Why Are There Stringy Fibers From Leaves?

Do you ever go to defoliate (pull off some excess plant leaves) and notice strings of fiber? If there are stingy fibers when you remove fan leaves, this is a sign the plant is thirsty. Before removing the foliage you should be sure to water the plant. When a plant is properly watered, the fan leaves will snap off effortlessly and make a clean break at the base, leaving a very healable wound for the plant to recover from. If the leaves are hard to remove and are leaving stringy fibers behind, you are decreasing the plant's resilience to pathogens and the plant may become more prone to a botrytis infection in the late stages of flower. Most people only pull leave off two or three times during the floral growth phase. Fan leaves are like solar panels for a plant so removing too many too soon can stunt growth. Proper fan leaf removal allows light to penetrate the canopy so that buds on the lower part of the plant develop better and more evenly. Be sure not to remove too many leaves and if you snap one and it doesn't break clean, water the plant and try the next day to see if it is ready.

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