to trim or not to trim

[simguy665]

ive got a decent sized plant flowering (24 inches), im using 5 cfl 42 watt lights with 4 above and one under the canopy. my question is should i trim off some or a few of the larger leaves that are drooping because they arent getting the light they want, and is it ever a good idea to trim? or should i try to get a couple more lights to add around the plant to brighten it up a bit?

any reply is appreciated and for a log of my grow and some pics i have it on this site

DoS|5iM|sdb

im 5iM, in case you were wondering. :stoned:

simguy665 Reviewed by simguy665 on 05-22-2008. to trim or not to trim ive got a decent sized plant flowering (24 inches), im using 5 cfl 42 watt lights with 4 above and one under the canopy. my question is should i trim off some or a few of the larger leaves that are drooping because they arent getting the light they want, and is it ever a good idea to trim? or should i try to get a couple more lights to add around the plant to brighten it up a bit? any reply is appreciated and for a log of my grow and some pics i have it on this site DoS|5iM|sdb im 5iM, Rating: 5

[grey1223]

You never want to trim off fan leaves. Even if they are getting insufficient light they are still the plants' solar collectors. I trim a fair amount removing flowering leads but I leave the fan leaves alone. Unless they are laying on your soil.

[simguy665]

so you cut off a few of the smaller or badly placed flowering leads, `making the rest of the plant pt more energy into the other buds... right? that sounds like a deal.

thanks for the quick reply!

[daihashi]

You never want to trim off fan leaves. Even if they are getting insufficient light they are still the plants' solar collectors. I trim a fair amount removing flowering leads but I leave the fan leaves alone. Unless they are laying on your soil.

With CFLS I feel it *IS* necessary to trim off a few of the larger fan leaves; however not many.. just 1-2 strategically.

CFLs just don't have enough penetrating power to reach down to the lower canopy. With plants getting to be 3-4 ft tall.. it becomes difficult to produce much bud anywhere except for the top of the plant.

LST does help with this some however even LST'd plants can grow an additional 2 ft or more in height.. still creating problems for CFL to penetrate the canopy.

So to answer the original poster question.. Should you cut them off?

My opinion.. and I state opinion because this is my preference:

1. Leave as many leaves as possible.
2. Lollipop the plant. Meaning just cut off all the lower growth that is not going to get any light anyway. Your plant is wasting energy on these off shoots that won't produce any quality bud.
3. Cut off fan leaves strategically and very.. VERY conservatively. This will allow you to get some more light below the top of the canopy, but still allow you to retain most of the fan leaves for food sources.

It's a balance I feel everyone must find.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

[grey1223]

I still have a problem with removing any fan leaves that aren't laying on medium. Perhaps because I haven't flowered with flouros before, but those fan leaves are distributing the collected sunlight to the rest of the plant. I don't believe the buds you expose when you remove a fan leaf above them are as efficient in collecting light as the fan leaves themselves. BUT; iT'S ONLY MY HUMBLE OPINION.

[simguy665]

thank you both for your opinions.

i suppose ill try getting rid of some of the shaded bud sites and a couple fan leaves toward the bottom in which the light isnt shining. i still havent done it cuz its my first indoor grow and im reluctant to trim at all... but when "daytime" comes today ill spend some quality time inspecting her and ill let you know what/how i decided to do what i did.

[simguy665]

so, i trimmed 2 shoots off and a couple leaves that were puny and worthless. besides the plant growing, it seems to be doing better. i am considering cutting off 2 more shoots that dont receive much light, i just hate to kill off growing buds is all. the link on my first post will be updated in a day or so :thumbsup:

[daihashi]

so, i trimmed 2 shoots off and a couple leaves that were puny and worthless. besides the plant growing, it seems to be doing better. i am considering cutting off 2 more shoots that dont receive much light, i just hate to kill off growing buds is all. the link on my first post will be updated in a day or so :thumbsup:

be careful not to get carried away. I believe trimming is ok as long as it's done in moderation or over a long period of time.