Defoliation during flowering

Don't do it! At this point, your plant needs as much energy as possible to grow her biggest and best flowers. Removing leaves just reduces your plants capacity to produce energy, slowing growth and leading to potentially smaller growth too. Defoliating during flowering is, in my opinion, the absolute worst time to do so, but I don't believe in ever removing healthy green leaves for no reason. If your plant did not need them, it would have never grown them in the first place! Besides, those "potential bud sites" are in fact relying on those very leaves to make the energy they need to grow. There is no way the small bud leaves can ever make as much energy as even one single healthy fan leaf. Just remember - Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth. I do however agree with some light, well considered "lollipopping". Hope this helps, Organoman.