everbgreen
Member
I got a wild hair up my ass and took off all the fan leaves on one of my plants. Was this a bad idea? I thought they could get more light if the fan leaves were gone. But it kind of seems like this plant has deflated buds.
Should I remove fan leaves during budding?
- Thread starter everbgreen
- Start date
flowamasta
Well-Known Member
this has been a very ongoing topic....i think it's a good idea to keep 90% atleast, they are the plants life source, take them away, and you lose growth
swishsweet
Well-Known Member
Someone needs to sticky a thread about removing fan leaves! I agree with flowamasta though
everbgreen
Member
Thanks, I would have to agree after seeing these buds so small. I did it to a Roumulan and my other Romulan is nice and chunky. BUT--the chunky one is in good soil and the skinny one is in crap soil.
I have to say that I don't think I will remove so many leaves ever again.
I have to say that I don't think I will remove so many leaves ever again.
if you are looking for more light to the inner canopy, try bending the branches down with weights or tie them to the edges of the pots with fishing line.
missnu
Well-Known Member
In a word....No
but I have had it happen on it's own later in flower, but no biggie...but to purposefully take away the plants largest organs for the creation of energy seems stupid...remove all the lower leaves you want, but leaves on top should stay on top...A leaf feeds the node it is attached to...that is another reason plants are able to grow 2 tops to replace one...because the leaf was feeding that node, that was feeding the space above it til the next node takes over......so on and so forth...so when you remove any growth above a node the leaves attached to that node are still generating the same amount of energy, so the node sprouts 2 new stalks to take the excess...so removing fan leaves would effectively starve the nodes, but in flowering there isn't a whole lot of "growth" going on, but you still need energy to carry sugars and nutes to help the buds get bigger, so leave the leaves and let the drop on their own...if they don't drop on their own you can take them off when you harvest.
but I have had it happen on it's own later in flower, but no biggie...but to purposefully take away the plants largest organs for the creation of energy seems stupid...remove all the lower leaves you want, but leaves on top should stay on top...A leaf feeds the node it is attached to...that is another reason plants are able to grow 2 tops to replace one...because the leaf was feeding that node, that was feeding the space above it til the next node takes over......so on and so forth...so when you remove any growth above a node the leaves attached to that node are still generating the same amount of energy, so the node sprouts 2 new stalks to take the excess...so removing fan leaves would effectively starve the nodes, but in flowering there isn't a whole lot of "growth" going on, but you still need energy to carry sugars and nutes to help the buds get bigger, so leave the leaves and let the drop on their own...if they don't drop on their own you can take them off when you harvest.
everbgreen
Member
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
Pussy cat?My poor poor babies. They look like a shaved...well....you know.
jonnyquest
Well-Known Member
Despite what everyone has said on this thread I believe that light 'defoliation' can be beneficial to the plant. Typicall by the end of flowering I have removed 50% of the leaves and firmly believe that I increase my yield because of it.I haven't always done it but came to find it beneficial when I did, if you are grow in a confined space and have your plants strictly trained then it is necessary to trim a portion of your leaves for the sake of light penetration and coverage. People will argue that trimming a leaf will lose you light but if all the light that was hitting the leaf is now hitting lower buds and nodes then all the light is still being used only now on a wider portion of the plant and is put to better use. I don't care what anybody says on the matter its just simple observation, if a bud is being entirly deprived of light due to a large leaf it will grow bigger and better if you remove the offending leaf and a bigger better bud is a success. Defoliation also helps air movement which decrease the risk of mold (if you ar at the risk of mold) and gives you more room to work with. But removing all the fan leaves us never gonna be smart and never to many leaves at a time
thunderbay
Well-Known Member
took off some of mine last grow, didn't harm
SirLancelot
Active Member
I believe that swelling you see is quite normal, all buds go through a major transformation in the last weeks. And no hacking off healthy leafs from plants doesn't improve anything, how could that be when your leafs are what are used for photosynthesis not buds. Ever hear of farmers trimming any vegetable or fruit plants to give the fruit more light? no because the fruit/veggie is the byproduct of the plant, the leafs are what need the light not your buds. If people just understood how plants in general work they wouldn't come up with these crazy myths about marijuana. its a plant. If it bothers people to have there buds covered by a fan leaf why not tuck it under instead of hacking off healthy parts of your plant that otherwise could be used beneficially.
and lower buds always grow small regardless if a fan leaf is over it or not.
jonnyquest
Well-Known Member
you have failed to grasp the simple part of the observation, go and cover a bud for your grow and don't cover a similar sized one and see which is better.
Grojak
Well-Known Member
In short no, but what was your reason for removing them? If you are worried about light penetrating the lower branches than you did the right thing, however next time do this in veg, not flower. If you did it because they are just big goofy leaves that seem useless than you did wrong by your girl, she needs those for photosynthesis, the more leaf surface the more your plant can soak in, or so I've read, I'm not a botanist.
I typically remove the lower 2/3 branches prior to flower, they won't grow big dense buds so let the girls focus the energy where it counts. On very bushy indices' I tend to cut out fan leaves during veg to open up the middle to more light (I also pull the branches apart, sorta like the LST technique to allow more light to penetrate the middle. Also remove any fan leaves that are 50% dead, they won't do much for your plant at this point.
I typically remove the lower 2/3 branches prior to flower, they won't grow big dense buds so let the girls focus the energy where it counts. On very bushy indices' I tend to cut out fan leaves during veg to open up the middle to more light (I also pull the branches apart, sorta like the LST technique to allow more light to penetrate the middle. Also remove any fan leaves that are 50% dead, they won't do much for your plant at this point.
trichomedome
Active Member
No leafs no feed! as one member said "Solar panels" they need light to turn minarals into useable sugars,enzynes hormones etc. Any experimenting with removing leafs that i,ve done always yeilded less, maybe in the last weeks it does not matter but in the 1st 6,7 weeks anyway there esential to the plant ime ? Tcd
SirLancelot
Active Member
smh... To each his own
monkeybones
Well-Known Member
(ノ °益°)ノ ︵ (\ .o.)\
NO
NO
