Trimming Fan Leaves

[Bachelorpads]

I am a die hard SCROG grower and I also believe in the removal of large fan leaves. The most efficient growth on a plant comes from the smaller, new leaves. I consistently remove all large fan leaves that shade any actual buds. And when i say I remove them, I cut them off with abandon. I am always after 10+ ounces per plant and have found that the only way to do this every time is to remove the Larger fan leaves and allow light penetration directly to the buds. I am solely after efficency and understand why one would leave the large fan leaves otherwise. I have found them to be more of a problem then a solution in scrogging. I know this is in direct contrast to the standard rules of growing outside but, inside, in a SCROG, it works, and it works much better then leaving them on the plant. Just speaking from what i have seen and experienced though. It is possible that i am doing something wrong elsewhere that causes this phenomenon.

Bachelorpads Reviewed by Bachelorpads on 06-21-2006. Trimming Fan Leaves I kno that when u harvest, u gotta trim the fan leaves n all that.. what if you were to trim the fan leaves during flower?? wouldnt the stran focus the energy into the shoots?? Rating: 5

[latewood]

I was under the impression that scrog (I know you tie a screen to the top of your bucket, right?)B'pads...my impression was that you had plant under screen, then placed buds up through screen, to get light, thus allowing you to leave fans leaves under the screen to perform their function.

and, I agree...I am not preaching for anyone to change anything that works for them. I just try to teach solid proven/published grow methods.

P.s. B'pads methods of fan leave removal is similar to the way commercial tomato growers strip the vine of Big Sucker leaves. peace

[m.g.]

yes, i will concede for scrog and sog, removal of some fan leaves is necessary. i was only speaking from a standard grow point of view.

[Bachelorpads]

I should say i also agree with m.g.

Standard growing should not have fan leaves removed.

Latewood: My goal when I SCROG is to have almost no foilage under the screen at all when budding. If done correctly and the canopy is tall enough, almost no light will penetrate through the screen and all of those fan leaves will die anyway. That is a perfect world and a lb per plant, i usually did not attain this lofty goal and only averaged about 3/4lbs per plant this way.

[Dutch Pimp]

I should say i also agree with m.g.

Standard growing should not have fan leaves removed.

Latewood: My goal when I SCROG is to have almost no foilage under the screen at all when budding. If done correctly and the canopy is tall enough, almost no light will penetrate through the screen and all of those fan leaves will die anyway. That is a perfect world and a lb per plant, i usually did not attain this lofty goal and only averaged about 3/4lbs per plant this way.

A standard is born. ....This may be a first!

[stinkyattic]

Standard growing should not have fan leaves removed. .

I absolutely agree.

Latewood: My goal when I SCROG is to have almost no foilage under the screen at all when budding. If done correctly and the canopy is tall enough, almost no light will penetrate through the screen and all of those fan leaves will die anyway. .

So the prupose of removing fan leaves in SOG/SCROG is simply to have better air circulation and fewer places for pests to hid beneath the canopy.
Now THAT makes sense.
It has nothing to do with "removing leaves so more light hits the bud sites", or whatever .

[seattle420]

the whole idea of FAN LEAVES IS JUST A MYTH!

they are just leaves.

there is no biological or botanical reason to even call them fan leaves!

leave the leaves! let them be.

[tekneeqs]

So when (growing stage) should one trim and where to trim (bottom or top)? Just any big ol' leaf?

[windex]

So when (growing stage) should one trim and where to trim (bottom or top)? Just any big ol' leaf?

I'm wondering the same thing, too. I read the rest of the thread (2nd page) hoping to find more information but it's people arguing :wtf: haha

I want to try both ways (leaving the leaves, trimming the leaves) but what is the proper way going about doing this? I just want to see what kind of results I will get and compare the two.

[stinkyattic]

There's a reason that people are arguing. Some of them were posting absolute bull-caca. Don't trim fan leaves!!!!!There is no 'correct' way to trim fan leaves. It's not a correct technique.
The ONLY time you want to remove fan leaves is in a hydro system where you need access to the drip apparatus and/or air flow around the low stem. In that case, you remove anything up the first 3-4 inches of the stalk, that isn't getting light anyway, to prevent fungus.