Should you trim Shade leafs?

Fan leaves arethe powerhouse of the cannabis plant, a significant generator of plant growth. the fan leaves are also alternatively called sun leaves. never chop them off during flowering only if it is blcking light to bud sites directly under the main kholas. if you have to tie them back down anywhere just leave them on they will make energy for your plant. mind you all branches including fan leaves on the bottom quarter or third of the plant should be cut off before flowering. as these lower branches will produce lower quality bud and waste plant energy which could alternatively be directed to the bigger branch buds on the canopy.

dont cut any off just tie them back they will fall off when there good an ready

i have to say that in the sixties when my dad first started growing all we had was columbian seed wich when grown out was very tall stretchy and had few side branches. one could reach more than fifteen feet tall and not produce more than 12 oz of dried bud. a cousin who was allready growing columbian had found the secret of early finishing and greater yield. he started them indors in january, moved them out in late aprill and as soon as they were established he stripped the lower fan leaf; at each site/internoed the side branch was forced to grow in order to have a stem to produce more leaf. this would be done on a regular basis untill the normally spindilly sativa had about ten stout side branches all competing with the main stem. literally 11 plants in one. HOWEVER..... if you strip leaf to close to the flower period you will stress and reduce yield. the leaf must be allowed to regrow completely before the the onset of flower. the other draw backs include
1. increased veg state requirement
2. more energy devoted to stem/branch development
3. chance of over stipping and causing a range of stress problems

the advatage was reduced stature with ten fold increase in yield. the plants topped out at about 9 feet.
the truth is that in the 80's when we got a hold of indica hybrid seeds and started selecting for short stature and high yield we stopped the practice of stripping.

I know this is old but I chop off fan leafs! and I FIM (well try to, some times It's just topped
WHY:
I grow BC Mango (20S-80I) The Canadian Dutch cross
I top/fim on Just above the 4th or 3rd Node
This plant is 54 days Veg from seed and 2nd Day flower.
THere are 6 branches and 6 main colas
When I chop (Only in Veg) and wait 2 weeks for recover before putting in flower. The plant seems to make up for it with more Bud location..