Micro Grow / Wedding Gelato

If its flower size and development up top (flower size over potential yield) then defoliate the lower growth, you can see what is behind in growth by comparing flower sizes from top to bottom, and depending on what you are aiming for defoliate accordingly. For exqmple If you are aiming for single colas of outstanding quality you can defoliate the lower 3/4 of the plant although probably at a huge sacrifice to yield. Most people defoliate the lower quarter to third depending on spacing and size of the plant. Depending on your light source If you are looking for yield only and care not for quality / size consistancy then you can leave it to run without defoliating. By letting it run you are causing no stress to the plant, nor wasting its resources on healing / already produced. Ultimately if you have good light penetration, a large and healthy root system with ample nutrients, in my experience and opinion this will yield more than a defoliated plant, although works far better outdoors where light strength over distance is no issue, if you are using CFLs for example this will very likely lower your overall yield! If you are looking to increase light down to the lower flowers and not aiming for a flat canopy up top only, defoliate minimally especially indoors as removing top leaves will negatively effect yields. Outdoors with larger plants this can be beneficial for overall yield. Try to keep the cuts clean when defoliating if you are removing stems. Definitely better to defoliate as early as possible in flowering, the later it is the more stress is put on the plant also more wasted energy on growth you remove that could have been used somewhere else. If defoliated large amounts can be done over a few days in stages if stress could be a concern, this can cause hermaphroditism! In your case I would probably let it run, you are in your 5th week of flower, plant looks healthy and not struggling, and although you have some smaller growth at the bottom its already well on its way. May only be a few grams but removing it wont gain you more than what you remove in my opinion. If you dont like smoking the smaller stuff use it for an extraction or cooking! Next time In the same circumstance Id go with the other suggestions above and defoliate the lower flowers within the first two weeks of flipping, especially with the power of the lighting you are using! Also if you do defoliate keep your eyes on the wounds as you may find new flower growth starting again later on, especially if fan leaves are left on at defoliated flower sites! Thats all my opinion, doesnt mean Im right for what you want! You can experiement with your set up, run two identical plants and let one run as a control, try defoliating the other and check the end yields / quality then in future try and fine tune it for your needs! Peace and looking great keep up the good work! 🌬️