How aggressive can I be with LST?

[MrO]

I'm currently on at week 3 of my first ever grow. I'm growing Auto Jack herer in coco, and I started LST a few days ago. My understanding is that the goal is to allow the plant to spread horizontally to bring as much light as possible to the pistils which will eventually become flower.

My main stem is bent, and the plant is growing pistils around the bent stem which is good. However i'm noticing there are quite a few pistils hidden under big fan leaves from the main pistil and main stem. The pistils are not getting much light and their stem don't seem to be growing fast enough to grow them over the fan leaves.

My question is, should the LST also be about bringing fan leaves down, and/or should/could they be cut to allow maximum light to the future bud sites?

 

[skirk]

Whatever it takes to expose bud sites. I remove when necessary, but mostly manipulate. You can see a couple of fans I cropped.

 

[MrO]

Whatever it takes to expose bud sites. I remove when necessary, but mostly manipulate. You can see a couple of fans I cropped.

How much % of the leaves can I chop off without making recovery too difficult? Would that differ in veg and flower?

 

[Apoc]

I just take a leaf or two at a time and not every day myself. Afterwards i destress with 1/4 cup Epsom salts and couple drops of superthrive per 16 ounce spray bottle and Foliar feed.

Some people defoliate up to 3 weeks into flower. I don't, when in veg plants adapt, when in flower they react.

Sometimes I switch out to seaweed folizer.

Taking to many at once can Hermie your plant. If the plant feels like it's survival is threatened it can easily go hermie.