PDA

View Full Version : Trimming 3-4 weeks into flowering?



3rick
09-20-2011, 01:22 AM
Hey everyone,

I was going to post this in "Plant Problems" but everyone over there has spider-mites, and I didn't want to catch them.

I've got two pre-98s and one lav just over three weeks into flowering. The sepals (to a lesser extent) and the adjacent fan leaves (to a greater extent) are blocking the light to the tops of each branch.

Would it be ok to cut these back a little bit like I would for a newly cut clone? Can I do more, less? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

pushit
09-20-2011, 01:49 AM
Hey everyone,

I was going to post this in "Plant Problems" but everyone over there has spider-mites, and I didn't want to catch them.

I've got two pre-98s and one lav just over three weeks into flowering. The sepals (to a lesser extent) and the adjacent fan leaves (to a greater extent) are blocking the light to the tops of each branch.

Would it be ok to cut these back a little bit like I would for a newly cut clone? Can I do more, less? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

:D Damn mite infestations!

Have you thought about just tucking the fan leaves?

3rick
09-20-2011, 01:52 AM
:D Damn mite infestations!

Have you thought about just tucking the fan leaves?

Tucking. Now there's a word you don't hear everyday. Just fold them under, kinda how it sounds?

And screw those mites. I HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER YOU STUPID MIGHTS!

pushit
09-20-2011, 02:18 AM
Tucking. Now there's a word you don't hear everyday. Just fold them under, kinda how it sounds?

And screw those mites. I HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER YOU STUPID MIGHTS!

Haha yep.

Salvein211
09-20-2011, 03:51 AM
I'm not sure what you mean by how you would doctor up a clone, but I cut a few of the HUGE fan leaves that develop. I usually only do this when its blocking a good amount of light from fruit shoots. I also have a lack of lighting for the current grow I have, so this is also another reason for that. One other thing is, I never cut the top leaves, I always go down 1 or two sets. But thats just me. I haven't noticed any sense of shock or unhappiness expressed by the plants. Just my 2 cents

Medicaldelivery
10-04-2011, 07:16 PM
Tucking. Now there's a word you don't hear everyday. Just fold them under, kinda how it sounds?

And screw those mites. I HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER YOU STUPID MIGHTS! ha ha restraining order, I gotta go get one..

Lit Up
10-06-2011, 10:43 PM
Think of your fan leaves as solar panels. They catch all the light and turn that into energy. The energy created by them goes into the buds. If your 4 weeks into flower, your plants are done stretching anyways. Now they are just going to start fattening up. So don't cut off those fans and don't trim them.

It would be like me cutting off your big toe and telling you to run faster.......not happening.

Tuck, tie if you want. But don't cut off my big toe.

Purple Daddy
10-07-2011, 12:28 AM
I'd leave them alone, don't remove leaves until they start to yellow.

jtsik330
10-07-2011, 07:25 PM
This is one of those things that many growers have mixed feelings about so really whatever you feel comfortable doing. Pruning definitely worked for me however I felt kinda sorta they slowed down growing just a little bit. So I got trellis netting and folded the leaves under the netting and I've liked that more.

Purple Daddy
10-07-2011, 09:25 PM
This is one of those things that many growers have mixed feelings about so really whatever you feel comfortable doing.>>>>

I don't know about that, everyone I've read says not to touch sun leaves until they die.

Pruning and trimming sun leaves are two different things.

drudown11
10-09-2011, 05:21 AM
while the fan leaves are the main photosynthesizers for the plant, your growing bud in the end......not leaves. If a budsite doesnt get adequate light, it wont develope and gain weight. If its possible, tuck the fan leaf under so that you expose the budsite, but your not doing any damage. If thats not possible, pull the leaf off and spread some light around. In the end the plant will have less leaves :( but more bud :)

Once you get through a few grows and really get comfortable with cannabis you start to realize that as long as your gentle you can do damn near anything to these plants. Bend them, top them, Super crop them..........it all depends on your preference.



everyone does things there own way so there isnt really a right or wrong answer. I just want you to hear it from someone who has some experience trimming, rather than someone who read the grow bible and is reciting it back to you.

drudown11
10-09-2011, 05:23 AM
This is one of those things that many growers have mixed feelings about so really whatever you feel comfortable doing.>>>>

I don't know about that, everyone I've read says not to touch sun leaves until they die.

