Pruning in Flower Cycle

Hello Folks,

I have seen and heard two diffrent views on pruning in the flowering cycle:

1) If your not doing it your wrong. The leaves just take away nutrients from the flower production.

2) If you doing it your wrong. The fan leaves are solar pannels for the plant.

I am asking this question What do you do and why? Have you tryed both ways with same strain?

Thanks for your feedback.

Pruning isn't very beneficial from my personal experiences. People fail to realize sometimes that fan leaves bring in food for the plant. The plant works as a whole to keep itself healthy and alive, why cut it up and fuck that process up. If a large fan leaf is blocking a nice budsite, then removal of 1 or 2 leaves will be a minor factor. But don't take scissors to your plant and start changing shit because you can't wait for harvest 3 months down the road.

Taken from here~~~> http://www.1stmarijuanagrowerspage.com/do-marijuana-fan-leaves-get-trimmed.html




Do Marijuana Fan Leaves Get Trimmed

When it comes to growing marijuana seeds there is no one method for all strains.
Different marijuana strains have their own growth characteristics. Some marijuana seeds produce short squat plants, while other weed seeds create lanky plants.
Plus every experienced marijuana grower has their own little techniques to produce heavy yields. Outside of the basics, every grower will do something different to their marijuana seeds.
One of the biggest arguments about marijuana seeds is whether growers should trim the fan leaves during the final weeks of flowering. Or leave them.
Some marijuana strains respond favorable to having their fan leaves trimmed. While other marijuana plants don't.
Some marijuana growers swear trimming fan leaves helps produce better buds and heavier yields.
While just as many cannabis growers swear fan leaves should not be removed as it throws the plant into shock.
There are a number of theories why marijuana seed fan leaves should or should not be removed.
Increase Bud Development
Marijuana seed fan leaves shade lower cannabis buds. These marijuana buds do not develop their full potential do to this shading. By removing fan leaves more light hits the lower branches.
Remove fans to conserve energy for upper marijuana bud development.
Trimming marijuana fan leaves and lower shaded branches focuses the plant’s development on the cola.
A marijuana plant wastes precious energy several ways.
Tall marijuana plants use energy to build extra stem and to move water up higher.
An untrimmed bushy cannabis plant wastes energy by expending energy on lower small bud producing branches. Careful trimming to remove unnecessary branches (which wont produce nice buds) leaves more energy for a larger yield.
Reduce stretching marijuana plants by removing fan leaves in the early flowering stage.
Speed Up The Flushing Process by removing fan leaves in the last 14 days before harvest.
Removing fan leaves creates better airflow which reduces the chance of mold.
When and how to trim marijuana fan leaves.
A marijuana strain with very few leaves and long internodes will need a lot less trimming - if a trimming technique is even adopted.
A marijuana strain with a surplus of leaves and short internodes would require more thinning to get the same amount of light to the lower buds.
Remove non productive dead leaf material first.
Marijuana leaves that have reached their final size and are aging will stop producing chlorophyll and start changing to a lighter color, often yellowing and showing purple.
These are the ones to take out first.
The older leaves, even though larger, are no longer very productive once they are not dark green anymore. By the time they start looking pale or discolored, they are not contributing anything to the marijuana plant at all.
Always try to retain the upper 2 to 3 sets of fan leaves indoors.
Trim marijuana fan leaves up to the last 14 days to help speed up flushing.
If you decide to trim your marijuana seed fan leaves, one should always do it by clipping the leaf halfway between the stem and the leaf. Not too close to the branch. Allow a small piece of the leaf material to dry up and fall off. This will help protect the plant from risks of infections.
Some marijuana leaves will just fall with a little effort. No scissors required. This is proof the leaf wasn't producing anything beneficial for the marijuana plant.
Trimming must be done from time to time.
The first real pruning should be done at the beginning of 12/12. Trimming or not trimming your marijuana seeds is really a personal preference. One of those grower techniques that some marijuana growers adopt while others don't. Experiment by trimming some of your marijuana strains, but not all.
The more you sow marijuana seeds the more you will learn about what works for you and what doesn't.

I do prune when I grow multi cola plants inorder to give more room and energy for the main stems. I do this at the beginning of the 12/12 cycle when they first start to stretch. When I say prune I do mean it in the truest sense of the word, taking the entire branch and leaving the fan leaf alone. The fan leaves will tend to mature and drop off sooner than usual without the branch to feed. I rarely remove a fan leaf from a plant until it dies back of natural causes, I would go through all the things that 420 god posted, but I prefer the benefits of the leaf as long as possible.
Trying different methods at different times and seeing for yourself what works best for you personally.
Good Luck

I don't prune fan leaves, But I prune in week 3. Just the bottoms up a bit (depending on strain) the foliage that doesn't get light. My friends & fellow grower's do this when growing indoor. It actually helps the plant grow bigger top buds & yeild more. I actually tried it both ways & got better results when i pruned ( Lollipoped them)
But everyone has their own opinions...Just a suggestion try both see what happens. I just don't like having alot larf...I want Big dense buds. Peace & happy growing.

