leaf question

[missywelden]

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I just started flowering my plants and noticed that some of the leaves are really getting big. I am afraid to remove the leaves because I'm not sure which one to take off and I don't want to stress or kill my babies yet I do want them to get the most light and nutes it can get.I included some pics . Thanks

 

[uptheholler]

Hey Missyweldon, Just a couple of questions. How many weeks of flowering are you into? Are you cutting off the leaf tips because of nute burn or heat stress? If so, I've got to be honest, I think you could be causing more problems than you are curing. Any time you trim the end of a leaf you are giving even more opportunity for disease pathogens to get started. This can be especially true if you mist or spray the leaves. I'd say your leaf canopy looks about right for where they are at. You seem to be getting enough light penetration. You may even want to consider tying the down with a low stress technique, my feeling would be that you could perhaps slightly increase your harvest potential especially on the taller plant. What is your feeding and watering scehdule? I am seeing the beginning of a little cupping on the leaves. Remember any plant will only take the nuutrient that it requires depending upon it's rate of growth. As a plant begins to senesce It's uptake of various nutrients changes gradually requiring less nitrogen. Overall your doing all right just don't over love them!
I posted a pretty detailed account of how a plant changes physiologically speaking on an earlier thread. If i can find it I will come back and post you a link. Best of luck!

 

[uptheholler]

Here you go here's a link to another post that may help you out.
Serious - super budding Jack Herer But why know little yellow tips? 2 much nutrients?

I hope this may give you a better understanding of what you can expect. If you have any questions just holler!

 

[missywelden]

Thank you for your response. I trimmed the leaves because I was told it will let more light in for the lower branches. I am in the second week of flowering and feed every four days. I am new at doing indoors so my knowledge is minimal.I am learning that although the growing community are all pretty cool and helpful that you can't always go by how someone else grows and you will get lots of info that may not necessarily be a "wrong" way but may not be the ideal method that will work for you so I am learning by trial and error. I know that the nitrogen is lowering but when you say the leaves are cupping what causes it and how do I correct the problem? So I guess I should leave well enough alone and not trim the leaves? What about pruning or lollypoping. Should I avoid that as well?

 

[uptheholler]

Hey Missyweldon, I would highly recommend that if you are removing leaves for light penetration to remove the entire leave carefully by snapping off the petiole at the stem. The plant then will scar over and minimize any chance of disease issues. The link to my previous post will let you know the role fan leaves play in photosynthesis and why they turn yellow as the plant ages. I don't see any major light penetration issues that couldn't just as easily be over come by tieing or even with the use of spreaders.

I actually whittle out a few stem spreaders from trees in my yard and use them very commonly in indoor and out door grows. Simply take a small stick at whatever length you want. It is best if it is forked at one end . Place the forked end on the branch about one half or three quarters of the way up the length. As you slowly push down and out on the branch wedge the other end against the mainstem.
If you want you can even attach the stem end with a small piece of tape but it ususally isn't required. Now you are training the branch like you would in training a bonsai tree. You can also do it with short pieces of copper wire attached to the limb and them bent out at what ever angle you would like. After a few weeks you can remove the sticks though and use them else where on the plant becuase the stems wil have hardened up in their new position. This will effectively open the plant up for adequate light penetration. The plant as it matures will tell you when to start snapping fanleaves off as the flwers develope. I hope I have helped you out a little.

 

[KingJohnC]

When I defoliate I remove the lower growth that will not get enough light and only produce popcorn bud and any leaf that shades a bud site. Bassman59 is a member who uses defoliation in his grow journals and has excellent results.

@Bassman59

 

[CronicHempHog]

you could also move and tuck leaves so the light can get lower to where you want it