Pruning and trimming sun leaves are two different things.

ive done side by side grows with the same strain. The plants that i trimmed outyielded my other plants by about 1 ounce each.(each one varied a little) It tends to open up the middle part of the canopy that is generally shaded by fan leaves,

Purple Daddy
10-09-2011, 06:22 AM
You can bend the hell out of the branches to open up the center to more light. My plants were getting too tall so I had no choice and you'd be amazed at how much bending you can do with branches. I've never been comfortable cutting off fan leaves. I trimmed off all lower vegetation on a few plants before they started budding and they produced very large buds on all remaining branches.

Rusty Trichome
10-09-2011, 11:59 AM
Newbies should leave a healthy plant alone. Period. No "bright" ideas, no experiments, no snake oils or miracle products. Learn to take a plant to harvest, get to know the process...THEN do what you want. At least this way you'll be more likely to spot the issues you've caused before they get out of hand.

If you over-stress your ladies, there's usually no turning back.

Purple Daddy
10-09-2011, 02:34 PM
Newbies should leave a healthy plant alone. Period. No "bright" ideas, no experiments, no snake oils or miracle products. Learn to take a plant to harvest, get to know the process...THEN do what you want. At least this way you'll be more likely to spot the issues you've caused before they get out of hand.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I totally agree, from personal experience it's best to water and feed them properly. I've lost a few plants from trying to juice them while they were flowering and it's a pretty sick feeling.

Rusty Trichome
10-09-2011, 09:43 PM
Nothing worse than realizing you'll have to start from scratch, 'eh?

MEDEDCANNABIS
10-17-2011, 08:49 PM
ive done side by side grows with the same strain. The plants that i trimmed outyielded my other plants by about 1 ounce each.(each one varied a little) It tends to open up the middle part of the canopy that is generally shaded by fan leaves,

yeah but half way through flower isnt the time to be slowing growth down. this person should on the next round plan ahead. some strais can be more vigorous and can take some abuse. my thought is figure something else out.

MEDEDCANNABIS
10-17-2011, 08:52 PM
Nothing worse than realizing you'll have to start from scratch, 'eh?

yeah no doubt, it does make for some valuable schooling though:thumbsup:

canadianhemperor
10-17-2011, 09:18 PM
the only thing i worry about when removing leafs is clean tools ,fingers and nails> you dont want to give a bacteria/disease to your plants. And dont remove just any leaf, just the ones pumping up juice for nothing!
Oh yeah if it's facing down and does not see any light at all usually means it"s a removable leaf! it's like first little starter branchs at the bottom of the plant they suck juice from the plant for nothing! So removing them is good. When the plant is strong and ready!!!

canadianhemperor
10-17-2011, 09:33 PM
but dont over do it. or it will slow your plants for couple days or more.and if you remove them all like I have seen some people do well.......major faux pas!!!

drudown11
12-04-2011, 03:19 AM
In my experience, if done correctly, plants show no signs of slowing growth. They actually grow faster better because your exposing valuable growing tips(colas) to more light, stimulating growth. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to realize that shaded branches stop growing and eventually die off. Trimming or tucking the shading leaves stimulates bottom bud growth.

-If its your first grow....dont touch the leaves.
- If its your 4th grow and your tired of the god damn scraggly piece of shit buds on the bottom, either cut them off or remove some fan leaves and get more sun down there. Not having the sun moving across the sky is a burden us indoor growers have to bear.

bayou bud
12-04-2011, 04:41 AM
I jus started... but imo, I been topping at 3 to 4 sets of good leaves, and getting good yeilds. My next approach is not to top... but to top each branch. Looking for that center cola. I been working with dwarfs, so I like em short bonsai has been my lst and doing good. Jus gotta see what's best for me ...