Should you trim all of the fan leaves all throughout flowering?

Growth · Dec 14, 2023

I've gotten conflicting answers on this.

Once plants enter flowering stage, what should you do with fan leaves?
First I start low stress training them down and outward with twist ties.
Then I trim all of the fan leaves and wait until it gets a bit too bushy for my liking and trim them all again.
When I'm done trimming all you see are the tiny little bud sites, no leaf in sight.

Some people say cut ALL of the fan leaves and leave only bud sites and cut any new fan leaves as they grow.

Some people say cut ALL of the fan leaves when it gets too bushy for light to get through.

Some people say leave any fan leaf that gets light.

Some say don't cut them at all.

I'm so confused. It seems everything in the world of growing has 50 different opinions and I feel like... it should be a science. There are agriculture sciences so why is there not an exact system to this?

HerbalEdu · Dec 14, 2023

i defoliate the less possible:

less leaves => less carbon processed trough photosynthesis => less growth

( NEARLY half the dry substance of plants is carbon )

Growth · Dec 14, 2023

HerbalEdu said:
i defoliate the less possible:

less leaves => less carbon processed trough photosynthesis => less growth

( NEARLY half the dry substance of plants is carbon )

So you wait until you have to basically? When the underside isn't getting light? Do you only do the ones blocking other leaves from light or all the leaves?

Thanks for your response by the way.

HerbalEdu · Dec 14, 2023

i m growing in SOG short veg no topping no lst, i usually defoliate a little near the end flowering stretch, but not much.

LoveGrowingIt · Dec 14, 2023

Growth said:
I've gotten conflicting answers on this.

No surprise there. It seems there are as many opinions as there are growers.

I remove leaves and prune branches to shape the plant, for better airflow, manipulate the plant's growth and to satisfy the cravings of our house cats. I do these things gradually as the plant grows. I might remove a few leaves any day. I clear the center of the plant for air flow. I just recently started putting my plants on turntables, so I can see the plants from every side. It also seems to help to turn them slightly every day.

I should add that how many plants and how much time a person has will affect what one does. I don't grow more than three plants at a time, so I have plenty of time to tend to them daily.

hillbil · Dec 17, 2023

I train plants by bending LST or a bit rougher. Fan leaves tend to grow and shade many bud sites if not removed. I actually “defoliate” by default as I continue to trim shading leaves throughout flower.

Pilted · Dec 17, 2023

I agree less is more, main concern is good air flow not light penetration. I take off most budsites below a point as those will be larpy and take energy the plant should be using for better buds. I also take the leaves off at the bottom (lolipoping) but I do this so I can water easily more then anything else. Your leaves hold nutrients and the plant will take the nutes from the leaves if we drop the ball on watering. This lets her tell us what's wrong. N the top part.of the plant I will cut a few leaves that are blocking to much light to get into the canopy, but on each leaf I weigh the balance on how much energy it will produce compared to how much light it will allow to enter the canopy and the energy that will produce. Less is more.in my opinion.