I just started flowering a few days ago. Switched my 600W MH to the HPS bulb. I'm concerned over crowding will hurt my overall yield. Should I start pruning the fan leaves? Ive also noticed my soil stays moist longer under the HPS and 12/12. I have 2 unknown strains which I'm praying are female and 7 feminized WW.
Over Crowding?
- Thread starter Ed Brown
- Start date
Look at my plants fan leaves off for the most part and look at the swell i got going.
Pluck them.
Tony Urban
Well-Known Member
I am not a big defoliation expert as mine just fall off on their own lol, but you could probably do a light defoliation of the very bottom 6" to start. Just open up the airflow above the soil and bottom of the plant.
They like it from what I hear.
They like it from what I hear.
In my opinion fan leaves shade indoor plants with hid and reflectors fan leaves removed gives way more light to overall canopy.
- Thread starter
- #6
By pluck do you mean shear the branch off from the stem? Should I only do 50% of them?
Start at bottom and remove till about halve up stem 4 now when buds form remove more.
- Thread starter
- #8
- Thread starter
- #10
Ya mon! Rastafari.
They are tied into my net if you go to my media you can see the scrog photo.
Sorry I missed the beginning of this convo.
OK so OP asked about over crowding.
That's all about footprint and how big the plants grow naturally.
New strains so no insight into how large they will grow in your grow space.
Generally speaking:
bigger pots = bigger roots = bigger plants.
4x4 space I can grow 4 VERY LARGE plants without any problems, and thats 4 plants at the ceiling @ 7' tall. I use LED COB so no heat issues.
On the 2nd question about cutting off fan leaves.
Ask yourself this question:
"Why do I want to cut off the fan leaves?"
IF you have no real scientific reason to do cut them off, I would FIRST do some research into what the fan leaves functions actually are.
Here's a little insight to maybe hopefully get you thinking.
Fan leaves are the primary SOURCE of the plants energy in the early to mid stages of life of the plant and leaf. As the plant matures (begins to grow flowers for reproduction) those fan leaves become a SINK of energy providing the plant with even more energy to build bigger flowers.
The reason they turn yellow and FALL off is because the chlorophyll (green stuff) in those leaves is a source of energy. There is a sort of valve in the petiole (stem) of the fan leaf that will change so that only the chlorophyll will travel in one direction, that is away from the leaf and into the flower.
It's much more efficient for the plant to TRANSLOCATE (move energy from one part of the plant to another) at the point where the flowers are located instead of bringing it up from the root system.
So you net result of taking off the fan leaves is to reduce the plants energy resources.
You asked about yield.
I would think that if we are reducing the plants overall energy resources that the yields will be less.
There probably isn't many studies on this as we seem to only see this sort of thing in the cannabis industry and not many other places in horticulture.
Here's a pic of my flower room, and its just getting going. I will take off alot of the lower branches and leaves well below the canopy to improve air flow (and run fans at the soil line). I do that usually 1 time only and that is right when I flip to flower and up-pot into final containers.
Most of these plants are 20-30 days into flower. Several are at the lights now.
OK so OP asked about over crowding.
That's all about footprint and how big the plants grow naturally.
New strains so no insight into how large they will grow in your grow space.
Generally speaking:
bigger pots = bigger roots = bigger plants.
4x4 space I can grow 4 VERY LARGE plants without any problems, and thats 4 plants at the ceiling @ 7' tall. I use LED COB so no heat issues.
On the 2nd question about cutting off fan leaves.
Ask yourself this question:
"Why do I want to cut off the fan leaves?"
IF you have no real scientific reason to do cut them off, I would FIRST do some research into what the fan leaves functions actually are.
Here's a little insight to maybe hopefully get you thinking.
Fan leaves are the primary SOURCE of the plants energy in the early to mid stages of life of the plant and leaf. As the plant matures (begins to grow flowers for reproduction) those fan leaves become a SINK of energy providing the plant with even more energy to build bigger flowers.
The reason they turn yellow and FALL off is because the chlorophyll (green stuff) in those leaves is a source of energy. There is a sort of valve in the petiole (stem) of the fan leaf that will change so that only the chlorophyll will travel in one direction, that is away from the leaf and into the flower.
It's much more efficient for the plant to TRANSLOCATE (move energy from one part of the plant to another) at the point where the flowers are located instead of bringing it up from the root system.
So you net result of taking off the fan leaves is to reduce the plants energy resources.
You asked about yield.
I would think that if we are reducing the plants overall energy resources that the yields will be less.
There probably isn't many studies on this as we seem to only see this sort of thing in the cannabis industry and not many other places in horticulture.
Here's a pic of my flower room, and its just getting going. I will take off alot of the lower branches and leaves well below the canopy to improve air flow (and run fans at the soil line). I do that usually 1 time only and that is right when I flip to flower and up-pot into final containers.
Most of these plants are 20-30 days into flower. Several are at the lights now.
Tony Urban
Well-Known Member
I just posted about my natural defoliation in my grow journal, but I took Bobs advice long ago and left mine to do their thing. Act as an energy sink, let the nutrients get used, and fall off.
Thats what I have been doing. I barely touch the ones that have been used, and they fall off.
Thats what I have been doing. I barely touch the ones that have been used, and they fall off.
Once we get to say 50 days of flower, this is our task. Keeps the flower room floor clean-ish.
Right now its a daily thing for me. My favorite job. Makes me feel like I'm a part of the growing process, even tho I know for sure I am not.
I take pictures and cull the old falling off fan leaves.
I get outta the way and LITFA - the rest of the process.
Right now its a daily thing for me. My favorite job. Makes me feel like I'm a part of the growing process, even tho I know for sure I am not.
I take pictures and cull the old falling off fan leaves.
I get outta the way and LITFA - the rest of the process.
