Are big fan leaves a good sign? The health of your entire hemp plant is reflected in the condition of your fan leaves. Big, green, healthy fan leaves are a sign of a robust, healthy plant.
You can remove fan leaves during flowering in much the same way you do during veg. Prune away large leaves that are overshadowing bud sites, as well as dead or dying fan leaves. One thing to keep in mind is that you should prune in intervals, giving at least a couple weeks between each session.
If you've never defoliated before, we recommend you always play it safe and stick to removing only the foliage that very obviously impedes bud production. In particular, focus on big fan leaves and interior foliage that's already covering bud sites.
Fan leaves support the cannabis plant throughout the vegetative phase. They enable plants to absorb enough energy from light that is then converted into food needed for growth. While they might not be a smokable component of the cannabis plant, it's a pity to dispose of them following the harvest.
Usually, growers trim the fan leaves weeks before harvest, which is a period that leads to senescence, a phase in the plant cycle when the larger leaves start fading away. It is safe to start removing these dying leaves and continue until harvest. However, the main trimming processes commence after harvest.
During the earlier stages of plant growth, the fan leaves should only be removed if they yellow or dry out. However, once the plant begins to flower, you can trim off some of the fan leaves. However, don't remove more than half of the fan leaves, because they are still needed by the plant.
Remember that fan leaves removed during flowering won't grow back, and removing too many can throw off the plant's energy balance, stunting bud development in turn.
Trimming and defoliations is an important technique that can help in keeping your cannabis plant as healthy as possible. If done correctly, trimming can give the harvest from your cannabis plant a significant boost.
Removing these fan leaves opens up light and produces better air exchange to the lower canopy. Healthy leaves at the bottom of the canopy should be kept to trap valuable light from being lost and wasted. The more quality light a flowering site receives, the larger it will grow and the faster it will mature.
Are Sugar Leaves Good to Smoke? Yes, sugar leaves can be smoked once they're dry, but they will be harsh and relatively weak in potency compared to the buds. Moreover, they will be less flavourful.
You'll want to lollipop your plants just before they begin flowering. We also recommend pruning—removing unnecessary branches—as well, although you should proceed slowly, and with a plan.
Shock to the plant: Defoliating too many leaves at once can cause stress and shock to the plant, affecting its growth and health. Reduced yields: If the plant is defoliated too early or too late, it can reduce yields and the overall quality of the buds.
Arguably the most common mistake that newbie cannabis cultivators make is stripping too many of the fan leaves from the plant. Cultivators should not prune more than 1/3 of the fan leaves on a cannabis plant in any given pruning session. Also, pruning sessions should be limited.
Cannabis plants often shed older fan leaves (especially at the end of their life), which turn yellow before falling to the ground. During the flowering phase, plants divert most of their energy towards the flowers, which also tends to cause slight yellowing of the leaves.
Sugar leaves are sometimes harvested for their cannabinoid and terpene content. Fan leaves are the large, protruding leaves that cover the length of the plant. They are necessary for photosynthesis, but may be removed before harvest (The Different Parts of A Marijuana & Cannabis Plant 2020).
Cannabis leaf edges may wrinkle and become dry/crispy and curled if your temperatures get too high. In hot conditions the leaf cells transpire water faster than it can be supplied, resulting in unusual leaf curling. Reduce your grow room temperature with additional extraction or air-con if available.
The primary purpose of fan leaves is to support photosynthesis. The leaves themselves are also packed with phytonutrients and, to a much lesser degree than sugar leaves and buds, cannabinoids. Fan leaves are also incredibly useful for understanding your plant's overall health.
The yellowing of plant leaves is simply due to a nitrogen (N) shortage which is a perfectly natural phenomenon as the plants nears the end of its life cycle. You are in the eighth week of flower, so you are likely close to harvest time depending on your strain.
So there are three different times we recommend defoliating during Flower: Right before you switch to 12/12. Once between the beginning of Flower and the 3-week mark. 3 weeks after beginning flower is the last time you'll want to defoliate.
During the flowering period if you set your fan too strong, you may end up damaging your plants' flowers due to being in constant movement. This causes them to brush against each other; this can, in turn, cause a dramatic increase in the chance of fungi and bacteria infections.
Some selective removal is okay but always err on the side of caution when taking off fan leaves. Remember that the natural yellowing that occurs towards the end of the cannabis life cycle are natural and a good sign that nutrients are leaching out of your plant, for cleaner burning and better tasting buds.
When you grow indoors, flowering will begin once you switch your lights to 10-12 hours of darkness. For most cannabis strains, the flowering period will last about 7-9 weeks, although some sativas require even longer for their buds to mature.
Beware of overripe cannabis buds
Plants given a little too much bloom time may have a general appearance of overripeness. Trichomes may be all amber, the terpene profile may be past it's best (possibly with a light aroma of fermentation) and the buds/leaves may take on a browner, less inviting, appearance.
Because bud formation starts after 7 hours of dark period, it is also wise to always maintain a minimum day length of 17 to 18 hours during the vegetative period. A dark period of 12 hours is used as a standard in cannabis to ensure a smooth flowering process.
In contrast, fluffy buds yield disappointment and less plant matter. These airy flowers are often the result of suboptimal growing conditions, a lack of light, or nutrient deficiency.