Defoliation Big Bang

Defoliation is not a necessary step in cannabis cultivation and I would have to ask, what benefit do you think it will achieve? Removing healthy green leaves only reduces your plants capacity to make energy and will slow growth, not speed it up. Plants can not "channel" energy anywhere, all energy is used equally wherever growth is occurring. To remove leaves so that the plant "channels" energy into bud growth would have to be the most misunderstood aspect of cannabis cultivation. To suggest that a plant could "channel" energy to a specific site would indicate that the plant has a brain and is capable of making conscious decisions, which it clearly can not do. Secondly, if it could "channel" energy, the energy is made in the leaves, meaning that if the leaves were removed, there would be less energy available to "channel" anyhow, making the whole process of defoliation pointless, if there were not a sudden upsurge in available energy to "channel" into bud growth due to the removal of leaves. Just remember - Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth. It is that simple and basic plant biology. Besides, if your plant did not need those leaves, it would not have grown them in the first place! Personally, I have not defoliated a plant for 30+ years and would never consider doing so ever again. The plant knows how to grow and anything that has a negative impact on the plant, like defoliation, is also going to have a negative impact on the flowers, be it quantity, quality or both. I do however believe in a small amount of well considered "lollipopping", about mid way through veg and then again at the beginning of flowering, and rather than remove leaves, just tuck them out of the way. I only ever remove yellow leaves, for once they are yellow, they have served their purpose. Hope this helps, Organoman.

Fan leaves are like solar panels. If they aren't getting light, then they aren't good producers. Your choice is to cut it or give it more light by removing or repositioning another leaf. Remove leaves to open up for lighting, for better air circulation, or to remove dead/diseased leaves. Remember not to cut what look like new leaves growing from in between a fan leaf and the main stem. These are actually new branches and colas.

Just unplug the big fan leaves only when they are recovering the second lower layer of a bud in Flowering or a side shoot in Veg. Keep in mind that the leaves are like solar panels and food storage, they are vital for the photosynthesis.

Ah you mentioned defoliation, that could cause a big debate. 🤣 I would only remove the big fan leaves that are going to the centre of the plant, and only a few at that. If they are covering up a lot of greenery below then take that, if its not shading a lot then leave it. Proper plan what will be beneficial to remove.