Question on defoliation...

[oldleafybeard1]

Im just wondering what you guys do for defoliating autoflowers and what week/stage you usually do it, cause its been giving me a bit of a headache weighing up risk/reward I usually do really minimal defoliation and big fan leaves just as few as possible from about week 4-5 onwards, and then this last grow I took a load of lower branches and nothing bud sites off about week 8ish but again im always thinking am I shocking the plant removing too much during this stage of flower?

 

This run was a bit dissapointing for me but I think it was mainly heat stress for a week knocked on and affected final yeild but especially this grow the plants created loads of skinny/lower branches, I almost feel like id been more dramatic dcefoliating branches earlier I might have gotten less -1g buds in the final dry weight. Anyway interested to hear how you apprach it 

[Lubdub]

I usually like to do it once and done around the 5 week mark when the bud sites are just forming. I take off the lower third, including the little stems that will have those 1g buds on. If the plant is particularly bushy I'll strip some of the upper leaves as well. If the plants are healthy they can take it really well, but if they're suffering from other stresses I'd be more cautious and would avoid any additional stress from defoliation later into flower.

[Seak67]

I messed up the ph and had a cal mag deficiancy. Meant my topped pine apple express auto had burned leaves at 6.5 weeks, so took them all off. No point to them, as good as dead. Plant carried on, as normal. Yield was probably light, but bud was so potent and good. My topped autos take 12 weeks. Since ive found that defoliating all non sugar leaves at 9.5 weeks old is best. Also prevents bud rot. Rot doesnt like direct light. Found the complete defoliation at 9.5 weeks gives more potency, and even the lower bud is potent.

[Seak67]

 

I messed up the ph and had a cal mag deficiancy on a previous grow. Meant my topped pineapple express auto had burned leaves at 6.5 weeks, so took them all off. No point to them, as good as dead. Plant carried on, as normal. Yield was probably light, but bud was so potent and good. My topped autos take 12 weeks. Since ive found that defoliating all non sugar leaves at 9.5 weeks old is best. Also prevents bud rot. Rot doesnt like direct light. Found the complete defoliation at 9.5 weeks gives more potency, and even the lower bud is potent.