Need advice to trim or not to trim?

[Suren1987]

Hey everyone, I am a first time grower.
I planted S.A.D. SWEET AFGANI DELICIOUS from Sweet Seeds.
Some specs:
Indica / Sativa: 90%-10%

Indoor Yield: 400-500 g/m2

Indoor Blooming: 8-9 weeks


I'm growing indoors under a 100w CFL.
At the moment I am on week 8 and I'm counting from the time I germinated, and still on 18/6 phase (veg)
Here are some pics:

idk why but 402 upload flipped them to horizontal view

My question is, should I remove those big leaves? they seem to be in the way of the smaller ones growing under, and these big leaves don't have nodes so not sure if they are really needed.
And if i should cut them, should I do it one by one every day or all at the same time?
When do you guys recommend switching to flowering?
Current hight of the plant from the soil is 37 cm or about 14 inch

 

[OEF Vet 11B]

I've always been told not to remove anything unless you're slowing growth. However I've heard that removing bigger leaves from budding sites helps but I am not sure on a plant like this. I'd leave em if in doubt until you get a better answer.

 

[TanR]

Hi Suren1987,

Welcome to 420 Magazine and community of folks that gathers here!

Congrats on getting your girl to this point. I think I would consider cutting your plant back a bit if I were you. One of the downsides to CFL lighting is it's in ability to penetrate the lower structures of our plants. My concern is that not cut back, the lower portions of your plant will produce very little to nothing. If cut back your plant may produce more viable bud sites over a greater portion of the plant.

Be well and happy growing!

 

[Suren1987]

Thanks for the advice, I guess I will cut the big leaves that are closing the light for the bottom ones, and later post a pic of how i'm doing

 

[Major PITA]

Unless you plan to add a lot more light, I would have started her under 12/12. I'd flip her immediately. More veg time is just wasted time since the plant won't have the light it needs to take advantage of the added size.

Personally I'd leave the fans until they block an active bud site that needs the light. You can try some training and fan leaf tucking to maximize the light penetration from what you have. With a single CFL, she needs all the photosynthesis she can get.

 

[IndiglueBlue]

One thing to remember is that your fan leaves (the big ones) are what produce most of the energy for the plant. Pruning to let light to lower branches can definitely be beneficial, but low stress training (LST) can accomplish essentially the same thing and can allow for more colas in a smaller area. When removing leaves to get light to lower foliage, don't remove any unnecessarily and make sure your plant ALWAYS has at least a couple good fan leaves left ;-]

Sent from my garden of weeden

 

[Suren1987]

One thing to remember is that your fan leaves (the big ones) are what produce most of the energy for the plant. Pruning to let light to lower branches can definitely be beneficial, but low stress training (LST) can accomplish essentially the same thing and can allow for more colas in a smaller area. When removing leaves to get light to lower foliage, don't remove any unnecessarily and make sure your plant ALWAYS has at least a couple good fan leaves left ;-]

Sent from my garden of weeden

I cut down 2 fan leaves, and i wont touch the rest.
At the moment it's in 1 gallon pouch, going to switch to 3 gallon pouch next week probably and flip the switch to 12/12 what do you recon? or should i let it veg for a bit longer?
Thats one of the things im not sure about, keep veg for 2-3 weeks more or go to flowering?

 

[Major PITA]

I cut down 2 fan leaves, and i wont touch the rest.
At the moment it's in 1 gallon pouch, going to switch to 3 gallon pouch next week probably and flip the switch to 12/12 what do you recon? or should i let it veg for a bit longer?
Thats one of the things im not sure about, keep veg for 2-3 weeks more or go to flowering?

I'd flip it yesterday.

 

[IndiglueBlue]

That depends on how much room you have, how big you want it to end up, and how much that strain stretches

Sent from my garden of weeden

 

[Suren1987]

I'd flip it yesterday.

Well should I at least put it into the 3 gallon pouch first?

 

[Suren1987]

That depends on how much room you have, how big you want it to end up, and how much that strain stretches

Sent from my garden of weeden

Well the room i have is a whole room at home about 4m2, the problem is probably the lamp which only lights about 1 m2

 

[IndiglueBlue]

Well the room i have is a whole room at home about 4m2, the problem is probably the lamp which only lights about 1 m2

Oh, ok, then you'll probably want to switch it sooner rather than later, as you want all your buds to get sufficient lighting. Of course getting additional lighting is preferable but not always possible, so having reflectors and a reflective environment as well as having the light as close as safely possible will help increase the amount of light the plant receives.

Sent from my garden of weeden

 

[Major PITA]

That depends on how much room you have, how big you want it to end up, and how much that strain stretches

Sorry - but with one single CFL, I have to disagree. Bigger won't be better. Git 'R' done.

Well should I at least put it into the 3 gallon pouch first?

I would do both immediately. 8 weeks is plenty of time in a 1 gal container. My plants get rootbound in two to three weeks, but I start in cups. 2 weeks in solo > 2 weeks in 1 gal > into their final home if growing inside or 7 - 10 gal if going outside. Even in a 7 gal pot, the roots are all the way around and up the sides after two weeks. So, 2 weeks + 2 weeks + 2 weeks = 6 weeks (m/l) from sprout to a fully rooted 7 gal.

 

[IndiglueBlue]

Well should I at least put it into the 3 gallon pouch first?

Yea probably. Unless there something wrong, cannabis plants grow really fast. And I've noticed ESPECIALLY the roots, they grow like crazy! You usually don't want a teeny tiny plant in a gigantic pot because of moisture issues, but other than that I don't think you can put 'em in too big a container..except for controlling the size, cuz bigger container = bigger plant

Sent from my garden of weeden

 

[DeanB]

Do some low stress training, I bent these only once. They are in 1 gal. pots and when not outside they live under 14ea. 23w cfl's. I wouldn't cut it. You should get more light though.

 

[Suren1987]

Do some low stress training, I bent these only once. They are in 1 gal. pots and when not outside they live under 14ea. 23w cfl's. I wouldn't cut it. You should get more light though.

How many bulbs do you use?

Thank you everyone for your advice, will replant it into a bigger pouch today
and switch to 12/12 from today

 

[DeanB]

That was a little confusing, hahaha. There are 14 cfl bulbs total. They are in a 2 ft x 2 ft x 2 1/2 ft cabinet. The 23w bulbs work great in small spaces. The plants get 5 1/2 hours sunlight currently and the rest under the cfl's.

 

[Suren1987]

That was a little confusing, hahaha. There are 14 cfl bulbs total. They are in a 2 ft x 2 ft x 2 1/2 ft cabinet. The 23w bulbs work great in small spaces. The plants get 5 1/2 hours sunlight currently and the rest under the cfl's.

Ohh ahah 14 is alot of cfls lol, maybe better for me to get another 125w cfl instead.
I just noticed that my bottom leaves got yellow, is that because they are not getting enough of light?
I am thinking of maybe making a few cfls and hanging them so they light at the bottom? from what i understand, 23w cfls will probably not burn the leaves no matter how close right?

 

[Suren1987]

Hey everyone, i replanted to bigger pot and switched to 12/12.
But Im having some problems, the leaves at the bottom of the plant turn yellow and fall off, had 2 leaves fall off so far and a 3rd on it's way.
I read online that this is due to nitrogen deficiency.
What i want to know is should i start fertelizing the new pot with the new soil with extra nitrogen ? And how often should i water it with the fertilizer mix?

 

[DeanB]

does the mix you up potted into have nutrients in it? If so, let her eat up that and her leaves should gradually become darker again.