Opinions of pruning fan leaves??

[djsmaverick]

Ok all here is another question for ya all. We need opinions from any and all on if and when to prune back fan leaves on the girls. Our plants are anywhere from 8-12" right now and some have some pretty big fan leaves. :watchplant:

 

[phatpharmer]

I wouldn't prune any leaves the plants use them as a food source as well as solar panels to take in light! I let all the leaves fall off naturally!


Phatpharmer

 

[djsmaverick]

Hey thanks man. Just makin sure cause we have heard conflicting stories and we want to make sure the girls are the best that they can be.

 

[Sir_Tokie]

Search "Photosynthesis" and you will have your answer. I personaly never cut any fan leaves off I just let them use their energy and then when the plant is finished with them they will dispose of them their selfs...take care..

 

[4u2sm0ke]

going to get diffrent opinions here my friend...I remove lower stuff dureing veg..no need for all that lower small crap..and bigger cola..hope this helps..take care and be safe

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Imagine you're on the Starship Enterprise, gliding through some galaxy far, far, away... Scotty is calling out to you, Capt. Kirk that he needs more power and you can't give him any because you pulled out all the dilithium crystals! I don't know about you but being up the Helix Nebula without a paddle isn't my idea of fun.

I try to keep all my leaves but remove all branching on the bottom 1/3 of my plant as I hate that scruffy stuff and don't do bubble hash. When I prune the small lower branches I'm very careful to save all the fan leaves though. The leaves are your powerhouse. You can do some leaf tucking but most people will not prune them and just leaf them alone (Ouch!).

As you notice any fan leaves looking very funky and they come off with the slightest touch then go ahead and remove them but many will more than likely come off later in flowering anyhow.

Happy Growing!

 

[fishcabo]

Having taken many botany courses at a prominant state university, I think anyone who thinks taking off fan leaves is good is WRONG period (well for the most part). Now if one wants to take off the small, non-producing shoots from down under, it is most likely not a problem. Anything on a plant that is green however, is producing something for the overall success of the plant. I have experimented with the same variety (removing some, leaving all) and there is no question about the fan leaves. They must stay for maximum growth. There are situations where removing them is required. Sometimes with a scrog, the underside of the screen gets very congested and proper aeration is difficult at best. The lower leaves and shoots probably need to be removed otherwise mr. mold may visit your crop. Normally, a plant will drop a leaf when it is ready too. I have seen too often on this site where plants get top heavy during flower. I know there are many factors that contribute to this including light too far away, not enough fan during growth, too much competition, etc. Another reason is the removal of lower fan leaves. Plants and trees depend on those lower leaves and branches to provide energy that is converted into proper trunk taper. That is the stalk being much thicker at the base that higher in the plant. This is extremely important for trees but it also applies to hoochie.