Thank you for the feedback and insights. I am 20 days into flowering on my second grow and it has felt right to take the big fan leaves off to let light reach deeper into the plants. I am a hydro grower and give the plants super thrive two days befor a prune to reduce the stress reaction of the plant. I will resist the prune in the third grow and see what happens.

Peace and Light.

Its fine to prune as needed, some stress is good during flower. Plant will go into defense mode and produce more resin resulting in more trich production.

Go for it, learn the truth the hard way LOL experiments are your friend

Plant on left NO trim/prune Plant on right Fan leaves pruned
.

It all depends on strain and how you grow. If you are growing DWC and you are providing an aggressive full feed and I dont just mean some 2 or 3 part nutrient, im talking full feed(carbs, microbes, acids, boosters, the works) AND you have very healthy plants with massive healthy root systems then its fine to remove the largeest fan leaves only by week 3 flower. By then the large fan leaves are producing less than 50% and your full feed and massive root system will make up the small loss and the plants wont even notice. If your running sterile res or soil its quesionable to remove fan leaves unless they are discolored or yellow. Growing these two ways doesnt deliver as much nutrients as readily to the roots as DWC with microbes and good quality nutes. For those that dont believe it, its your right to believe whatever you wish and I will not debate the issue. Anyone that doesn't believe it is encouraged to do side by side comparison but correctly and no bs shortcuts. Under the stated conditions its fine to remove only the largest fan leaves week 3 flower only. Scotty Reals will tell you the same thing, one of the top growers in the U.S.

chronicals77 said:

It all depends on strain and how you grow. If you are growing DWC and you are providing an aggressive full feed and I dont just mean some 2 or 3 part nutrient, im talking full feed(carbs, microbes, acids, boosters, the works) AND you have very healthy plants with massive healthy root systems then its fine to remove the largeest fan leaves only by week 3 flower. By then the large fan leaves are producing less than 50% and your full feed and massive root system will make up the small loss and the plants wont even notice. If your running sterile res or soil its quesionable to remove fan leaves unless they are discolored or yellow. Growing these two ways doesnt deliver as much nutrients as readily to the roots as DWC with microbes and good quality nutes. For those that dont believe it, its your right to believe whatever you wish and I will not debate the issue. Anyone that doesn't believe it is encouraged to do side by side comparison but correctly and no bs shortcuts. Under the stated conditions its fine to remove only the largest fan leaves week 3 flower only. Scotty Reals will tell you the same thing, one of the top growers in the U.S.

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Hmmm... Pics of your side by side clones? I've yet to see a prunned plant in flower make christmas tree colas. Just airy corn dog sized colas thats it lol

The only pruning if any that should be done in flower is removal of lower sucker stems that are around an eighth of an inch or smaller. I've never heard of anyone who understands plant science pruning off lower foliage on their tomato plants, it's just a myth driven by bro scientists.

RM3 said:

Go for it, learn the truth the hard way LOL experiments are your friend

Plant on left NO trim/prune Plant on right Fan leaves pruned
.
View attachment 3715215

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It would be interesting to see a side by side with the lower 1/3rd to 1/2 of the foliage/branches removed and one plant left in tact.

DesertGrow89 said:

The only pruning if any that should be done in flower is removal of lower sucker stems that are around an eighth of an inch or smaller. I've never heard of anyone who understands plant science pruning off lower foliage on their tomato plants, it's just a myth driven by bro scientists.

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You cannot compare cannabis to tomatoes. They are different species, one fruits and one flowers. It take A LOT more energy to produce large watery fruits than it does to produce flowers. There are even many strains of cannabis that automatically drop all thier sun leaves 3-4 weeks into flower. Guess what happens, the buds still grow and pack on most of thier mass, weight, and density in the last 2-3 weeks of flower. This is proof that the large sun leaves are not needed anymore. Once this far along the bud/sugar leaves collect light and produce energy for the flowers. Bud you also need a very strong healthy plant/s with a large healthy root system and a full nutrient program since most are being grown in artificial conditions. This is where the advanced products come into play that many people think are a waste of money. Huge misconception. Also cannibis is one plant that actually grows healthier and produces better in artifical conditions. Its almost like cannabis was meant for growing indoors but its actually because the equipment used is designed to give plants exactly what they need without all the harshness of outdoor environments. This is also why there are many strains that produce larger yields and more potency indoors than out. There are strains that produce 150-300g outdoors but 550-600g indoors! Anyway, once cannabis is 3-4 weeks into flower the large sun leaves arent need IF plants are healthy, conditions are met, and feeding programs provide all the elements plants use in nature. Another thing to concider is, if you are getting sufficent light penetration all the way through your plants and your not getting any discolored leaves down low there is no reason to remove the leaves to begin with. Once leaves go pale green they are producing nothing to the plant and should be removed before yellowing and falling off to keep bugs and disease down. One thn

