Improving the ripening of the lower buds and thinning/defoliating — is it necessary? Is it helpful? Day 42 of flowering.”

Nope. Remove leaves at no time allows the plant to 'focus more on buds' .. in fact it's the opposite effect unless the plant has completely ceased vegetative growth. Then you just have fewer leaves when pruned off, lol, and the plant takes in less energy and co2 than before... 2 factors that are very unlikely to be outweighed by some imaginary benefit that's has never been tested or proven with an ounce of good evidence. The products of photosynthesis are essentially ever-present in the vascular tissue and it is highly mobile, so access to sugar does not dictate growth. Sugar is used more locally than afar in the plant, but that's a dynamic of physics and geometry more than anything. Anywhere growth is advanced a concentration gradient draws more to that locale. Apical dominance dictates where the denser and airy buds are on the plant. Buds getting light really isn't important. Not crowding the canopy, which you have avoided nicely, is all you need to do in this regard. I've purposefully left buds covered by a leaf for numerous grows and yet to see a difference compared to other buds of similar 'stature' for lack of better vocab -- same vertical height, same primary or secondar branch location etc... There is no difference, if it is shielded or not. Also, light hitting leaves further away from the source of light is also significantly less intense. Just increasing inefficiency as far as portion of photons hitting or missing the plant trying to get the light to hit lower leaves, or worse sex organs that have 1/100th the photosynthetic potential. Green stem is 1/1000th. Tops of leaves are for light. Sex organs are for reproduction. Cell differentiation is an important concept to understand. Different organs have different functions, flower's function is to produce seed, not convert light to sugar. Leaves do that. And again, that sugar produced is highly mobile... going where it needs is not a hinderance to growth. Apical dominance dictates how much gets used where... The hypothesis behind this is so unlikely that I'd wager no reputable biologist would bother, because it can mostly be ruled out with existing knowledge. Hindering co2 intake or light absorption is not a winning strategy.

I bet you keep giving cal/mag all along the flowering cycle ? 😊 Next time, switch from cal/mag to Mag/Sulfur at week 5 of flowering, it will improve the overall ripening 😉

Salam JSanchezz! 👋 Your canopy is looking incredibly dense and frosty, Habibi! Excellent work getting them to Day 42 looking this healthy. 🌳 You have hit the classic debate: "To defoliate or not to defoliate in late flower?" Let's look at this through the lens of Modern Engineering: 🛠️ 1. The "Solar Panel" Rule: Leaves are the engines that produce sugars to swell the buds. If you strip the plant naked right now (Week 6), you will rob her of the energy she needs for the final bulk. 📉 2. Targeted Pruning: However, photons (light) cannot pass through a solid leaf. If you have a massive fan leaf acting like an umbrella and completely shadowing a good-sized lower bud, yes, snip that single leaf off. We call this "targeted defoliation." Only remove what is actively blocking the light. ✂️☀️ The Ultimate Solution (The Staggered Harvest): If your lower buds are still looking green and fluffy while the top colas are finishing, do what @Hashy and @Trichoma suggested! It is the best trick in the book. When the top colas are amber and ready, chop only the top half of the plant. Then, lower your LED light closer to the remaining bottom half and let those lower buds cook for another 7-14 days. They will double in size and harden up beautifully! 🚀 Also, your environment (24°C / 45% RH) is absolutely perfect for late flower to prevent mold and push resin. Keep it right there! Happy Growing! 💚

You’ve already done a great job lollipopping your plant! As for the top leaves, I’d only remove them if there’s a pest issue, otherwise, leave them be. You could remove a few more lower bud sites and leaves or lollipop a bit higher, but overall, it’s looking good! Just make sure you have solid airflow both from below and above to keep mold away. Looking great, keep it up! 👍 If possible, consider a staggered harvest: Chop the main colas first, then give the smaller bud sites an extra week or two to fatten up before harvesting the rest.

What @oldskoolkool say..leaves are best kept when serving a positive purpose. There's scientific proof that defoliation helps grow the targeted crop, here being the flower.. People can't understand that if the plant needs them why are they making them and so it's a no to defoliate,, massive mistake hopefully they realise and swallow the pill and take it on the chin before my kids are growing better haha ...

My last grow I did partial harvest, chopped the tops off and started drying them and let the lower parts get an extra week under the light, that seemed to help mature the lower buds.

Its best to defoliate during the first 3wks of flowering but you'll be ok if you don't take off too many.I would certainly take some off those.Is that only two plants?That canopy is nice and full.I'd take several off each one.Be careful whos advice you take on here,mine included.Id triple check everything.You should be checking with people that are trusted in the industry and remember one size does not fit all.Soil works different to coco,mineral food is different to organic and so on.You still get fools on here claiming you should never defoliate even after theyve been shown the evidence.The majority of breeders will tell you to defoliate certain strains they sell.Not all need it.A typical indica compared to a Sativa is like night and day.Yours are hybrid but theyre more indica with the wide leaves that catch more sun than the sativa.Landrace sativa grow closer to the sun so have thinner leaves so sativa don;'t need defoliating as much if ever.Youve got a little cupping going on with your leaves as well.They do it to protect themselves.Google it.It will be the light or the atmosphere.Use the light metre app on your smart phone.I have my lights as high as poss at this stage then turn them down for the last two weeks.