Pruning and fertilizing autoflowers is standard practice, especially for bushier strains. Experienced growers who have mastered this technique know how and when to defoliate autoflowering plants for best results.
What is autoflower defoliation?
To put it simply, pruning autoflowering marijuana bushes is about removing excess foliage. By plucking leaves from dense branches, you allow more light to reach the buds. The plant gets more oxygen, resulting in a healthier crop.
When not to prune autoflowers
Some growers are wary of removing autoflowering cannabis foliage because the leaves contain a lot of the plant's nutrients. Not knowing how to prune cannabis leaves, removing too much foliage, or doing the process when it's not necessary can result in lower yields.
You can cause more damage outdoors by removing foliage from autoflowers, as leaves help plants recover from infestation and drought. Indoors, you control the environment, and leaves can get annoying, taking up extra space and limiting light.
What are the benefits of pruning autoflowers?
- Cannabis plants have a limited amount of energy. By trimming the leaves, they can better use the resources obtained through light and nutrition;
- Too many leaves attract mold and pests even indoors;
- When you defoliate autoflowers, you get better canopy ventilation, ensuring lower branches have equal access to light and oxygen;
- Pruning cannabis leaves reduces water loss due to sweating of your plants, especially in very hot conditions. This helps keep your plants hydrated and locks in nutrition.
When to prune cannabis?
Experienced gardeners defoliate autoflowers in the vegetative stage. At this stage, the plants usually already have three nodes developed and are strong enough to cope with the loss of excess foliage. It is best to prune in the early stages of the flowering phase, around the first three weeks.
Keep in mind that you should not over-prune marijuana bushes, at most once when the plants are in the growing season, and once during blooming phases. Most sativa varieties do not require as much pruning as indica varieties.
Don't cut too many leaves in the late stages of flowering as this can affect the quality of your crop. The kidneys benefit from better access to light. It is necessary to remove leaves in those places where, in your opinion, they are superfluous, but remember that any pruning is stressful for your bush.
Proper implementation of all the nuances and the presence of initially high-quality autoflowering cannabis seeds will help the grower achieve the desired results.
The material is provided for informational purposes for persons over 18 years of age. (Do not forget about the observance of the laws of the country where you are before the cultivation of marijuana, we warn you, in Ukraine the germination of seeds is prohibited).
