help! First time growing

Leave it be, your plants need every leaf they have to make the energy required to be able to grow their biggest and best flowers. Just remember - Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth. It is the energy that is made in the leaves which grow the flowers, flowers do not need direct access to light in order to grow properly. Besides, if your plants did not need those leaves, they would not have grown them in the first place! Try and only ever remove yellow leaves, for by the time they are yellow, they have served their purpose (energy making). Hope this helps, Organoman.