was wondering what other people thoughts on trimming their plants were? (not topping). i have some big leaves completely shadowing emerging branches that are trying to grow up. is it better to keep the leaf as big leaves = more energy, or remove to allow more light to the fresh growth?
I sometimes remove the larger leaves, however they contain nutrients that the plant stores up, if possible, you should add some CFLs to the sides of the plant to add light to those areas that are currently not getting much. Are the plants vegging or flowering? During veg, I usually remove some of the leaves so that the lower branches can get closer to the lights, because they can make more leaves, and still have the lower branches getting taller.
It really depends on what stage you are in (veg or flower). If in veg, some light trimming is fine, just don't cut off too many fan leaves. If in flower, I would avoid cutting any fan leaves, as they are your energy source. I would try folding leaves out of the way or tying them back before cutting. And like the previous poster said, some supplemental lighting might help.