I trimmed some of my fan leaves... did I mess up my plant?

[cally]

Before I read not to trim fan leaves, I removed most of the big ones on my plant. It's in about 3 weeks of flowering.

Did I F it up big time? what do I do now?

Here's a pic of my plant...

 

[Oregon Panda]

The important thing is to understand that when starting out there is no fucking up big time. Dont take what your doing too seriously.

That being said, the plant uses the leaves to transpire/breath. If it cant breath or use chlorophyll to make sugar from the sun, it has to grow more leaves. Where does it grow them? The bud.

If you want more leaf in your bud, then do exactly what you did every time. If you want more bud in your bud, leave the leaves.

 

[cally]

Will it still get enough chlorophyll from the leaves that are on there?

 

[Oregon Panda]

Possibly because its so small. You'll get some bowls. No worries : )

The plant evolved over thousands of years or longer, it knows how it wants to grow.

9 times out of 10 it will do better if you stop fucking with it. Trimming and pruning has its place only when you firmly understand the basics. Everyone is so anxious to cut up the plant, I wait to cut until I am chopping off a bud.

 

[altitudefarmer]

I have never really seen the need to de-fan outdooors, except in a few rare cases with super leafy strains.

 

[altitudefarmer]

If you only take 4-5 leaves a day, that will reduce stress if you MUST pull some fan leaves.

 

[QleanerQuest]

I personally do not remove any of the larger fan leaves, as mentioned above, these are the food factories for the plants and BUDZ! Now in the earier stages of veg during topping and training sometimes it promotes growth. Normally about a week before flowering Ill discontinue pruning unwanted leaves and training so they transition in to flowering stress free.
After that Ill only remove damaged or yellowing leaves.
But, otherwise I leave them all on because taking them off will reduce your total weight harvested becuz the buds' food factories were removed.
Thats my perception on the matter. Hope it helps my freind. Peace.
Quest

 

[QleanerQuest]

And I AGREE! NEVER remove more than around at a time!
Quest

 

[Paperchase]

Dnt remove fan leaves unless there covering a bud site

 

[clockworx]

I was reading this article on grapes and this was interesting.

The role that climate plays in influencing the ripening process can not be overstated, but it is not the only factor. Vineyard management such as pruning and canopy management can also play a significant role as it not only influences the physiological processes of the grapevine but also how the vine responds in sharing its limited resources of energy and nutrients. The leaves of a grapevine produce energy via the process of photosynthesis. A certain amount of foliage is needed to ensure that the grapevine can produce enough energy to support all its physiological functions, but too much leaf cover will shade the grape clusters, limiting the direct exposure of sunlight and warmth needed for some chemical components of the grapes to develop. An excessive amount of foliage and shading may also promote the development of various vine diseasesand ailments such as bunch rot and powdery mildew which can hamper the ripening process. A very vigorous vine with many clusters and vine shoots will have several parties competing for the same resources, with the overall development of an individual clusters thus slowed. Through the process of canopy management, viticulturists try to balance not only the amount of clusters and vine shoots on the vine but also try to achieve an optimal balance of needed foliage for photosynthesis without excessive shading that could hamper the ripening process.[2]

 

[Smallzz]

defoliate that which is not getting light. I.E. If you plant is a sphere, then the center leaves can go away because they'll only contribute to lack of airflow.

make sure to use sterilized tools and chop at a 45* angle, so that moisture doesn't accumulate on your cut.

A leaf absorbs sunlight. If there isn't any direct sunlight for it to absorb throughout any point of the day, then it's a worthless appendage. My .02

 

[clockworx]

If leaves are absorbing light they will remain green and if not they will turn yellow and fall off anyway....all an indoor grower needs to do is take out the bs lower bud sites so the plant won't waste energy growing dud buds and rotate the plants every now and then....that's it.....

 

[clockworx]

When growing outdoors the entire plant is getting light, even f it looks like some leaves are in the shade they are still collecting light energy. The sun is very powerful and outdoor grower should only be removing leaves if they are sick or dead. A better way to get more light into the middle of the plant is pull the branches apart and have something hold them in that position leaving the fan leaves alone....

 

[Smallzz]

Pulling plants apart, IE low stress training outdoors, has been discussed. The topic was defoliation, and if it's ever a good thing. Like assholes, everyone will have an opinion on this one, and my opinion was stated above.

When I see some degree credentials from a university where you got your Ag degree, I'll bend (come on, you know you like the pun), but until then I'm a firm believer in removing leaves that do not contribute to the surface area of a plant and inhibit airflow. Letting them die off naturally is not what I want to do as a farmer, I want to beat nature to the punch so she isn't wasting her time or mine.

Larf, littles, etc etc occurs just as much outdoors as it does indoors. Removing smaller branches and thus leaves in the early stages of plant growth can help prevent that, while also helping with mold.

once again, just my .02. It's the internet and we're all experts.

 

[clockworx]

Your 2cents sounds more like you being a dick....keep the change

 

[clockworx]

And no were not all experts,,,who are you that people would need to show college degrees to ? To bend you? Please....where are your degrees that show us the value of your opinion??? O that's right,,,your just another voice.....fake ass tough guy, miss me with that bullshit

 

[mushface]

Keep us

Before I read not to trim fan leaves, I removed most of the big ones on my plant. It's in about 3 weeks of flowering.

Did I F it up big time? what do I do now?

Here's a pic of my plant...

i don't have any input but i deleafed my ladies last week but its too early to tell right now if i f'd up as well lol. but can you keep us updated. There alot of people over the net that's for deleafing and against it. Theres a thread on another site thats 288 pages long on the subject and it's a very interesting read.
I plan on reading all of it im on page 37 so far but will read more tonite. Good luck with your grow

 

[clockworx]

Your next post better be a pic of your college degree involving botany.....or you just made yourself look like a fool.....

 

[clockworx]

2 post and talking trash to someone who knows their shit is bad form to say the least....mr "tupacn'it up" lamo lamo ....ok sorry gangsta.....

 

[frebo]

Settle down guys. I used to pull fan/shade leaves because I felt I needed to get more light in on the lower buds. BUT NOW, I trim all the inner/lower leaves and branches up about two feet off the soil and out from the stalk the same. Thanks to all for this discussion, I am going to have to eat a little crow with my son who made me stop pullin' those shade leaves. I still pull them when they start to turn yellow.