How Pruning and Defoliation Can Increase Your Yield

Not only does defoliating weeds increase yields, but it also offers numerous benefits, including enhanced airflow, reduced pests, and improved plant health, to name a few. Let's find out exactly why you should add the cannabis defoliation technique to your standard bag of tricks and how to defoliate cannabis like a boss.

Benefits of Pruning and Defoliating Cannabis

Defoliated outdoor plant by forum user Oldmarine

The first time I learnt how to prune cannabis plants, I was stunned at how simple and highly effective it was. Let's look at some of the reasons why you'd want to start pruning every cannabis plant you will ever grow after reading this article. Below, I have highlighted all the benefits associated with pruning weed plants based on my experience. 

• Your plants will appear more robust, vigorous, and healthier after a good pruning or a cannabis defoliation.

• Light will have more room to reach all the branches and nodes of the plant, as well as the lower ones.

• Cannabis plants love plenty of fresh air and circulation, so when you prune your plants, you and your plants can look forward to an abundance of fresh air.

• Who likes the idea of fewer pests? I sure know I do. Cannabis defoliation will quickly reduce pests and allow your beautiful plants to stay that way.

• If you're like me, then you want only those big, juicy nugs dripping with resin. Pruning cannabis is one of the easiest ways to convert growth energy into the top canopy…meaning no small nugs and less time at the trim table.

What You'll Need Before You Start 

Suppose you have ever wondered how to prune cannabis and what exactly you will need for defoliating weed plants. In that case, I've got you covered. You will not need to break the bank when it comes to defoliating cannabis. In Fact, pruning your weed plants is extremely simple, so check out the checklist below, where I break down precisely what you will need to get rock and rolling.

• 1 pair of sharp scissors

• 1 pair of gloves 

• 1 healthy cannabis plant

• Disinfectant of choice (isopropyl alcohol or diluted bleach)

And that is all you need for pruning weed plants! The art of pruning is all about producing a clean, clinical cut, which means using clean, sterile tools in a sterile environment. As a result, your plants thank you in kind by forming a top-heavy canopy and allowing you to produce dense nugs that we all love.

When to Prune and Defoliate Your Cannabis Plant

The aim of the game during Stage 1 is to establish a strong growth structure early on. I find that working with cannabis plants that are 5 weeks or older will produce the best candidates for a successful cannabis defoliation.

You may have seen various pruning techniques online or in your favorite weed magazine. There is no right or wrong way to prune, but I am going to share my personal method of pruning your plants. 

I am proud to say that my method has been customised and adapted over the years to make life as straightforward as possible, while causing as little stress as possible to your plants.

Stage 1: Veg Stage Pruning & Defoliation - Prune to one node and flip!

The first time you will need to get hands-on with your plants and start pruning will be during the vegetative stage. It allows you to clean them thoroughly, letting that growth energy go to the new growth at the highest point of your plants.

Step-by-Step: How to Clean Up Your Vegging Plant

The way I prune my plants is to locate the top internode and then carefully cut away all the leaves and smaller growth shoots beneath that point. Once you have cleaned above 80-90% of the smaller and lower foliage, give the plants 3-5 days to recover. Then, set your timers to 12/12, and hey presto, you are pretty much done and dusted!

Now, you may be thinking, 'Hold on a moment; I need to cut away all that lush green growth that has developed over the last five weeks.' Yep, and here is why.

Your plants will still produce a good 2-3 feet of new top growth even with only one internode left once they start flowering. The only difference is that when they start flowering, they will spend all their energy on producing your next head stash of high-grade flower.

When you do your pruning or defoliation right, you won’t have to worry about any lower growth becoming blocked from much-needed light. Not only that, but the air circulation below the top canopy is perfect. When it comes to harvesting, you will have far less work to do, so thank me later!

Stage 2: Pre-Harvest Defoliation

The final part of pruning cannabis comes much later and is classed as the pre-harvest defoliation stage. It should be performed one week before the harvest date. Defoliating at this stage is recommended to make life easier when chopping down your plants, but it can also increase resin production and provide more light. 

