Pruning during flower?

So, I have heard varying opinions on whether it is ok/good to trim the foliage on bushy plants. It is difficult to know what is sound advice due to this being my first grow. This is why I figured I would ask this question to people who may have had experience with both pruning and not doing so, in order to better understand the ramifications of my choice.

My growing conditions:
I live on the central coast of california. I grow under a transparent grow tent that can be pulled back so that sun can hit the plants directly (or I can have the plastic tent coverung them, and even have a front plastic sheet that rolls down completely enclosing them.

I have a GDP that is extremely bushy. After reading a lot of various information, and getting many differing opinions, I decided to trim some of the larger leaves that were shading bud sites, but did not trim as much as I thought necessary to clear a path for light to reach the majority of the flowers. I was trying to be conservative with my pruning because of the lack of uniformity of information.

I was wondering if I could trim her some more, had already trimmed to much or if she is good as is?
I also would like to know (as a side question) are VF-11 beneficial to the plants during flowering? i use FF Tiger bloom with a couple other nutrients at the moment, but have sprayed the plants with VF-11 every week between feedings.

Anyway, the pics are of: 1-my grow area, 2-GDP before trimming, 3-GDP (again) before trim, 4-GDP after the trim.

Im no expert but loo ak my grow on bottom link , lol
im in the same position.
I think you shoud take one or 2 every week or so , not all right away , only what is needed , you only should take off 2-3 fanleaf off the top and to thes same for the other branches , leaving the rest.

cutting leaves anytime during your plants growth is counter productive.....when you cut a leaf off the plant automaticly wants to heel it by growing a new leaf in its place...therefore the leaf grows back anyway so your just waisting your plants energy to grow and using it for repair....i would not cut any leaves unless they were already dead or dying...your plant uses those leaves to grow,,if you think they are covering other buds then tie them down or back or whatever you need to do to get your buds to see the light but i would stop cutting leaves....

yea i sometimesi tie the leaves down it i can , it does seem to help

I cut down a shit load of branches as I also never pruned or ferrigated when I got the plants.

Why? Mold and bugs! My bottom branches were producing low grade buds, branches resting in the soil, over hang.

I even took some middle branches out, (Small stuff)

I needed air flow because the mold is coming and bugs are using the lower branches to get in.

I never cut any thing that gets direct sun.
I used string to open up the plant.

The ones that had this done from day one have 5 colas.

Sorry fellas but I disagree......some pruning of large shade leaves during the bud cycle is good as those leaves need/consume the most water and nutrients......yes the plant will split and grow two more branches but there's a good chance your going to get another bud instead of a leave. Tried and tested on my side '-)~~~~

JayTrinity said:

I also never pruned or ferrigated when I got the plants.

Click to expand...

Ferrigated ?????????????

I'm with Jay Trinity on this. I top mine early to get multiple tops going, then when they've filled out and up I leave the main stalks that are near the same height and cut the lower ones off, then trim lower side branches off of those main stalks. After I've gone into flower I do a smaller clean up pruning - getting any new low branch shoots that have shown up on my main stalks. I don't pull fan leaves off - I tuck them down when I need to. BTW, I'm doing GDP too. IMO it does a lot better with this sort of pruning. Otherwise it turns into a big cluster-fuck hedge like plant with tons of tiny shaded buds, and a much better chance of mold problems.

I guess this info is only useful for future grows... since you're already pretty far into flowering I'd guess that it's too late to do much, pruning-wise.