Schwazzing is a named, very heavy defoliation schedule: nearly every fan leaf is removed at the start of flower, the plant regrows foliage over the next three weeks, and it is stripped again around day 21. Proponents say it pushes more light and energy into bud sites and improves airflow; critics say it simply removes photosynthetic capacity.
In practice
It is used mainly on vigorous, healthy photoperiod plants with dense foliage in high-light rooms. Plants that are stressed, under-fed, slow or autoflowering are poor candidates. Responses vary widely by cultivar.
Myth check
House position: "tuck, don't pluck". Stripping within reason does not appear to hurt yield, and some cultivars tolerate even heavy stripping, but others suffer, and in the founder's experience tucking helps more. There is no controlled cannabis trial showing schwazzing raises yield or cannabinoids; it is an open question for Bay Trials. Evidence: Contested. See defoliation and lollipopping and Mythbusters.
Don't confuse with
A large palmate cannabis leaf with several long leaflets on a long petiole; fan leaves do most of the plant's photosynthesis and carry few trichomes.The process in chloroplasts that uses light energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen; cannabis uses the C3 pathway.The daily length of light versus dark; photoperiod cannabis flowers when nights grow long enough, rather than at a fixed age.A day-neutral cannabis plant that starts flowering by age, usually a few weeks after germination, regardless of light schedule; the trait is mainly recessive.A cannabinoid is any compound that binds the body's cannabinoid receptors or shares the typical cannabis terpenophenolic structure; the plant-made ones are phytocannabinoids such as THCA and CBDA.Bay Trials are GenetixBay's member-run controlled grow experiments that test growing claims side by side and publish the results openly.Lollipopping removes the lower branches and small shoots on a plant, usually around the flip, so energy goes to the top buds and airflow improves underneath.Defoliation is removing fan leaves from a plant to open the canopy to light and air; GenetixBay's house view is to tuck leaves rather than strip them.Tucking is moving fan leaves and shoots behind or under others, or beneath a screen, so bud sites get light without removing any leaf area.
