cutting fan leaves. yes or no?

[smallop]

So I'm 3 weeks into flower(latest pics in my signature thread), and I've only heard a little here and there about cutting fan leaves. I've heard that you should cut 2 fan leaves a week, no more, and this might help with yield. Can anyone elaborate or offer opinions? I'm trying to decide if I should start this now.

 

[tomato57]

Please do not cut the fan leaves, they are the solar panels of your plant. The leaves themselves are sources (produce energy) which transfer the energy into the sinks (flowers, roots). By cutting the fan leaves you might actually decrease the yields.

 

[$waGgEr]

Please do not cut the fan leaves, they are the solar panels of your plant. The leaves themselves are sources (produce energy) which transfer the energy into the sinks (flowers, roots). By cutting the fan leaves you might actually decrease the yields.

yeah yeah yeah! love that post. NEVER chop a leaf during flowering.

 

[Jogro]

I doubt this will increase your yield, or potency, and I suspect the opposite is probably true.

For what its worth, noted cannabis author and High Times magazine columnist Jorge Cervantes explicitly says not to remove the large/fan leaves.

The only reason to cut off fan leaves is if they are in a place where they are getting no light. In that case, they're just a drag on the plant.

 

[potpimp]

Removing the fan leaves is another one of those stupid myths like driving a rusty nail through your plant to stress it, or pissing on it. There is no end to the stupid ideas people come up with; this is botany, not fringe pseudo-science.

 

[smokebros]

I try to keep from cutting too many fan leaves, but I agree with potpimp, it is necessary to prune in order to maintain a proper garden. Some plants can get very bushy and they need to be pruned from time to time. I generally try to keep fan leaves intact if they are servicing a lead. Not pruning occasionally will make it easier to get mold. Luckily I've never had this issue. I also like to take off the lower stuff that isn't getting any light. The (popcorn bud) branches.

 

[Dicotyledon]

Fan leaves that aren't getting light are using more energy than they are collecting, a net negative energy pull. I trim 75% of the bottom 1/3 of plants 2-3 times per grow. Instead of a million tiny buds on the bottom I get larger buds on the top. The energy saved by pruning is used to create new growth on the top of the plant (it gets light up there!).

 

[obijohn]

Pruning the lower, smaller branches just before flowering will help give more energry to the tops. But as said above, the fan leaves give the plant power

 

[ForumAccount]

Its good to keep the fan leaves for the majority of the plants' life. I prune once a week, taking off certain fanners. Its a very delicate procedure, as taking off the wrong ones can greatly decrease your yield. However, taking off others can increase your yield because it opens up new pathways for light to enter the inner parts of the plant. A fanner can create lots of energy, but at the same time it can waste a lot of energy if it isn't a neccesary part of the plant anymore. With that being said, the plant needs its' fanners all the way through veg and up to 2nd week in flowering. Its in between the 2nd and 6th week I am carefully removing the old fanners that the plant is no longer using to grow, and by the 7th week I am left with no fanners.

This pruning system allows the plant to:
1) use its energy where it is needed, instead of the energy being wasted.
2) allow light to creep into every depth of the plant.
3) allow the plant to breathe easier since the air is having an easier time circulating throughout the plant.

As I said before, its a delicate procedure so please be careful