Hi
@hydrohippy! Short answer: both! That leaf is certainly helping in the photosynthesis process and at the same time she is consuming plant's energy to get bigger. If the leaf isn't creating shade onto bud sites, I would leave it as it is, this would be the "solar panel" to develop the buds on this same node. If the leaf is problematic, because it's blocking light penetration or because it's way too big and it's disturbing your airflow, I would tuck it away. Did you know that bud-sites are also really good at catching light and handling photosynthesis? Hope this will help, keep us up-to-date and happy growing! 👊