Trim all leaves that get damage?

[Justones]

Just curious if you should trim any & all leafs that get damage. Or leave some to help with utilizing the light? I can see leaving some that get eaten by insects if 70% of the leaf is still in tact. What about leaf damage due to defeciencies? Light/nutrient burn?

 

[OldMedUser]

High Justones

I tend to trim away dead bits and leave the healthy stuff there to work for the plant. Just be sure to sterilize your trim scissors before using on other plants if its mildew damage or something else that could infect other plants.

If deficiencies are suspected getting rid of any bad bits lets you know if the problem is solved by any fixes you made if no more damage shows up.

 

[Ganja God 420]

Light defoliation shouldn't really hurt your plants, but remember that any leaves that are green, even damaged ones, can still undergo photosynthesis and help your plants.

 

[Emilya Green]

I am definitely against trimming our plants except when it is done for a specific reason. I regularly trim the lower growth on my plants before going to flower, just so the plants concentrate their energy on the top buds and not the sucker stuff at the bottom that never will develop good buds anyway.

As far as trimming yellowing leaves... absolutely a no no in my tents. First of all, the yellowing leaf is being cannibalized by the plant for some reason. There is a deficiency that the plant is able to solve by moving nutrients out of that storehouse of a lower fan leaf, and to the upper growth that needs it. If you remove that yellowing leaf before all of its goodness is gone, or before the need that initiated the need to cannibalize it is gone, you simply move the problem up the stalk to the next leaf. By trimming off that leaf you not only removed a leaf that could have been saved, but now you have managed to damage yet another leaf.

Another reason for not trimming a leaf that offends your eyes is that by solving the nutrient deficiency, many times you can get the green to come back into leaves that are yellowing. These leaves are your canaries in the gold mine, and your ONLY indication as to whether you have not only solved the deficiency, but now are providing enough extra of the previously lacking nutrient, that the plant is able to go back and start resupplying the storehouses at the bottom.

I look on it as a matter of pride when I get to mid grow without losing any of my lower leaves, or have a few that are half damaged and that I have saved because of my ability to read my plants. No, you should not remove dying leaves, unless later on you think they might pose a rot or mildew problem because of their extra moisture, but if you have enough airflow through your grow area, even this should not be a problem. Brown and dying leaves do not offend your plant... only you.

 

[thebeast27]

If u have a defiency its best to leave the damaged leafs alone and dont pull them off.as if u do the defiency will find new leafs to go attack.leaving the damage leafs on will save u more leafs later.only defol a healthy lady hope this helps

 

[Emilya Green]

a note on trimming damaged leaves with scissors:

when we take clones, we cut the big leaves in half to stop transpiration. We essentially open up the closed water system of the plant and make the leaves unable to create the suction that roots need to draw water up from the soil. By cutting the leaves in half we are forcing the plant to fix this system immediately, and it triggers the plant to grow roots.

when you cut on damaged leaves on a regular plant, you also open up a wound and you open up the closed transpiration system until it is repaired. Until the leak can be sealed, the plant is unable to create enough pressure through transpiration to draw water up from the roots. Again, trimming damaged leaves does nothing beneficial except make your eyes happier when looking at your plant. If you could have heard it while you were doing this terrible deed, the plant was yelling at you... begging you to stop, and desperately trying to seal up the damage you caused as quickly as it could, so it could get back to business.

 

[JuanCarlos]

I have read to pull damaged leaves if 50% or more is damaged.

 

[Emilya Green]

I have read to pull damaged leaves if 50% or more is damaged.

Not to be argumentative JuanCarlos, because you know I love you, but can you quote a well known and reputable source?

 

[JuanCarlos]

It was an info graphic with 3 pictures, either from an online website or Ed Rosenthal or Jorges book. I read and retain, not big on notations.

 

[Emilya Green]

we all have our methods I guess... if Ed says it is right then it probably is. Just doesn't make sense to me is all, but then again, a lot of things that were developed in the 60's and 70's confuse me. There are reasons they say we grow better pot today though, just sayin.

 

[JuanCarlos]

It may not have been Jorge or Ed, those are just the two books I have read, more than likely it was some website. I remember that it was three graphics of a fan aligned vertically showing different percentages of damage with words underneath. I am always reading online, so no telling where it came from.

