First time grower, Blackberry Kush, should I trim the upper fan leaves to allow more light to get to the lower buds?
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Up to you.
I would but some will say they wouldn’t.
I tend to pluck any up top that are big and block lower tops.
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Flower does not need or use light.
Fan leaves produce the sugars needed to make flower.
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I take more of the fan leaves off…a couple few every day
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Well I wish I read this about 5min ago, I may have taken to many 
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I’m a novice in this community but have experience with various agricultural products. Conventional wisdom suggests that a robust, mature canopy produces more photosynthesis, yielding more. That said, we all know, there is a multitude of factors that influence output.
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@BudZ47 Ruh-roh! Please post updates on the result. This will be educational for all!
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You didn’t do any harm. No worries… keep on truckin
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I used to make that mistake… Since the change my plants have been healthier, more stable, and got larger harvests.
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Absolutely every part of the plant that is green uses light to photosynthesizes and provides energy for the plant. Even the flowers/buds.
Im not sure what @Myfriendis410 ment by
That kinda reads as if *only the fans use light to make sugars" and that’s not accurate and I’m sure that’s probably not what he meant.
But, photosynthesis takes place inside an organelle, called chloroplast. Chloroplast is found in any green plant tissue, like stems, and buds, though it is most abundant in the leaves, this includes "sugar leaves also not just fan leaves. …
So rest easy, you have not hurt anything 
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This may seem logical but its not always how it works.
It may create more biomass but we want a specific part of the plant and not really concerned with over all biomass. Wasted energy building leafs and stems that could go twards building flowers is the idea.
Many cultivars are selectively pruned to increase quality and or quantity, like grapes, apple tress, tomatoes, melons, and so many more.
Cannabis is one of these cultivars.
Nothing wrong with either “style” of growing, but selective pruning has shown to be very beneficial in agricultural if done properly
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Thank you, @1HappyPappy !!!
There is no doubt that practices can and should be tested/challenged. But efficacy can vary greatly from crop to crop. Regardless, your reminder is welcome and celebrated!!
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Is that a “don’t trim”?
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Plants can grow well without the big fan leaves during flower. Many growers do a complete defoliation twice during flower. I do it on the day of flip and on day 21…others do on day 21 and day 42. Its called schwazze.
These are before and after pictures of my Bubba Kush on 21 days after the flip.
I harvested already and they are drying, but this is the tent a few weeks later. I continue to take a few a day as they grow back. The Bubba Kush is the plant in back on the right…laying over a bit because I let it get too tall
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I’m not a fan of stripping the plant. I do a defol at +21 and +42 days after the flip but plants look full. I am amazed at the folks that remove leaves which are responsible for flower production.
I will do a major strip of the plant just ahead of harvest but that is for convenience sake.
That plant was 28" from the ground at harvest and gave up 12 zips of cured flower.
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I’m not either. Mine look like the following pic in late flowering. I usually take the lower 1/3 of the plant off in early flowering.
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Nice looking buds!
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I couldn’t agree more, a little selective pruning is needed to allow for light to get through the whole plant. When they’re young i just start with removing sucker leaves up to the top 2 sets, and that’s about it through veg, as soon as flowering begins i prune them with zest, light has to hit all them areas you know. Been working out ok
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Lol, I want one of those for my Christmas tree!
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