hskdondada
New Member
are sucker shoots the ones with big fan leaves but no nodes?? when should i clip them if ever?
Sucker shoots
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Never heard the term Sucker shoots. I don't cut anything unless I'm topping or cloning.
RooRman
Well-Known Member
"Sucker growth" usually refers to the branchs lower down on the plant that recieve little light and therefore do not yield well. You can get them more light by adding supplemental lighting, performing LST or SCROG. You can also, I you like, cut them off with no ill effects. 
UntamedFox
New Member
I don't know if i'd go as far as to say "no ill effects", but ur plant should be okay. it's better to add supplemental side lighting
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hskdondada
New Member
im reffering to the large thicker shoots off of the main stem that have only one big leaf on them and no nodes between the leaf and stem..............the look like they take alot of energy to keep alive, wont grow buds, and block light to other heavily noded areas...does any onetrim these to provide light and energy to areas that will bud......or are they a nessisary part of a healthy plant??
RooRman
Well-Known Member
With regards to my definition of sucker growth the plant will be fine if you remove these lower branches. Actually, some growers cut off the smaller lower branches to stimulate "energy transference". This allows the plant to concentrate more of it's resources on the larger buds recieving more light. This means large buds with better weight and less "popcorn" buds that don't amount to much.
That is not sucker growth. Those are the large fan leaves and are the major solar collection panels on the plant. The large surface area of the fan leaves absorbs more light then any other part of the plant. As such, they are very necessary for proper photosynthesis, do not remove them.
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hskdondada
New Member
thanx a million, i will leave them alone but likely trim the lower branches off to facilitate air flow and up the amount of decent sized buds that i can get better light to.........i dont think at this point i can add more light 
tizzforthat
New Member
sucker shoots what the heck never heard of that term. doing this for years first on me.
I personaly HAD to resort to cutting of about a dozen fan leafs as large as my face. But most also don't veg nearly as long as I do. It's a kryptonite girl she's in a 5gal dwc bucket at about 1400ppm running gh3 part. It's 34" tall and even wider around, the fan leafs were so pleantiful and large I had to cut about a dozen large ones to allow sufficent penetration to the actual bud nodes. My plants never show any sort of stress and continue to grow as they would. The wounds close up in about 6hrs completely. I also give them a superthrive/fulvic acid foliar spray right after any pruning, which helps prevent stress.
The way I look at it the veg cycle is completely different than budding. So as long as its done earlier on rater than later in the veg cycle then the plant won't have ant adverse effects latter on in it's budding cycle. Plants that I've given more exposure from cutting a few larger leafs had more even canopy due to equal light penetration over the canopy. These are all my experiences, some strains dont need cutting some absolutely do. My indicas leafs are stupid large, sometimes one leaf could cover over a FOOT of area. Thats a lot of light loss even though the leaf is producing energy it's blocking a larger number of IMO more important smaller node support leafs that surround the budsites..Which later on will become you're colas. My theroy..
The way I look at it the veg cycle is completely different than budding. So as long as its done earlier on rater than later in the veg cycle then the plant won't have ant adverse effects latter on in it's budding cycle. Plants that I've given more exposure from cutting a few larger leafs had more even canopy due to equal light penetration over the canopy. These are all my experiences, some strains dont need cutting some absolutely do. My indicas leafs are stupid large, sometimes one leaf could cover over a FOOT of area. Thats a lot of light loss even though the leaf is producing energy it's blocking a larger number of IMO more important smaller node support leafs that surround the budsites..Which later on will become you're colas. My theroy..
QUEENBUD00
New Member
I allways thought ...sucker shoots was male plants !!! No really if your getting big fan leaves it's cool bro..It's basically how your plant recieves all its light..hince it's high mon....just be patient and your plant will reward you,mon......
I know that this is a very old thread but I am replying in case someone else comes across it. It is clear from the replies that no one knew what hskdondada meant by suckers. But every tomato grower knows them all too well. They are the non-productive shoots that come up in the V of a node. They can go on to have some production, but mostly they are a detriment to the main branches that you are paying attention to. I remove mine on MJ just like I do on tomatoes. Better yield because the energy they consume then goes to the main colas.
