Help!!!! Is there anything I can do???

This is my first grow. I read Buds for Less and because of funds was unable to use the recommended 6 CFL light setup. I have regularly freaked because I only imagine I NEVER have been using enough light.

I found quick success veg these plants likley because I kept the light as close as possible as the book advises

14 days ago I began flowering three plants under 2 43W CFLs following maybe 20 days of veg. I added two more 23W CFLs about a week ago and today was pretty sure I determined a male.

Because it was sharing a pot, while removing it I noticed just how dense some of the growth under the canopy was.

I began pruning away some of the lower levels figuring it was just wasting energy that could be concentrated higher on the plant.

Well low and behold I cut away a crap ton of the bigger fan leaves.

Part of me thinks the flowering areas still in tact will have a better chance to yield buds (albeit not much), Now they are exposed to light whereas before the fan leaves width and lack of adequate lighting would have prevented this.

Then I remembered, I have never done this before --- should have just chilled and followed the book.

Apologize for the lack of brevity but I am wondering if I even have a shot or if its a matter of adjusting for the next time (as well as cheese for better lighting)

Exhale


Before photos as recent as tonight

After photos. Moved the one CFL to be more directed towards the stems growth.

You should have left the leaves alone I'm afraid. The big fan leaves are the most important. Its not the buds that soak up the light but the leaves and the fan leaves are the best at it, less leaves = smaller buds. Learn a lesson from this and don't do it again. If you want light to penetrate the lower branches you should tie the branches down with string or such.

That helps me a bunch. I have read a little about SOG and ScrOG and that sounds like kind of the same principal.

So if I understand, pinning the fan leaves down is cool as long as the remain intact?

Do I bother with the remaining top or expect that the trauma I put them through will cause them to die?

I want to try again!!!!

I appreciate the reply

exhale ....

it really doesnt matter if you trim up the bottom of the plants but not a good idea to do all that after starting flowering. worst case you could shock the plant into goin hermi

yeah you should never chop fan leaves

Healthy fan leaves = bigger buds

Also I see both foil and mirrors in your pics,,,,both are considered bad

consider Mylar and white styrofoam plates instead

u can cut away fan leaves , but do it while u vegging , so the plant can produce more fan leaves .
if u FIM while flowering , u can make the plant go into shock , or not enough light wont get into the buds by the remaining leaves .

we FIM while veg , to make the stem get direct light , so alternate branching get grow fast and get more "main colas" . (method aka LST)
but while flowering , the plant doesnt focus on growing , it focus on producing flowers , so if u FIM the fan leaves , the flowers would get less light .


please +rep to who ever helped u .