etc that she will draw upon during flowering. It is far more efficient to re-use the previously stored elements from the older leaves, than it is to produce them from new, while at the same time attempting to grow her biggest and best flowers. This is why the older large leaves will go yellow ("the fade" as some people refer to it as) on otherwise healthy and well fed plants during flowering. Cannabis is very "smart" in this regard. To sum up; removing healthy green leaves not only reduces your plants capacity to produce the energy she needs to grow her biggest and best flowers, it also robs her of vital growth elements that she is relying on to also help her grow her biggest and best flowers. In over 35 years of cannabis cultivation, I am yet to see any cannabis plant that gets rid of her own healthy green leaves for no benefit! To do so, would be absolutely stupid. Hope this helps,..... Organoman.