read all of this thread re pruning Before & After pics .... Ouch - there is an on and off debate between me and fdd regarding pruning. i took the pro side, he took the negative. he has decades more experience than i do so you should take his comments to heart,

that said -.

1. never prune to expose bud sites; the buds don't absord much of the light directly, the leaves do. cut leaves = smaller buds. really.

2. never prune during flowering. you will get smaller buds.

3. never prune a leaf just because its starting to yellow. it is providing energy as long as there is any green left. personally, i prune dying leaves by pulling gently with my hand. if the leaf comes off, it comes off.

4. don't understand your comment regarding lights and fan leaves.

5. pruning does work for manipulating the shape of the plant to fit your grow area and lighting setup

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don;t trust me when i'm baked, i make shit up. bud stud in training - at http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...ts-always.html and http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...melicious.html

What I was trying to say, is my heat source was low, from 75-85 max on scorching days and we are beyond that. So the way i looked at it was the plant doesn't need as many leaves to keep it self cool and it can focus just on buds. Not pruning during flower I can understand as to not take energy to heal during that crucial time.



EDIT:
I been pruning since the start almost, and did a few days ago when taking those pics, but only 2 or 3 leaves. You say the cfl is going better then other people maybe that has to do with less leaves?

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The bag is almost empty, and it needs to be filled.
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...irst-grow.html

if my high school biology is right then i get that leaves cool off the plant by respiration of moisture - but their most important purpose is to convert light energy to plant sugars. remove a leaf, remove an energy generator for the whole plant.

i know there is a lot of info on pruning weed. but little of it has been independently checked because of obvious legal hurdles. i can easily believe you have read many reasons and strategies for pruning. ask fdd, most of them are for shit.

this is kinda a funny thread because i really believe in pruning but done wrong it just hurts your plant.

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don;t trust me when i'm baked, i make shit up. bud stud in training - at http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...ts-always.html and http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...melicious.html

im sure it could hurt your plant if done wrong and i agree, i never went to over board at one time. Also i agree with leaves in the vegging stage, they are best for that because they help the plant grow and give it what it needs.

When flowering tho, your buds tend to grow and go into action at night, when the leaves aren't even doing much work besides providing some sugars. Hence the amazing aroma that kicks out the closet when the lights are off. Some people even leave there plants in darkness for 2 days before harvest, or reduce the light more and more right before because it is said to really maximize bud growth, but that also opens up so many questions.
In a controlled inviorment or just indoors a plant wont reach its full potential. We keep it dwarfed, so why should we keep all the leaves if we aren't even going to let it maximize. I agree leaves are needed, but not as many as people may think, that just being my opinion.


food for thought:
What if the leaves need light and the buds don't? Should create a tool that covers the entire plant minus the leaves sticking out and see what happens. Maybe get the best of both day and night in a 24 hour cycle. (me being stoned)

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The bag is almost empty, and it needs to be filled.
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...irst-grow.html

bumpin for more feedback on pics, thanks

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The bag is almost empty, and it needs to be filled.
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...irst-grow.html

Interesting thought on the plant cover...but it seems like that'd increase humidity around your bud, which, to my unexperienced mind, seems bad.

But know this: where there's a will, there's a way. If you figure it out, you'll be the cat that takes RIU mainstream... 'i remember when he was growing popcorn with cfl's...'

Beyond that, your grow looks pretty cool. I'm a novice, but from what I gather about you, you're a reasearcher, too.

My reasearch says: don't underlight the plants.

I'm making a pleasant place for some plants. I was going to paint it all white, even the floor...but then I read in Jorge Cervantes's Bible, the underside of the leaves do not have the same photosynthesis receptors. On the underside of the leaves are the stomata which do the transpiration for the plant...so don't paint the floor white.

It looks like you managed to not kill that bagseed weed, so I guess it's not the bane of marijuana...but I can't help but think that the plant looks a little skinny.

May I inquire as to your yield and quality?

Also, the calyxs (?) seem like they're way long...they're pretty, but they've grown way beyond the compactness of the bud area...almost like they're streeeeetching for some reason...trying to get pollinated - like a blackroots bar around cutoff time...

I've heard that was a sign of stress, but I forgot from what. Perhaps an OG will catch your post at the top of the mount and hand you the stone tablets containing the ten commandments of chronic.

Peace

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Mistakes happen when you fail to properly ventilate the room when using a bong. SHIT! Mine didn't come with an MSDS or instructions...