trimming shade leaves???

[WidowMaker]

I have been reading apparently contradictory statements concerning trimmming the shade leaves on growing plants...I have a very small cabinet (2.5' x 3') and currently 3 plants in the mid flowering stage...they are pretty close in there, and I thought it wise, after consultation w/several online sources, to trim some shade leaves...Then I started reading some contradictions, from Ed Rosenthal el al, suggesting the trimming has a price, oftentimes too steep of a price, ie, disease, stunting or even hermaphroditism...Nothing I can do now, having trimmed 2 dozen or so shade leaves, but in the future, should I clip these huge shade leaves, or leave them be???

WidowMaker Reviewed by WidowMaker on 02-07-2004. trimming shade leaves??? I have been reading apparently contradictory statements concerning trimmming the shade leaves on growing plants...I have a very small cabinet (2.5' x 3') and currently 3 plants in the mid flowering stage...they are pretty close in there, and I thought it wise, after consultation w/several online sources, to trim some shade leaves...Then I started reading some contradictions, from Ed Rosenthal el al, suggesting the trimming has a price, oftentimes too steep of a price, ie, disease, stunting or Rating: 5

[tyrone]

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I have been reading apparently contradictory statements concerning trimmming the shade leaves on growing plants...I have a very small cabinet (2.5' x 3') and currently 3 plants in the mid flowering stage...they are pretty close in there, and I thought it wise, after consultation w/several online sources, to trim some shade leaves...Then I started reading some contradictions, from Ed Rosenthal el al, suggesting the trimming has a price, oftentimes too steep of a price, ie, disease, stunting or even hermaphroditism...Nothing I can do now, having trimmed 2 dozen or so shade leaves, but in the future, should I clip these huge shade leaves, or leave them be???

I usually trim fan leaves cos im in the same boat as you with the space
ive found it doesnt seem to harm the plants or not that i can see.
i also trim alot of the leaves on the stalks it seems to produce alot flowers near where the leaf has been cut from.ED rosthensal did recommend it closet cultivator but it might only apply to certain set ups???????????
you might be right with the hemaphrodite bit cos i did get it a lot from the first couple of generations after i started pruning but there not that frequent now there on the 6th set of clones it seems to be dying out.good luck

[Boojum]

Don't ever trim the shade leaves, they make the plants food so the bud can grow nice n big, and trimming may overstress the plant & turn it hermy.

[bonbon]

a quote from jorge cervantes"contrary to unfounded rumors,hacking away at healthy plants will not make them produce more.cutting tops diffuses hormones and slows overall growth"jorge's Rx,grow america magazine.

[Boojum]

Dunno, I wouldn't prune or trim shade leaves, but topping the plant at the right time causes it to produce 2 colas at the top, not something I'd do if you got a lot of headspace in your grow room, but if you stealth growing in a small cupboard, or doing a scrog, topping is worth it, as I understand it (I'm a pretty novice grower myself, but I recon I've probably read a whole oxford english dictionarys worth of grow tips, it's often hard to tell the good advice from the bad, since a lot of authors seem to just recycle the work of earlier authors without actually testing themselves). Hopefully as time passes, more growers will post here, as the only real way to learn directly from folks who've tried it, experience beats 'book learnin' any day.

Oh, sorry, and I don't mean to contradict you, bonbon, just adding my take on it (I'm in a bit of a bolshy mood, so I've probably forgotten my socail graces)

[bonbon]

greeting's boojum,I concur with you 100%,personal experience along with a little common sense are the definitive method's of learning.I happen to own quite a few book's from both of these renowned author's,(Rosenthal,Cervantes)and they advocate completely different method's,I tilt toward's Rosenthal's observation's,but i've gotten a good deal of info from the both of them,I guess that prove's that there are more than just two way's of doing thing's.

[tyrone]

greetings fellow growers..
ive only being growing a while myself and ive also found that a lot books give
totally different methods..
is their any authors you reccomend for begginers ive only read closet culticator by er and european cultivation by mel thomas
any other tips would be welcome...

[bonbon]

insiders guide by mel franks is a real informative read and it cover's a lot of detail's.bonbon

[Gardenking]

i've read so much my eyes are popping out!!! te only thing i can say about the subject is learn from your own experiances...try ''ALL'' the methods and see which one works best for you...

[Greenthumb Seeds]

Taking off sun leaves is not generally advised. Sun leaves are the energy source for plant growth. The exception is if a sun leaf can be removed to expose a growing shoot to direct light and IF plant nutrition is optimum.