Imagine your plants out in the wild. Mother nature does not swoop down from the sky and rip off the fan leaves. These leaves are vital in collection of light and nutrients and can be bent back to allow more light to the lower buds but in my opinion should not be removed or you risk stressing out the plants. As your flower cycle continues and you slow the nutrients, the large fan leaves will yellow and eventually drop off.
Leave them alone and let nature run it's coarse you will have stronger, larger, more productive plants as a result.
I agree with everyone else. Who knows better than your plant about what it needs? If it didn't need them leaves, it wouldn't have grown them. Put the scissors down and step away from the plant!
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Hey Bling ! Do what you feel is right !!!!
I did it and it caused quite the commotion here on the site but my ladies did not die & I don't think my yield has been affected maybe added some time to my flowering cycle but hey I don't live off of this and I don't smoke an ounce a week so I can wait a little !!!
Here are the pics of my plants
1) end of vegging before hair cut
2) after famous hair cut
3) now !!!!
4) now with some tasty frosting LOL...
well you will hear different opinions.i prune when necessary. no problams so far. i belive it helps light penetration. so go with what you think is best.