Northern Lights Auto x 2

Pre and post defoliation shots. Removed a good 50% of the larger leaves on both plants to expose more of the bud sites to the light. I have read many mixed reviews on defoliation - cutting off the plants solar panels etc... But more bud sites in the light = bigger, better buds and for me it works. Also increased air flow and easier to work around. I'm a big fan of defoliating where possible. Added the SCROG net at 18cm inch above pot which is very low however they are super short plants. I'm not sure whether doing a bit of LST before now has meant that I have restricted vertical growth too much, subsequently meaning I am late starting the SCROG - time will tell. I removed the ties on 1 of the plants in an attempt to speed up vertical growth and start using the net to create a super lush dense canopy! Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.