The removal of living fan leaves from a growing cannabis plant to allow light to penetrate deeper into the plant, ultimately increasing bud size and yield. Defoliation also allows more air to flow through the plant, reducing the risk of mold, mildew, and pests. The process is similar to pruning in how it benefits the plant, but differs in that pruning removes branches and dead leaves and not living fan leaves only.
“I didn’t want to prune my plants anymore so I defoliated them to get more light on them.”