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BCFATBUDS
Careful I Am A Fed
(487 posts)
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Question:
"When should I cut the fan leaves off my plant??"
Answer:
Not until you are manicuring the buds for drying.....At no time in the plants life cycle is it a good idea to remove the leaves.
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Here's why.....
The leaves play a VITAL roll in photosynthesis, transpiration and resperation. These things are necessary for plant life, just as breathing, digestion and elimination are necessary for human life.
Photosynthesis
One of the major differences between plants and animals is plants' ability to manufacture their own food. This process is called photosynthesis,which literally means "to put together with light." To produce food, a plant requires energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil. During photosynthesis, it splits carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen, adds water, and forms carbohydrates (starches and sugars). Oxygen is a by-product.
Photosynthesis occurs only in the mesophyll layers of plant leaves and, in some instances, in mesophyll cells in the stem. Mesophyll cells are sandwiched between the leaf's upper and lower epidermis and contain numerous chloroplasts.
Chlorophyll, the pigment that makes leaves green, is found in the chloroplasts. It is responsible for trapping light energy from the sun.
Respiration
Unlike photosynthesis, respiration does not depend on light, so it occurs at night as well as during the day. In resperation, carbohydrates made during photosynthesis are converted to energy. This energy is used for cell growth and building new tissues. The chemical process by which sugars and starches are converted to energy is called oxidation. Controlled oxidation in a living cell is called respiration. Respiration occurs in all life forms and in all cells.
Transpiration
When a leaf's guard cells shrink, its stomata open, and water is lost. This process is called transpiration. In turn, more water is pulled through the plant from the roots. Transpiration is a ncessary process and uses about 90 percent of the water that enters a plant's roots. The other 10 percent is used in chemical reactions and in plant tissues. The rate of transpiraton depends on factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind or air movement. Transpiration is responsible for several things:
- Transporting minerals from the soil throughout the plant.
 - Cooling the plant through evaporation.
 - Moving sugars and plant chemicals.
 - Maintaining turgor pressure. (The amount of water in the cells....when turgor pressure is low, you plant wilts.)
In order for a plant to grow and develop properly, it must balance photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. When you remove the fan leaves, you are reducing the rate at which the plant can do these things. Many people think that when you remove the leaves the plant puts more energy into the buds. In theory that would work, but without the leaves there is little energy to give.
Don't remove leaves unless they are diseased or infested with bugs and leaving them on would further threaten the plants health. Yellow leaves due to a deficiency should be left alone. Nitrogen deficiency is a common cause of yellowing older leaves. It shows on the older leaves first because N is whats known as a mobile nutrient. (it moves quickly through the plant) The leaf turns yellow because the plant is actually taking the nitrogen and using it in new growth. It will fall off when it is of no more use. Unless a leaf falls off in your hand with a gentletug, it should be left alone. The only other time I would suggest removing any leaves, is to improve air circulation at the soil. I usually take the small branches at the very bottom of the plant off, 2-3 weeks befor harvesting.
I hope this helps.....Feel free to PM me if this doesn't make sense or you have any Q's.
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Grow BIG, or go home.
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Total Posts: 487 | Joined Nov. 2001
| Posted on: 6:24 pm on Mar. 30, 2002 |
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Clueless wanderer
Careful I Am A Fed
(2,587 posts)
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To add to BcfatBuds excellent piece;
The fan leaves are where the plant takes its nutrients from if it cannot obtain them from the soil/hydro.
So, if the fan leaves are the plants storage for times of need, cutting them off would be like stealing the nuts from a squirrel after he has gathered them for his winter hybernation. Without the storage for times of need, death is imminent.
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ahh......cradled in the arms of bliss.
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Total Posts: 2,587 | Joined Feb. 2002
| Posted on: 4:01 am on Mar. 31, 2002 |
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THCdude
Peace
(2,303 posts)
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IGNORE POSTS FROM THCdude
I'm pretty harsh to my plants when it comes to bending, twisting, etc.. When it comes time that a fan leaf is blocking light from a bud site, I'll take that leaf and twist and turn it until it can be tucked away clean. At times you may find that doing this actually can help the plant to support itself, and merely turning it under doesn't
remove it from the plants energy stores.
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"We must be the change we wish to see in the world" Gandhi
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Total Posts: 2,303 | Joined Sep. 2001
| Posted on: 8:43 am on Mar. 31, 2002 |
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