K J
Active Member
Yes throw a little hissy fit that'll show em and totally not make you look like a whiny cry baby at all.
Should I trim fan leaves?
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ThorGanjason
Well-Known Member
I started out with my first grow defoliating-- it makes sense, right? Get the buds more light.
But the more I've researched, I've gone back to keeping them on. Aim, your explanation was perfect I translocation is the key. But there are two points I wanted to bring up that I dont think have been mentioned (again, haven't read it all).
1). For those of you defoliating, do you remove a fan leaf that is on the top of the canopy, to reveal bud sites that are a foot lower than that leaf? (If you train for multiple tops like I do, then the tops form around the outside, like a ring, around shorter growth in the middle). What type of light are you running? A 600 watt? A 400? Even in a 1000 watt light, the lumens depreciate rapidly the further the distance from the light. If you remove a large fan leaf that is at the top of the plant, to let the leaves/buds at the bottom to get light, they are not going to receive any where near the same amount of lumens, or be able to produce near the amount of sugars that the fan leaf could produce for the plant. Trust in translocation.
And 2). Has anyone ever heard of RAW? Ya know, products that add carbs during flower? This is all to attribute to a better TASTE. Where are the carbs/sugars/starches created and stored in a plant? In the leaves, especially the fan leaves.
If you are a fan of great tasting smoke (I'm only headed into my 3rd grow, but ive tried both ways and noticed a significant difference, especially when it comes to keeping that great smell through drying and curing) then leaving the fan leaves on will make a big difference.
Its crazy, I had two plants from my first run that were bag seed (from the same bag). Very similar phenos, 1was defoliated and 1 was left alone. The difference in the smell and taste after drying and curing was unreal. It made me a believer in the plants ability to do it's thing without me taking too many of its parts off.
But the more I've researched, I've gone back to keeping them on. Aim, your explanation was perfect I translocation is the key. But there are two points I wanted to bring up that I dont think have been mentioned (again, haven't read it all).
1). For those of you defoliating, do you remove a fan leaf that is on the top of the canopy, to reveal bud sites that are a foot lower than that leaf? (If you train for multiple tops like I do, then the tops form around the outside, like a ring, around shorter growth in the middle). What type of light are you running? A 600 watt? A 400? Even in a 1000 watt light, the lumens depreciate rapidly the further the distance from the light. If you remove a large fan leaf that is at the top of the plant, to let the leaves/buds at the bottom to get light, they are not going to receive any where near the same amount of lumens, or be able to produce near the amount of sugars that the fan leaf could produce for the plant. Trust in translocation.
And 2). Has anyone ever heard of RAW? Ya know, products that add carbs during flower? This is all to attribute to a better TASTE. Where are the carbs/sugars/starches created and stored in a plant? In the leaves, especially the fan leaves.
If you are a fan of great tasting smoke (I'm only headed into my 3rd grow, but ive tried both ways and noticed a significant difference, especially when it comes to keeping that great smell through drying and curing) then leaving the fan leaves on will make a big difference.
Its crazy, I had two plants from my first run that were bag seed (from the same bag). Very similar phenos, 1was defoliated and 1 was left alone. The difference in the smell and taste after drying and curing was unreal. It made me a believer in the plants ability to do it's thing without me taking too many of its parts off.
AimAim
Well-Known Member
As large as you let them get I guess. "Mainlining" is a technique that looks really cool but I always thought it looked a little "over the top" as far as stressing the plant and setting back growth in the long run. I think you can get the same results with some simple topping and LST tying down.
From "what you have seen" i.e. that they do not get that large , is probably a good observation. The plant is just desperately tossing out leaves trying to keep enough photosynthetic leaf area going to survive. Not sure what you are still trying to "figure out".
Leave the plant alone and let it figure out what leaves are useful, and what leaves are no longer needed. As a species it has gone through a few million growth / evolution cycles and does not need your help deciding what leaves to keep.
If it's green, it is photosynthesizing, and adding to the growth and assimilation of plant tissue. When it can no longer add benefit to the greater good of the plant, it will be discarded. This is nothing unique to our beloved cannabis. Every plant in the world works under the same principles.
The idea of cutting off big healthy leaves so "the lower bud sites get light" is just nonsense. Keep the leaves in place and let them do their job. They will translocate all the products of their good efforts to the rest of the plant, as needed, when needed, and as the plant sees most beneficial.
reggaerican
Well-Known Member
Lots of good answers in the first 10 posts. And really all the info you need to know.
Basicaly just use some common sence. Spread out the plant if you can, a leaf of two here and there won't hurt and air flow is Good!
Happy growing
Basicaly just use some common sence. Spread out the plant if you can, a leaf of two here and there won't hurt and air flow is Good!
Happy growing
CouchlockOR
Active Member
With less light available indoors compared to the sun one can assume that it would take more leaves inside than out.I understand what you mean but you have to consider the variables - depending on your grow environment you may need to groom your plants to optimize light penetration, ventilation, crowing, etc.. If plants were at their absolute best on there own, the best way to grow would be to toss some seeds on the ground and wait 5-6 months. But if you do that (especially indoors) you end up with a bunch of weeds, few at the top flourishing while others are rotting and being consumed by pests and fungus.
Growing indoors is about environment control. If that means chopping down some leaves - so be it. But to each his own. Personally I could give a shit about how other people grow.
GKID69
Active Member
u dont think ppl made fun of be buck up u PANSY and grow up. im only trying to help ur sad ass.
My friends 8 year old sister knows what photosynthesis is.. come on u learned that shit in grammar school.