Removing Fan Leaves During Flower? Are you serious?

mufastaa

mufastaa

Active Member
Thanks dd420 I appreciate the debate. I have read stuff similar to that also, that a source will give energy to the nearest sink. I figure the fan leaves must also be a sink for water and nutes though. I tried to test for myself during the grow, leaving a fan leaf on one side and cutting the fan leaf on the other side, especially toward the edges of my scrog where they dont really block light. These pics are from a week later... some are blurry. I can post more later too since more time has gone by and i left a few of the leaves alone.

 
longroot

longroot

Well-Known Member
Ive just returned after a few days and read what I have missed. I really cant believe that we have 7 pages of very thoughtful debate going here with virtually no fighting. I guess times have changed here on rollitup. Great job Michigan growers!!!
 
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plantherb

Member
Just to jump in real quick I've been around gardens for a very long time and i don't post much because its really not my style but here's my 2¢. Through out my years I've always cut lower branches and cleaned up my plants and its worked great. I've learned and always have known not to cut big leaves if they are in the way i would tuck that's it science and passed down years of experience have taught me that. Just recently I have personally seen 2 fellow farmers literally butchering their plants fan leaves and i have told them forever not to. The results.. Bigger yields i couldn't believe it and I never thought i would turn to The dark side but i have and it works. Takes a little getting used to but it does work however it is not necessary on all strains but most i have found it very beneficial. It goes again the so called "science" I under stand that but give it a shot it hasn't once set me back on yield
 
longroot

longroot

Well-Known Member
plantherb said:
Just to jump in real quick I've been around gardens for a very long time and i don't post much because its really not my style but here's my 2¢. Through out my years I've always cut lower branches and cleaned up my plants and its worked great. I've learned and always have known not to cut big leaves if they are in the way i would tuck that's it science and passed down years of experience have taught me that. Just recently I have personally seen 2 fellow farmers literally butchering their plants fan leaves and i have told them forever not to. The results.. Bigger yields i couldn't believe it and I never thought i would turn to The dark side but i have and it works. Takes a little getting used to but it does work however it is not necessary on all strains but most i have found it very beneficial. It goes again the so called "science" I under stand that but give it a shot it hasn't once set me back on yield
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At what point in the plants life cycle do you "butcher" the fan leaves?
 
bendoverbilly

bendoverbilly

Active Member
longroot said:
Okay fellow Michigan growers I got one for ya!

My cousin just moved back from Cali. He's a little bit older than I, and claims he has been growing for about 30 years.

He was interested in using me as his caregiver so I took him out to show him the set-up. I had a few plants that were about 4 days from chop.

This is where the debate starts: He told me I should trim off any leaves that did not have trichs (basically all fan leaves). He had some reasoning that it would allow the buds to get the energy that was now being used by the fan leaves. Look, Im not a botanist or anything, but this sounds like bullshit to me. As far as I know, the fan leaves are the solar panel for the plant, why the fuck would you take them away?

Now what scares me even more is that i talked with another local grower, expecting him to side with me, and he enlightened me that he takes all fan leaves off as soon as he starts flowering! WTF!!!

Anyways, Id like to get some more growers opinions. Am I wrong for thinking them to be completely nuts?
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Sorry it just cracks me up when someone says they are a caregiver.
 
kountdown

kountdown

Well-Known Member
My parents, who were/are old school growers, asked me if I remove the "sucker leaves" when the plant begins to flower, so I guess removing the fan leaves was seen as beneficial to flowering as far back as the 70s . Personally I've never done it nor plan to.
 
blissfest

blissfest

Well-Known Member
Not cutting bottom branches and inside sucker growth hurts your yield, and also makes it suck at harvest. Who wants a bunch of airy popcorn bud?

Best to clean up plant a week before flip, then again after stretch, about 3 weeks in 12/12. But only do this if you want rock hard big buds.
 
dankerous

dankerous

Active Member
I chop all my fan leaves off a week before chopping the plants,it shocks them so will decrease yield by a gram or so but also makes them think they are being attacked /eaten so they produce more thc for that last week rather than putting on weight,I would also like to add that most of the weight lost buds,is made up for in potency,so swings n round abouts,I would rather have 148 grams of sugar coated,mega strong dank than 152 of the same stuff but 10% weaker ;)
 
T

tomcatjones

Active Member
dankerous said:
I chop all my fan leaves off a week before chopping the plants,it shocks them so will decrease yield by a gram or so but also makes them think they are being attacked /eaten so they produce more thc for that last week rather than putting on weight,I would also like to add that most of the weight lost buds,is made up for in potency,so swings n round abouts,I would rather have 148 grams of sugar coated,mega strong dank than 152 of the same stuff but 10% weaker ;)
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i agree wholeheartedly.

just like i would pay WAY more than a flat ten a gram price for something that was superb in quality.

i hate hearing 10 a gram.

choices, variety and quality! -this is why i chose organic beyond the health reasons i'd rather offer something worthwhile and not just "a fat bud"

...I've taken a lot of financial loss for said choices though... teaching myself to grow one way and then quitting to learn another. all whilst moving about...still learning but, i'll have learned right!
 
blissfest

blissfest

Well-Known Member
You want frost? Just throw a couple 1000 watt MH's in the flower room.

Shocking the plant, LOL! that does nothing but maybe cause some nanners;)
 
dankerous

dankerous

Active Member
Lol,not at all,never had a single male flower on any of my strains mate,I dont use fems,and all my buds are quality,and not every one has space or the need for that much light


blissfest said:
You want frost? Just throw a couple 1000 watt MH's in the flower room.

Shocking the plant, LOL! that does nothing but maybe cause some nanners;)
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MrSlick

MrSlick

Member
longroot said:
Originally Posted by bendoverbilly

Sorry it just cracks me up when someone says they are a caregiver.
Originally Posted by longroot

Sorry it just cracks me up when someone has nothing to offer the conversation. Go away troll.
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Whats wrong with a caregiver? I am a caregiver! Do trolls not have caregivers? Maybe they're too busy bending-over-billy goats.

(Experiment in progress) I do remove large fan leaves a few weeks before harvest when the plant has quit growing upward. I try to get more light to the lower leaves. I have tryed it both ways where I leave the leaves on til harvest and have not seen any significant difference either way. I am attempting to beef up smaller buds. ;-)

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RawBudzski

RawBudzski

Well-Known Member
Removing all the fan leaves is fine if you plan on harvesting within a day or two... Do not remove them early in bloom.
 
RawBudzski

RawBudzski

Well-Known Member
bendoverbilly said:
Sorry it just cracks me up when someone says they are a caregiver.
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No offence but this too is my pet-peeve. I hate 80% of care givers methods with a passion. The part where someone who is still learning to grow, is growing for other people. Boggles my mind.

Anywho, yes.. do not cut the leaves please.
 
MrSlick

MrSlick

Member
RawBudzski said:
No offence but this too is my pet-peeve. I hate 80% of care givers methods with a passion. The part where someone who is still learning to grow, is growing for other people. Boggles my mind.

Anywho, yes.. do not cut the leaves please.
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I learned how to grow and did so very well for a year, so I decided to become a provider. I still experiment to try to tweak my grow. Any info learned here on RIU was taken with a grain of salt. Still willing to learn. My four patients are satisfied with my product. I only remove LARGE fan leaves a few weeks before harvest to try to improve smaller buds. Tests so far are inconclusive so I can't comment either way, however I will post my finding if and when I have any to post. So many people on here will post false information on here as FACT even though they don't know what they are talking about.
 
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