Reduce leaves blocking light?

No, your plant needs every leaf it has, to produce the energy she needs to grow her biggest and best flowers. The buds are relying on those very leaves to make the energy that they need to grow. If your plant did not need those leaves, it would not have grown them in the first place! They are not problems, but essential energy and food making panels. Besides, much light, that we humans can not see, penetrates through upper leaves to strike the lower leaves anyhow, making their removal pointless. Just remember, - Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth. Hope this helps,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Organoman. (and strident anti defoliation advocate!)