Is it risky to remove fan leaves 5 weeks into flower?

MonkeyPickAss said:

This...

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I Agree with the Solar panel aspect.
I Never touch the fan leaves cause they are usually the biggest and like a solar panel take in the most energy, I do remove the smaller ones under the first 2-3 nodes to increase growth on top and to increase airflow.

As other posts have suggested, bend it away or tie it away

Dynamo626 said:

Tomatoes dont shed there suckers but pruning them has shown to increase yeald. Just sayen lol. Again just passen time playen devils advocate.

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Pruning and defoliating at least in my mind are different processes. A properly pruned tomato will produce fruit that will finish before Fall. A defoliated tomato will probably produce poor yields

Dynamo626 said:

Tomatoes dont shed there suckers but pruning them has shown to increase yeald. Just sayen lol. Again just passen time playen devils advocate.

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those are vegging btw. remove the leaves and it will fail in flower

That was a comment in reference to a comment on plants evolving

chemphlegm said:

of course. if there were tricks for growing marijuana they wouldnt be called tricks they'd just be the way we do it.
op is questioning "removing the fan leaves half way through flower, not in veg. We all know that we can cut a vegging plant right down to the dirt and watch it grow right back up. but not so in flower aye.

be design the plant is programmed to succeed in bringing an optimal amount photosynthesis to the plant so it can be the healthiest it can be producing the best flowers it can in order to support the best seeds that it can. Removing leaves in flower negates this photosynthesis as there is no time to regrow new leaves for a recovery. Less energy is less energy.

almost surprised marijuana outdoors doesnt shed all its fan leaves before flower production...tehe

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My comment was an example of something humans do to help yeald thats all. Im just saying with soo soo many people swearing by this there must be somethin to it. Many not but maby so. I wont have a real openion on it untill i do it my self on a side by side

Dynamo626 said:

My comment was an example of something humans do to help yeald thats all. Im just saying with soo soo many people swearing by this there must be somethin to it. Many not but maby so. I wont have a real openion on it untill i do it my self on a side by side

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exactly. many will tell you to jar up wet buds too, or add nutes to the end of your flowering period, or you need to add more of a nutrient when you have a lock out....my marijuana success came when I ceased following forum advice for thought

peace

I've done a side by side by side. I posted the results on RIU. I'll dig it up.

Dynamo626 said:

My comment was an example of something humans do to help yeald thats all. Im just saying with soo soo many people swearing by this there must be somethin to it. Many not but maby so. I wont have a real openion on it untill i do it my self on a side by side

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The side by side needs to be done with clones. Four of each strain. Two can be defoliated and two not. Run 3-4 strains.

Proper setup and controls.

If u remove a few fans and veg longer you'll be fine. Since I don't see your plant it's difficult to say where to prune and if you should 3ven prune at all. I never do...those week buds at the base can be used for kief or any extraction process...nothing goes to waste. Guys who defoliolate I'm guessing just want more perfect, sellable product. If you're growing for yourself it's not necessary.
Whose to say if it helps...I don't argue about it anymore...I'd rather get high than get stressed about defoliation.

3 clones from the same mother. 3 identical lights, 3 identical pots with the same soil, identical feed schedules and identical training methods. 1 plant no leaves are removed (except for topping if that method is employed), 1 plant with light pruning to cull leaves that recieve no light or blocking major growth shoots, 1 plant aggressively puned/defoliated. I've done this very test.

All 3 clones taken from a northern lights #5 mother. All grown in FFOF, transplanted twice, finished in 7 gallon pots. All were vegged for 55 days under 600 watt MH and flowered under 600 watt HPS. All plants were topped once above the 4th node. All were harvest after 67 days of flowering. Plant #1 (no pruning or defoliation) yielded 186 grams of dried flower. Plant #2 (lightly pruned to cull leaves receiving no light or leaves shading major growth shoots) yielded 194 grams of dried flower. Plant #3 (aggressively pruned) yielded 146 grams of dried flower.

whitebb2727 said:

Yes I've done it.

Its basic botany dude.

Show me a controlled grow with several sets of clones.

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What strain were you using?. Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you.

