Remove leaves from auto?

Hey there! When it comes to removing fan leaves from auto-flowering plants, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some growers swear by defoliation to improve airflow and light penetration, while others prefer to let the plant's natural growth take its course. Here are a few things to consider: Airflow and Light Penetration: If your canopy is overcrowded and the fan leaves are blocking light from reaching lower bud sites, or if airflow is restricted, removing some of the larger fan leaves may help improve both airflow and light penetration. This can potentially lead to better overall bud development and reduce the risk of mold or mildew. Stress: However, it's essential to be cautious when defoliating auto-flowering plants, as they have a limited vegetative period and any stress during this time can impact their overall growth and yield. Removing too many leaves at once can shock the plant and slow down its growth. Selective Defoliation: If you decide to remove fan leaves, it's best to do so selectively and gradually. Focus on removing only the largest, oldest leaves that are blocking light or airflow, leaving the smaller, newer leaves intact. This will minimize stress on the plant while still providing the benefits of defoliation. Monitor Progress: Keep a close eye on your plant's response after defoliation. If you notice signs of stress such as wilting or yellowing leaves, it may be a sign that you've removed too much foliage. In that case, it's best to stop defoliating and allow the plant to recover. Ultimately, whether or not to remove fan leaves from your auto-flowering plant is a matter of personal preference and depends on the specific needs of your grow space. If you're concerned about overcrowding and light penetration, selective defoliation may be worth considering, but be sure to proceed with caution to avoid stressing the plant unnecessarily.

An auto flower is less forgiving than a photo. Both need large leaf mass to produce big bud. If you keep your big bud in the shade they will not develop like those exposed to the light. What you should try to do is allow as much light through your plant to reach lower buds, this also ensures a good air circulation. Your plant will appreciate it, your smaller buds will get bigger, your plant will mature more evenly, you will have fewer mold/moisture issues when the resins and trichomes start developing. You will appreciate your work at the end of the grow when it comes time to harvest. There is no negative effect on the plant if done correctly. Just do a little at a time if you’re not familiar, be careful not to leave it bear! Happy growing!

I'd leave it alone as it looks like it's going to have good airflow to it. If you must do it then only remove a few leaves that are big and shading light from leaves below them. You don't want to remove leaves and have a hole in the canopy.

Puedes eliminar algunas hojas para mejorar el flujo de aire que atraviesa por la planta y generar que penetre más luz. Hágalo con cuidado sin excederse, no queremos que las autos se estresen por que tienen sus días contados.

I have always removed leaves that are blocking bud from direct light. Our plant produces Trichomes as a natural form of protection from the sun so the more light hitting those points the more Trichomes will be generated. Your goal would be to remove as needed but never over do it. This also helps with airflow to avoid all the issues associate with improper air movement in your grow. In most commercial grows you will see the bottom 1/3 of the plant with no leaves left on it. They are doing that to force all the energy to the top of the plant to generate as much bud as possible. I hope this helps.

I would only do selective defoliation. Your plant will not produce more fan leaves at this point. So only ones I would cut would be a few around the center. She needs her leaves to produce energy. So don't overdue it.

don't randomly remove them for sure... even if shielded they provide other benefits to the plant. The plant will shed any leaf that it doesn't need. risk avoidance - a good reason to remove some leaves. Avoiding condensation from overlapping foliage is another. Just have a good reason and you'll do fine. I've purposely left leaves covering up bud sites and the quality of those buds absolutely matches the quality of buds in light at the same vertical height (similar apical dominance) and similar vascular tissue leading to those sites of comparison. definitely favor leaves absorbing light above all other plant anatomy. that's where vast majority of photosynthesis takes place by far.

you can remove any leaves that are blocking light or Air flow to the main buds this helps prevent possible mold issues and gets more light to the buds