If you’re referring to the plants in your diary on a profile I wouldn’t be defoliating for a while. Leaves are where the plants gets its energy from and that being said I say it’s best to leave them on for a good while. Until the plant gets to the point of for instance, one large fan leaf is blocking the light to 4 other ones, then that’s when I would cut that leaf off to get 4x the light energy if that makes sense. As for wounds I just make a nice clean sharp cut and the plant heals its self well. When it comes to cutting off lower branches it may take a day to recover but it will recover fast. And when it comes to taking clones I just did this to my grow, wait until just before you start flower assuming you have photoperiods, and then I cut off any small branches that will give popcorn or larf buds so the plant will divert its energy to the main tops. And when selecting a food clone it’s better to use one more towards the top that gets a little light a nice healthy one. I just threw away about 30 branches I could have cloned but I kept some that I liked.
Also I defoliate just before flower promoting air flow through the plant good for a number of things. And then once more after stretch to keep the energy going to those tops.
Hope this helps a bit good luck brother and let them thangs grow