Indoor defoliated cannabis plant in full flower, by our forum user Dexterado

Pro- Tip: Remove Dwarfed Branches

Nobody likes to harvest little twigs with minimal buds during a 3-5 hour stint in trim jail. The best thing about pruning weed plants is that you don't need to worry about them, so say goodbye once and for all to the larf and popcorn nugs!

How to Remove Leaves Without Hurting the Plant

Cannabis plants need tender loving care, especially when it comes to pruning cannabis. Recklessly tearing away only results in your plants becoming potentially damaged or stressed. 

There are two ways to remove leaves: 

1. The first way is to use your fingers and apply enough pressure to gently remove them without causing any unintentional tearing. Using pressure alone and pressing down at the petiole (the part that connects the leaf or branch to the stem) will do the trick.

1. The second is to get up close and personal with scissors or, my preferred method, using a sharp scalpel to ensure a surgical and clean cut. Whatever you do, take your time and avoid rushing when pruning weed plants.

Fan Leaves vs Sugar Leaves: What is the Difference?

Okay, so it's time to decide which leaves need to be kept for making full-melt hash and which will be thrown into the compost pile. Below is a guideline of what you should consider.

• Save all leaves that contain resin, regardless of whether they are fan leaves or smaller leaves. When it comes to making top-quality hash, just think: What goes into the bubble bags or dry sift screen is what comes out, so only work with resinous plant material.

• Throw out fan leaves that do not contain resin. They are useless for hash making, but they are a worthy addition to any compost pile!

• If you're not entirely sure if the fan leaves qualify for keeping, just discard them. If in doubt…throw it out! 

Why Pruning Increases Yield (Backed by Plant Science)

The best analogy I can provide is to compare pruning cannabis to bodybuilding. Pruning is similar to cutting out cardio and focusing solely on building large, strong muscles and achieving a massive physique.

Now, let's take a closer look at the science behind pruning and what makes this highly effective and advantageous plant training technique a winner in my book.

Light exposure: The more light a cannabis plant is exposed to, the more light energy is stored in the leaves, which accelerates photosynthesis. The greater the level of photosynthesis, the more it enhances growth, plant health, and the plant's ability to pack on weight during flowering.

Transpiration: A cannabis plant transpires water through the leaf tissue in the exact same way we sweat water through the pores of our skin. Pruning significantly increases transpiration rates, which improves nutrient uptake.

Nutrient storage: When I grow weed, my number one goal and priority is to produce as many fat and frosty buds as possible to fill my curing jars with. Well, defoliating and pruning your weed plants will allocate all the nutrient resources to the upper canopy, meaning that all those nutrients will be directed toward the top growth.

Too many shaded parts: Shading growth will not only block out light and decrease airflow and circulation, but can also increase the risk of mold and bugs.

Can I Defoliate Auto-flowering cannabis? 

I would advise avoiding pruning autos so early on, or too heavy. 

Why? Autos have a short vegetation period of only 4 weeks before flowering commences. Removing too many leaves and side branches stresses out your plant and will leave a stunted plant that struggles to grow. I only remove a few big fan leaves if they’re blocking light from the lower growth. Think of it more like a cleanup than a haircut.

When Should I Prune My Outdoor Cannabis Plants?

An outdoor defoliated Cannabis plant by our forum user Oldhippy

When working with indoor grow lights, your plants will be restricted to a specific level and angle of light compared to natural sunlight. 

Growing cannabis outdoors from Spring until late summer is a whole different ball game. Outdoor plants can become enormous and develop rapidly under the right conditions. Not only that, you will need to be extra vigilant for pests and bugs.

Due to the prolific amount of growth an outdoor cannabis plant can produce when exposed to a large amount of sun, many growers recommend pruning them every two weeks. However, in this scenario, simply follow my advice to prune once a week before the flowering stage.