Cont... One thing I cant stand is seeing people plants with yellow and brown leaves everywhere and they just leave them there. This is lazyness and no understanding of proper cultivation technique. So can you remove the LARGE fan leaves? Yes you can IF theres a reason for doing so, and all other options are considered and understood but to just go through all your plants just because its week 3-4 flower because you seen someone else doing it that says it increases yield and potency on every strain no matter what is an imbecile! Remove if its justified but if your getting great penetration its going to make no difference to slim removing those leaves.

Ok this is hitting me hard, if i had a strain that dropped all its fans during week 3 of flower then that bitch goes straight into the trash(i bet you i could keep it green though!), Its healthy plants that produce the goods while being pest resistant, bottom line if the fans are all gone by week 3 of flower then i can guarantee that plant is already highly susceptible to pest,diseases,overwatering and nute burn.

Cannabis thrives better in the environment its genetics originated from! Not indoors, to be honest indoor plants just dont have the same immunity indoor as they do outdoors, its actually hard to kill an established plant in the ground that has been growing in the same city for decades, its already thriving by then.

Sorry but all that sounds like complete bullshit

Not true. Plants outside in the ground are much more susceptible to insects and disease because environmental factors cause a lot of stress. Indoors plants are given exactly what they need without all the stresses of people, polution, weather extremes, ect..and they are fed a lot better, better nutrients, faster, and are much more protected. I cant speak for anyone elses but my indoor plants are healthier and much stronger than any outdoor plants especially in the ground. Plants are so stressed outside especially the the summer heat and they practically stop growing in temperatures above 86f. Its a fact. Think about it, go outside and count how many sickly and dead trees and shrubs you see around especially in the wild. Now go into any growers indoor grow that knows what they are doing and count how many sickly and dead plants you see. Exactly! Compare the plants also, plants grown indoors have much darker and healthier leaves than outdoors. Trust me, I been growing plants for 23 years and not just cannabis. Im a professional bonsai artist and tree and shrub professional. I know how plants work, and I know the stresses they can and cannot take. Being a sucessful bonsai artist you must know how plants work. We put plants through a lot of stress wiring, bending, pruning, repotting, candle cutting, defoliating, ect...to do this you must know what you can and cannot do and you must know how the plant will react to this stress. In northern climates we also use tropical plants for bonsai and in the winter those tropicals have to come into artificial conditions and they grow so much stronger, healthier, and greener indoors that a lot of northern tropical vonsai artists keep thier trees indoors all year round because they are so much healthier. The leaves stay dark green and flawless unlike outside in the stresses they get yellowish, spotty, and show stress. I am not talking little bullshit bonsai from Lowes, and am talking trees 50-150 years old worth several to many thousands of dollars. I know plants.

Cannabis is magical, it's unlike any other plant on earth.

Leaves are responsible for photosynthesis that feed the plant. "solar panels" everybody knows this right? Take that minor detail out of the equation for a minute. They also control
temp regulation
gas exchange
hormone production like ethylene that is responsible for fruiting and flowering.
What makes up this production? Dose getting light to "buds" help make up all the production that was lost by cutting off the leaves? Would cutting off the roots of the plant make it more profitable because you'd use less soil/nutes growing it?

KryptoBud said:

Cannabis is magical, it's unlike any other plant on earth.

Leaves are responsible for photosynthesis that feed the plant. "solar panels" everybody knows this right? Take that minor detail out of the equation for a minute. They also control
temp regulation
gas exchange
hormone production like ethylene that is responsible for fruiting and flowering.
What makes up this production? Dose getting light to "buds" help make up all the production that was lost by cutting off the leaves? Would cutting off the roots of the plant make it more profitable because you'd use less soil/nutes growing it?