And I gave you a link, his page showed several different growers doing it. I'm too lazy to add another link but you know him as "the capn" and I mean damn his proof should be enough.

I shall wait for you to show me negative results...

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Shall we agree that it won't hurt your plants, but you may or may not see a gain? (Cuz there are far more factors involved)

[QUOTE="NanoGadget, post: 13536666 Plant #1 (no pruning or defoliation) yielded 186 grams of dried flower. Plant #2 (lightly pruned to cull leaves receiving no light or leaves shading major growth shoots) yielded 194 grams of dried flower. Plant #3 (aggressively pruned) yielded 146 grams of dried flower.[/QUOTE]

Sooo in short. Don't wreck your plants lol.

Blakhash said:

What strain were you using?. Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you.

And I gave you a link, his page showed several different growers doing it. I'm too lazy to add another link but you know him as "the capn" and I mean damn his proof should be enough.

I shall wait for you to show me negative results...

-OR-

Shall we agree that it won't hurt your plants, but you may or may not see a gain? (Cuz there are far more factors involved)

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No his proof is not enough. It was just pics of defoilated plants.

I've done it to many different strains.

At times its needed. Sparingly though. In veg not flower.

Sometimes I cut off lower limbs that will be larf anyways.

I would not advise cutting fan leaves off. They feed the plant. Sugar leaves are only about 5 percent effeincnt at using light as fan leaves. They hold water and nutrients.

If the training technique causes a thick canopy that restricts air flow I will clean the plant up a bit.

To tell a new grower to randomly cut leaves off without ryme or reason is silly and will cause more harm than good.

Blakhash said:

[QUOTE="NanoGadget, post: 13536666 Plant #1 (no pruning or defoliation) yielded 186 grams of dried flower. Plant #2 (lightly pruned to cull leaves receiving no light or leaves shading major growth shoots) yielded 194 grams of dried flower. Plant #3 (aggressively pruned) yielded 146 grams of dried flower.

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Sooo in short. Don't wreck your plants lol.[/QUOTE]
Pretty much. Here is one of the biggest problems.... defoliation is totally the wrong term for what most people who prune their plants do. Also, many people recommend a style of pruning that takes vastly more vegetation than is ever needed. Light, purposeful, and cautious pruning can work in certain situations, but true defoliation is NEVER a good idea. Ever.

So the only thing that can be agreed apon is that it isnt for new growers lol

I take them off strategically with no I'll effect. Actually less trimming and better top shelf buds. Will post pics. Happy Growing.

Forgot. Day 14 since flip. Week 1 of
flower.

Forgot more. 8 week veg. Dirt. GH 3 part if any.

The real facts, nothing more nothing less. Take from this your own opinion.

*leaves are responsible for all the uptake of nutrients and water.

*leaves are responsible for "photoexitation", and carbon fixation.

*leaves are responsible for waste management, and CO2 intake.

*leaves are responsible for all the production of "photosynthate" (sugars).

*leaves are responsible for turning light energy into chemical energy, and where all the "energy" of the cannabis plant comes from.

*all leaves work as a collective in these processes, and combine all the energy collected, to better the plant as a whole.

*Removing leaves effects how much the plant can perform these functions.

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The reality of this is self-evident, and uncontestable.

Blakhash said:

Calm down there space cadet, both of you showed zero proof of your words, have either of you done it? There are literally dozens of pages of people lol popping and defoililating and gaining success, there are NO pages showing the opposite.

I have done it, I know people that have done it, but none of them have failed. Please show me proof I love to learn not spout useless information.

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People that grow seriously don't spend time chopping individual leaves. Thats in your closet, at home, hobby type shit. People running professional grow ops don't waste their time with that bullshit.

ALong14U said:

I take them off strategically with no I'll effect. Actually less trimming and better top shelf buds. Will post pics. Happy Growing.

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Thank you for your proof of concept. Not just talking, but showing this form needs more of you, happy growing.

whitebb2727 said:

To tell a new grower to randomly cut leaves off without ryme or reason is silly and will cause more harm than good.

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This we can agree on. I would assume OP would do his due diligence and research how before he went hacking away at his plant.