Which one are you referring to that you think is root bound? I cant tell which went into the ground...
But Im curious.. Why do you say its root bound and how can know without even seeing the roots? Are you judging the distance of the canopy or growth rate something?
I agree with ganga gurl420 , I doubt a fabric pot will become root bound (check out "
air pruning" for why) Also when I said "you got the right idea" it was about the airflow being something you were concerned about, rather than answering your question of if it was too little/too much.. If that wasnt clear to anybody reading my response, there's no need to really defoliate when growing outdoors EXCEPT if airflow is really needed... and even then it should be kept to a minimum, and never to uncover bud sites from being shadowed by the fan leaves to let more light in or anything like that.
Also one last thing I should mention because of that picture with the stump/stalk/top of pot..
When growing organically your soil is doing all the work, and when the soil is left uncovered the UV / sun light will damage the first couple inches of your soil, which can hold some of the most beneficial bacteria and organisms, mycorrhizal layer, etc.
Its always a good idea to cover it with something, that goes for your lawn too.. (grass vs. dirt is better for the soil-will also retain moisture a lot better)
You can use something like straw/hay which is extremely cheap and goes far ( I spent 4 bucks on half a bale and still had half that bale leftover after using it on everything) There are also "cover crops" which are actually better because certain plants will provide nitrogen, or other nutrients, or will break down other things so they become more readily available for your plants, or attract beneficial insects to your plot, that sort of thing. (You should also plant a cover crop mix AFTER you harvest if you are going to reuse that soil, and as the cover crop grows you can cut it and drop the cuttings right into the soil to break back down, or smother it out and replant/wait for it to regrow then smother again. Look into it, theres different techniques and plantings for current grows/over wintering/etc.
Even though I think that was way too much taken off the plant, I've done worse in the past and by the end of flower I wouldnt be surprised if she was a bush again... Granted I dont know what would've yielded more... Keeping them on, or wasting energy on growing new ones.. I lean toward the former... But either way, I dont think it will kill the plants.
Enjoy the home stretch, Cheers