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Actually yes, thats exactly what happens. Well not use less nutreints but root pruning plants removes older less efficient roots and replaces them with brand new healther roots and finer feeder roots. Tap roots hold a plant upright, thats thier only function. Fine hairy feeder roots are what takes up water and nutrients. This is true with all plants. I repot, rootprune, plants every spring, every year. Cannabis however is a crop and generally grows 6 months or less so theres no bennefit to root pruning. However if you were going to keep that plant growing long term, which can be done, you would have to root prune the plant once a year or it would become rootbound. But the answer to that is actually yes, but I get what you are trying to say. I defoliate trident maples twice a year and it stresses the plant for a couple weeks but does zero harm long term. Cannabis cultivation and bonsai training is very similar.

chronicals77 said:

You cannot compare cannabis to tomatoes. They are different species, one fruits and one flowers. It take A LOT more energy to produce large watery fruits than it does to produce flowers. There are even many strains of cannabis that automatically drop all thier sun leaves 3-4 weeks into flower. Guess what happens, the buds still grow and pack on most of thier mass, weight, and density in the last 2-3 weeks of flower. This is proof that the large sun leaves are not needed anymore. Once this far along the bud/sugar leaves collect light and produce energy for the flowers. Bud you also need a very strong healthy plant/s with a large healthy root system and a full nutrient program since most are being grown in artificial conditions. This is where the advanced products come into play that many people think are a waste of money. Huge misconception. Also cannibis is one plant that actually grows healthier and produces better in artifical conditions. Its almost like cannabis was meant for growing indoors but its actually because the equipment used is designed to give plants exactly what they need without all the harshness of outdoor environments. This is also why there are many strains that produce larger yields and more potency indoors than out. There are strains that produce 150-300g outdoors but 550-600g indoors! Anyway, once cannabis is 3-4 weeks into flower the large sun leaves arent need IF plants are healthy, conditions are met, and feeding programs provide all the elements plants use in nature. Another thing to concider is, if you are getting sufficent light penetration all the way through your plants and your not getting any discolored leaves down low there is no reason to remove the leaves to begin with. Once leaves go pale green they are producing nothing to the plant and should be removed before yellowing and falling off to keep bugs and disease down. One thn

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"There are even many strains of cannabis that automatically drop all thier sun leaves 3-4 weeks into flower."...yeah, more like ones that are full of deficiencies drop their leaves after 3-4 weeks. Sure, a plants leaves naturally fade as the lifecycle ends, but to say they should all be on the ground by week 4? Please name me a strain of cannabis that does this purposefully. Please link me an journal that isn't from "grow4poundsinyerbasement.com" or some other shit that shows anyone in agriculture pruning leaves off their plants. Grape growers selectively prune the suckers, just like some tomato growers, but there is no one who "defoliates" a plant as you describe..

chronicals77 said:

Not true. Plants outside in the ground are much more susceptible to insects and disease because environmental factors cause a lot of stress. Indoors plants are given exactly what they need without all the stresses of people, polution, weather extremes, ect..and they are fed a lot better, better nutrients, faster, and are much more protected. I cant speak for anyone elses but my indoor plants are healthier and much stronger than any outdoor plants especially in the ground. Plants are so stressed outside especially the the summer heat and they practically stop growing in temperatures above 86f. Its a fact. Think about it, go outside and count how many sickly and dead trees and shrubs you see around especially in the wild. Now go into any growers indoor grow that knows what they are doing and count how many sickly and dead plants you see. Exactly! Compare the plants also, plants grown indoors have much darker and healthier leaves than outdoors. Trust me, I been growing plants for 23 years and not just cannabis. Im a professional bonsai artist and tree and shrub professional. I know how plants work, and I know the stresses they can and cannot take. Being a sucessful bonsai artist you must know how plants work. We put plants through a lot of stress wiring, bending, pruning, repotting, candle cutting, defoliating, ect...to do this you must know what you can and cannot do and you must know how the plant will react to this stress. In northern climates we also use tropical plants for bonsai and in the winter those tropicals have to come into artificial conditions and they grow so much stronger, healthier, and greener indoors that a lot of northern tropical vonsai artists keep thier trees indoors all year round because they are so much healthier. The leaves stay dark green and flawless unlike outside in the stresses they get yellowish, spotty, and show stress. I am not talking little bullshit bonsai from Lowes, and am talking trees 50-150 years old worth several to many thousands of dollars. I know plants.

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Listen to yourself, you are seeing "plants" as one. Its all in the genetics and the phenotypic shift it has went though for years to survive and thrive in its environment. Our local on island gods gift strain that has been here since the 70's wont even flower till you hit 11.5 hrs of light and it will make 2 liter sized buds on every cola, it also does not do well below 50% rh or under 70f so thriving conditions highly depend on genetics imo

Do you know why cherries are a bitch to grow in hawaii? Yup you guessed it