How Many Leaves to Remove During Cannabis Defoliation

Remove 5 to 10 fan leaves at one time from a small plant. Remove 20 to 40 from a large plant. That equals 5% to 10% of total fan leaves per session. Never remove more than 20% of leaves in one session. A plant with 100 fan leaves gets 5 to 10 leaves removed. A plant with 200 fan leaves gets 10 to 20 leaves removed. These numbers apply to photoperiod plants in veg and early flower. Autoflower plants get half those numbers.

Cannabis Defoliation: Mistakes to Avoid for Optimal Growth

Defoliation by growth stage

• Veg week 3 to 4: remove 2 to 4 leaves per main branch. Target leaves that block light to lower nodes.
• Veg week 5 to 6: remove 5 to 10 leaves per plant. Focus on leaves with petioles longer than 3 inches that shade bud sites.
• Flower week 3: remove 10 to 20 leaves per plant. This is the last heavy defoliation window.
• Flower week 6 to 7: remove 5 to 10 leaves per plant. Focus on leaves that block airflow through the canopy.

Defoliation by plant size

• Small plant (under 2 feet): 5 to 10 leaves per session.
• Medium plant (2 to 3 feet): 10 to 20 leaves per session.
• Large plant (over 3 feet): 20 to 40 leaves per session.

What not to do

Do not remove all fan leaves. Do not defoliate in flower week 5 or later. Do not defoliate a sick plant. Do not remove sugar leaves. Do not remove more than 20% of leaves in one session. Wait 5 to 7 days between sessions.

cannabis defoliation mistakes to avoid

Signs of over-defoliation

Stunted growth. Slow bud development. Yellow leaves. Hermaphrodite flowers. If you see these signs, stop defoliation. Give the plant 10 to 14 days to recover.

cannabis defoliation mistakes to avoid

Count leaves before you start. Mark leaves to remove with a twist tie. Then cut. Use clean scissors. Make cuts at the petiole base. Leave 1/4 inch of petiole on the stem. This prevents stem damage.