Outdoor trimming for mold prevention

[vtweedly]

My 1st half assed attempt at outdoor growing last season had my plants get hit with mold and had to harvest early and lost 75%.
This season I’m going about things different. I have a two tier trellis. I’ve trimmed the whole bottom just before flowering and I have a cover to protect from rain.
My question is how much should I defoliate the actual top of plant if at all? It’s pretty damn dense. Left plant is satvia which I’m less worried about, right is indica (Nothern Lights and is very dense). For reference the trillis is 5x5 ft per plant and 25 gallon fabric pot.

 

[Headrabbit123]

i would defoliate top of plant about 30% Enough so that air can move through the plant and it can have adequate ventilation. you should be able to see through plant in spaces . While u are there also trim any short shoots or any small growth that you don't see producing quality bud or growing into or in the way of quality bud sites etc ... once in full flower it needs some of its leaves for protection and utilize energy for bud growth... adjust bloom nutrients accordingly during flower ....

 

[vtweedly]

Thank you! That guidance helps a lot.

 

[vtweedly]

Well, she made it this far without mold. The fans and roof helped along with defoliation advice. Gotta harvest maybe a week before optimal this weekend due to outdoor weather looking nasty next weekend.

 

[carwashguy]

Looks good. Lost over half of this years crop in this recent hurricane. Mold hits so fast. If it’s looking like a couple of wet days I’d cut them. Imo

 

[vtweedly]

Ugh, sorry to hear that. We had two straight days of weds/thurs rain and even with the ‘roof’ the edges got pretty wet so I’m harvesting this weekend b4 it’s sets in

 

[carwashguy]

That was what I done. Pop up tent lowered down to there height. When it rains sideways there is not much you can do.They got pretty wet. After 4 days of it I had the white fuzzy on a lot of it. Aggravating I’m telling you. It’s just a hobby for me. If I was depending on it I’d d be pissed.