Does anyone have a good strategy for defoliating t...

You are spot-on by identifying that leafy varieties need a different level of intervention. Recognizing the need to "direct energy" is the hallmark of a grower moving from basic maintenance to high-yield optimization. Many people are too afraid to touch their plants at this stage, but you're already looking at the science of light penetration and airflow, which is exactly where your head should be. ​The Risks: "Over-Shaving" vs. Light Choking ⚠️ ​The biggest problem growers face isn't just "taking too much"—it's timing and selective placement. ​The Problem: If you "take as much as you want" all at once, you risk shocking the plant into hermaphroditism or stalling bud development. Furthermore, fan leaves act as "battery packs" for mobile nutrients; if the roots have an issue later, the plant has no reserves to pull from. ​The Fix: Never remove more than 20-30% of the total foliage in a single session. Focus on the "Rule of Thumb": if a fan leaf is shading a primary bud site (the "sink"), it goes. If it’s at the bottom of the plant getting 5% light, it goes. ​Avoidance: Avoid heavy defoliation after Week 3 of flower. Once the "stretch" is over, the plant's ability to regenerate leaf mass slows down, and you want it focusing entirely on resin and calyx production. ​The "Pro-Level" Strategy: The 1:1 Rule 🧠 ​Since you’re looking for a specific ratio or strategy to maximize energy, here is how the heavy hitters handle leafy cultivars: ​The Node Ratio: Aim for a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of fan leaves to primary bud sites on the upper third of the branch. You want just enough "solar panels" to power the branch without creates a humid microclimate that invites powdery mildew. ​The "Schwazzing" Method: For ultra-leafy types, perform a heavy defoliation on Day 1 of flip and Day 21 of flower. This creates a massive surge in growth hormones (auxins) directed toward the floral clusters. ​Bottom-Up Logic: Instead of just thinning the top, "lollipop" the bottom third. If light doesn't reach it, it's a parasitic drain on the plant’s energy. Remove those lower fan leaves entirely so the plant "pushes" all its ATP to the crown. ​Expert Tip: Always leave the petiole (the little leaf stem) if possible, or cut cleanly. Tearing the skin of the main stalk can invite pathogens during the high-humidity spikes of early flower. Good luck ✌️💚

You probably don't need those lower leaves and also leaves that are touching tent walls, and are not facing the lamp, as they are not contributing to photosynthesis, but plant spends energy on those leaves to keep them green and upright.

I like to leave as many peace as possible until day 15-21 of flower it varies depending on statin and how large the plant where when they were put into 12/12 light cycles. Smaller plants won’t flip to flower as quickly as larger more mature plants. Around day 15-21 i try to remove the lower leaves not getting direct sunlight. Always make sure to keep as many leaves as possible at this time only cut away what you need to cut away. Now later in flower when buds are really starting to fourm you can start to cut away more and more fan leaves I wouldn’t cut them all at the same time but by the end of flower you really don’t need that many fan leaves other than the ones at the top of branches

While genetics set the maximum potential for a plant's structure, size, and leaf density, the actual outcome is heavily shaped by environmental factors and nutrient availability. Less leaf mass generally correlates with reduced energy conversion. The practice of defoliation indoor is used to optimize, not maximize, energy distribution. The goal is to trade off total biomass production for better quality at specific sites. Prefer not to defoliate once flower has initiated. Your canopy is no where near the thickness and density it needs to be to warrant any defoliation imo. All you would do is reduce total atp. Plants stretch, what was once dense and clustered stretches out. With correct seneseace, plant will defoliate itself when time is right. Probably only bother to chop very bottom stems. Look to " expedite the removal of leafs that you know will serve no purpose come flowering" How do you know that? Experience. Don't be afraid to just let her grow, then once you come Harvest take a look and see maybe what you could chop next time, save the plant the time and energy. Without the Experience to observe you are just tearing away mitochondria to make you feel like a hairdresser artist, giving your plant a hair cut.

I would Take Out the damaged ones at first and If she's still too packed take of the ones causing bad airflow. But stretching her out a bit would work too. The more leaves you can keep the better!

You can not "direct energy" to bud sites. ALL of a plants energy is made in the leaves. No energy comes from the roots or anywhere else Less leaves = less energy = less potential. Buds are like fruit, they do not need direct light to grow, just like how apples do not grow only on the sunny side of the tree. Apical dominance dictates where energy goes, not leaf count. Just remember.....more leaves = more energy being produced = more potential .....that is how plants work.

Why would you strip the plant of necessary plant organs, like leaves? All you are doing is reducing co2 intake and light absorption... the 2 primary factors 100x more important than anything else you have control over, lol. This is a loss that will not be overcome by whatever "bro science" is selling. It absolutely does not 'allow the plant to focus on flower', lol. Nothing supports that idea.. no one with an ounce of biology education or work experience would propose such an absurd hypothesis. That's like saying vaccines cause autism.

Hi 🙋‍♂️, Eigentlich sind die Blätter der Pflanze essenziell für die Photosynthese, bedeutet im Klartext: entferne wirklich nur das nötigste. Zur besseren Belüftung empfiehlt es sich unten zu starten… bedeutet alles was sowieso im schatten ist und nur Feuchtigkeit sammeln würde kann weg. So beugst du Staunässe und damit schimmelbildung vor. Oben an den budsegmenten ist wirklich Vorsicht geboten. Da würde ich lediglich entfernen was andere Haupttriebe in den Schatten stellt, sonst nichts. Ich hoffe das hilft weiter ! Viel Erfolg im weiteren Verlauf 👊👌🤞🏽

I just go for it from all angles. I try to leave at least 1 or 2 main fan leaves on the tops of each main branch But other than that I just try and uncover nodes and increase light penetration a bit further down into the canopy