Good call on transplanting before going away. That's actually pretty smart, because it puts the plants on a slower growth schedule for a few days, as they take to the new pots and setting into the soil. So they don't need much light or much water. As long as you're not gone more than a week they should be quite healthy upon returning! I'd try that myself if I was ever going to be away from my garden patch.

And yeah always get rid of the bottom growth that isn't healthy, or isn't getting light, or won't produce buds. At this point in the cycle you can toss it and the plants don't even notice. Keeps things clean and tidy.. bugs like those old lower leaves. A clean grow is a happy grow!

Great post bud : D