Fan leaf removal
- Thread starter The Hippy
- Start date
chemphlegm
Well-Known Member
If light penetration is lacking a grower needs more usable light ....not less plant material.
makes about as much sense as removing some rootball to make room for more roots because the container is too small?
makes about as much sense as removing some rootball to make room for more roots because the container is too small?
The Hippy
Well-Known Member
No he said it was to open the plant up to more light. Only took off some here and there. I just want to see what those with experience think on that. If you haven't been growing for years......please don't answer. I heard other wise but thought i see the consensus.
The plant was definitely more airy after and and still had a lot of leaves. More light getting down there.
The plant was definitely more airy after and and still had a lot of leaves. More light getting down there.
The Hippy
Well-Known Member
There will always be shadows. No matter how much light there is.
Nobodies talking about root balls. Stay on subject.
dagwood45431
Well-Known Member
He made an analogy to illuminate his point. Completely on topic. I do believe he is trying to help you.
Plants use their leaves to collect light. This light is turned into energy through a process called photosynthesis. This energy is used to create growth in the plant. By removing leaves you are lessening the amount of energy the plant is producing. Less energy = Less growth
GroErr
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, basic plant physiology, I'm in the camp that leaves stay on until they've died off and are spent/useless. Otherwise they stay right until the end if they make it through. Buds don't need light, leaves need light. If you give them enough or the right type of light buds grow all the way down, the lower buds aren't getting a lot of direct light but their leaves are.
CalyxCrusher
Well-Known Member
Common practice for increasing yields called defoliation. In the first 14 days of flower during rapid growth due to stretch its fine. Ive never had issues so long as you dont go overboard. Just remove the leaves blocking nodes/budsites.It works well on plants that like to get bushy especially. Look at my C99 posted in the grow your own as an example. Its how I pulled a large yield with low veg time. As for buds not needing light, those leaves at the nodes that become bud sites benefit directly
ThcGuy
Well-Known Member
Well I started growing in 1988 and grew until 2002 when my daughter was born. I recently started growing medicinal recently so my thoughts may be outdated but I am speaking from my experience.
Broad leafed Indicas got a trim to let light into my lower buds but I had 24 plants in 3 gallon bags under each 1000w, so trimming fans was done out of convenience for me as I had so many plants. If I didn't trim big fans the colas would have been the only buds to get light. My Sativas and most hybrids were left alone as the light was able to penetrate the lower buds just fine.
However now that I'm growing small scale personal only weed, I will try to tuck my big fan leaves rather than removing unless the leaf is directly over a bud site I want to produce. Your leaves produce the energy for your plant to grow, so I would't remove them unless you absolutely have to. Thats my just opinion.
chex1111
Well-Known Member
For sure I pull off fan leaves during flowering. Sometimes it helps to defoliate with lights off and a headlamp. I can see what leaves are blocking the flower sites I want, and pull any recurring flowers, or missed flower sites. I pull leaves two weeks in to flower, then again some more at week four. At late week six, or the beginning of seven your leaves should be yellowing a bit and ready to abscise I will strip off anything that comes off easily.
kDude
Well-Known Member
i find this is one of those controversial topics, like flushing/feeding only water at the end.
i've seen some do it -i personally leave them, as mentioned those are the plants solar panel- but i haven't seen detrimental effects from it TBH.
my buddy always did this like it'sme (nice job BTW
) once at the start, and again mid bloom.. his results were pretty good, but i never put it to just that.
i've seen some do it -i personally leave them, as mentioned those are the plants solar panel- but i haven't seen detrimental effects from it TBH.
my buddy always did this like it'sme (nice job BTW
) once at the start, and again mid bloom.. his results were pretty good, but i never put it to just that.
chemphlegm
Well-Known Member
I guess if less available photosynthesis energy to the plant immediately after a healthy leaf is removed is the target goal then it makes sense to do so.
If I removed every leaf that shaded a bud on my girls I'd have no leafs at all.
different tokes for different folks. do what works best in your garden for best results
If I removed every leaf that shaded a bud on my girls I'd have no leafs at all.
different tokes for different folks. do what works best in your garden for best results
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
I just trimmed the living shit out of several plants getting them ready to flower in a week or so.
Why would I remove fan leaves???
Why would I remove fan leaves???