Take fan leaves before drying?

  • Take fan leaves before drying?

    Posted by Stayinblitzed on June 19, 2025 at 4:37 pm

    Do you guys cut off your fan leaves before you chop? Or do you leave most of them? I’m not talking like a full wet trim, but just to remove fan leaves for air flow when drying

    iGrowSknk replied 5 months, 2 weeks ago 8 Members · 19 Replies
  • 19 Replies
  • Unknown Member

    Member
    June 19, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    It depends on my drying humidity

    I leave more on if it’s dryer than I’d like.

    But if my humidity is @60 I take off all fan leaves

    and just leave sugar leaves.

    • Stayinblitzed

      Member
      June 19, 2025 at 5:33 pm

      Yea I got my humidity dialed in to 60. It’s my heat that I can’t get down to 60. The windows in the grow room can’t fit an ac unit so that kind of sucks. And I’m in an hoa, they’ve already bitches about having an exhaust out the window and made me take it out

      • Newleaf

        Member
        June 19, 2025 at 6:04 pm

        Any chance you can get a portable hosed a.c. unit and exhaust it into another room?

      • smokythebear

        Member
        June 19, 2025 at 7:24 pm

        Are you running your AC in the house? If so duct from a vent so some blows direct to tent or room.. from other source

        • Stayinblitzed

          Member
          June 19, 2025 at 8:50 pm

          Maybe I could get one into another room, but out the window is a nope

  • Newleaf

    Member
    June 19, 2025 at 4:54 pm

    I take a good amount off, but also leave a good amount. I’ve hung huge plants whole which end up with branches sagging into eachother. Not once have I had a problem. I like a slow dry, so hanging big plants whole, with a decent amount of foliage slows the drying process. Thats my theory, and has worked great so far.

    • This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Newleaf.
    • Stayinblitzed

      Member
      June 19, 2025 at 5:32 pm

      Yea I’ve always hung them whole. Was just wondering what way is better

  • Newleaf

    Member
    June 19, 2025 at 4:58 pm

    Easier to take them leaves off while they’re still in their pots upright.

    • Stayinblitzed

      Member
      June 19, 2025 at 5:31 pm

      I’m not necessarily worried about easier, just what is “better.” Every time I’ve dried so far I haven’t plucked any and have just hung the entire plant. But I hear podcasts or other things where people snip them before they chop

      • Newleaf

        Member
        June 19, 2025 at 6:12 pm

        I dont know the answer to that. Id say your environment has more to do with whats better than how many leaves you take. I mean it comes into play somewhat. As long as you dont have stagnant air you should be fine. Two small fans pointed towards the corners of my dry tent, in opposite corners, one high one low, is how i do it. In my opion the way your doing it is better. I do the same, more leaves more moisture in the plant, slower dry. A slower dry gives me more control over the dry.

        • Newleaf

          Member
          June 19, 2025 at 6:16 pm

          Moisture to an extent i should say. I dont water for about 3 to 5 days and then chop.

          • CincyJay420

            Member
            June 22, 2025 at 6:26 am

            I would think this would speed drying up. The object is to dry as slow as possible to give time for the chlorophyll to break down.

  • Stayinblitzed

    Member
    June 19, 2025 at 5:38 pm

    Also ty everyone for your replies! Much appreciated

  • jmystro

    Organizer
    June 19, 2025 at 10:45 pm

    Large fan leaves would be consumed and dropped in nature long before harvest. Perfect nutrition indoors gives the plant no reason to use up the mobile nutrients stored in the large fan leaves so they should be removed around the last 10-14 days before harvest. Save yourself some time during trim as well. If you’re leaving fan leaves on just because your environment is jacked, fix your environment.

    • Stayinblitzed

      Member
      June 20, 2025 at 10:00 am

      Naw my environment is decent. Humidity is on point but the temp could be lower for drying. Not trying to argue at all, just more curious, but why would it matter if they drop them in the wild? In the wild they aren’t getting hung in complete darkness at 60/60 environment either with no male pollinators either. But when we grow them, we try to give the best attention to them so we get the best flier in the end. Shout out to Rasta Jeff, he also says the same thing a lot. A lot of the times comparing what people do to what happens naturally, but then he does 18 hours of light at the end of flower and that is nothing like nature. So what difference does it make to do it like nature does?

      • jmystro

        Organizer
        June 20, 2025 at 11:11 am

        My only point about plants consuming and dropping fan leaves during senescence outdoors is that they will not consume or drop them indoors with perfect nutrition. They’re not needed so you can remove them during senescence. This ensures every flower site will get good light to mature.

        • Stayinblitzed

          Member
          June 20, 2025 at 1:37 pm

          Oh alright. That makes sense

  • canarado-chris

    Member
    June 20, 2025 at 2:27 pm

    If you can’t control the heat, you might want to take the large ones off. Might want to start with a little higher humidity for a day or so and work your way down to 55 to 60 rh

  • iGrowSknk

    Member
    June 25, 2025 at 6:36 am

    HOA’s are like neighbor commie police.

    It’s like you really don’t own your home/property when they are in full control.

    I made the mistake once of purchasing a home that was run by a HOA, NEVER again!

    And don’t get me started on State Property Taxes…

    Now back to the Real Grow Show.

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