 

[fanleaf]

a note on trimming damaged leaves with scissors:

when we take clones, we cut the big leaves in half to stop transpiration. We essentially open up the closed water system of the plant and make the leaves unable to create the suction that roots need to draw water up from the soil. By cutting the leaves in half we are forcing the plant to fix this system immediately, and it triggers the plant to grow roots.

when you cut on damaged leaves on a regular plant, you also open up a wound and you open up the closed transpiration system until it is repaired. Until the leak can be sealed, the plant is unable to create enough pressure through transpiration to draw water up from the roots. Again, trimming damaged leaves does nothing beneficial except make your eyes happier when looking at your plant. If you could have heard it while you were doing this terrible deed, the plant was yelling at you... begging you to stop, and desperately trying to seal up the damage you caused as quickly as it could, so it could get back to business.

Emilya
I don't know if you remember my "Trying to reveg from bare stem" thread but you answer here leads me to a question for you. If cutting leaves opens the "closed system" and therefore the plant cannot transpire because it cannot create the suction then why when I chopped my AK47 down to bare hollow stems did it keep pumping water for more than a week? I could have stuck a pencil in the stem holes. So if cutting leafs breaks the capabillity for the plant to suck until the wound is sealed then how do they manage to keep pumping for over a week like mine did?

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[Croatsan]

So if cutting leafs breaks the capabillity for the plant to suck until the wound is sealed then how do they manage to keep pumping for over a week like mine did?

Maybe it doesn't break it completely, maybe it just diminishes it.

Perhaps it's a reflex.

A headless chicken syndrome?

Just brainstorming

 

[fanleaf]

Mine was dripping at a rate of about 3 drips every 10 seconds from each of at least 3 different stems and slower from smaller ones. It was like there was a heart pumping undercthe soil. Nothing but stems and had to water the pot several times.

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[Emilya Green]

Emilya
I don't know if you remember my "Trying to reveg from bare stem" thread but you answer here leads me to a question for you. If cutting leaves opens the "closed system" and therefore the plant cannot transpire because it cannot create the suction then why when I chopped my AK47 down to bare hollow stems did it keep pumping water for more than a week? I could have stuck a pencil in the stem holes. So if cutting leafs breaks the capabillity for the plant to suck until the wound is sealed then how do they manage to keep pumping for over a week like mine did?

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Good question, and the answer is that that are two transport systems within a plant... one being the suction based sheer water pressure that is generated by transpiration and that travels along the xylem (the hollow trunk), and the other being a fascinating movement of materials between and through the cell walls of the trunk itself. This movement has nothing to do with suction and its purpose appears to be to move nutrients and sap to where it is needed. As I understand it, one system is to move water and provide the pressure to stand the plant up, the other appears to be more of the lifeblood of the plant. Here is where a real botanist needs to step in and explain where I have left out or changed important details... my logic and home gardening experience only takes me so far here...

 

[fanleaf]

Maybe it doesn't break it completely, maybe it just diminishes it.

Perhaps it's a reflex.

A headless chicken syndrome?

Just brainstorming

Ill go with the headless chicken.

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[fanleaf]

Good question, and the answer is that that are two transport systems within a plant... one being the suction based sheer water pressure that is generated by transpiration and that travels along the xylem (the hollow trunk), and the other being a fascinating movement of materials between and through the cell walls of the trunk itself. This movement has nothing to do with suction and its purpose appears to be to move nutrients and sap to where it is needed. As I understand it, one system is to move water and provide the pressure to stand the plant up, the other appears to be more of the lifeblood of the plant. Here is where a real botanist needs to step in and explain where I have left out or changed important details... my logic and home gardening experience only takes me so far here...

Very cool. I would really like to learn more about this too. Thanks!

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[TWINTURBODOGO]

Wow! We've been trimming damaged leaves ever since we started! It's only been 3 plants so far but still, poor plants!

We were actually told to trim damaged and dying leaves cause they are doin the plant no favors and taking away from healthy leaves.
A grower at a local dispensary told us this. We're noobs and still don't really know what we are doin.

 

[OldMedUser]

I totally agree with Emilya about leaving yellowing leaves on until they are drained of anything useful. There are only a few mobile nutrients that the plant can steal. N,P,K Calcium and Zinc I believe. Everything else is locked into place once used to build the leaf tissue and unavailable for transport. There may some sugars, amino acids etc to be had but not a lot if there are lots of healthy leaves on the plants.

When I mean trimming damaged leaves I mean any necrotic, (dead), leaf tissue that is never going to come back. Once it's gone it's easier to tell if what caused it is progressing or cured with whatever steps you've taken to correct what you perceive to be the issue.

Many people swear by defoliating the plants severely for better yields and I've seen enough demonstrations of good results to begin experimenting with that myself.