Can you prune autoflowers?

Autoflowering cannabis strains are finicky guys, so trimming the leaves of autoflowers is a burning issue for any grower. The problem is that any intervention in the development of cannabis is perceived as stress, and the more unstable the variety itself, the more destructive this stress is. Let's figure out why trim the leaves at all and whether it can be done on autoflowers while preserving the yield.

Is it possible to remove leaves from autoflowers

Autoflowers have recently burst into the world of growing and are finding followers all over the world. Some still dislike them, they say, they are mutants, and in any hybrid, the characteristics are more difficult to regulate. However, if you buy autoflowering cannabis seeds from trusted seed banks and responsible suppliers, then there are no issues with plants will. For example, our Coffeeshop® seedshop provides a manufacturer's warranty, maintains proper storage conditions and safety when sending an order anywhere in the world.

What you need to know about cars

• Autoflowers are great for a first try. They perform well both indoors and outdoors and are not particularly picky about the grower's mistakes.
• Autos mature faster than other strains. For example, in classic strains, the full cycle of the plant exceeds 16 weeks, while in autos it fluctuates around 12.
• These varieties are suitable for those who do not have a lot of space. Bushes grow compact (from 30 to 100 cm in height) and easily fit even in a homemade stealth box.
• Autoflowering strains do not imply a complete lack of attention from the grower. You still have to look after your wards and, in which case, adjust the stages of their development. For example, if you see that an auto is hung up on the growing season, switch it to flowering artificially - change the humidity, temperature, length of the light period and the type of top dressing.
• You can't take clones from them. In other words, one car for one season.

Why cut leaves on hemp bushes

The main function of plants is to perform photosynthesis, and this is what cannabis needs leaves for. Accordingly, at those stages when the sprout is just being formed, it requires all the leaves (as well as a powerful root system). But during the period of transition to flowering, the lower processes only draw excess juices from the plant.

The removal of leaves is called defoliation. It is used not only by cannabis growers, but by all horticultural botanists who want to control the distribution of plant resources and promote the development of juicy and numerous fruits.

If you prune the bottom pairs of branches in marijuana autoflowers, you can redirect the plant's energy into bud formation, but this is not recommended.

In case the question is: “Can I prune autoflowers?” - then, as for most other plant species, the answer is unequivocal: “Yes!” Only in the case of autos, it will do more harm than good. If you are just gaining experience in home gardening, then it is better not to injure the plant with unnecessary manipulations. If you are already an experienced grower and confident in the strain, use the following tips:

• If the plant has experienced temperature stress, flooding, or pest damage (the latter is extremely rare with these strains), pruning autoflowers can wait.
• Before you decide to defoliate, try to bend the lower branches, allowing them to form a more bushy structure. In this case, they will have access to light and air, begin to grow with renewed vigor and bring more harvest.
• If you decide to trim the leaves of your cannabis autoflowers, don't do it in veg. Wait for the bloom. The beginning of this period is often accompanied by the fact that the lower leaves turn yellow and fall off on their own, without the participation of the grower. This is normal.
• After trimming the leaves for 3-5 days, increase the humidity in the grow box to 80% to avoid stress.

With autos, as with most marijuana strains, the golden rule of growing works - it's better to under-grow than over-dose, and it's better not to touch than to injure and deprive the plants of the way to go to the right stages by their own, natural forces.